Abstract: An electronic endo scope system includes a light source that emits light including at least a visible light band, an optical filter that has a transmittance peak at a particular wavelength within a continuous wavelength band including at least the visible light band and that has a transmittance distribution which is based on the transmittance peak within an entire of the continuous wavelength band except the transmittance peak, an optical filter switching unit that inserts and retracts the optical filter into and out of an illumination optical path of the light source, a color solid state image pick-up device that receives reflected light from a subject illuminated with illumination light which has passed, or not passed, through the optical filter, and an image generating unit that generates a color image displayable on a monitor by processing an imaging signal output by the solid state image pick-up device.

Abstract: A probe, which includes a plurality of first optical fibers and a plurality of second optical fibers that are tied as a composite bundle at a distal end side with forming a center channel through which a treatment instrument can be drawn. The first optical fibers are tied as a first branch bundle at a proximal end side and the second optical fibers are tied as a second branch bundle that is separated form the first branch bundle at the proximal end side. With this construction, a treatment instrument is available even if the probe is drawn through a forceps channel of an endoscope because the treatment instrument can be drawn through the center channel formed in the composite bundle.

Abstract: An endoscope system is provided with a light guide including a plurality of optical paths, and a low-coherent light source that emits a low-coherent light beams. The low-coherent light source is provided at a proximal end side of the light guide. The light beams emitted by the low-coherent light source are incident on the plurality of optical paths, respectively. The endoscope system is further provided with an interferometer unit.

Abstract: An endoscope system which can obtain a tomographic image in accordance with optical coherence tomography (OCT). An OCT section of the endoscope system comprises a first optical fiber, a second optical fiber, an optical coupler, a super-luminescent diode (SLD), a photodetector, and a reference mirror. The first optical fiber is opposed to the SLD at its proximal end. The second optical fiber is opposed to the photodetector at its proximal end. The optical coupler establishes optical connection between the optical fibers. The reference mirror is arranged movable in front of the distal end of the second optical fiber. The distal end of the first optical fiber is introduced to an OCT scanning unit at a tip of an endoscope. This OCT scanning unit includes a polygon mirror having a plurality of reflecting surfaces, which are tilted in different angles from each other. The OCT scanning unit forms a plurality of scanning lines aligned in parallel over a subject at regular intervals.

Abstract: A fiber bundle for image transmission includes pluralities of first optical fibers and a plurality of second optical fibers. Both pluralities of optical fibers being tied at their distal ends to form a composite bundle portion. The first optical fibers being tied at their proximal ends to form a first branched bundle portion and the second optical fibers being tied at their proximal ends to form a second branched bundle portion.

Abstract: Disclosed is a probe, which includes a plurality of first optical fibers and a plurality of second optical fibers that are tied as a composite bundle at a distal end side with forming a center channel through which a treatment instrument can be drawn. The first optical fibers are tied as a first branch bundle at a proximal end side and the second optical fibers are tied as a second branch bundle that is separated form the first branch bundle at the proximal end side. With this construction, a treatment instrument is available even if the probe is drawn through a forceps channel of an endoscope because the treatment instrument can be drawn through the center channel formed in the composite bundle.

Abstract: An endoscope system capable of obtaining a normal light image and/or fluorescent light image is further provided with an a low-coherent light source arranged on a proximal end side of one of first and second light guides. A scanning unit is provided to cause the low-coherent light beam emerged from a tip of the first light guide to scan on the object. The low-coherent light reflected by the object is directed to the first light guide by the scanning unit as detecting light. A mirror is provided to reflect the low-coherent light beam emerged from a tip of the second light guide. A detector is arranged on a proximal end side of the other of the first and second light guides to detect interference fringe pattern generated by interference between the detecting light and the reference light.

Abstract: An endoscope system is provided with a normal light image capturing system, a fluorescent light image capturing system, and an OCT (Optical Coherence Tomography) image capturing system. The normal light image, the fluorescent light image and the OCT image are displayed on a screen of a display device simultaneously. Optionally, one of the normal light image or the fluorescent light image is displayed as an animated image, and the OCT image is also displayed as an animated image. A cursor indicating a scanning position corresponding to the OCT image is indicated on one of the normal light image and the fluorescent light image displayed as the animated image.

Abstract: An video endoscope system has, as main components, a video endoscope equipped with a light guide, a light source device for supplying illumination light and exciting light to the light guide, and an endoscope processor to process image signals and to control the light source device. The light source device is composed of a white light source for generating a collimated beam of white light, an ultraviolet light source for generating a collimated light beam having wavelengths in the ultraviolet region, and a UV reflection filter for transmitting white light while reflecting ultraviolet light, as main components. In the optical system for the light source device, the UV reflection filter is arranged at an angle of 45 degrees to both the collimated beam of white light and the collimated light beam having wavelengths in the ultraviolet region that intersect each other orthogonally.

Abstract: A fiber bundle for image transmission includes pluralities of first optical fibers and a plurality of second optical fibers. Both pluralities of optical fibers being tied at their distal ends to form a composite bundle portion.

Abstract: An endoscope system is provided with first and second light guides, which are optically coupled by an optical coupler. A low-coherent light source is provided, and the light emitted therefrom is incident on the first or second light guide. Further provided is a scanning unit that causes the light beam emerged from the first light guide to scan on a predetermined surface of the object. The light beam reflected by the object is directed, by the scanning unit, to the first light guide as a detection light beam. A light beam emerged from the second light guide is reflected by a reflector and returned to the second light guide as a reference beam. By varying the optical path length of the reference beam relative to that of the detection beam, two beams interfere. A signal processing system generates OCT image based on the signal detected by a light detecting device which receives the interfering beams.

Abstract: A fiber bundle consists of first optical fibers and second optical fibers. At the distal end of the fiber bundle, the first and second optical fibers are bundled in a square close-packed array or a hexagonal close-packed array. The first and second optical fibers are separated from each other at the proximal end of the fiber bundle so that the first optical fibers are tied as a first branch bundle and that the second optical fibers are tied a second branch bundle.

Abstract: An illuminating device for an endoscope system emits light toward a light receiving surface of an optical fiber bundle. Light incident on the light receiving surface of said optical fiber bundle is emitted from a light emitting surface of the optical fiber bundle for illuminating an object. The illuminating device is provided with a plurality of light emitting elements, each of which emits a directive monochromatic light beam. The light beams emitted by the plurality of light emitting elements are incident on the light receiving surface of the optical fiber bundle within an angular aperture of the light receiving surface thereof.

Abstract: Data of ordinary color observation image obtained by picking up an object according to a RGB flame sequential system and data of fluorescent observation image obtained when the object is irradiated with excitation light are respectively transmitted to the PC. The PC calculates luminance values based on the data of ordinary color observation image to extract an area where luminance is higher than a first threshold, and extracts areas where luminance is lower than second threshold which is higher than the first threshold from the data of fluorescent observation image. The PC specifies an area which is included in both of these extracted areas, as an area having a high possibility of indicating an abnormal area.

Abstract: The light source device has a wheel holding a blue filter, a green filter, a red filter, and a transparent member so as to sequentially and repeatedly introduce blue light, green light, red light and excitation light into an illumination optical system of an endoscope. An objective lens of the endoscope forms an image of a subject irradiated with the above light. An imaging device converts the image of the subject into an image signal. A video processor receives this image signal and generates normal image data and fluorescence image data, which are to display the image as moving picture. Furthermore, a PC executes image processing to extract a specific region having an illuminance value within a predetermined range from fluorescence image data, thereby generating diagnostic image data to display a diagnostic image in which that portion of the normal image data corresponding to the specific region is shown in blue.

Abstract: An video endoscope system has, as main components, a video endoscope equipped with a light guide, a light source device for supplying illumination light and exciting light to the light guide, and an endoscope processor to process image signals and to control the light source device. The light source device is composed of a white light source for generating a collimated beam of white light, an ultraviolet light source for generating a collimated light beam having wavelengths in the ultraviolet region, and a UV reflection filter for transmitting white light while reflecting ultraviolet light, as main components. In the optical system for the light source device, the UV reflection filter is arranged at an angle of 45 degrees to both the collimated beam of white light and the collimated light beam having wavelengths in the ultraviolet region that intersect each other orthogonally.

Abstract: An exciting light filter through which exciting light which is adapted to radiate fluorescence from a living tissue is transmitted, is provided in an illumination light path defined between a light source which emits the illumination light and an object to be observed, in a fluorescence endoscope. A fluorescence filter which permits fluorescence which is radiated from the living tissue due to the illumination by the exciting light and whose wavelength is longer than that of the exciting light to pass therethrough but does not permit the exciting light to pass through the fluorescence filter, is provided in an observation light path defined between the object and a viewing portion in which an image of the object is viewed. There is a difference of 20 nm to 40 nm between the longest wavelength of the wavelength band of which more than 10% are transmitted through the exciting light filter and the shortest wavelength of the wavelength band of which more than 10% are transmitted through the fluorescence filter.

Abstract: A bendable portion for an endoscope includes a bending mechanism which minimizes the bendable portion diameter and allows a large degree of bending. A bending mechanism embodiment uses a shape memory alloy coil encircling the elastic body of the bendable portion. The shape memory alloy coil is heated to define the shape of the bendable portion.

Abstract: A biological fluorescence diagnostic apparatus having a device for irradiating a biological tissue with light which excites the tissue to generate fluorescent light, and a device for taking a fluorescence image of the biological tissue passing through an ocular optical system of an endoscope. The apparatus further has a television camera unit including a television camera for taking an ordinary endoscopic observation image passing through the ocular optical system, and a television camera with an image intensifier for taking a fluorescence observation image passing through the ocular optical system after amplifying the light intensity of the image. An optical path switching system which includes a reflective surface is selectively inserted and withdrawn from the optical path of light passing through the ocular optical system so as to selectively produce ordinary and fluorescence images in the television camera unit.

Abstract: A bendable portion for an endoscope includes a bending mechanism which minimizes the bendable portion diameter and allows a large degree of bending. A first bending mechanism embodiment uses fluid pressure in an axially oriented chamber in a elastic body of the bendable portion. Expansion restraining members are used to restrict the expansion of the bendable portion to only the axial direction, and to protect internal members in the bendable portion. A second bending mechanism embodiment uses a shape memory alloy coil encircling the elastic body of the bendable portion. The shape memory alloy coil is heated to define the shape of the bendable portion.