Abstract: An endoscope device includes a tip section including an imaging element for outputting a pixel signal of a captured image and configured to be inserted into an object, and a flexible section including a first serial signal transmission path along which a setting related to photographing is transmitted to the imaging element via first serial communication and a second serial signal transmission path along which the pixel signal is transmitted via second serial communication and configured to guide the tip section into the object, wherein the second serial signal transmission path includes an equalizer circuit configured to correct frequency characteristics of a serial signal and a limiting amplifier circuit configured to amplify the serial signal corrected by the equalizer circuit, and wherein the equalizer circuit and the limiting amplifier circuit are connected on the same substrate surface.

Abstract: An endoscope apparatus includes: an endoscope including at least an elongated insertion section having flexibility and an image pickup device, the insertion section including, at a distal end portion, an observation window forming an observation optical system and an illumination window forming an illumination optical system and the image pickup device including an image pickup surface on which an optical image passing through the observation window is formed; and an apparatus body incorporating a display section that displays an image picked up by the image pickup device, the apparatus body including the display section on one surface having a largest area of the apparatus body and including a holding member that holds the insertion section on a rear surface of the one surface in a wound state.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus for an endoscope, the image processing apparatus to which, any of a plurality of insertion units respectively having imaging devices with numbers of pixels different from one another being installed therein, is detachably connected and which processes an image signal captured by that imaging device and outputs the processed image signal as image data, the image processing apparatus including: an image signal processing unit that converts a pixel density of the image signal to a high density and generates a standard image signal of a predetermined amount of data.

Abstract: An electronic endoscope apparatus includes: a CCD; a temperature sensor that detects a temperature of a distal end portion; a correlated double sampling section provided in a body portion, the correlated double sampling section extracting a signal component from an image signal outputted from the CCD; a timing generator that generates a sample-and-hold signal for making the correlated double sampling section operate and a drive pulse signal for driving the CCD; and a CPU that adjusts a timing of the sample-and-hold signal or the drive pulse signal generated by the timing generator, based on the temperature detected by the temperature sensor.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus for an endoscope, the image processing apparatus to which, any of a plurality of insertion units respectively having imaging devices with numbers of pixels different from one another being installed therein, is detachably connected and which processes an image signal captured by that imaging device and outputs the processed image signal as image data, the image processing apparatus including: an image signal processing unit that converts a pixel density of the image signal to a high density and generates a standard image signal of a predetermined amount of data.

Abstract: An electronic endoscope apparatus includes: a CCD; a temperature sensor that detects a temperature of a distal end portion; a correlated double sampling section provided in a body portion, the correlated double sampling section extracting a signal component from an image signal outputted from the CCD; a timing generator that generates a sample-and-hold signal for making the correlated double sampling section operate and a drive pulse signal for driving the CCD; and a CPU that adjusts a timing of the sample-and-hold signal or the drive pulse signal generated by the timing generator, based on the temperature detected by the temperature sensor.

Abstract: An endoscope apparatus includes: an endoscope including at least an elongated insertion section having flexibility and an image pickup device, the insertion section including, at a distal end portion, an observation window forming an observation optical system and an illumination window forming an illumination optical system and the image pickup device including an image pickup surface on which an optical image passing through the observation window is formed; and an apparatus body incorporating a display section that displays an image picked up by the image pickup device, the apparatus body including the display section on one surface having a largest area of the apparatus body and including a holding member that holds the insertion section on a rear surface of the one surface in a wound state.

Abstract: An optical adaptor for endoscope according to the present invention includes, in an outer casing, a light emitter, serving as a light source for illumination, and two terminals connected to the positive and negative electrodes of the light emitters to be externally projected from the inside of the outer casing. The connection of a diode between the positive and negative electrodes of the light emitters prevents the static electricity from being applied to the light emitter.

Abstract: A drive signal from an SSG drives a CCD through a delay circuit and the like. An imaging signal from the CCD is converted to a video signal in a CDS circuit, which is driven by a sample hold signal given through the delay circuit, and is converted to a video signal that can be displayed on a monitor through an A/D converter circuit, a video signal processing circuit and a digital encoder to be output. Here, by correcting phases of the imaging signal and the sample hold signal, length of a signal line is corrected. Also, since the delay circuit is constructed by being incorporated in a DSP for video signal processing, which includes a video signal processing circuit and the like, the construction is simplified. Thus, the number of parts is reduced, and it can be constructed inexpensively.

Abstract: An endoscope includes an insert section, a CCD is mounted at the end of the insert section, and a CCU for producing a video signal is arranged in a control unit connected to a proximal end of the insert unit. The CCU includes a general-purpose DSP board having the function of producing a standard video signal, and a function adjustment/expansion circuit board for correcting a signal delay due to the length of a signal line connected to the CCD. The DSP boards and the function adjustment/expansion circuit boards, respectively remaining the same in circuit arrangement, are used for a plurality of types of endoscopes having insert sections having different insertion lengths.

Abstract: An optical adaptor for endoscope according to the present invention includes, in an outer casing, a light emitter, serving as a light source for illumination, and two terminals connected to the positive and negative electrodes of the light emitters to be externally projected from the inside of the outer casing. The connection of a diode between the positive and negative electrodes of the light emitters prevents the static electricity from being applied to the light emitter.

Abstract: A drive signal from an SSG drives a CCD through a delay circuit and the like. An imaging signal from the CCD is converted to a video signal in a CDS circuit, which is driven by a sample hold signal given through the delay circuit, and is converted to a video signal that can be displayed on a monitor through an A/D converter circuit, a video signal processing circuit and a digital encoder to be output. Here, by correcting phases of the imaging signal and the sample hold signal, length of a signal line is corrected. Also, since the delay circuit is constructed by being incorporated in a DSP for video signal processing, which includes a video signal processing circuit and the like, the construction is simplified. Thus, the number of parts is reduced, and it can be constructed inexpensively.

Abstract: An operational remote controller integrates a joystick for bending a bending portion of an inserted portion in an endoscope. A bending lever stands on the joystick. For every automatically returning of the bending lever to a neutral position, a CPU of the operational remote controller detects the neutral position and sets an insensitive band within a predetermined range of the neutral position. Thus, the insensitive band can be set within a relatively narrow range irrespective of variation of neutral positions. The CPU supplies positional information of the bending lever to a control circuit for controlling a motor drive circuit. The control circuit controls a motor drive circuit based on the supplied positional information, and the motor drive circuit drives a motor to bend the bending portion of the inserted portion.

Abstract: An endoscope system comprises an endoscope for industrial use, a remote control unit, a light source unit, a CCU, a motor-driven angling unit, a drum rotation variable resistor, a power supply unit, a buzzer, and a microphone. These apparatuses constituting a basic system are controlled by a system control CPU incorporated in a control unit. The system control CPU in the control unit is connected to an angle control CPU in the motor-driven angling unit and a DSP control CPU in the CCU over signal lines. Moreover, the system control CPU is connected to a remote control CPU in the remote control unit through a connector over a signal line. Consequently, the complex functions of the apparatuses are controlled in a centralized manner. This results in improved ease of use.

Abstract: An operational remote controller integrates a joystick for bending a bending portion of an inserted portion in an endoscope. A bending lever stands on the joystick. For every automatically returning of the bending lever to a neutral position, a CPU of the operational remote controller detects the neutral position and sets an insensitive band within a predetermined range of the neutral position. Thus, the insensitive band can be set within a relatively narrow range irrespective of variation of neutral positions. The CPU supplies positional information of the bending lever to a control circuit for controlling a motor drive circuit. The control circuit controls a motor drive circuit based on the supplied positional information, and the motor drive circuit drives a motor to bend the bending portion of the inserted portion.

Abstract: An operational remote controller integrates a joystick for bending a bending portion of an inserted portion in an endoscope. A bending lever stands on the joystick. For every automatically returning of the bending lever to a neutral position, a CPU of the operational remote controller detects the neutral position and sets an insensitive band within a predetermined range of the neutral position. Thus, the insensitive band can be set within a relatively narrow range irrespective of variation of neutral positions. The CPU supplies positional information of the bending lever to a control circuit for controlling a motor drive circuit. The control circuit controls a motor drive circuit based on the supplied positional information, and the motor drive circuit drives a motor to bend the bending portion of the inserted portion.

Abstract: An operational remote controller integrates a joystick for bending a bending portion of an inserted portion in an endoscope. A bending lever stands on the joystick. For every automatically returning of the bending lever to a neutral position, a CPU of the operational remote controller detects the neutral position and sets an insensitive band within a predetermined range of the neutral position. Thus, the insensitive band can be set within a relatively narrow range irrespective of variation of neutral positions. The CPU supplies positional information of the bending lever to a control circuit for controlling a motor drive circuit. The control circuit controls a motor drive circuit based on the supplied positional information, and the motor drive circuit drives a motor to bend the bending portion of the inserted portion.

Abstract: An endoscope system comprises an endoscope for industrial use, a remote control unit, a light source unit, a CCU, a motor-driven angling unit, a drum rotation variable resistor, a power supply unit, a buzzer, and a microphone. These apparatuses constituting a basic system are controlled by a system control CPU incorporated in a control unit. The system control CPU in the control unit is connected to an angle control CPU in the motor-driven angling unit and a DSP control CPU in the CCU over signal lines. Moreover, the system control CPU is connected to a remote control CPU in the remote control unit through a connector over a signal line. Consequently, the complex functions of the apparatuses are controlled in a centralized manner. This results in improved ease of use.

Abstract: A signal cable for transmitting a plurality of signals is applied to a video endoscope having a solid state image pick-up device. Signal lines for transmitting substantially the same signals of the plurality of signals are combined and stranded into a stranded line. The stranding pitch of the stranding line is different from that of a stranding line for transmitting other signals.

Abstract: The arrangement of a converging light device array wherein each converging light device increasing a quantity of incident light entering every one or more photoelectric conversion pixel is arranged in front of a photoelectric conversion surface of a solid state imaging device photoelectrically converting an optical image based on an objective optical system substantially ensures that an aperture area of the photoelectric conversion pixel enlarges and the sensitivity improves.