Illumination Patents (Class 348/68)
  • Patent number: 8860793
    Abstract: The present Invention relates to a camera system suitable for use in minimally invasive surgery (MIS), among other applications. In at least one embodiment, the camera system includes an autonomous miniature camera, a light source assembly providing features such as steerable illumination and a variable radiation angle, and a control and processing unit for processing images acquired by the camera Io generate improved images having reduced blurring using a deblurring algorithm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2014
    Assignee: The Regents of the University of California
    Inventors: Yu-Hwa Lo, Yoav Mintz, Truong Nguyen, Jack Tzeng
  • Publication number: 20140300718
    Abstract: A camera device for acquiring optical properties in a plurality of different wavelength ranges and spatial structure properties of an object includes a beam splitter for splitting light coming from an object into the plurality of different wavelength ranges; a first image sensor for generating a first sensor signal related to a first predetermined wavelength range; a first signal processing device for generating a first intensity image signal and a distance image signal using information about the temporal modulation of illumination light (M) and the first sensor signal; at least one second image sensor for generating a second intensity image signal for a second predetermined wavelength range; and a second signal processing device for generating a color image signal from the first intensity image signal and the second intensity image signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 3, 2014
    Publication date: October 9, 2014
    Inventors: Beat Krattiger, Martin Leonhard
  • Publication number: 20140300717
    Abstract: An endoscope apparatus has an insertion portion having an image pickup device in a distal end portion, and a main body portion. The endoscope apparatus has a waveform shaping circuit that is provided in the distal end portion of the insertion portion, a stabilizing circuit that stabilizes a power supply voltage to the waveform shaping circuit, a load circuit that is connected to a power supply line that supplies the power supply voltage of the waveform shaping circuit, and a current drawing circuit that draws a predetermined current to the load circuit from the power supply line in response to an operation state of the waveform shaping circuit so that a potential difference between a power supply voltage of the waveform shaping circuit in a non-operation time period of the waveform shaping circuit and a power supply voltage in an operation time period of the waveform shaping circuit becomes small.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 8, 2013
    Publication date: October 9, 2014
    Applicant: Olympus Corporation
    Inventor: Tomohiro YOKOHAMA
  • Patent number: 8854445
    Abstract: An endoscope apparatus includes an image pickup section equipped with a color separation section that picks up an image of returning light from a subject illuminated by an illumination section, an emphasis processing section that performs emphasis processing on sharpness of an image signal generated from the output signal of the image pickup section and a storage section that stores information for modifying processing contents of the emphasis processing, wherein the storage section stores information for setting image signals to be subjected to emphasis processing in first and second observation modes in which images are picked up under illumination of white light and narrow band light respectively to a luminance signal and a color difference signal, and the emphasis processing section performs emphasis processing on the luminance signal with a greater emphasis characteristic than the color difference signal over an entire frequency domain.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2014
    Assignee: Olympus Medical Systems Corp.
    Inventor: Kenji Yamazaki
  • Patent number: 8850714
    Abstract: A chromaticity correction device corrects chromaticity of a video signal displayed on a display panel of a display device to correspond to a change in a luminance value of the display panel. The chromaticity correction device includes a luminance detection unit which detects the luminance value, a backlight driving level detection unit which detects a backlight driving level, a temperature detection unit which detects an internal device temperature or an ambient temperature, a reference luminance value calculation unit which estimates a reference luminance value in a characteristic of an initial state, a chromaticity calculation unit which obtains a chromaticity change amount of white point chromaticity and estimated white point chromaticity that is an estimated value of current white point chromaticity, a chromaticity correction value calculation unit which obtains a chromaticity correction value and a chromaticity correction circuit which corrects the chromaticity of the video signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2014
    Assignee: NEC Display Solutions, Ltd.
    Inventor: Katsuyuki Matsui
  • Publication number: 20140285644
    Abstract: The disclosure extends to endoscopic devices and systems for image correction of a rotating sensor. The disclosure allows for the distal image sensor to rotate as the user rotates the lumen with respect to a fixed handpiece. The system includes an angle sensor located at the junction of the rotating lumen and the fixed handpiece. Periodic measurements of angle are used in the system's image processing chain in order to effect suitable software image rotations, thereby providing a final displayed image or video stream with the desired orientation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2014
    Publication date: September 25, 2014
    Applicant: OLIVE MEDICAL CORPORATION
    Inventors: John Richardson, Laurent Blanquart, Jeremiah D. Henley, Donald M. Wichern
  • Publication number: 20140285645
    Abstract: The disclosure extends to systems and methods for reducing the area of an image sensor by reducing the imaging sensor pad count used for data transmission and clock generation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2014
    Publication date: September 25, 2014
    Applicant: OLIVE MEDICAL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Laurent Blanquart, Donald M. Wichern
  • Patent number: 8842175
    Abstract: A system and method that provide reduced latency in a video signal processing system. Various aspects of the present invention may comprise receiving a current request from a user for first video information. Such a request may, for example, be received with a user interface module. A first video stream and a second video stream may be received simultaneously, where the first video stream comprises the first video information currently requested by the user, and the second video stream comprises second video information not currently requested by the user. A video receiver module may, for example, perform such receiving. The first video stream may be processed to present the first video information to the user at the current time. Further, the second video stream may be pre-processed in preparation for being presented to the user in the future. A video processing module may, for example, perform such video stream processing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 23, 2014
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventor: Alexander G. MacInnis
  • Publication number: 20140267657
    Abstract: An endoscope apparatus includes: an image pickup portion that, with respect to return light including a plurality of wavelength band components that is generated accompanying irradiation of illuminating light onto an object, receives the return light with a plurality of different spectral sensitivities and generates an image pickup signal for each of the spectral sensitivities; a correction portion that, based on a spectral distribution of the return light and spectral sensitivity characteristics of the image pickup portion, sets a correction coefficient so that spectral distributions for each of the plurality of wavelength band components included in the image pickup signals become a similar shape to each other; and a calculation portion that, based on the correction coefficient, performs a calculation that separates image pickup signals into each wavelength band component among the plurality of wavelength band components included in the return light.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 30, 2014
    Publication date: September 18, 2014
    Applicant: OLYMPUS MEDICAL SYSTEMS CORP.
    Inventors: Shunji TAKEI, Nobuyuki DOGUCHI
  • Publication number: 20140267656
    Abstract: The disclosure extends to methods, systems, and computer program products for producing an image in light deficient environments and correction of white balance and/or fixed pattern noise at startup or at any other time during a procedure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2014
    Publication date: September 18, 2014
    Applicant: OLIVE MEDICAL CORPORATION
    Inventor: Laurent Blanquart
  • Publication number: 20140267655
    Abstract: The disclosure extends to methods, systems, and computer program products for producing an image in light deficient environments and associated structures, methods and features. The features of the systems and methods described herein may include providing improved resolution and color reproduction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2014
    Publication date: September 18, 2014
    Applicant: OLIVE MEDICAL CORPORATION
    Inventors: John Richardson, Laurent Blanquart
  • Patent number: 8836776
    Abstract: There is provided an endoscope apparatus capable of stably and precisely measuring a distance to an object by suppressing variations in measured values of the distance to the object depending on the presence or absence of pigment dispersion or the like and capable of enabling observations based on clear and high quality images. The endoscope apparatus includes an optical system that condenses light from an object and simultaneously forms two optical images having the same characteristics with difference only in focal point; an imaging element that captures the two optical images formed by the optical system and acquires two images; and a calculation unit that obtains distance information corresponding to a distance to the object based on a contrast ratio of the two images in a range in which the two images acquired by the imaging element have a common contrast.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2014
    Assignee: Olympus Medical Systems Corp.
    Inventor: Mitsujiro Konno
  • Publication number: 20140253705
    Abstract: A method for adjusting color channel signals based on spectral variations in the signal associated with a known source. In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the method may include receiving a first signal having an intensity value from an electromagnetic radiation source. In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the method may also include producing one or more second signals such that a response-ratio value calculated based on the one or more second signals satisfies a response-ratio condition associated with a spectral region of the first signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 6, 2014
    Publication date: September 11, 2014
    Applicant: BOSTON SCIENTIFIC SCIMED, INC.
    Inventors: John KUMMAILIL, Arnold BUCK, Zhihua HE, Nathaniel McCAFFREY
  • Patent number: 8830310
    Abstract: A capsule endoscope includes: a light emitting unit; an imaging unit; an image signal processing unit; and a setting unit that controls the light emitting unit and the imaging unit to perform pre-exposure, measures at least one of a light emission time and a light emission intensity, sets the measured time or intensity for a main exposure process when the measured time or intensity is within a predetermined acceptable range, and sets at least one of the preset light emission time and light emission intensity for the main exposure process when the measured time or intensity is out of the acceptable range, wherein an acquisition process of an image is performed in accordance with the set light emission time or the set light emission intensity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2014
    Assignee: Olympus Medical Systems Corp.
    Inventor: Kei Mitsuhashi
  • Patent number: 8823859
    Abstract: A manufacturing method for an optical unit includes: a step of bonding plural lens wafers, on which optical components are formed, and forming a lens unit wafer including plural lens units; a step of bonding a bending optical element wafer including plural bending optical elements to a first surface of the lens unit wafer such that the plural bending optical elements are respectively opposed to the plural lens units and forming an optical unit wafer; and a step of separating and individualizing the optical unit wafer for each of the lens units and the bending optical elements and manufacturing plural optical units.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 2, 2014
    Assignee: Olympus Corporation
    Inventors: Noriyuki Fujimori, Kazuaki Kojima
  • Patent number: 8810639
    Abstract: An endoscopic video measurement system having a proximal operating part, an insertion part, and a replaceable head that can be inserted thereon, and where the operating part contains a connection for supplying electrical and optical power, optical transmission means for the lens illumination are provided in the insertion part for an electronic image sensor positioned in the distal end portion, and the replaceable head contains optical transmission means for the lens illumination and lens imaging, is characterized in that, in the insertion part, for transmitting a measurement beam a single-mode optical fiber is provided, with which an optical system positioned in the distal end part of the insertion part for producing a collimated sample beam bundle is associated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2014
    Assignee: Storz Endoskop Produktions GmbH
    Inventors: Beat Krattiger, Martin Klumpp, Manfred Kuster
  • Patent number: 8810640
    Abstract: Systems and methods for generating motion corrected tomographic images are provided. A method includes obtaining first images of a region of interest (ROI) to be imaged and associated with a first time, where the first images are associated with different positions and orientations with respect to the ROI. The method also includes defining an active region in the each of the first images and selecting intrinsic features in each of the first images based on the active region. Second, identifying a portion of the intrinsic features temporally and spatially matching intrinsic features in corresponding ones of second images of the ROI associated with a second time prior to the first time and computing three-dimensional (3D) coordinates for the portion of the intrinsic features. Finally, the method includes computing a relative pose for the first images based on the 3D coordinates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2014
    Assignee: UT-Battelle, LLC
    Inventors: Justin S. Baba, James Samuel Goddard, Jr.
  • Patent number: 8810734
    Abstract: A portable digital television (DTV) comprises a processor, a channel and volume changing button arrangement, and a navigational button arrangement. Either or both button arrangements can be used in at least a bi-modal operation. In a first mode of operation, the button arrangements provide their normal functions, and in the second mode of operation, the button arrangements provide an interactive application interface to the user. Preferably, one of the two button arrangements is selected for the bi-modal operation. The selected button arrangement is associated with at least an optical element for lighting the button arrangement. The controller operates the optical element such that the selected button arrangement has one color in one mode of operation and has a different color in the other mode of operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2014
    Assignee: Thomson Licensing
    Inventor: Eric Andrew Dorsey
  • Patent number: 8803962
    Abstract: In one embodiment, an apparatus may include an imager configured to generate a plurality of frames at a frame frequency greater than an electromagnetic energy emission pulse frequency of a medical device, wherein each frame of the plurality of frames may include a first plurality of rows. The apparatus may also include an electronic shutter module configured to offset a start time of each row of the first plurality of rows in each frame from the plurality of frames from a start time of an adjacent row in that same frame. The apparatus may further include an image processing module configured to generate a plurality of valid frames based on at least a portion of the plurality of frames, wherein the plurality of valid frames may include a frame frequency lower than the frame frequency of the plurality of frames.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2014
    Assignee: Boston Scientific Scimed, Inc.
    Inventors: Mark Modell, Jason Sproul
  • Patent number: 8803959
    Abstract: The invention includes: a light source section generating illumination lights in plural different wavelength bands; a first polarization element polarizing, in a first direction, a light in a first wavelength band among the illumination lights or returned lights from a subject; a second polarization element polarizing, in a second direction, a light in a second wavelength band among the illumination lights or returned lights; an image pickup device generating a first image pickup signal based on polarized light from the first polarization element and a second image pickup signal based on polarized light from the second polarization element; and an image processing section that compares intensities of the first and second image pickup signals, calculates the first or second direction corresponding to the image pickup signal having a higher intensity, as a polarization direction of the subject, and outputs a signal for displaying information on the polarization direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2014
    Assignee: Olympus Medical Systems Corp.
    Inventor: Daiki Ariyoshi
  • Patent number: 8797393
    Abstract: Image capture is performed while broadband and narrow band light are simultaneously emitted to tissue site. B pixel sensing the narrow band light outputs a summed image signal having a brightness value of a B component of the broadband light and a brightness value of the narrow band light. G and R pixels, not sensing the narrow band light, output broadband image signals having brightness values of G and R components of the broadband light, respectively. Based on correlation information and the G component of the broadband light, the brightness value of the B component of the broadband light is obtained. The obtained brightness value is subtracted from the summed image signal to separate the brightness value of the narrow band light therefrom. A broadband image and a narrow band image are generated from the broadband image signals and the narrow band image signal, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2014
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventor: Yasuhiro Minetoma
  • Publication number: 20140210975
    Abstract: A scanning endoscope system includes: a scanning endoscope including a light-guiding section that guides illumination light, a driving section that causes the light-guiding section to swing such that an irradiation position of the illumination light draws a trajectory corresponding to a predetermined scanning pattern; and a light-receiving section that receives return light of the illumination light; a test chart device including a plane portion having first and second regions; a light detection section that outputs a signal corresponding to an intensity of the return light; a pixel generation section that generates pixels on the predetermined scanning pattern; a first correction value calculation section that calculates a correction value based on a pixel value of each of the pixels in the first region; and a second correction value calculation section that calculates a correction based on a pixel position of each of the pixels in the second region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 3, 2014
    Publication date: July 31, 2014
    Applicant: OLYMPUS MEDICAL SYSTEMS CORP.
    Inventors: Katsumi HIRAKAWA, Masahiro YOSHINO
  • Publication number: 20140210976
    Abstract: An endoscope with a T-shaped flexible circuit board includes: a base mounting frame, a flexible circuit, a photosensitive element, two light emitting elements and a camera. The photosensitive element, the two light emitting elements and the camera are mounted onto the T-shaped flexible circuit board, then the flexible circuit board deforms to fit in the base mounting frame. During assembly, the photosensitive element, the two light emitting elements and the camera are maintained in the same orientation, and the T-shaped flexible circuit can be pushed into the base mounting frame simply by applying a force in a single direction parallel to the orientation direction of the photosensitive element, the two light emitting elements and the camera.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 27, 2014
    Publication date: July 31, 2014
    Applicant: LIMIT OPTICS CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Rung-De LIN
  • Publication number: 20140204188
    Abstract: An endoscope apparatus includes a flash memory that stores a reference value of a color balance adjustment value of an endoscopic image of an endoscope that picks up an object through a polarizer. The endoscope calculates, from the reference value and the color balance adjustment value of the endoscope after elapse of a predetermined time period, an amount of change in the color balance adjustment value; judges whether or not the calculated amount of change is equal to or larger than a predetermined threshold; and, when the amount of change is equal to or larger than the predetermined threshold, outputs a predetermined output.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2014
    Publication date: July 24, 2014
    Applicant: OLYMPUS MEDICAL SYSTEMS CORP.
    Inventors: Daiki ARIYOSHI, Kazuhiro GONO, Kenji YAMAZAKI, Ryo MACHIDA
  • Patent number: 8786689
    Abstract: An optical medical diagnostic system is disclosed comprising a LED light assembly, a controller portion and a power portion where the modular LED light assembly can switch from one operating wavelength LED light assembly to another wavelength LED light assembly. The generated fluorescence image may be viewed through a fluorescence band pass filter assembly mounted on the light handle and viewing angle can be adjusted through its tilt arm. The band pass filter blocks the excitation wavelength and passes the fluorescence wavelength.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2014
    Inventor: Yongqian R. Liu
  • Patent number: 8773522
    Abstract: A band-limiting filter of the invention exhibits a trimodal filter characteristic, and includes, for example, band-limiting transmittance filter characteristic portions Rb, Gb, and Bb for wavelength regions of red, green, and blue, respectively. More specifically, the band-limiting transmittance filter characteristic portions Rb, Gb, and Bb, for example, have bandpass characteristics in which the respective center wavelengths are 630 nm (full width at half maximum ?1=30 to 90 nm), 540 nm (full width at half maximum ?2=20 to 60 nm), and 440 nm (full width at half maximum ?3=50 to 80 nm). This makes it possible to obtain an image of a predetermined color tone by restraining an influence of spectral sensitivity characteristic of an image pickup device when the band-limiting filter is applied to a synchronous type endoscope for performing color image pickup to perform observation under normal illumination light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2014
    Assignee: Olympus Medical Systems Corp.
    Inventor: Kenji Yamazaki
  • Publication number: 20140184769
    Abstract: Provided is a fluorescence observation apparatus including: a fluorescence image acquisition section and a reference image acquisition section that acquire a fluorescence image and a reference image of a subject, respectively; a division image generation section that generates a division image by dividing an image based on the fluorescence image by an image based on the reference image; a display section that displays a corrected fluorescence image based on the division image; a correction processing section that applies correction processing to at least one of the reference image and the fluorescence image and/or to the division image prior to the generation of the division image or prior to the display of the corrected fluorescence image; an observation condition determination section that determines observation conditions of the subject; and a correction condition setting section that sets parameters regarding the correction processing according to the observation conditions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 6, 2014
    Publication date: July 3, 2014
    Applicants: OLYMPUS MEDICAL SYSTEMS CORP., OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yasushige ISHIHARA, Hiromi SHIDA, Kei KUBO, Satoshi TAKEKOSHI
  • Publication number: 20140184767
    Abstract: A modular video imaging system, and more particularly, a modular video imaging system having a control module connectable to multiple input modules. The control module and each input module having its own power supply and the input modules each capable of receiving differing types of image data from different types of cameras and processing the image data into a format recognizable by the control module. The control module controlling the ON/OFF condition of the input modules, such that each input module can be connected and disconnected during use.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 31, 2012
    Publication date: July 3, 2014
    Inventors: Timothy King, Ralph Fuquay
  • Publication number: 20140184768
    Abstract: A scanning endoscope system has a light guide portion that guides an illuminating light, a drive portion capable of causing the light guide portion to swing so that an irradiation position of the illuminating light draws a locus corresponding to a predetermined scanning pattern, a light detecting portion that receives a return light of the illuminating light and outputs a signal, a control portion that drives the drive portion to perform scan so that the irradiation position of the illuminating light becomes a locus in a spiral shape, and an image generating portion that generates an image of an object based on a signal outputted from the light detecting portion in a predetermined timing, wherein the control portion further performs control for driving the drive portion so that the irradiation position of the illuminating light circles on a same circumference in the predetermined timing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 23, 2014
    Publication date: July 3, 2014
    Applicant: OLYMPUS MEDICAL SYSTEMS CORP.
    Inventors: Jun HASEGAWA, Katsumi HIRAKAWA, Yuji SAKAI
  • Patent number: 8767059
    Abstract: An electronic endoscope includes an illumination unit, an imaging unit and an image generating unit. The illumination unit switches among plural light beams having different spectra so as to illuminate a subject. The light beams include white light and excitation light for exciting the subject to produce fluorescence. The imaging unit includes a solid-state imaging device, and an objective optical system. The objective optical system guides, to the solid-state imaging device, light returning from the subject which the illumination unit illuminates. The image generating unit generates image data based on image signals output from the imaging unit. The solid-state imaging device further includes a sensitivity adjusting unit that only lowers sensitivity, to the excitation light, of pixels which are sensitive to the fluorescence among a plurality of pixels of the solid-state imaging device. The light guided by the objective optical system is incident directly onto the solid-state imaging device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2014
    Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation
    Inventors: Azuchi Endo, Akihiko Erikawa, Takayuki Iida
  • Publication number: 20140176692
    Abstract: An image with an expanded depth of field is more effectively acquired while reducing the manufacturing cost, without enlarging the apparatus. Provided is an endoscope system including: an objective optical system that is provided at an insertion portion tip and that acquires a subject image; an optical path division means for dividing the subject image into two optical images with different focuses; an imaging element that forms the two optical images with different focuses at the same time to acquire two images; an image correction means that corrects the two images acquired by the imaging element so that differences other than the focuses become substantially the same; and an image combination processing unit that selects an image with a relatively high contrast in predetermined corresponding areas between the two images corrected by the image correction means to generate a combined image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2013
    Publication date: June 26, 2014
    Applicant: OLYMPUS MEDICAL SYSTEMS CORP.
    Inventors: Hiroshi Tsuyuki, Takeshi Suga, Masao Sambongi
  • Patent number: 8754933
    Abstract: The present invention discloses a miniature photographic apparatus applicable to an endoscopic device, and including a casing, at least one light source device and at least one viewing lens device. The casing is disposed at a front end of the endoscopic device. The casing includes an accommodating space. The light source device is disposed in the accommodating space, and emits at least one light and includes a first protecting layer at a front end of the light source device. The viewing lens device is disposed in the accommodating space and includes a second protecting layer at a front end of the viewing lens device. The second protecting layer is separated from the first protecting layer to prevent lights reflected by the second protecting layer from entering into the viewing lens device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2014
    Assignee: Medical Intubation Technology Corporation
    Inventor: Wei-Teng Lin
  • Publication number: 20140160260
    Abstract: The disclosure extends to methods, systems, and computer program products for widening dynamic range within an image in a light deficient environment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 26, 2013
    Publication date: June 12, 2014
    Applicant: Olive Medical Corporation
    Inventors: Laurent Blanquart, John Richardson
  • Publication number: 20140152790
    Abstract: An observation object is imaged under irradiation with oxygen saturation level measurement light to obtain a first image signal, and the observation object is imaged under irradiation with white light to obtain a second image signal. A normal light image is produced from the second image signal. An oxygen saturation level is calculated from the first and second image signals. The calculated oxygen saturation level is imaged in an oxygen saturation image. By superimposing the normal light image on the oxygen saturation image, an emphasized oxygen saturation image is produced. In the emphasized oxygen saturation image, an abnormal area in which a calculation result of the oxygen saturation level is likely to be abnormal is emphasized by its brightness. The produced emphasized oxygen saturation image is displayed on a display device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 4, 2014
    Publication date: June 5, 2014
    Applicant: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventors: Takaaki SAITO, Hiroshi YAMAGUCHI, Takayuki IIDA
  • Patent number: 8743190
    Abstract: Unwanted information contained in a reference image is reduced, thus acquiring a fluorescence image having quantitative intensity information, regardless of the angle and distance of excitation light. The invention provides a fluoroscopy apparatus including an illumination portion that irradiates an observation target with illumination light containing excitation light; a first image-acquisition section that acquires a fluorescence image in a prescribed observation region of the observation target; a second image-acquisition section that acquires an out-of-focus reference image of the observation target in the observation region; and an image correction section that corrects the fluorescence image acquired by the first image-acquisition section using the reference image acquired by the second image-acquisition section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2014
    Assignee: Olympus Corporation
    Inventor: Yasushige Ishihara
  • Patent number: 8743191
    Abstract: A system and method may allow editing of an image stream, which may be produced by, for example, an ingestible capsule. A workstation accepts images acquired by the capsule and displays the images on a monitor as a moving image. The editing method may include, for example, selecting images which follow predetermined criteria. A shortened movie may thus be created.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2014
    Assignee: Given Imaging Ltd.
    Inventors: Tal Davidson, Michael Skala, Hagai Krupnik, Eli Horn
  • Patent number: 8730408
    Abstract: This backlight device 12 of the present invention includes: a cold cathode fluorescent tube; a chassis 14 that houses at least the cold cathode fluorescent tube on a front surface 14a1 side of a bottom plate 14a of the chassis; and a circuit substrate 32 having a front surface 32a on which electronic components 38a and 38b are disposed, the front surface 32a facing a rear surface 14a2 of the bottom plate 14a of the chassis 14. The heat generated from the electronic components 38a and 38b circulates towards the chassis 14 with ease, and therefore the heat generated from the electronic components 38a and 38b on the circuit substrate 32 can be effectively dissipated by the bottom plate 14a of the chassis 14.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2014
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Tsuyoshi Ozeki
  • Patent number: 8723938
    Abstract: Provided are a method of determining a brightness value of a target area on an optical image, and a computer-readable recording medium including a program for executing the method on a computer. Target brightness values of a plurality of target areas in an optical image are accurately compared with each other by plotting a graph with brightness values depending on positions within a subject.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2014
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Ki-iu Lee, Chung-ung Kim, Jong-lin Park, Dong-hwi Cho, Su-bong Bae, Jong-cheol Kim
  • Patent number: 8723940
    Abstract: An endoscope apparatus includes: a light source device radiating at least one or more illumination lights having a predetermined wavelength band to a subject, and an image pickup device picking up an image of a return light from the subject. A band decomposition processing section of a video processor performs processing for decomposition into multiple spatial frequency bands, for a first image signal having a peak wavelength of spectral characteristic, between a wavelength band including a maximum value and a wavelength band at a minimum value with regard to an absorption characteristic of living tissue after image pickup by the image pickup device. An emphasis processing section of the video processor performs emphasis processing on the basis of a band image signal with a lowest spatial frequency among multiple band image signals obtained by the decomposition processing to generate an emphasis-corrected image signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2014
    Assignee: Olympus Medical Systems Corp.
    Inventor: Makoto Igarashi
  • Patent number: 8723939
    Abstract: A capsule endoscope system includes a capsule endoscope which attaches irradiation time of illuminating light required to pick up an image of an object to an item of image data, a magnetic field generating apparatus which generates a guidance magnetic field, an operation section which allows at least one of position and orientation of the capsule endoscope to be changed by manipulating the guidance magnetic field, a control section which attaches posture of a subject, an operating history of the operation section, and an output history of the guidance magnetic field to the item of the image data, a storage unit which stores the item of the image data, and an image play control section which determines, based on at least one piece of the information attached to each item of the image data, whether or not it is necessary to play and display the item of the image data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2014
    Assignee: Olympus Medical Systems Corp.
    Inventors: Ryoji Sato, Atsushi Chiba
  • Patent number: 8717428
    Abstract: A light diffusing composition that optimizes image clarity from a SSID comprising a translucent matrix further comprising a plurality of hollow micro-particles. The plurality of hollow micro-particles are dispersed throughout the translucent matrix and a fluid is disposed within the hollow micro-particle. A refractive index of the fluid within the hollow micro-particle is different than a refractive index of the translucent matrix.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2014
    Assignee: Raytheon Company
    Inventors: Stephen C. Jacobsen, David P. Marceau
  • Publication number: 20140104403
    Abstract: An imaging system includes: an illumination unit that emits illumination light to illuminate a subject; a light receiving unit in which pixels that receive light and photoelectrically convert the received light to generate an electric signal are two-dimensionally arranged; a read unit that sequentially reads the electric signal from the pixels for each horizontal line; and an illumination controller that controls the illumination unit to emit a pulse of the illumination light during a period straddling a read period of the read unit for a first horizontal line and a read period for a second horizontal line which is adjacent to the first horizontal line and which is read immediately after the first horizontal line.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 24, 2013
    Publication date: April 17, 2014
    Applicant: OLYMPUS MEDICAL SYSTEMS CORP.
    Inventor: Kotaro OGASAWARA
  • Patent number: 8698884
    Abstract: A light source apparatus includes: a first light source unit including a plurality of light sources arranged therein, the plurality of light sources each emitting illuminating light in a first wavelength band; a second light source unit including a plurality of light sources arranged therein, the plurality of light sources each emitting illuminating light in a second wavelength band; an in-light source light guiding channel that guides the light emitted from the first light source unit and the light emitted from the second light source unit to a proximal end-side input end of a light guiding channel in an endoscope; and a light source control section that, based on endoscope information from an endoscope information storing section, divides the plurality of light sources in the first light source unit into a first light source group, light from which enters a vicinity of an optical axis of the proximal end-side input end of the light guiding channel in the endoscope, and a second light source group in a perip
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2014
    Assignee: Olympus Medical Systems Corp.
    Inventor: Hirokazu Godo
  • Patent number: 8698882
    Abstract: A sample and hold circuit includes a plurality of capacitors, a network of switches and a control circuit. The control circuit is operable to control the network of switches so as to sample an incoming signal onto at least some of the plurality of capacitors. In such an operation, each capacitor takes a sample of the incoming signal at a different time. The sample and hold circuit outputs a signal corresponding to an average of the samples.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2014
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics (Research & Development) Limited
    Inventor: John Kevin Moore
  • Publication number: 20140098207
    Abstract: There is provided a fluorescence observation apparatus, including: a lighting section including a light source emitting illumination light and excitation light; a fluorescence imaging section picking up fluorescence generated on a subject and acquiring a fluorescence image; a returned light imaging section picking up returned light returned from the subject and acquiring a returned light image; a preprocessing section multiplying at least either the fluorescence image or the returned light image by a coefficient in which a distance property of fluorescence intensity and a distance property of returned light intensity, which are acquired in advance with respect to a standard sample, come to be in a relation directly proportional to each other and generating a fluorescence image for correction and a returned light image for correction; and a fluorescence image correction section dividing the fluorescence image for correction by the returned light image for correction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 9, 2013
    Publication date: April 10, 2014
    Applicant: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Yasushige ISHIHARA
  • Patent number: 8692869
    Abstract: An image processing device for processing image information including light reception value information obtained by imaging an inside of a living body includes: a distance information obtainment unit that obtains, at a bright region in the image information, information on a distance to a surface of the living body on the basis of the light reception value information on light in a first wavelength range, and obtains, at a dark region in the image information, information on a distance to the surface of the living body on the basis of the light reception value information on light in a second wavelength range which is a longer wavelength range than the first wavelength range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2014
    Assignee: Olympus Medical Systems Corp.
    Inventor: Tetsuo Minai
  • Publication number: 20140092227
    Abstract: In image capturing processor in one embodiment comprises: an image capturing section including an image sensor that captures a polarization image of an object being illuminated with an illuminating light beam; and an image processing section. The image processing section has: a light intensity image generator which generates a light intensity image based on the output of the image sensor; a polarization degree image generator which generates a polarization degree image by calculating the degree of polarization on a pixel-by-pixel basis; a retouching section which generates a retouched polarization image by enhancing the degree of polarization of the polarization degree image at depressions on a micro-geometric surface of the object and by correcting at least one of its hue, saturation and value; and an image synthesizing section which synthesizes the retouched polarization image and the light intensity image together.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 6, 2013
    Publication date: April 3, 2014
    Applicant: PANASONIC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Katsuhiro KANAMORI, Toshinobu MATSUNO
  • Publication number: 20140092226
    Abstract: An automatic exposure control device includes an image acquisition section that acquires an image that has been captured by an imaging optical system that receives reflected light, and includes an image of an object, the reflected light being light that has been applied to the object, and reflected by the object, an angle-of-view information acquisition section that acquires angle-of-view information that indicates an angle of view of the imaging optical system when the image has been captured, and an automatic exposure control section that performs an automatic exposure control process based on the acquired angle-of-view information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 5, 2013
    Publication date: April 3, 2014
    Applicant: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Naoya KURIYAMA
  • Publication number: 20140085448
    Abstract: The invention provides an image processing apparatus including a storage unit that stores a three-dimensional image of an observation target in a subject; a projected-image generating unit that receives an image-acquisition position and an image-acquisition direction of an acquired two-dimensional superficial image of the observation target in a surface layer of the subject and that generates a two-dimensional projected image by projecting a position corresponding to the image-acquisition position of the three-dimensional image stored in the storage unit in the image-acquisition direction; and a multiplication processing unit that receives the superficial image and the projected image and generates a multiplied image by multiplying brightness values of corresponding pixels in the superficial image and the projected image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 26, 2013
    Publication date: March 27, 2014
    Applicant: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Motohiro MITAMURA
  • Patent number: 8681208
    Abstract: An image processing device includes a special light image acquisition section that acquires an image including an object image that includes information in a specific wavelength band as a special light image, an attention area detection section that detects an attention area based on a feature quantity of each pixel of the special light image, a disappearance determination section that determines whether or not the attention area has disappeared from a display target area based on a detection result for the attention area, the display target area being an area displayed on an output section, a guide information generation section that generates guide information about the attention area that has disappeared based on a determination result of the disappearance determination section, and an output control section that controls output of information including the guide information generated by the guide information generation section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2014
    Assignee: Olympus Corporation
    Inventor: Koichiro Yoshino