Surgery – Endoscope – With control or monitoring of endoscope functions
Reexamination Certificate
2001-04-02
2003-11-25
Mulcahy, John (Department: 3739)
Surgery
Endoscope
With control or monitoring of endoscope functions
C600S109000, C600S146000, C348S065000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06652451
ABSTRACT:
This application claims benefit of Japanese Application No. 2001-63704 filed in Japan on Mar. 7, 2001, and Japanese Application No. 2000-101123 filed in Japan on Apr. 3, 2000, the contents of which are incorporated by this reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an endoscope system, or more particularly, to an endoscope system characterized by a control unit that controls a plurality of apparatuses having different functions.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, endoscope systems including an electronic endoscope that has an imaging device incorporated in a tip part of an insertion member thereof which is inserted into a lumen for the purpose of imaging a region to be observed have been widely used for medical or industrial.
This type of conventional endoscope system comprises, as shown in
FIG. 19
, an electronic endoscope
901
, a camera control unit (CCU)
902
, a light source apparatus
903
, an image recording apparatus
905
, and a display device
904
. The electronic endoscope
901
images a region to be observed within a lumen. The CCU
902
processes an image signal from the electronic endoscope
901
. The light source apparatus
903
supplies illumination light to the electronic endoscope
901
. The image recording apparatus
905
records a video signal from the CCU
902
. An endoscopic image is displayed on the display device
904
via the image recording apparatus
905
according to the video signal produced by the CCU
902
.
The electronic endoscope
901
comprises an insertion member
911
, an operator unit
912
, and a universal cable
913
. The insertion member
911
is inserted into a lumen. The operator unit
912
communicates with the proximal end of the insertion member
911
. The universal cable
913
extends from the operator unit
912
. An endoscope connector
914
attached to the universal cable
913
is joined to the CCU
902
. A light guide connector
916
attached to a light guide
915
contained in the universal cable
913
is joined to the light source apparatus
903
.
A video signal generated by the CCU
902
is outputted to the image recording apparatus
905
over a video cable
917
. The image recording apparatus
905
receives the video signal from the CCU
902
, and records an image on a memory card
919
that is attachable/detachable to a card connector
918
formed on the image recording apparatus
905
.
The video signal from the image recording apparatus
905
is outputted to the display device
904
. An endoscopic view image is then displayed on the display device
904
.
Herein, AC adaptors
920
are power supply units for supplying power to the CCU
902
, image recording apparatus
905
, and display device
904
respectively.
Moreover, the electronic endoscope
901
, CCU
902
, light source apparatus
903
, display device
904
, and image recording apparatus
905
are operated mutually independently using their operation switches
901
a
,
902
a
,
903
a
,
904
a
, and
905
a
respectively.
However, these apparatuses (electronic endoscope
901
, CCU
902
, light source apparatus
903
, display device
904
, and image recording apparatus
905
) are stand-alone apparatuses. The apparatuses must be connected to one another using video cables, and need to be used in combination with power supply equipment (AC adaptors
920
and AC power cables
921
).
The apparatuses are operated independently of one another using the operation switches
901
a
,
902
a
,
903
a
,
904
a
, and
905
a
set to the apparatuses. Namely, the operation switch
901
a
is used to operate the electronic endoscope
901
. The operation switch
902
a
is used to operate the CCU
902
. The operation switch
903
a
is used to operate the light source apparatus
903
. The operation switch
904
a
is used to operate the display device
904
. The operation switch
905
a
Conventionally, the electronic endoscope
901
, CCU
902
, light source apparatus
903
, display device
904
, and image recording apparatus
905
included in the endoscope system are connected to one another while being installed independently of one another. Therefore, the connections of the apparatuses become complex, and the stand-alone apparatuses cannot be controlled in a centralized manner. Consequently, the endoscope system is hard to use, large in size, and heavy.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide an electronic endoscope system into which the complex functions of apparatuses are controlled in a centralized manner in order to offer improved ease of use.
Another object is to provide an electronic endoscope system that can be readily expanded to have another function which can be operated easily.
An electronic endoscope system of the present invention comprises an endoscope including an elongated insertion member, a light guide that is passed through the insertion member, an imaging device incorporated in a tip part that communicates with the insertion member, and a pair of angulation wires that is passed through the insertion member and coupled to the tip part in order to angle the tip part; a lamp located at a position supplying illumination light over the light guide; a camera control unit including a video signal processor that processes an image signal sent from the imaging device, and a first controller that controls the operation of the video signal processor; an angulation wire control unit including a motor that drives the pair of angulation wires and a second controller that controls the motor; a remote control unit including a plurality of operation switches that is used to operate the camera control unit and the angulation wire control unit, and a remote controller that outputs communication data responsively to a manipulation performed on any of the plurality of operation switches; and a system control unit including a connector through which the remote control unit is connected, and a system controller that transmits communication data, which is used to extend control, to the first controller or the second controller according to communication data received from the remote control unit through the connector.
The above and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become more apparent from the following description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4941456 (1990-07-01), Wood et al.
patent: 5159446 (1992-10-01), Hibino et al.
patent: 5678568 (1997-10-01), Uchikubo et al.
Ishimura Toshiro
Murata Masanao
Obata Mitsuo
Ono Mitsunobu
Mulcahy John
Olympus Optical Co,. Ltd.
Scully Scott Murphy & Presser
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