JPH0349083B2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] The present invention relates to an endoscope device.

2. Description of the Related Art Endoscopes are known that are inserted directly into a body cavity to visually inspect the condition of the body cavity in order to diagnose the inside of the body. This endoscope uses an optical fiber cable for transmitting optical information about the subject. This optical fiber cable is formed by bundling a plurality of optical fibers, and the optical fiber consists of a core and a cladding that transmit optical information. In an optical fiber with this structure, optical information is transmitted only through the core, so when viewed microscopically, information about the object is transmitted in a mosaic pattern, and the object is imaged by superimposing the mosaic information. It will be done. Therefore, there is an inconvenience that part of the information about the subject is deleted.

There is a dynamic scanning method as a means to solve such inconveniences, for example, as described in NS Capani (N.
“Fiber Optics Principles and Applications” by S. KAPANY)
and Applications) disclosed in PP.88~.
This dynamic scanning method vibrates an optical fiber bundle to form an image on the film surface of a camera, thereby preventing the formation of a mosaic image by the optical fibers. However, it is difficult to vibrate an optical fiber in an endoscope that is used inside the body.

By the way, when capturing information about a subject using a camera that uses a solid-state image sensor, the pixels of the solid-state image sensor, such as a charge transfer device (CCD), are arranged in a matrix on the light-receiving surface, so there may be information that is not received by each pixel. could be. Furthermore, if there is a defect in a part of a CCD pixel, there is also the inconvenience that information corresponding to that pixel cannot be obtained.

The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and an object of the present invention is to provide an endoscope device incorporating a solid-state image sensor that has excellent resolution and is not affected by defects in the solid-state image sensor.

In order to achieve the above object, an endoscope apparatus according to the present invention includes an endoscope means, a camera means having a built-in solid-state image sensor attached to an eyepiece of the endoscope means, and a single object. an imaging means comprising a vibration means for focusing a plurality of images on different positions of a light receiving section of the camera means; a control means for driving the camera means, receiving an output signal, converting it into a television signal and outputting it; It is comprised of display means for monitoring television signals, and adjustment means for adjusting the control means to electrically synthesize signals corresponding to a plurality of images and forming a single image on the display means.

With the above configuration, multiple images of a single object are detected by different CCD pixels, and by electrically superimposing the images, it is possible to complement each other and obtain a clear image. In other words, specific parts of
Missing information can be supplemented by superimposing information that is not detected by a CCD pixel with information obtained by other CCD pixels.
Even if a certain CCD pixel has a defect, it is possible to obtain a clear image according to the present invention.

Hereinafter, one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows an endoscope 2 constituting an endoscope apparatus according to the present invention and a device attached to an eyepiece of the endoscope 2.
TV camera 4 and light source unit 6 that sends light to the endoscope
It consists of. The endoscope 2 includes an objective lens 8 provided in the light receiving section and an optical fiber cable (image guide) 1 that transmits the image formed by the objective lens.
0, an eyepiece lens 12, an optical fiber cable (light guide) 14 that transmits the light from the light source section 6,
Vibrator 1 that vibrates the objective lens 8 at a constant cycle
It consists of 6.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the entire endoscope apparatus of the present invention, in which the optical fiber cable 14 is connected to the light source section 6.
The light transmitted through is reflected by the subject 18 and forms an image on the light receiving section 20 of the TV camera attached to the endoscope via the objective lens 8 and the optical fiber cable 10. The light receiving section 20 is constituted by a solid-state image sensor, for example, a charge transfer device (CCD), and the CCD is arranged in a matrix.
It consists of 22 CCD pixels. The light information received by the CCD pixel 22 is sent to the camera control unit (CCU) by a drive signal generated by the drive circuit 24.
Transferred to 26. The camera control unit 26 converts the optical information into a television signal and sends it to a display device 28 for displaying the subject 18.

By the way, the objective lens 8 provided on the front surface of the optical fiber cable 10 is vibrated by a vibrator 16. The period of this vibration is controlled by the synchronization circuit 30 based on a signal from the CCU 26. For example, by vibrating at twice the frame period of the display device 28, two images of the subject 18 are formed on the light receiving section 20 at different positions. The first image 32 is formed earlier than the second image 34 by a frame period, but the signal of the first image 32 is delayed by the frame period by a delay circuit and is combined with the signal of the second image 34. A composite image of the subject 18 can be obtained by converting the composite signal into a television signal and displaying it on the display device 28. The delay amount of the signal of the first image 32 and the signal of the second image 34 is controlled by the adjustment circuit 36. For example, it may be adjusted manually for each measurement, or it may be adjusted automatically by giving a test pattern.

If configured as above, optical fiber cable 1
It is possible to eliminate the mesh caused by the 0 crud, and it is also possible to compensate for the lack of an image due to the non-detection area formed between each CCD pixel 22, or the lack of an image due to a defect in the CCD pixel itself, resulting in a clear image. is obtained.

The invention is not limited to the above embodiments. For example, by setting the vibration period of the objective lens 8 to an integral multiple of the frame period and forming a plurality of images on the light receiving section 22,
A single image may be obtained by adjustment circuit 36.

As described in detail above, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide an endoscope device incorporating a solid-state image sensor that has excellent resolution and is not affected by defects in the solid-state image sensor.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an endoscope, a TV camera, and a light source that constitute an endoscope device according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of an endoscope device incorporating a solid-state image pickup device according to the present invention. It is a configuration diagram. 2... Endoscope, 4... TV camera, 6... Light source section, 8
...Objective lens, 10...Optical fiber cable, 12
...Eyepiece, 14...Optical fiber cable, 16
... Vibrator, 18... Subject, 20... Light receiving section, 22...
CCD pixel, 24...drive circuit, 26...camera control unit, 28...display device, 3
0...Synchronization circuit, 32...First image, 34...Second image, 36...Adjustment circuit.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. an endoscope means, a camera means having a built-in solid-state image sensor attached to an eyepiece of the endoscope means,
an imaging means comprising a vibration means for focusing a plurality of images of a single object on different positions of a light receiving section of the camera means; and a control for driving the camera means to receive an output signal, convert it into a television signal, and output it. means and
It is characterized by comprising a display means for monitoring the television signal, and an adjustment means for adjusting the control means to electrically synthesize signals corresponding to a plurality of images and form a single image on the display means. An endoscope device with a built-in solid-state image sensor. 2. The endoscope according to claim 1, wherein the imaging means is a vibration means that vibrates an objective lens provided in the endoscope means in synchronization with an integral multiple of the frame period. Mirror device. 3. The endoscope apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the solid-state image sensor is composed of a CCD pixel.