Patents by Inventor Yasuhito Kura

Yasuhito Kura has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 10021312
    Abstract: An endoscope system includes: an image configuring portion configured to configure a first image and a second image based on image pickup signals corresponding to different areas in a same subject; a luminance detecting portion configured to detect luminances of the first and second images; and a luminance control portion adjusting, for areas obtained by dividing each of the first and second images as units, the luminance of at least one of the images so that a luminance difference between two areas where the first image and the second image adjoin each other becomes equal to or smaller than a threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2018
    Assignee: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kazuki Honda, Yasuhito Kura, Takeo Suzuki
  • Publication number: 20170258302
    Abstract: An endoscope includes: a first image acquisition portion configured to acquire a first object image from a first direction; a second image acquisition portion configured to acquire a second object image from a second direction different from the first direction; first illumination light emission portions provided on a straight line with the first image acquisition portion, the first image acquisition portion being interposed between the first illumination light emission portions, and arranged along a line orthogonal to an optical axis of the first image acquisition portion; and second illumination light emission portions lined up and arranged on a plane where the second image acquisition portion is arranged at the insertion portion, and a lining direction of the first illumination light emission portions and a lining direction of the second illumination light emission portions are arranged at positions to be a twisted relation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 26, 2017
    Publication date: September 14, 2017
    Applicant: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takeshi TAKAHASHI, Yasuhito KURA, Kazuki HONDA, Kazuhiko HINO, Kento HASHIMOTO, Takeo SUZUKI
  • Publication number: 20170215693
    Abstract: An endoscope system includes: an insertion portion inserted into a subject; a first image acquisition section provided on the insertion portion and configured to acquire a first image from a first region of an object; a second image acquisition section provided on the insertion portion and configured to acquire a second image from a second region of the object including a region adjacent to the first region; and an image processing section configured to execute image processing by setting a first display region and a second display region adjacent to the first display region in a display section configured to display an image, disposing the first image in a first display region, disposing part of the second image in the first display region adjacent to the first image, and disposing remaining part of the second image in a second display region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 12, 2017
    Publication date: August 3, 2017
    Applicant: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yasuhito KURA, Kazuki HONDA, Takeo SUZUKI, Takanori WATANABE
  • Publication number: 20170215710
    Abstract: An endoscope system includes an insertion portion, an objective optical system provided on the insertion portion and configured to form an object image, an image pickup unit configured to pick up the object image, a bending portion configured to cause a distal end portion of the insertion portion to bend, an image processing portion configured to perform cutout processing on the image picked up by the image pickup unit, such that an area of field of view expands in a bending direction of the distal end of the insertion portion by the bending portion, and an exposure control portion configured to perform exposure control based on a brightness of the cutout image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 20, 2017
    Publication date: August 3, 2017
    Applicant: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yasuhito KURA, Kazuki HONDA, Kento HASHIMOTO
  • Publication number: 20170188798
    Abstract: An endoscope system includes: an insertion portion; a first image acquisition portion; second image acquisition portions; and an image generation portion that, when displaying a first object image and second object images on a monitor in a manner in which the second object images are caused to be displayed adjacently to the first object image on both sides thereof, generates image signals that express perspective by performing image processing that makes a magnification of the second object images higher than a magnification of the first object image so that an image height of regions towards sides that are away from the first object image in the second object images gradually increases relative to an image height of regions that are adjacent to the first object image in the second object images.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 22, 2017
    Publication date: July 6, 2017
    Applicant: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kazuki HONDA, Yasuhito KURA, Takeshi TAKAHASHI, Takashi ITO
  • Publication number: 20170127925
    Abstract: An endoscope system includes: an insertion portion; an observation window provided on the insertion portion to acquire a first subject image from a forward direction; an observation window provided on the insertion portion to acquire a second subject image from a lateral direction different from the forward direction; an illumination window to emit first illumination light in the forward direction; an illumination window to emit second illumination light in the lateral direction; an aperture to adjust an amount of light of the first illumination light and an amount of light of the second illumination light; a control section to integrate amounts of opening of the aperture to calculate an integrated value; and an illumination light amount control section to control the amount of light of the first illumination light and the amount of light of the second illumination light based on the integrated value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 26, 2017
    Publication date: May 11, 2017
    Applicant: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kazuki HONDA, Yasuhito KURA, Kazuhiko HINO
  • Publication number: 20170105608
    Abstract: An endoscope system includes an insertion portion, a support portion, a first subject image acquisition portion, a second subject image acquisition portion, a third subject image acquisition portion, an image generation section, and an image processing section. The image processing section can switch between a first mode of arranging lateral images around a forward image in a continuously connected state and a second mode of arranging the lateral images and the forward image in a separated. The image processing section continuously connects a third image in a non-display region to the forward image in the first mode, and arranges the lateral images side by side with both sides of the forward image and arranges the third image adjacent to the forward image in the second mode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 27, 2016
    Publication date: April 20, 2017
    Applicant: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yasuhito KURA, Hideyuki KUGIMIYA, Takeo SUZUKI, Kento HASHIMOTO
  • Publication number: 20160381273
    Abstract: An endoscope system includes: an image configuring portion configured to configure a first image and a second image based on image pickup signals corresponding to different areas in a same subject; a luminance detecting portion configured to detect luminances of the first and second images; and a luminance control portion adjusting, for areas obtained by dividing each of the first and second images as units, the luminance of at least one of the images so that a luminance difference between two areas where the first image and the second image adjoin each other becomes equal to or smaller than a threshold.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 7, 2016
    Publication date: December 29, 2016
    Applicant: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kazuki HONDA, Yasuhito KURA, Takeo SUZUKI
  • Publication number: 20160374545
    Abstract: An endoscope system includes: illuminating windows configured to emit a first illuminating light to the front and a second illuminating light to the side inside the subject; an observation window configured to acquire an image of the subject from the front; an observation window configured to acquire an image of the subject from the side; an image generation portion configured to generate a first image based on an image of the subject from the front and a second image based on an image of the subject from the side; a control portion configured to compare brightnesses of the first image and the second image; a polarization filter configured to adjust the amount of at least one of the first illuminating light and the second illuminating light; and a drive portion configured to drive a polarization filter on the basis of a result of the brightness comparison by the control portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 12, 2016
    Publication date: December 29, 2016
    Applicant: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tatsuya OBARA, Kazuki HONDA, Yasuhito KURA
  • Publication number: 20160345808
    Abstract: An endoscope system includes: an insertion portion; a front view observation window configured to acquire a first object image; a first image pickup device configured to generate a first image pickup signal; a side view observation window configured to acquire a second object image; a second image pickup device configured to generate a second image pickup signal; an inclination angle detection portion configured to detect a rotation around an axis and generate inclination information; and a video processor configured to generate an image signal representing a state that an image represented by the second image pickup signal is made to revolve following the rotation and arranged with respect to an image represented by the first image pickup signal, based on the inclination information, the first image pickup signal and the second image pickup signal, and output the image signal to a display portion configured to display the image.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 11, 2016
    Publication date: December 1, 2016
    Applicant: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Mikio INOMATA, Kazuki HONDA, Yasuhito KURA
  • Publication number: 20160338575
    Abstract: An endoscope system is provided with an insertion portion, a direct-view observation window, a side-view observation window, a video processor, an image processing section configured to remove, overlapping regions between the first image and the plurality of second images and match lengths of sides of the plurality of second images to a length of a side of the first image, and a region of interest detection section configured to detect a region of interest from the plurality of second images. The image processing section performs image processing of canceling the processing of increasing the width of the image region as the distance from the region adjacent to the first image increases for only the second image from which the region of interest is detected among the plurality of second images according to a result of the detection conducted by the region of interest detection section.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 1, 2016
    Publication date: November 24, 2016
    Applicant: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kazuki Honda, Takeshi Takahashi, Yasuhito Kura
  • Patent number: 9289236
    Abstract: This mucosa separation apparatus includes a first insertion portion inserted to the interior of a subject, an expansion portion disposed on a head portion of the first insertion portion, and which expands by infusion of a fluid, a passage formed within the first insertion portion and connected to the expansion portion, for supplying the fluid to the expansion portion, and a curving portion which makes a head portion of an instrument inserted to the interior of the subject curve with respect to a part of the instrument which is closer to a base portion of the instrument than the head portion thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2016
    Assignee: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Akihito Sadamasa, Yasuo Miyano, Yutaka Yanuma, Ichiro Takahashi, Kenji Shibaki, Tsutomu Nakamura, Tsuyoshi Nakagawa, Yasuhito Kura
  • Patent number: 9131834
    Abstract: An endoscope includes: a distal end portion provided at a distal end of an insertion portion; a front-view observation window for observing an insertion direction of the distal end portion, which is provided facing toward the insertion direction; a lateral-view observation window for observing a circumferential direction of the distal end portion, which is formed along the outer circumferential lateral surface and has a lateral observation field of view; a light-emitting member having an emission end surface for emitting light in a distal end direction of the distal end portion; a groove portion formed on the outer circumferential lateral surface of the distal end portion so as to be longer than the emission end surface of the light-emitting member along the circumferential direction of the outer circumferential lateral surface of the distal end portion and opposed to the emission end surface, on a proximal end side with respect to the lateral-view observation window; a plurality of particles for scattering l
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2015
    Assignee: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Seigo Kase, Yasuhito Kura, Yuji Sakamoto
  • Patent number: 8986197
    Abstract: A medical system includes: a treatment instrument having an insertion portion configured by an exterior member, and an insertion member that is inserted into the exterior member and is longer than the exterior member; an insertion portion inserting/pulling-out device to transmit a driving force to the exterior member or the insertion member configuring the insertion portion of the treatment instrument, the insertion portion inserting/pulling-out device advancing/retreating at least one of the exterior member and the insertion member; and a driving force non-transmitting portion provided to the insertion member, the driving force non-transmitting portion preventing a driving force of the insertion portion inserting/pulling-out device from being transmitted to the exterior member when the insertion member is moved by a predetermined distance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2015
    Assignee: Olympus Medical Systems Corp.
    Inventors: Tsutomu Okada, Hiroaki Ichikawa, Takaaki Komiya, Yoshio Onuki, Kazuki Honda, Yasuhito Kura, Kazushi Murakami
  • Publication number: 20140358088
    Abstract: An elongated medical member includes: an insertion portion having a long length, which is provided with a lumen through which an operation treatment instrument for carrying out a predetermined medical action can be penetrated; a guide portion for guiding the insertion portion, which is extended from a distal end of the insertion portion; and a holding portion provided at a distal end part of the guide portion, the holding portion insertably and removably holding the operation treatment instrument so as to allow the operation treatment instrument to be removed when the operation treatment instrument is pulled toward a proximal end side.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 8, 2014
    Publication date: December 4, 2014
    Inventors: Satoshi MIYAMOTO, Yasuhito KURA, Yoshio ONUKI
  • Patent number: 8894567
    Abstract: A medical tube includes: a tube main body through which a conduit, through which an insertion portion of a cholangioscope is insertable, is pierced from a distal end to a rear end; a side hole that is formed between the distal end and the rear end of the tube main body and causes an outer circumferential side of the insertion portion and the conduit to communicate with each other; and a hardness changing portion that can change the hardness of at least a part of the tube main body including the side hole according to operation by an operator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 25, 2014
    Assignee: Olympus Medical Systems Corp.
    Inventors: Kazuki Honda, Yasuhito Kura, Wataru Matsuura
  • Patent number: 8758228
    Abstract: An endoscope system includes an overtube (2) and an endoscope (1), where the overtube (2) is equipped with a shape-holding section (2b) capable of shape-holding and relaxing, a balloon (2a) provided at the distal end of the shape-holding section (2b) to fix the overtube (2) to a body cavity, and an endoscope passage hole (13) serving as a conduit through which the endoscope (1) is passed and the endoscope (1) is equipped with a shape-holding section (1b) capable of shape-holding and relaxing and a balloon (1a) provided at the distal end of the shape-holding section (1b) to fix the endoscope (1) to the body cavity. When one of the endoscope (1) and overtube (2) is inserted, the shape-holding section of the other shape-holds, and the body cavity is pulled with the balloon (1a) inflated, making it possible to reduce insertion length.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2014
    Assignee: Olympus Medical Systems Corp.
    Inventor: Yasuhito Kura
  • Patent number: 8753261
    Abstract: An endoscope apparatus comprises an insertion portion having an observation optical system attached onto the distal end portion thereof and having flexibility, a thrust generating portion for generating a thrust by rotation, formed beyond a predetermined length on an outer-peripheral surface of the insertion portion in a longitudinal-axis direction, a rotation device for rotating the thrust generating portion around the longitudinal axis, and a control portion for controlling a rotational speed of the thrust generating portion according to an insertion length of the thrust generating portion inserted in a subject.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2014
    Assignee: Olympus Medical Systems Corp.
    Inventor: Yasuhito Kura
  • Patent number: 8652030
    Abstract: A two-part bending endoscope includes: a first bending part which configures one side of a bending portion; a second bending part which configures the other end side of the bending portion; and a bending portion operation apparatus including a first operation device for causing the first bending part to perform a bending action and a second operation device for causing the second bending part to perform a bending action, wherein the bending portion operation apparatus includes a selective power-transmitting mechanism section which enables at least a bending action of the first bending part by the first operation device, and an interlocking operation of the second bending part and the first bending part by the second operation device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2014
    Assignee: Olympus Medical Systems Corp.
    Inventors: Wataru Matsuura, Yasuhito Kura, Kazuki Honda
  • Patent number: 8529554
    Abstract: A treatment instrument operation unit is provided with a drive unit, an operation portion installation section and a command signal output section. The drive unit drives an operation portion for operating each treatment section of the respective treatment instruments. The operation portion is attached to the operation portion installation section provided to the drive unit. The command signal output section outputs an installation start signal to a controller for notifying that the installation of the treatment instrument has begun upon installation of the operation portion in the operation portion installation section. After outputting the installation start signal from the command signal output section to the controller, the drive unit drives the operation portion installation section to the position where the operation portion is allowed to be installed based on the control signal outputted form the controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2013
    Assignee: Olympus Medical Systems Corp.
    Inventors: Kazushi Murakami, Yoshio Onuki, Takaaki Komiya, Hiroaki Ichikawa, Tsutomu Okada, Kazuki Honda, Yasuhito Kura