3-D viewing system

Optical: systems and elements – Stereoscopic – Stereo-viewers

Reexamination Certificate

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Details

C359S462000, C359S376000, C359S377000, C359S378000, C359S380000, C600S111000, C600S166000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06525878

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Three-dimensional (3-D) viewing units and electronic image display units according to the prior art have been described in Japanese Laid Open Patent Applications H5-107482 and H9-511343. As described in Japanese Laid Open Patent Application H5-107482, surgical microscopes that image light fluxes, convert the images into electrical signals, and then display the images are advantageous in that a weaker light can be used to illuminate ophthalmic operations. The weaker illuminating light not only presents less of a problem if directed directly into a patient's retina, but it also reduces surface evaporation due to the light at the illuminated surface being converted into heat. Thus, less saline solution is needed during an operation to prevent the operation site from drying out. However, prior art surgical microscopes using electronic displays retain the following obstacles to increased usage.
1) They provide less freedom to the main operator in his viewing position and head orientation (hereinafter viewing position and head orientation will be termed, for convenience, viewing posture). Further, the assistant operator is provided with very limited viewing postures, namely, either directly opposite the operator facing the operator or at the operator's side facing a direction that makes a right angle to the forward direction of the operator.
2) When the operator and assistant share a common optical system, the prior art devices require too much adjustment. For example, when the operator and assistant take side-by-side positions, they share an optical viewing system between them. Three optical zoom systems are usually provided in order to offer the user a selection of magnifications with which to view the operation. However, it is very difficult to adjust the optical axis, magnification, and co-focus of the three optical zoom systems for multiple viewers. Thus, it is desired for surgical microscopes using electronic displays to provide more freedom in terms of viewing posture of the operator and assistant without requiring complex adjustments of the optical system.
3) In order that multiple users, such as both the operator and assistant, can have an independent observation capability, prior art surgical microscopes that use electronic displays provide each viewer with an individual imaging system and individual optical viewing system. However, this results in an increase in size of the surgical microscope, more difficulty in adjustment, and greater cost as compared to the present invention.
In prior art surgical microscopes that provide wide-angle, 3-D images, the viewers must wear polarized glasses as they view a large display monitor that displays wide-angle images. If polarized glasses are not used, the left eye receives not only the images displayed on the monitor intended for the left eye, but also the images having different parallax that are intended for the right eye. Similarly, the right eye also sees double images. Thus, rather than experiencing wide-angle, 3-D images, the viewer experiences only blurred 2-D images if polarized glasses are not worn. Further, both wide-angle images and proper eye relief may not be realized at the same time in prior art devices.
Prior art devices relating to problems (1), (2), and (3) above are discussed in more detail below.
Japanese Laid Open Patent Application H 9-511343 describes a method to reduce the number of optical zoom systems. However, no consideration is given to the limited viewing postures available to the operator and assistant or of giving these viewers more freedom of viewing posture.
Japanese Laid Open Patent Application H5-107482 describes an example of a 3-D viewing system according to the prior art, wherein two viewers view an operation site from positions that are opposed to each other. This example is described with reference to
FIGS. 20-22
.
FIG. 20
is a schematic front elevation view of such a device.
FIG. 21
is a side view of the device shown in
FIG. 20
, and
FIG. 22
is a partial, top view which illustrates the opposed directions in which the two pairs of monitors are directed. A microscope body
106
′ (
FIG. 20
) comprising an optical system and imaging section is provided with a viewing section supporting member
138
(FIG.
21
). The viewing section supporting member
138
is provided with rotation axes
134
,
134
′ for rotationally supporting the back of viewing sections
130
,
130
′, as well as a first left monitor
131
for the left eye (
FIG. 20
) having an eye shade
131
a
and a first right monitor
132
for the right eye having an eye shade
132
a
. These side-by-side monitors are connected to the viewing section
130
′ by a rotation supporting member
133
(FIG.
20
). Similarly, a second left monitor
137
for the left eye (
FIG. 22
) and a second right monitor
136
for the right eye are provided to the viewing section
130
′. As shown in
FIG. 22
, the monitors
131
,
132
display to the left in the figure and the monitors
136
,
137
display to the right in the figure.
Therefore, by orienting the detecting devices that are fixed within the microscope body so that the left and right parallax images that are detected are displayed with a correct vertical orientation for the user, each operator is provided with a 3-D viewing experience using the viewing sections
130
,
130
′. In this case, the operators do not need to wear polarized glasses. Rather, a monitor is provided for each eye, each eye views only its monitor, and no obstacles to viewing, such as the wearing of polarized glasses, are present. However, a wide-angle 3-D image is not obtained and the viewing positions are limited to the opposed positions illustrated. Viewing at the side of the operator is not available. Because a user has little freedom in choice of viewing postures, the viewing experience may be tiresome.
As mentioned previously, the field of view is limited in systems that use two display units (for instance the left and right monitors
131
,
132
) in order to provide images to the left and right eyes, respectively. In order to display wide-angle images, both the left and right display panels would need to be enlarged. However this would cause the two display panels to physically interfere with each other. In addition, in this prior art device, each imaging section is provided with an optical zoom system. Enlarging these optical zoom systems would likely lead to adjustment problems and oversized systems.
Japanese Laid Open Patent Application H5-107482 also describes another prior art device of a 3-D viewing system, wherein the operator and assistant view at right angles to each other. This embodiment is described with reference to
FIGS. 23-25
.
FIG. 23
is a schematic side view of a prior art 3-D viewing system that shows how two side-by-side viewers view 3-D images while facing 90 degrees to each other.
FIG. 24
is a block diagram of the microscope body and electric wiring of this device.
FIG. 25
is a top view showing the locations of optical paths P, Q, R (each passing light of different perspective relative to the operation site) which are detected by solid-state image detecting devices positioned within the microscope body
199
. As shown in
FIG. 23
, the microscope body (not separately labeled in this figure) is fixed to a supporting arm
156
which is provided with liquid crystal monitors
193
,
194
. Being supported so as to be spatially movable, the microscope body
199
(
FIG. 24
) is provided with an illumination system (not shown), an objective lens
110
, three magnifying systems
161
a
,
161
b
,
161
c
, and relay lenses
162
a
,
162
b
,
162
c
. Further, a solid-state image detecting device
200
,
201
, or
202
is positioned in the optical paths P, Q, or R (FIG.
25
), respectively, with the solid-state image detecting device
202
having an orientation that is rotated counter-clockwise 90° relative to the orientation of the solid-state image detecting device
201
.
In this prior art device, in 3-D image circuit
185
A,

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