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US6025873A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Endoscope system provided with low-pass filter for moire removal

Assignee: Olympus Corp
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Filing: 1997-08-26
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Granted: 2000-02-15
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Expires: 2017-08-26
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Abstract

Abstract An endoscope system including a first hard endoscope which uses a relay lens as an image transmission optical system, a second hard endoscope which uses an image guide formed by a fiber bundle, and a TV camera which is mountable respectively on the first and second hard endoscopes and which is rotatable. The TV camera has built therein a CCD. An optical low-pass filter for removing moire even in case of being rotated is provided on an ocular part of the second hard endoscope.

Inventors

  • 👤 Kimihiko Nishioka
  • 👤 Naoki Hasegawa
  • 👤 Katsuya Ono
  • 👤 Yutaka Tatsuno

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-24 21:57
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61B; A61B1/00; A61B1/04; A61B1/055; A61B1/00163; A61B1/00195; A61B1/042; G; G02; G02B; G02B23/00; G02B23/24; G02B23/2407; G02B23/26; G02B27/00; G02B27/10; G02B27/1066; H; H04; H04N; H04N23/00; H04N23/50; H04N23/55; H04N23/555; H04N7/00; H04N7/18; A61B1/00112; A61B1/00121; A61B1/00126; A61B1/00128; H04N25/00; H04N25/10; H04N25/11; H04N25/13; H04N25/134

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 8
Claim 1
Independent Claim 441 words
An endoscope system comprising: a first endoscope body of relay lens type having first illumination-light output means for outputting an illumination light from a distal end of an elongated first insertion part, a first object optical system provided on the distal end of said first insertion part, for focusing an image of an object which is illuminated by said illumination light, and a first image transmission optical system arranged within said first insertion part, and formed by the use of a lens which transmits said image to the rearward side of said first insertion part in a relay manner; a second endoscope body of a fiberscope type having second illumination-light output means for outputting a second illumination light from a distal end of an elongated second insertion part, a second object optical system provided on the distal end of said second insertion part for focusing the image of the object which is illuminated by said second illumination light, a second image transmission optical system arranged within said second insertion part and formed by image guide fibers for image transmission and which transmits said image to the rearward side of said second insertion part, an ocular optical system for observing the image of the object transmitted by said second image transmission optical system, and low-pass filter means provided on a rearward end of said second image transmission optical system for optically removing moire which is generated by using said image guide fibers for image transmission; image pickup means detachably mounted on a rearward end of one of said first and second endoscope bodies so as to be rotatable with respect to one of said first and second endoscope bodies, said image pick-up means having an imaging optical system for imaging an image which is transmitted by one of said first and second image transmission optical systems, and an image pickup element for conducting photoelectric conversion; signal processing means for conducting signal processing with respect to said image pickup element; and image display means to which an image signal generated by said signal processing means is inputted to thereby display an image which is photoelectrically converted by said image pickup element, wherein said low-pass filter means is contained only within said second endoscope body and not contained within said first endoscope body, wherein said low-pass filter means include a multiple slant face prism arranged adjacent a diaphragm stop forming a pupil of said ocular optical system, and wherein said low-pass filter means removes moire regardless of the rotated position of said image pickup means when said image pick-up means is mounted to said second endoscope body with respect to said second endoscope body.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 441 words
An endoscope system comprising: a first endoscope body of relay lens type having first illumination-light output means for outputting an illumination light from a distal end of an elongated first insertion part, a first object optical system provided on the distal end of said first insertion part, for focusing an image of an object which is illuminated by said illumination light, and a first image transmission optical system arranged within said first insertion part, and formed by the use of a lens which transmits said image to the rearward side of said first insertion part in a relay manner; a second endoscope body of a fiberscope type having second illumination-light output means for outputting a second illumination light from a distal end of an elongated second insertion part, a second object optical system provided on the distal end of said second insertion part for focusing the image of the object which is illuminated by said second illumination light, a second image transmission optical system arranged within said second insertion part and formed by image guide fibers for image transmission and which transmits said image to the rearward side of said second insertion part, an ocular optical system for observing the image of the object transmitted by said second image transmission optical system, and low-pass filter means provided on a rearward end of said second image transmission optical system for optically removing moire which is generated by using said image guide fibers for image transmission; image pickup means detachably mounted on a rearward end of one of said first and second endoscope bodies so as to be rotatable with respect to one of said first and second endoscope bodies, said image pick-up means having an imaging optical system for imaging an image which is transmitted by one of said first and second image transmission optical systems, and an image pickup element for conducting photoelectric conversion; signal processing means for conducting signal processing with respect to said image pickup element; and image display means to which an image signal generated by said signal processing means is inputted to thereby display an image which is photoelectrically converted by said image pickup element, wherein said low-pass filter means is contained only within said second endoscope body and not contained within said first endoscope body, wherein said low-pass filter means include a multiple slant face prism arranged adjacent a diaphragm stop forming a pupil of said ocular optical system, and wherein said low-pass filter means removes moire regardless of the rotated position of said image pickup means when said image pick-up means is mounted to said second endoscope body with respect to said second endoscope body.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 40 words
An endoscope system according to claim 1, wherein said multiple slant-fact prism has at least a pair of slant faces which are in a torsional relationship with respect to an optical axis, said multiple slant-face prism forming a multiple image.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 36 words
An endoscope system according to claim 1, wherein said first endoscope body includes an ocular optical system for conducting observation with the naked eye in the rear of said first and second image transmission optical systems.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 466 words
An endoscope system comprising: a first endoscope body of relay lens type having: first illumination-light output means for outputting an illumination light from a distal end of an elongated first insertion part, a first object optical system provided on the distal end of said first insertion part, for focusing an image of an object which is illuminated by said illumination light, and a first image transmission optical system arranged within said first insertion part, and formed by the use of a lens which transmits said image to the rearward side of said first insertion part in a relay manner; a second endoscope body of a fiberscope type having: second illumination-light output means for outputting an illumination light from a distal end of an elongated second insertion part, a second object optical system provided on the distal end of said second insertion part for focusing the image of the object which is illuminated by said illumination light, a second image transmission optical system arranged within said second insertion part and formed by the use of image guide fibers for image transmission which transmit said image to the rearward side of said second insertion part, an ocular optical system for observing the image of the object transmitted by said second image transmission optical system, and low-pass filter means provided on a rearward end of said second image transmission optical system for optically removing moire which is generated by using said image guide fibers for image transmission; image pickup means detachably mounted on a rearward end of one of said first and second endoscope bodies so as to be rotatable with respect to one of said first and second endoscope bodies, said image pickup means having an imaging optical system for imaging an image which is transmitted by one of said first and an image pickup element for optical systems, and an image pickup element for conducting photoelectric conversion; signal processing means for conducting signal processing with respect to said image pickup element; and image display means to which an image signal generated by said signal processing means is inputted to thereby display an image which is photoelectrically converted by said image pickup element, wherein said low-pass filter means is contained only within said second endoscope body and not contained within said first endoscope body, wherein said low-pass filter means includes a multiple slant face prism arranged at a position which is in a vicinity of the position of a pupil of an ocular lens at the exit side of said ocular optical system, which has a diaphragm stop forming said pupil; and wherein said low-pass filter means removes moire regardless of the rotated position of said image pickup means when said image pickup means is mounted to said second endoscope body with respect to said second endoscope body.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 466 words
An endoscope system comprising: a first endoscope body of relay lens type having: first illumination-light output means for outputting an illumination light from a distal end of an elongated first insertion part, a first object optical system provided on the distal end of said first insertion part, for focusing an image of an object which is illuminated by said illumination light, and a first image transmission optical system arranged within said first insertion part, and formed by the use of a lens which transmits said image to the rearward side of said first insertion part in a relay manner; a second endoscope body of a fiberscope type having: second illumination-light output means for outputting an illumination light from a distal end of an elongated second insertion part, a second object optical system provided on the distal end of said second insertion part for focusing the image of the object which is illuminated by said illumination light, a second image transmission optical system arranged within said second insertion part and formed by the use of image guide fibers for image transmission which transmit said image to the rearward side of said second insertion part, an ocular optical system for observing the image of the object transmitted by said second image transmission optical system, and low-pass filter means provided on a rearward end of said second image transmission optical system for optically removing moire which is generated by using said image guide fibers for image transmission; image pickup means detachably mounted on a rearward end of one of said first and second endoscope bodies so as to be rotatable with respect to one of said first and second endoscope bodies, said image pickup means having an imaging optical system for imaging an image which is transmitted by one of said first and an image pickup element for optical systems, and an image pickup element for conducting photoelectric conversion; signal processing means for conducting signal processing with respect to said image pickup element; and image display means to which an image signal generated by said signal processing means is inputted to thereby display an image which is photoelectrically converted by said image pickup element, wherein said low-pass filter means is contained only within said second endoscope body and not contained within said first endoscope body, wherein said low-pass filter means includes a multiple slant face prism arranged at a position which is in a vicinity of the position of a pupil of an ocular lens at the exit side of said ocular optical system, which has a diaphragm stop forming said pupil; and wherein said low-pass filter means removes moire regardless of the rotated position of said image pickup means when said image pickup means is mounted to said second endoscope body with respect to said second endoscope body.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 46 words
An endoscope system according to claim 4, wherein said low-pass filter means has a multiple slant-face prism having at least a pair of slant faces which are in a torsional relationship with respect to the optical axis, and said multiple slant-face prism forms a multiple image.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 35 words
An endoscope system according to claim 4, wherein said first and second endoscope bodies have an ocular optical system for conducting naked eye observation in rear of said first and second image transmission optical systems.

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 2003-02-14 2003-08-16 2004-02-15 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 2007-02-14 2007-08-16 2008-02-15 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 2011-02-14 2011-08-16 2012-02-15 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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