JPH0426449B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Technical Field of the Invention] The present invention relates to an adapter for an endoscope device used in a frame-sequential color imaging type endoscope device.

[Technical background of the invention and its problems]

Some endoscopes are equipped with a solid-state imaging device such as a CCD at the distal end of the insertion section to capture images inside the body cavity. Furthermore, in recent years, such endoscopes have been proposed that use solid-state imaging devices to capture color images of the inside of body cavities.

For color imaging, the elements can be made smaller and the color reproducibility is better.
As shown in Publication No. 90685, etc., this is done using a frame-sequential color imaging method.

However, since such a color imaging method is not common, it requires a special device such as a light source device, which has the disadvantage that the equipment is large and expensive.

[Purpose of the invention]

This invention was made in view of the above circumstances, and its purpose is to utilize the endoscope light source device normally used in endoscopes as is, without the need for any special equipment. An object of the present invention is to provide an adapter for an endoscope device that can perform color imaging in a field-sequential manner.

[Summary of the invention]

That is, this invention provides a rotating filter that is rotated by a motor and guides light of a specific wavelength to the incident end of the light guide in the adapter body that is attached to the tip of the light guide cable of the endoscope. By providing a light guiding means for guiding light from the endoscope light source device to the filter, we are attempting to make it possible to perform color imaging using the frame-sequential color imaging method simply by connecting it to the endoscope light source device. It is something to do.

[Embodiments of the invention]

The present invention will be explained below based on a first embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 3. FIG. 2 shows the overall configuration of the endoscope apparatus, in which 1 is an endoscope and 1a is an endoscope light source device. Endoscope 1
In addition to providing a light guide cable 4 to the insertion section 3 in the operation section 2 and a solid-state image sensor 5 such as a CCD within the distal end of the insertion section 2, a light guide 6 is installed from within the distal end of the insertion section 2. It is inserted through the connector 4a provided at the tip of the cable 4. The end of the light guide 6 on the connector 4a side protrudes from the front end surface of the connector 4a and constitutes an incident end 6a. And the connector 4a of the endoscope 1 configured in this way
An endoscope device adapter 7 is attached to the endoscope device, so that color imaging using the frame-sequential color imaging method can be performed by using the normal endoscope light source device 1a as is. The structure of this endoscope adapter 7 and the surrounding structure are shown in FIG.

Here, to explain the structure of the adapter 7 for an endoscope device, 10 is an adapter body, and 11 is a rotary filter provided within the adapter body 10. As shown in FIG. The adapter main body 10 has a connector 4a and a removable connection port 12 on one side, and a relay lens or a single fiber on the other side facing away from the connection port 12. It is configured with an optical relay base 13 consisting of the following. The rotary filter 11 is rotatably installed between the connection port 12 and the optical relay base 13. As shown in FIG. 3, this rotary filter 11 has R, G, and B color filters 16a and 16 arranged along the circumferential direction on the outer circumferential side of the rotary disk 15.
b, 16c are provided. The rotary filter 11 is arranged so that its color filter surface is located between the connection port 12 and the optical relay cap 13, and can be rotated by the driving force of a step motor 17 connected to its center. The input end of the light guide 6 has a specific wavelength,
In other words, each wavelength of R, G, and B can be guided. In addition, 18 is the step motor 1
This is a motor control circuit for controlling 7. Further, on the lower side of the rotary filter 11, a photo interrupter 19 for detecting the start position of the rotary filter 11 and each color filter 16a,
Photo interrupters 20 for detecting the positions of color filters 16b and 16c are arranged in parallel, so that the phases of color filters 16a, 16b and 16c can be detected. In addition, 21 is a small hole provided at a point corresponding to the starting position, 23, 23, 24 are R,
These are small holes provided at points corresponding to positions G and B. Of course, the small hole 21 is the photo interrupter 1.
Needless to say, small holes 22, 23, and 24 are provided in 9 to correspond to the photo interrupter 20. The endoscope adapter 7 configured in this manner has its connection port 12 removably attached to the connector 4a which is the tip of the light guide cable 4, and also has an optical relay base 13.
By connecting the light source device 1a to the connecting portion 1b of the endoscope light source device 1a, light can be guided to the rotating filter 11 using the optical relay base 13 as a light guide means. That is, the endoscope light source input end 1a
The light is sequentially colored R, G, and B so that the three color wavelengths required for color imaging using the field-sequential color imaging method can be sent to the light guide 6. Note that 1c indicates a lamp built into the endoscope light source device 1a.

On the other hand, 25 is a video processor. Then, output signals from the solid-state image sensor 5 provided in the endoscope 1 and output signals from each of the photo interrupters 19 and 20 are led to the video processor 25, and R, G, B signals, synchronization signals, etc. is processed so that an image of the inside of the body cavity can be displayed on a color monitor device (not shown).

Therefore, when performing color imaging using the endoscope 1, in addition to attaching the connection port 12 of the endoscope adapter 7 to the tip of the light guide cable 4, the optical relay base 13 is attached to the endoscope adapter 7. Light source device 1
Connect to the connection part 1b of the motor 1 from this state.
7 is activated, the light from the endoscope light source device 1a is rotated by the rotation filter 11, so that the light from the endoscope light source device 1a is sequentially transmitted to R, R,
The light is colored G and B and supplied to the light guide 6. Then, the video processor 25 receives signals from the solid-state image sensor 5 and the photo interrupters 19 and 20, and synthesizes the three color component signals to generate one color image signal.

Thus, without the need for special equipment,
Endoscope device adapter 7 Endoscope light source device 1
If connected to the endoscope light source device 1a, it is possible to perform color imaging using the frame-sequential color imaging method using the endoscope light source device 1a as is.

Further, FIGS. 4 and 5 show a second embodiment of the present invention, in which an optical relay light guide cable 30 is used as the light guiding means to guide the light from the endoscope light source device 1a. It is designed to lead to a rotary filter 11. In addition, in Fig. 5, 31
indicates a condenser lens. However, in FIGS. 4 and 5, the same components as those in the first embodiment described above are given the same reference numerals and their explanations are omitted.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As explained above, according to the present invention, color imaging using the frame-sequential color imaging method can be easily performed using an endoscope with a built-in solid-state image sensor by simply connecting it to an endoscope light source device. It becomes like this.

Therefore, without the need for special equipment,
Normally, it is possible to perform frame-sequential color imaging by using an endoscope light source device used in an endoscope as is.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

1 to 3 show a first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 1 shows the structure of an adapter for an endoscope device, and shows how the adapter for an endoscope device is connected to a light source device for an endoscope and a light guide. 2 is a perspective view showing the entire endoscope device; FIG. 3 is a front view showing the rotary filter;
FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 show a second embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the entire endoscope device,
FIG. 5 is a sectional view showing the structure of the endoscope adapter and a state in which the endoscope adapter is installed between the endoscope light source device and the light guide cable. 1...Endoscope, 1a...Light source device for endoscope, 4
. . . Light guide cable, 6 . . . Light guide, 11 .

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. An adapter body that is attached to the tip of the light guide cable of an endoscope that has a solid-state image sensor and a light guide cable, and an incident end of the light guide that is provided inside the adapter body and inserted into the light guide cable. An endoscope comprising: a rotating filter that guides light of a specific wavelength; a motor that rotates the rotating filter; and a light guiding means that guides light from an endoscope light source device to the rotating filter. Device adapter.