| Entries |
| Document | Title | Date |
|---|
| 20080198223 | ELECTRONIC ENDOSCOPE SYSTEM AND PROCESSOR FOR ELECTRONIC ENDOSCOPE - An electronic endoscope system includes an electronic endoscope, a processor connected with the electronic endoscope, and a server that performs data communication with the processor via a network. The processor sends, to the server, update request data including an adjusted image and positional information of an adjusted area in the adjusted image. Further the processor receives, from the server, updating data created based on the update request data, and updates at least one of image processing tools used by the electronic endoscope and processor based on the updating data. | 08-21-2008 |
| 20080231692 | ELECTRONIC ENDOSCOPE APPARATUS - An electronic endoscope apparatus has: an image forming function of forming a moving image and a still image of an observation object according to an output signal of an image pickup device; and a main electronic enlargement function of forming an electronically enlarged image of the observation object at an optional magnification according to the output signal of the image pickup device in response to an enlargement operation, wherein the electronic endoscope apparatus displays images of the observation object on a main-screen and a subscreen, which are set on a screen of a same monitor, respectively, and wherein the electronic endoscope apparatus comprises a moving-image-for-subscreen generating circuit that forms a moving image which is not electrically enlarged by the main electronic enlargement function and which is converted into a reduced moving image for the subscreen, and when an enlarged still image formed by the electronic enlargement function is displayed on the main-screen, the moving image obtained by reduction conversion at the moving-image-for-subscreen generating circuit is controlled to be displayed on the subscreen. | 09-25-2008 |
| 20080231693 | OPTICAL DEVICE, CAMERA MODULE, MOBILE PHONE, DIGITAL STILL CAMERA, AND MEDICAL ENDOSCOPE - An optical device includes an optical element and a transparent element. The optical element includes an image pickup region provided on a main surface of a semiconductor substrate for outputting a signal according to incident light, a peripheral circuit region provided around the image pickup region for transmitting a signal received from the image pickup region, and an electrode pad provided on a part of an edge of the main surface of the semiconductor substrate for outputting a signal transmitted through the peripheral circuit region. The transparent member is bonded to the semiconductor substrate so that the transparent member covers the image pickup region and that an end face of the transparent member is located between the electrode pad and the image pickup region when viewed two-dimensionally. The transparent member is positioned so that a distance between the end face and the image pickup region is 0.04 mm or more. | 09-25-2008 |
| 20080231694 | IMAGE PROCESSOR OF ENDOSCOPE SYSTEM - An image processor of an endoscope system comprises an input connector and a determination unit. The input connector is used for connecting one of a video signal output device that outputs a video signal that includes a synchronization signal and a non-video signal output device that outputs a non-video signal that does not include the synchronization signal, to the image processor. The determination unit determines which of the video signal output device or the non-video signal output device is connected to the image processor through the input connector. | 09-25-2008 |
| 20080231695 | Device for dental operations - A device for medical use and particularly for dental use, of which the main component is a rigid video-endoscope ( | 09-25-2008 |
| 20080246838 | UNIVERSAL CAMERA CONTROL UNIT - An endoscopic video system that provides for multiple differing inputs from a plurality of different attached devices types including, for example, High-Definition and Standard-Definition signals, the camera control automatically sensing and configuring itself based upon the connected devices (e.g. camera and display). The system further provides for scaling of input and output signals depending as necessary. | 10-09-2008 |
| 20080303898 | ENDOSCOPIC IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS - An endoscopic image processing apparatus according to the present invention includes: an image acquiring unit which acquires images according to subject images picked up over time by an endoscope inserted into an object to be examined; a lesion detecting unit which detects a lesion in an image each time the image is acquired; a display unit which displays the images; and an image display control unit which controls display conditions of a plurality of images including at least a lesion image in which a lesion has been detected by the lesion detecting unit out of the images acquired by the image acquiring unit. | 12-11-2008 |
| 20080309758 | ENDOSCOPE SYSTEM, CAMERA SET ON BODY CAVITY INNER WALL AND METHOD OF SETTING THE CAMERA SET ON BODY CAVITY INNER WALL ON INNER SURFACE OF BODY CAVITY WALL - An endoscope system has a camera which picks up an image in a body cavity, and a needle portion which is an electrode for transmitting a signal picked up by the camera, and which is pierced through a body wall, to transmit the signal from the camera to the outside of the body cavity. | 12-18-2008 |
| 20090015664 | Method And Interface For Operating A VDOV Endoscope - A method and system are provided for configuring a variable direction of view endoscope, generally comprising a video display screen and an endoscope having a view controlling device for moving the view vector between predefined, discrete view vector positions. The video display screen displays a set of these view vector positions, and the view vector is moved from one of these positions directly to another in response to a command from a user via the video display screen. | 01-15-2009 |
| 20090021578 | Image Processor and Endoscope Apparatus - An image processor includes a filter process circuit for executing a filtering of image data picked up by an image pickup unit with a plurality of spatial filters, a brightness calculation circuit for calculating a brightness in a local area of the image data, a weighting circuit for weighting an output of the filter process circuit in accordance with an output of the filter process circuit and/or an output of the brightness calculation circuit, and an inverse filter process circuit for executing an inverse filter process with respect to an output of the weighting circuit to generate process image data. | 01-22-2009 |
| 20090027489 | Signal Processing Apparatus for Electronic Endoscope and Electronic Endoscope Apparatus - An electronic endoscope provided with a plurality of solid-state image pickup devices is connected to the endoscope connection portion of a signal processing apparatus for an electronic endoscope. The signal processing apparatus for an electronic endoscope includes a selecting operation portion for performing the operation to generate a selecting signal to allow the selection of at least one output signal of the plurality of solid-state image pickup devices provided in the electronic endoscope connected to the endoscope connecting portion; a signal processing circuit performing signal processing for the output signal of one solid-state image pickup device selected based on the selecting signal and generating a video signal, and an information switch control portion performing the switching of the information to be displayed in the display device regarding the electronic endoscope corresponding to one selected solid-state image pickup device whose output signal is selected. | 01-29-2009 |
| 20090027490 | IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS FOR ENDOSCOPE - This is an endoscope apparatus which has an endoscope which picks up an image of a sample using a solid state image pickup element and outputs an image pickup signal, and a processor which processes the above-mentioned image pickup signal, generates HDTV and SDTV serial digital video signals, switches one side of those selectively, and performs a serial output, in which the serial digital video signal switched selectively by the above-mentioned processor is output through a first connector, the above-mentioned processor is equipped with a discrimination signal generating section which is linked with selection switching of the above-mentioned HDTV or SDTV serial digital video signal to generate an HDTV/SDTV discrimination signal which can discriminate the above-mentioned HDTV or SDTV serial digital video signal, and the discrimination signal is output through a second connector different from the above-mentioned first connector. | 01-29-2009 |
| 20090027491 | Image Pick-Up Module And Method For Assembling Such An Image Pick-Up Module - An image pick-up module comprises an electronic image sensor, single-piece circuit board electrically bonded to the image sensor, and at least one cable electrically bonded and leading away from the circuit board. The circuit board has at least three sections, first and second section extending in relation to the other and obliquely or crosswise to the image sensor, and third section arranged between first and second section. The image sensor is arranged on the circuit board opposite the third section. In a method for assembling the image pick-up module, the circuit board has the form of a planar board blank comprising at least three sections folded along flexible connecting sections whereby the at least one cable is bonded to the board, and the board folds whereby a third section is located between first and second section, and the image sensor is bonded to the circuit board opposite the third section. | 01-29-2009 |
| 20090051762 | RECEIVING APPARATUS AND INTRA-SUBJECT INFORMATION ACQUIRING SYSTEM - To acquire much accurate image information having no noise, without increasing load in the post-processing of the image information, a receiving apparatus | 02-26-2009 |
| 20090051763 | IMAGING SYSTEMS AND METHODS, PARTICULARLY FOR USE WITH MEDICAL INSTRUMENT USED IN OPEN SURGERY - An electronic imaging apparatus (and related methods of manufacture and use), comprising: a chassis, having an open cylindrical groove formed therein; an image sensor assembly mounted in the chassis, the image sensor assembly comprising an electronic image sensor; a plurality of lenses, which are fitted into the groove in respective positions so as to form an image on the image sensor; and a cover, which closes over the image sensor assembly and the lenses in the chassis. The imaging system is particularly suitable as a compact imaging systems for use on instruments for open surgery. | 02-26-2009 |
| 20090058996 | IN-VIVO IMAGE ACQUIRING SYSTEM, IN-VIVO IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD, AND BODY-INSERTABLE APPARATUS - The present invention has an object to provide an in-vivo image acquiring system, an in-vivo image processing method, and a body-insertable apparatus which can decrease a number of wasted images. According to the in-vivo image acquiring system of the present invention, the body-insertable apparatus attaches type information corresponding to optical information of the imaging unit of the body-insertable apparatus to image information of the inside of the subject, and transmits the image information. A processing apparatus | 03-05-2009 |
| 20090058997 | ENDOSCOPE SYSTEM AND SIGNAL TRANSMITTING METHOD - An endoscope system comprises: an endoscope comprising an image pickup portion which performs image pickup; a signal processing apparatus which performs signal processing for an output signal from the image pickup portion; a signal transmitting portion which sends a video signal based on the output signal from the image pickup portion, by radio waves from the endoscope to the signal processing apparatus; and a transmission state detecting portion which detects a transmission state of the video signal in the signal transmitting portion. The signal transmitting portion includes: a signal sending portion and sends the video signal; and a signal receiving portion and receives the video signal sent by radio waves from the signal sending portion. The transmission state detecting portion detects the transmission state of the video signal by changing an output level of the signal sending portion or a receiving sensitivity level of the signal receiving portion. | 03-05-2009 |
| 20090079819 | ELECTRONIC ENDOSCOPE AND ENDOSCOPE SYSTEM - An electronic endoscope | 03-26-2009 |
| 20090079820 | ELECTRONIC ENDOSCOPE - An electronic endoscope apparatus comprises a processor unit so as to allow an A type scope not having a timing generator and a B type scope having a timing generator to be connector-connected to the processor unit. The electronic endoscope comprises: an in-client-circuit timing generator and a first image signal processing unit both corresponding the A type scope; and a second image signal processing unit corresponding to the B type scope, wherein control is provided such that when the A type scope is connected to the processor unit, the in-client-circuit timing generator and the first image signal processing unit are operated, whereas when the B type scope is connected to the processor unit, the second image signal processing unit is operated. | 03-26-2009 |
| 20090079821 | STEERABLE STRUCTURE OF CATHETER OR ENDOSCOPE TYPE - A steerable structure ( | 03-26-2009 |
| 20090086017 | IMAGING OPTICAL SYSTEM AND ENDOSCOPE IMAGING APPARATUS - An imaging optical system disposed in a front end portion of an insertion section of an endoscope is provided and satisfies: | 04-02-2009 |
| 20090102917 | BIDIRECTIONAL COMMUNICATION DEVICE - A bidirectional communication device for an electronic endoscope provided with a videoscope having an imaging function and generating a scope information signal, has a communication channel, a first communication circuit and a second communication circuit. The first communication circuit outputs a clock signal to the communication channel in order to perform the imaging function in the videoscope. The second communication circuit receives the clock signal through the communication channel and amplifies the clock signal to generate an amplified clock signal. The second communication circuit superimposes the scope information signal onto the amplified clock signal to generate a superimposed signal, which is transmitted to the first communication circuit through the communication channel. The first communication circuit obtains the scope information signal from the superimposed signal at a timing corresponding to the clock signal. | 04-23-2009 |
| 20090109283 | INTEGRATED STORAGE FOR INDUSTRIAL INSPECTION HANDSET - An industrial inspection handset is disclosed, comprising a connector for connecting a peripheral device to the handset, wherein the connector is oriented such that the peripheral device can extend substantially parallel to the housing surface of the handset, and a cover tethered to the handset by a first tab, wherein the cover when mounted on the housing of the handset encloses the connector and the peripheral device. In an alternative embodiment, the handset comprises a connector oriented such that the peripheral device can extend substantially perpendicular to the housing surface of the handset, and a cover tethered to the handset by a first tab and a second tab, wherein the cover when mounted on the mounting member encloses the connector. A method of replacing a cover tethered to an industrial inspection handset is also disclosed, wherein the first cover is tethered to the handset by a first tab, comprising the steps of removing the first cover from the first tab; forcing the first tab through an opening in the handset and into the interior of the handset; and tethering a second cover to the handset by inserting a second tab attached to the second cover through the opening in the handset. | 04-30-2009 |
| 20090109284 | ELECTRONIC ENDOSCOPE SIGNAL-PROCESSING DEVICE AND ELECTRONIC ENDOSCOPE SYSTEM - An electronic endoscope system is provided that includes an RGB transformer, an R-signal amplifier, and a GB-signal amplifier. The RGB transformer transforms image signals to RGB signals. The R-signal amplifier changes the amplitude of the R signals of the RGB signals to a predetermined gain value. The GB-signal amplifier nonlinearly changes the amplitude of the G signals and B signals of the RGB signals. | 04-30-2009 |
| 20090122135 | ENDOSCOPE PROCESSOR AND ENDOSCOPE SYSTEM - An endoscope processor including a light source controller, an imaging device driver, and a gamma-correction block, is provided. The light source controller can order first and second light sources to alternately emit first and second lights, respectively. The imaging device driver orders an imaging device to generate first and second image signals by capturing an optical image of a subject while the firs and the second light are shone on the subject, respectively. The gamma-correction block carries out gamma correction on the first and second image signals using first and second color gamma coefficients, respectively. The first and second color gamma coefficients are predetermined according to the wavelength band of the first and second lights. | 05-14-2009 |
| 20090141124 | System and methods for vital sign estimation from passive thermal video - A system for measuring a pulse and respiratory rate from passive thermal video includes contour segmentation and tracking, clustering of informative pixels of interests, and robust dominant frequency component estimation. Contour segmentation is used to locate a blood vessel region to measure, after which all pixels in the nearby region are aligned across frames based on the segmentation's position, and scale in each frame. Spatial filtering is then performed to remove noise not related to heart beat and then non-linear filtering is performed on the temporal signal corresponding to each aligned pixel. The signal spectrum of each pixel is then feed to a clustering algorithm for outlier removal. Pixels in the largest cluster are then used to vote for the dominant frequency, and the median of the dominant frequency is output as the pulse rate. | 06-04-2009 |
| 20090147076 | Wide angle HDTV endoscope - A wide angle HDTV endoscope includes at least two optical imaging channels. Lenses close each channel at the distal end of the endoscope. The imaging channels each have a different field of view in complementary directions, and have overlapping or cross-over field of view areas. Received images are transmitted along the longitudinal axis of the imaging channels of the endoscope to a camera head that contains a wide screen image sensing device. An external light source provides the required lighting and an image processing device can provide necessary software algorithms to format the images and to control any overlapping or cross-over field of view areas to obtain a single display image. In another arrangement, optical blocking elements provided at the proximal end of the endoscope or within the imaging channels eliminate portions of one or more images from the imaging channels so that at the cross-over areas only a single image is provided to the imaging device. | 06-11-2009 |
| 20090160935 | METROLOGY DEVICE FOR VIDEOENDOSCOPIC PROBE - Image splitting device for videoendoscope, comprising an image splitting optical component to form on the sensitive surface of a video sensor housed in the distal end part of a videoendoscope a single composite image formed from two images of an observed target, viewed from two different angles; the image splitting optical component comprises two sections of identical convergent lenses, integrated into an opaque central element, maintaining the space between the two sections of lenses, each of the two sections of lenses are at least equal to a half-moon so that it is crossed by the optical axes of the lens. | 06-25-2009 |
| 20090167847 | MEASURING ENDOSCOPE APPARATUS AND PROGRAM - A measuring endoscope apparatus includes: an endoscope that performs photoelectric conversion of a subject image to generate an imaging signal; an imaging signal processing unit that processes the imaging signal to generate image data; a measurement unit that executes measurement based on a principle of triangulation using the image data; a display signal generating unit that generates a display signal for displaying a measurement result; a determination unit that determines the reliability of the measurement result on the basis of the image data; and a control unit that executes a control according to a determination result. | 07-02-2009 |
| 20090179985 | Network Based Endoscopic Surgical System - A network based surgical system including a first medical device having a first network interface, a second medical device having a second network interface, a communications network over which the first medical device, through the first network interface, and the second medical device, through the second network interface, are communicable, wherein the first network interface and the second network interface employ the same network protocol for communicating over the communications network, and wherein the first network interface has a maximum throughput greater than a maximum throughput of the second network interface. | 07-16-2009 |
| 20090185032 | IMAGE PICKUP DEVICE, ELECTRONIC ENDOSCOPE AND LENS UNIT - An image pickup apparatus of the present invention varies optical properties by moving a part of lenses of an objective lens, and includes a solid-state image pickup device unit that is disposed at a rear-end section and that subjects a subject image to photoelectric conversion, a fixed lens frame that retains the objective lens that is disposed in front of the solid-state image pickup device unit, a movable lens frame that retains the part of lenses that moves along a photographing optical axis O inside the lens frame, and an actuator having one end connected to the movable lens frame and that moves the movable lens frame forward and backward. The actuator includes a rigid member provided so as to extend to the vicinity of the rear end at which the solid-state image pickup device unit is disposed and a shape memory alloy that is coupled to the rigid member. | 07-23-2009 |
| 20090201364 | ENDOSCOPE DEVICE - An endoscope device including an insertion part including an observation optical system and a measuring optical system, wherein the endoscope device is provided with a characteristic value comparing circuit which compares previous characteristic values and current characteristic values to identify previous characteristic values corresponding to the current characteristic values, and when storing the current characteristic values, current characteristic values corresponding to the previous characteristic values, identified by the characteristic value comparing circuit, are stored in a storage circuit together with various information. According to the invention, for inspecting turbine blades of jet engines, automation (labor-saving) of the inspection process by reducing the number of the inspection steps is realized and the difficulty in the inspection of analysis areas is eliminated. | 08-13-2009 |
| 20090207240 | ELECTRONIC ENDOSCOPE AND ENDOSCOPE SYSTEM USING SAME - The objective of the invention is to provide a type of electronic endoscope that can reduce the noise in the image pickup signal sent from the electronic endoscope, and a type of endoscope system using said electronic endoscope. Electronic endoscope | 08-20-2009 |
| 20090213211 | Method and Device for Reducing the Fixed Pattern Noise of a Digital Image - A method or a device that reduces fixed pattern noise in an image captured by a digital image device and adjusts the reduction based on the level of FPN, preferably on an area-by-area basis or on a pixel-by-pixel basis. | 08-27-2009 |
| 20090213212 | IMAGE PICKUP SYSTEM AND ENDOSCOPE SYSTEM - An image pickup system includes an image pickup unit having a solid-state image pickup device, for example, CMOS. A processor controls the image pickup device and receives an image signal from the image pickup unit with a signal line in serial transmission. The processor includes a clock and data recovery circuit for deriving a clock signal from the image signal input by the signal line, and for producing a data signal synchronized with the clock signal in phase synchronization. There is a signal processing unit for signal processing according to the data signal and the clock signal produced by the clock and data recovery circuit. Preferably, the image pickup unit includes an A/D converter for digitally converting the image signal from the image pickup device into parallel data of bits of a predetermined number. | 08-27-2009 |
| 20090237497 | ENDOSCOPE CAMERA HEAD AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING THE SAME - An endoscope camera head includes: an image pickup device that is configured to capture an image of an optical image and output an imaging signal containing the captured image; and a lens member that includes a lens for forming the optical image on the image pickup device, wherein the image pickup device is fixed to the lens member at a position in which the center of an image circle of the lens and the center of an image pickup area of the image pickup device coincide with each other. | 09-24-2009 |
| 20090237498 | SYSTEM AND METHODS FOR THE IMPROVEMENT OF IMAGES GENERATED BY FIBEROPTIC IMAGING BUNDLES - A method according to an embodiment of the invention includes receiving a first optical image from an endoscope having a plurality of imaging fibers. A spatial frequency is identified that is associated with the plurality of imaging fibers. A second optical image is received from the endoscope. The spatial frequency is filtered from the second optical image. A method according to another embodiment includes producing an optical image of at least a portion of a body lumen using a fiberscope. The optical image is transmitted to a video camera coupled to the fiberscope. A honeycomb pattern associated with a fiber bundle of the fiberscope is removed from the optical image. In some embodiments, the honeycomb pattern can be removed in substantially real time. In some embodiments, prior to producing the optical image, a calibration cap is coupled to the fiberscope and used in a calibration process. | 09-24-2009 |
| 20090244271 | ELECTRONIC ENDOSCOPE APPARATUS - An electronic endoscope apparatus having a scope and a processor. The processor includes a plurality of image processing means and a first setting means. Each of the image processing means performs different image processing. ON/OFF of functions and/or parameters used for the processing are set individually with respect to each of the image processing means. The scope includes a memory having at least one area configured to store ON/OFF setting of the function of each of the image processing means and/or a value of the processing parameter used for each processing. The first setting means of the processor reads information stored in the area of the memory of the scope to set the function of each of the image processing means to ON or OFF and supply a predetermined parameter to each of the image processing means based on the information. | 10-01-2009 |
| 20090256905 | Processor for Electronic Endoscope, Videoscope, and Electronic Endoscope Apparatus - A processor for an electronic endoscope, which is configured to be connected with a videoscope adapted to generate a picture signal for an image of an observed object through color adjustment using color adjustment data and to transmit the generated picture signal to the processor, the processor includes a light source configured to emit light for illuminating the observed object, a determining unit configured to determine whether the color adjustment data used by the videoscope is adapted to the light source, a color conversion data acquiring unit configured to acquire color conversion data adapted to the color adjustment data when the determining unit determines that the color adjustment data is not adapted to the light source, and a color converter configured to perform color conversion for the picture signal transmitted by the videoscope using the color conversion data acquired by the color conversion data acquiring unit. | 10-15-2009 |
| 20090268018 | ENDOSCOPE APPARATUS AND PROGRAM - An endoscope apparatus including: an endoscope; an image signal processing portion; a display signal generating portion for displaying an image and a character input screen; an operation portion that inputs a character; a character string storage portion that stores a character string and an operation state of the apparatus in a state where the character string is correlated to the operation state; a display instruction detecting portion that detects a display instruction of the character input screen; an operation state detecting portion that detects an operation state of the apparatus; a reading portion that reads a character string, which corresponds to the detected operation state; and a control portion that controls the display signal generating portion to display a screen including a component for selecting the read character string and controls the display signal generating portion to display a character string corresponding to the component. | 10-29-2009 |
| 20090268019 | IMAGE PICKUP APPARATUS AND ENDOSCOPE - An image pickup apparatus includes a solid-state image pickup device chip, an FPC whose terminals are connected to the solid-state image pickup device chip, and a plurality of electronic components mounted on a front surface of the FPC, wherein behind a back face of the solid-state image pickup chip, the FPC is disposed by being folded in such a way that the FPC will provide mounting surfaces for the plurality of electronic components in a plurality of layers and that the plurality of electronic components will be superimposed via the FPC. | 10-29-2009 |
| 20090273666 | IMAGING OPTICAL SYSTEM AND ENDOSCOPE PROVIDED WITH IMAGING OPTICAL SYSTEM - An imaging optical system includes a spherical or nearly spherical viewing port, an objective lens that includes an aspheric surface and is formed as a single lens element, and a solid-state image sensor that receives an image formed by the imaging optical system. Specified conditions are satisfied by the imaging optical system and the objective lens so that an in-focus image having low distortion, sufficient contrast, and formed by light rays of restricted angles of incidence is formed even for an object in contact with the viewing port. The specified conditions relate to features of the imaging optical system such as focal length and f-number of the imaging optical system, astigmatism and distortion of the imaging optical system, and pixel pitch of the solid-state image sensor. An endoscope that includes the imaging optical system is also disclosed. | 11-05-2009 |
| 20090278920 | IMAGE APPARATUS FOR ENDOSCOPES - The invention relates to an image apparatus for endoscopes, which makes sure easier viewing especially at a peripheral portion of a screen while taking care of the observing angle of view and size of an optical system. The image apparatus comprises an optical system adapted to form an optical image of an object, an image pickup device adapted to convert the formed optical image into electric signals to obtain image data, and an image processing means adapted to move and transform a position of the optical image acquired by the image pickup device. A radiation direction magnification is transformable by the image processing means independently from a concentric direction magnification, and a magnification for a conformal object is higher at a peripheral portion than at a central portion of a screen. | 11-12-2009 |
| 20090284588 | Endoscope apparatus - An endoscope apparatus includes: an optical adapter provided with a discrimination capacitor; and an endoscope configured to be detachably provided with the optical adapter at a distal end portion of the endoscope, and configured to include a reference capacitor which is arranged to be connected in series to the discrimination capacitor in a state where the optical adapter is mounted, a DC power supply which is connected in series to the reference capacitor, and a control circuit which calculates a capacitance of the discrimination capacitor on the basis of a voltage value at a connection point between the discrimination capacitor and the reference capacitor, so as to discriminate the kind of the optical adapter. | 11-19-2009 |
| 20090290016 | ENDOSCOPE SYSTEM - An endoscope system comprises a scope and a processor. The scope has an imaging sensor, a first image-processing unit that performs primary image processing, a first memory, and a second memory. The first and second memories are non-volatile. The processor has a second image-processing unit that performs secondary image processing, and a processor memory that is non-volatile. The first memory stores an system data that includes parameters for the primary and secondary image processing. The processor memory stores the system data. The second memory is used for storing the system data stored in the processor memory when it is determined that the system data stored in the first memory is older than the system data stored in the processor memory. The system data stored in the second memory is overwritten onto the first scope memory after the system data is stored in the second memory. | 11-26-2009 |
| 20090295913 | ENDOSCOPE - An endoscope includes an image pick-up unit extending in the axial direction within a distal end forming portion, and a channel tube extending in the axial direction within the distal end forming portion and including a parallel portion arranged parallel with the image pick-up unit, and the outer peripheral surface of the parallel portion includes a facing side diameter reducing portion arranged on a side facing the image pick-up unit and, with respect to a reference circumferential surface including a common central axis to the inner peripheral surface of the parallel portion, closer to a central axis side than the reference circumferential surface in a cross section orthogonal to the axial direction, and a diameter keeping portion arranged on a side other than the side facing the image pick-up unit and whose at least a part overlaps the reference circumferential surface. | 12-03-2009 |
| 20090303316 | ENDOSCOPE APPARATUS - An endoscope device in which endoscope images and patient information can be recorded in a removable storage medium and in which the endoscope images and patient information recorded in the storage medium can be reproduced. The endoscope device has a selection means for reproducing the endoscope images in a list form and selecting at least one endoscope image from the reproduced list; a display means for inputting additional information other than the patient information, adding the additional information to the endoscope image selected by the selection means, and displaying the result; and a recording/reproduction means for recording the selected endoscope image and the additional information in the storage medium or reproducing the image and the information. | 12-10-2009 |
| 20090303317 | NEAR INFRARED IMAGING - An endoscope or wand device comprising transmitting members, in which the transmitting members comprise a coating that transmits between about 95% and about 99.5% of energy at a wavelength within the infra red spectrum. | 12-10-2009 |
| 20090303318 | IMAGE PICKUP APPARATUS USING AN IMAGING UNIT INCLUDING AN ETALON AND CALIBRATION METHOD THEREFOR - An image pickup apparatus includes an objective optical system, an image pickup element having a surface at an image formed by the objective optical system, and an etalon positioned between the objective optical system and the surface of the image pickup element. The etalon includes a gap, an optical path length of which is controllable for scanning the wavelengths transmitted by the etalon to thereby select the wavelengths that reach the surface. An optical filter is positioned between the objective optical system and the surface and has a first wavelength range over which incident light is reflected, a second wavelength range over which incident light is transmitted, and a boundary wavelength range that is bounded by the first and second wavelength ranges. The boundary wavelength range lies entirely within the wavelength range the peak transmission of the etalon can be scanned. A method of calibrating the etalon is also disclosed. | 12-10-2009 |
| 20090303319 | BODY-INSERTABLE APPARATUS SYSTEM - A body-insertable apparatus system includes: a body-insertable apparatus having a light emitting unit that emits a light having a low-reflectance wavelength and a light having a high-reflectance wavelength to a detection-target site and an imaging unit that receives the lights to take an in-vivo image of a subject; and a detector that detects the detection-target site of a detection-target area in the subject based on an amount of the light having the high-reflectance wavelength and an amount of the light having the low-reflectance wavelength of an area of the in-vivo image, the area of the in-vivo image corresponding to the detection-target area. | 12-10-2009 |
| 20090309961 | IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS, IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD AND IMAGE PROCESSING PROGRAM - There is provided an image processing apparatus that includes a feature data calculating unit, a distribution map generating unit, and a display control unit. The feature data calculating unit calculates feature data of each image contained in a group of sequential images that are taken by an image taking apparatus. The distribution map generating unit includes a representative vector calculating unit and a representative vector arrangement determining unit, and generates a distribution map that represents an overall trend of the group of sequential images. The representative vector calculating unit calculates a predetermined number of representative vectors that represent a plurality of images contained in the group of sequential images. The representative vector arrangement determining unit determines arrangement of the calculated representative vectors on the distribution map. The display control unit displays the distribution map on a display unit. | 12-17-2009 |
| 20090315985 | Processor device and method for displaying image - A processor device is connected to an electronic endoscope having a CCD. The processor device produces an observation image from an image signal of the electronic endoscope. In image quality adjustment, a menu screen is generated based on an external command. Superimposing the menu screen on the observation image produces a menu composite image. When the menu screen covers an attention area of the observation image in a standard image composition state, the observation image is shifted in the menu composite image. In the standard image composition state, the center of the observation image is positioned at the center of the menu composite image, and the menu screen is positioned at an end of the menu composite image. | 12-24-2009 |
| 20090315986 | ENDOSCOPE APPARATUS - An endoscope apparatus has an image pickup element, an image pickup element housing tube that houses the image pickup element, a heat transfer member that is in contact with the image pickup element and the image pickup element housing tube, and a resin that seals the interior of the image pickup element housing tube and is in contact with the image pickup element. The heat transfer member has a heat conductivity higher than that of the resin. | 12-24-2009 |
| 20090322863 | Distance information obtainment method in endoscope apparatus and endoscope apparatus - Distance information between an observation-target and each pixel of an imaging device is obtained in an endoscope apparatus. The endoscope apparatus includes a scope unit having an illumination-light illuminating unit and an imaging device, and a spectral image processing unit that generates a spectral estimation image signal of a predetermined wavelength by performing spectral image processing on an image signal output from the imaging device. The illumination-light illuminating unit illuminates the observation-target with illumination-light, and the imaging device images the observation-target by receiving light reflected from the observation-target illuminated with the illumination-light. The spectral image processing unit generates the spectral estimation image signal of the predetermined wavelength greater than or equal to 650 nm, as a spectral estimation image signal for obtaining distance information. Distance information representing a distance between the observation-target and each of the pixels is obtained based on the spectral estimation image signal for obtaining distance information. | 12-31-2009 |
| 20090322864 | MEDICAL APPARATUS AND MEDICAL EQUIPMENT - The present invention provides a medical apparatus including medical equipment to be introduced into a body, including an image pickup unit that picks up an image of an inspection target in the body, an outer casing that movably holds the image pickup unit, a fixing unit that fixes the outer casing together with the image pickup unit to an inner wall of the body in contact therewith and a field of view adjusting unit that makes the image pickup unit movable with respect to the outer casing and adjusts the direction of a field of view of the image pickup unit, and can thereby realize a small medical apparatus and equipment capable of performing low-invasive surgical operation without increasing burden on patients, easily adjusting the direction of the field of view while being fixed and kept in the body and improving viewability of the inspection target. | 12-31-2009 |
| 20100007724 | ELECTRONIC ENDOSCOPE SIGNAL-PROCESSING DEVICE AND ELECTRONIC ENDOSCOPE SYSTEM - An electronic endoscope signal-processing device is provided that includes a gradation compensation processor. The gradation compensation processor compensates for R, G, and B gradations by controlling R, G, and B tone curves defining relationship between input values and output values of each of the R, G, and B signals. The R tone curve is shaped so as to squash the output values of the R Signal when the R signal input values are in a relatively low range and to expand the output values when the input values are in a relatively high range. | 01-14-2010 |
| 20100033559 | IMAGE PICK-UP MODULE FOR ENDOSCOPE APPARATUS - An image pick-up module for an endoscope apparatus includes a base having a surface on which electronic elements including an image pick-up device, and an electronic cooling element are mounted. The surface of the base is provided with terminals for the electronic elements including the image pick-up device, terminals for the electronic cooling element, and terminals for wirings from an outside of the image pick-up module. The base further includes wirings electrically connecting with the terminals for the electronic elements including the image pick-up device, the terminals for the electronic cooling element, and the terminals for the outside wirings. | 02-11-2010 |
| 20100039506 | System for and method of visualizing an interior of body - A navigation system includes a display monitor, a CPU, and a camera, wherein the camera is mounted to a back side of the display monitor to form a monitor unit. One or more reference units are placed on a body while acquiring an image data set, and are tracked during a surgical operation by the monitor unit to register and correlate a position of a visual image of an exterior surface of the body with the image data set including information concerning internal structures of the body. The image data set is displayed on the display monitor superimposed in registration over the visible image of the exterior of the body with an angle of view and aperture in accordance with the actual position of the camera, whereby the display monitor displays the internal structures corresponding to the line-of-sight of the camera and the observer. | 02-18-2010 |
| 20100045786 | IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS AND IMAGE PROCESSING PROGRAM PRODUCT - An image processing apparatus processes a series of observation images on which a plurality of observation targets are sequentially captured. The image processing apparatus includes a target identifying unit that identifies, at least on the basis of information based on compressed image data of an image to be processed among the series of observation images, an observation target captured on the image to be processed. | 02-25-2010 |
| 20100053312 | ENDOSCOPE APPARATUS - The distal end of an inserted portion, having a simple structure, is reduced in diameter, loss of light incident from a body cavity is reduced, and light from two different directions is observed simultaneously and in a separated fashion. Provided is an endoscope apparatus ( | 03-04-2010 |
| 20100053313 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PRESENTATION OF DATA STREAMS - An in-vivo sensing system and a method for creating a summarized graphical presentation of a data stream captured in-vivo. The graphical presentation may be in the form of for example a color bar. The color bar may be a fixed display along side a streaming display of the data stream. A cursor or other indicator may move along the fixed color bar as the data stream is displayed and/or streamed so as to indicate to a health professional what part of the data stream may be currently displayed. The color content in the color bar may map out the data stream and give indication of the location of anatomical sites as well as possible locations of pathology. | 03-04-2010 |
| 20100060725 | METHOD FOR FAST COMMUNICATION BETWEEN INSIDE AND OUTSIDE OF BODY USING ANALOG ELECTRICAL SIGNAL AND SYSTEM THEREOF - In a method for fast communication between inside and outside of a human or animal body using an analog electrical signal and a system thereof, by using a TV standard signal suitable for an international specification such as NTSC, PAL and the like, as the analog electrical signal, image information on the inside of the human or animal body can be monitored in the form of moving pictures through a general TV without any complicated receiving system. The method for fast communication between the inside and outside of the human or animal body using the analog electrical signal comprises a) conducting, by a transmitter inserted inside the human or animal body, the analog electrical signal with respect to information on the inside of the human or animal body by using a medium of the inside of the human or animal body as a wire (line), b) sensing the analog electrical signal on the surface of the medium from the outside of the human or animal body, and c) outputting the information on the inside of the human or animal body included in the analog electrical signal sensed on the surface of the medium. | 03-11-2010 |
| 20100060726 | Medical Surgery room with coloured Lighting - A medical surgery or examination room and a method for illuminating such a room, wherein a substantial part of the room or the entire room is illuminated with coloured lighting different from white lighting in order to achieve beneficial psychological effects or, primarily, to improve working condition. For example, green light may be provided behind the monitors used by a surgeon during operation and red light in a zone behind a surgeon during operation or examination. The lighting may be controlled by a computer with a touch screen interface. | 03-11-2010 |
| 20100079586 | VIDEO SIGNAL SELECTOR AND MEDICAL IMAGE FILING SYSTEM THEREWITH - A video signal selector has a selector switch for selectively outputting one of an endoscopic video signal and an ultrasonic video signal, and a selector control circuit for controlling the selector switch. The selector switch selects the endoscopic video signal by default. The selector control circuit switches the selector switch to the ultrasonic video signal in response to input of an ultrasonic image capture command for commanding to save an ultrasonic image. | 04-01-2010 |
| 20100097453 | MONITOR DEVICE FOR USE WITH AN ENDOSCOPE APPARATUS - A monitor device for use with an endoscope apparatus, which has first and second display modes. In the first display mode, the monitor device displays, in real time, any image transmitted in a normal radio communication state. In the second display mode, the monitor device displays a noise-free image in real time, if a radio communication error occurs. If one-frame (or one-field) image data is not received within the frame (or field) time due to a communication error, the monitor device displays, in the second display mode, the image data received in a normal state immediately before the one-frame (or one-field) image data, and informs the operator of the communication error. | 04-22-2010 |
| 20100097454 | ENDOSCOPE APPARATUS AND CONTROL METHOD THEREFOR - An endoscope image is obtained by imaging a subject with a scope. Then, an edge portion of the endoscope image is extracted and a complexity degree of the edge portion is detected. Thereafter, a determination is made as to whether the endoscope image is an image obtained through near view imaging or distant view imaging according to the complexity degree and an imaging condition is changed according to the determined near view imaging or distant view imaging. | 04-22-2010 |
| 20100128114 | Camera System For Surgical Applications - The present disclosure relates to a camera system for use in surgical applications. The camera system comprises an image processor; and an imaging device coupled to the image processor, wherein calibration of the imaging device occurs automatically upon coupling the imaging device to the image processor. A method of transmitting data is also disclosed. | 05-27-2010 |
| 20100128115 | ENDOSCOPE APPARATUS AND METHOD - An endoscope apparatus includes: an endoscope that generates an image of an object; a display portion that displays the image and a cursor that designates a position on an image based on the image; a characteristic quantity calculating portion that calculates, based on the image, a characteristic quantity of the image on the basis of the position designated by the cursor; and a control portion that controls movement of the cursor in accordance with the characteristic quantity. | 05-27-2010 |
| 20100128116 | ENDOSCOPE APPARATUS - An endoscope apparatus includes: a video signal acquisition portion that images an object to acquire a video signal by a stereo optical system; a video signal processing portion that processes the video signal to generate a display video signal; a measurement processing portion that performs measurement on the basis of the video signal; and a display portion that displays the display video signal. The video signal processing portion generates the display video signal by extracting one image from the video signal including a plurality of images from the stereo optical system, and the display portion displays the display video signal including the one image extracted by the video signal processing portion during a period regarding measurement. The measurement processing portion calculates a matching degree between the plurality of images at a position corresponding to the measuring position. The display portion displays the matching degree together with the display video signal. | 05-27-2010 |
| 20100134605 | IN VIVO SPECTRAL MICRO-IMAGING OF TISSUE - In vivo endoscopic methods an apparatuses for implementation of fluorescence and autofluorescence microscopy, with and without the use of exogenous agents, effectively (with resolution sufficient to image nuclei) visualize and categorize various abnormal tissue forms. | 06-03-2010 |
| 20100134606 | DIAGNOSTIC DEVICE, SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR REDUCED DATA TRANSMISSION - A device, system and method may enable the obtaining of in vivo images from within body lumens or cavities, such as images the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, where the data such as image data is typically transmitted or otherwise sent to a receiving system in compressed or diluted form. The image may be reconstructed and for example displayed to a user. | 06-03-2010 |
| 20100157035 | ANALOG-TO-DIGITAL CONVERSION IN IMAGE SENSORS - An image sensor has a per-column ADC arrangement including first and second capacitors allowing a comparator circuit to perform correlated double sampling. The capacitors are continuously connected to, respectively, the analog pixel signal and a ramp signal without use of a hold operation. The comparator circuit comprises a differential input being connected to the junction of the two capacitors and being biased by a reference signal. The reference signal is preferably sampled and held from a reference voltage. The use of a differential input as first stage of the comparator addresses problems arising from ground voltage bounce when a large pixel array images a scene with low contrast. Connectivity of the differential input stage allows the ramp signal to see a constant capacitive load thus reduce image artifacts referred to as smear. | 06-24-2010 |
| 20100157036 | SCANNING ENDOSCOPE PROCESSOR AND SCANNING ENDOSCOPE APPARATUS - A scanning endoscope processor, comprising a photoelectric converter and a controller, is provided. The scanning endoscope processor controls a scanning endoscope having first and second transmitters and an actuator. The photoelectric converter receives light transmitted from the second transmitter and generates a pixel signal according to the amount of light received. The second transmitter transmits reflected light and/or fluorescence from a point within an observation area illuminated by the light emitted from a first emission end. The first transmitter emits the light as a beam from the first emission end. The actuator moves the first emission end along a spiral course. The controller adjusts at least one of a first angular velocity and a generation cycle so that the product of the first angular velocity, the generation cycle, and a first distance is within a predetermined range. | 06-24-2010 |
| 20100165087 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MOSAICING ENDOSCOPE IMAGES CAPTURED FROM WITHIN A CAVITY - Systems and methods for capturing and mosaicking images of one or more surfaces of a collapsed cavity are described. A number of embodiments are capable of performing mosaicking in real time. Many embodiments are configured to perform multiple passes during motion estimation and/or registration to improve the quality of the resulting mosaic(s). One embodiment includes capturing images using an endoscope, where the optics of the endoscope are radially symmetrical, locating the optical center of each of the captured images, dewarping each of the captured images by mapping the image from polar coordinates centered on the optical center of the image to rectangular coordinates, discarding portions of each dewarped image to create high clarity dewarped images, estimating the motion of the endoscope with respect to the interior surface of the cavity that occurred between successive high clarity dewarped images, registering the high clarity dewarped images with respect to each other using the estimates of motion, and combining the registered high clarity dewarped images to create at least one mosaic. | 07-01-2010 |
| 20100165088 | Apparatus and Method for Displaying Capsule Endoscope Image, and Record Media Storing Program for Carrying out that Method - An apparatus and method for displaying capsule endoscope images and record media storing a program for carrying out that method is disclosed, which is capable of reducing playing time of the capsule endoscope images by forming a plurality of similar-image groups with a plurality of image frames from an endoscope image stream, and displaying a representative image frame for each similar-image group, the method comprising receiving image data taken by a capsule endoscope inserted into the inside of an examinee; generating an endoscope image stream by using the received image data; forming a plurality of similar-image groups with a plurality of image frames by using the endoscope image stream; determining a representative image frame for each similar-image group by using the image frames included in each similar-image group; and displaying the representative image frame for each similar-image group. | 07-01-2010 |
| 20100171819 | AUTOMATIC REDUCTION OF INTERFERING ELEMENTS FROM AN IMAGE STREAM OF A MOVING ORGAN - Apparatus and methods are described for imaging a portion of a body of a subject that undergoes a motion cycle. A plurality of image frames of the portion are acquired. The image frames are enhanced with respect to a first given feature of the image frames, by (a) image tracking the image frames with respect to the first given feature, (b) identifying a second given feature in each of the image frames, and (c) in response to the identifying, reducing visibility of the second given feature in the image frames. The image frames that (a) have been image tracked with respect to the first given feature, and (b) have had reduced therein the visibility of the second given feature, are displayed as a stream of image frames. Other embodiments are also described. | 07-08-2010 |
| 20100171820 | LENS SYSTEM - A lens system comprises a first lens group and a second lens group, and is configured to form an image at a first magnification and at a second magnification. The lens system has a common optical axis in both magnifications. The lens system is further configured to form an intermediate image between the first lens group and the second lens group at the first magnification. The intermediate image formed in the first magnification is further imaged onto an optical detector. In the first magnification, the second lens group acts as a relay lens imaging the intermediate image onto the optical detector. In the second magnification, the first and second lens groups together form an image on the optical detector without forming an intermediate image. | 07-08-2010 |
| 20100177180 | IMAGE PROCESSING SYSTEM, IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD, AND COMPUTER READABLE MEDIUM - Provided are an image processing system, an image processing method, and a program for adjusting an image quality of a fluorescent light motion image. An image obtaining section that obtains a high image-quality motion image and a low image-quality motion image in which a same subject is captured simultaneously; a motion calculating section that calculates a motion of the subject in the high image-quality motion image, from the high image-quality motion image; and an image adjusting section that generates a motion image resulting from adjusting an image quality of the low image-quality motion image, based on the motion calculated by the motion calculating section are included, to adjust an image quality of a low image-quality motion image. Accordingly, the image quality of a low image-quality image can be improved. | 07-15-2010 |
| 20100182412 | IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS, METHOD OF OPERATING IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS, AND MEDIUM STORING ITS PROGRAM - An image processing apparatus according to the present invention includes: an obtainment unit for obtaining time-series image data, which is image data captured in time series by a capsule endoscope; an image detection unit for detecting prescribed image data from the obtained time-series image data; a display control unit for displaying a list of the prescribed detection image data among the detected image data; and a display instruction input unit to which an instruction to the display control unit is input, wherein the display instruction input unit comprising a detection method selection unit for selecting a detection method used when detection is performed on the basis of the image detection unit; and a list display selection unit for displaying a list of the image data by using the display control unit. | 07-22-2010 |
| 20100182413 | ENDOSCOPE APPARATUS AND METHOD - An endoscope apparatus includes: a reading unit which reads video data and control data from a recording medium, the recording medium containing the video data including a plurality of image data and the control data used to control a measurement operation; a measuring unit which performs the measurement operation on the basis of the image data of the video data read by the reading unit; and a control unit which controls the measuring unit on the basis of the control data read by the reading unit. | 07-22-2010 |
| 20100188491 | SOLID-STATE IMAGING DEVICE, ENDOSCOPE APPARATUS, AND DRIVE METHOD OF SOLID-STATE IMAGING DEVICE - A solid-state imaging device includes plural pixel portions and a signal reading section. Each of the plural pixel portions includes a photoelectric conversion portion, and plural charge storage portions a selected one of which can store charge generated in the photoelectric conversion portion. The signal reading section independently reads out signals corresponding to amounts of charges stored in the plural respective charge storage portions. | 07-29-2010 |
| 20100194869 | SCENE-CHANGE DETECTING DEVICE, COMPUTER READABLE STORAGE MEDIUM STORING SCENE-CHANGE DETECTION PROGRAM, AND SCENE-CHANGE DETECTING METHOD - An image processing device includes a motion-vector detecting unit that detects motion vectors between an image and another image at a plurality of positions on the image, the image being at least a part of a plurality of images making up an image sequence; a pattern categorizing unit that categorizes the images into pattern groups each indicating a predetermined motion pattern, on the basis of the plurality of the motion vectors detected in the image; a group-based image-change detecting unit that detects, in each of the pattern groups, an image change between the images in the pattern group; and a group-based scene-change detecting unit that detects scene change in each of the pattern groups on the basis of the image change between the images in the pattern group. | 08-05-2010 |
| 20100194870 | ULTRA-COMPACT APERTURE CONTROLLED DEPTH FROM DEFOCUS RANGE SENSOR - The present application teaches an implementation of an ultra-compact range sensor based on aperture varying passive depth from defocus. An embodiment of the present application teaches a range sensor, which is a fast LCD matrix that allows the acquisition of a plurality of images with variable focal levels by changing the size of the aperture of a typical lens. The range sensor of the present application may be implemented in mobile devices or used in the construction of medical endoscopes able to perform depth recovery. | 08-05-2010 |
| 20100201794 | IMAGE PICKUP APPARATUS AND ENDOSCOPE HAVING THE SAME - An image pickup apparatus according to an aspect of the present invention comprises: a solid state image pickup element which includes a main surface having a light receiving section formed thereon and a back surface; a bendable circuit board electrically connected to the solid state image pickup element via a connection portion; a signal cable which is electrically connected to the circuit board; and an electronic component which is mounted to only one of the main surface and the back surface, and the circuit board is connected to the back surface of the solid state image pickup element and is bent within a projection area of the solid state image pickup element, and the surface of the circuit board to which the electronic component is mounted is arranged substantially in parallel to the back surface of the solid state image pickup element. | 08-12-2010 |
| 20100201795 | ENDOSCOPE APPARATUS - An endoscope apparatus includes: a video signal acquisition portion; a video signal processing portion that processes a video signal to generate a display video signal; a measurement processing portion that performs measurement; and a display portion that displays the display video signal. The video signal processing portion generates a first display video signal based on one image extracted from the video signal, and a second display video signal based on the one image and other image of the video signal. During a period regarding measurement, the display portion displays the first display video signal or the second display video signal along with at least one of operation-related information and measurement information. A position where at least one of the operation-related information and the measurement information is displayed is controlled according to the first display video signal or the second display video signal displayed by the display portion. | 08-12-2010 |
| 20100208046 | Stereoscopic optical system, and optical apparatus for stereoscopic measurement, stereoscopic measurement apparatus and stereoscopic observation apparatus each using the same - A stereoscopic optical system includes, at a distal end of an insertion part of an endoscope, a two-path forming optical system for forming two paths of rays involving a parallax, an image forming optical system for forming images out of light travelling along the respective paths of rays in the two-path forming optical system onto a common region, and an image sensor arranged at an image forming position of the image forming optical system. The stereoscopic optical system is further provided with a time-division path switching means that is capable of switching between the two paths of rays in a time-division manner so that only light coming from either one of the two paths of rays formed by the two-path forming optical system enters the image forming optical system. | 08-19-2010 |
| 20100208047 | Image processing apparatus, image processing method, and computer-readable recording medium storing image processing program - An image processing apparatus includes an image acquiring unit that acquires an in-vivo image being a captured image of an inside of a body cavity; a feature-data calculating unit that calculates feature data corresponding to a pixel or an area in the in-vivo image; a body-tissue extracting unit that extracts, as a body tissue, a pixel or an area whose feature data corresponds to a predetermined threshold; a criterion creating unit that creates a criterion for detecting a detecting object based on the feature data of the body tissue; and a detecting unit that detects a body tissue corresponding to the criterion as the detecting object. | 08-19-2010 |
| 20100225753 | MEDICAL INSTRUMENT - A medical instrument used by being introduced into a body and fixed thereto, includes a camera body provided with a fixing section to be fixed to a body wall in the body, an image pickup section incorporated in the camera body that picks up an image of an object to be examined in the body from an observation window formed in the camera body, a contamination removing section provided by being fixed to the camera body, a transparent cover member, an outer surface of which is in contact with the contamination removing section, movably disposed on the observation window and a drive section incorporated in the camera body that drives the cover member to make a sliding contact with the contamination removing section, and can thereby easily and reliably remove deposits stuck to the observation window and obtain a clear observation image even when deposits are being removed. | 09-09-2010 |
| 20100231702 | IMAGE PICKUP DEVICE AND ENDOSCOPE PROVIDED WITH IMAGE PICKUP DEVICE - An image pickup device mounted at a distal end portion of an endoscope is provided that can make joining work more efficient and simplified, improve maintenance performance and reduce the size and diameter. A distal end portion | 09-16-2010 |
| 20100245549 | INSERTABLE SURGICAL IMAGING DEVICE - A body-insertable imaging device includes a first camera that comprises a first image sensor and a first lens to pass incident light onto the first image sensor, a control interface to receive a remotely generated control signal, and an actuator communicatively coupled to the control interface and configured to support the camera and manipulate the camera about a pan axis, a tilt axis, and along a zoom direction in response to the control signal while the camera and actuator are within a body cavity, wherein the zoom direction extends out from a distal end of the body-insertable camera. | 09-30-2010 |
| 20100283841 | ENDOSCOPE SYSTEM - An endoscope system of the present invention includes an endoscope provided with an image pickup section that picks up an image of an object in a body cavity, a position setting section that sets information on a predetermined position in the object based on information obtained from the image of the object picked up by the image pickup section and a position correction section that corrects the information on the predetermined position set by the position setting section based on information on a boundary line extracted in the image of the object picked up by the image pickup section and outputs information on the corrected position. | 11-11-2010 |
| 20100295931 | MEDICAL NAVIGATION IMAGE OUTPUT COMPRISING VIRTUAL PRIMARY IMAGES AND ACTUAL SECONDARY IMAGES - The invention relates to an image output method for medical navigation in which the positional relationship of an instrument with respect to a part of a patient's body is ascertained, and in which the instrument and the part of the patient's body are displayed in the correct positional relationship on an image output, wherein the display of the part of the patient's body is based on the one hand on virtual image data captured by means of a medical imaging method and on the other hand on actual images captured during navigation, wherein the virtual image data is displayed on the image output primarily and as the basis of the image, and the actual images are superimposed on it merely as an addition and secondarily. It also relates to an image generating and image output device for medical navigation. | 11-25-2010 |
| 20100315496 | ENDOSCOPE APPARATUS, METHOD AND SYSTEM - An endoscope apparatus includes: an imaging unit that images a subject to generate live streaming video image data; a data adding unit that adds data, which is used for measurement, to only a part of image data constituting the live streaming video image data generated by the imaging unit; and a transmission unit that transmits the live streaming video image data constituted by the image data to which the data used for measurement is added. | 12-16-2010 |
| 20110001810 | IMAGE PICKUP APPARATUS AND ELECTRONIC ENDOSCOPE - An image pickup apparatus includes an image pickup module which is provided with a plurality of functional elements for obtaining image information of an object to be photographed, and a signal separation circuit which separates a drive signal from a combined signal in which, at least two of a plurality of drive signals for the plurality of functional elements respectively, are superimposed, an image pickup module control section which is provided with a signal combining section which superimposes at least two of the plurality of drive signals, and a signal transmitting section which is interposed between the image pickup module and the image pickup module control section, and which transmits the combined signal in which, at least two of the plurality of drive signals are superimposed. | 01-06-2011 |
| 20110018987 | ENDOSCOPE APPARATUS AND MEASURING METHOD - An endoscope apparatus comprises an imaging unit, a measurement point setting unit, a corresponding-point setting unit, a region setting unit, a display unit, and a measuring unit. The imaging unit acquires image data containing a first image and a second image, the first image and the second image being about the same subject to be inspected. The measurement point setting unit sets a measurement point on the first image. The corresponding-point setting unit sets a corresponding point on the second image based on a position of the measurement point. The region setting unit sets an information display region on the second image based on a position of the corresponding point. The display unit displays the first image, the second image, the measurement point, the corresponding point, and the information display region. The measuring unit measures a subject using the image data. | 01-27-2011 |
| 20110050874 | CMOS Image Sensor Pixel Without Internal Sample/Hold Circuit - A very small area CMOS image sensor, e.g., for an endoscopic system, includes only four pads (power, ground, digital in, analog out), and includes an array of 4T pixels and associated control circuitry for performing correlated double sampling (CDS) to generate analog reset level and analog signal level values associated with light detected by photodiodes in each pixel. Instead of processing the analog values on-chip, the analog reset values and analog signal values are transmitted in separate sets one row at a time along with interleaved synchronization signals by way of a single analog contact pad, e.g., to a host device of an endoscopic system, which uses the synchronization signals to reconstruct the sensor's internal clock in order to process the analog values. An endoscope housing incorporating the CMOS image sensor thus requires only four wires. | 03-03-2011 |
| 20110058026 | System and Method for Detecting Status of Imaging Device - A system for detecting a status of an imaging device for use with a surgical navigation system is provided. The system can comprise a source of at least one image and a mask module that generates a mask array for each received image. The system can also include a background check module that determines a content of the image defined by the mask array and a radiation status module that determines a status of the imaging device based on the content of the image. | 03-10-2011 |
| 20110063427 | IMAGING SYSTEM FOR COMBINED FULL-COLOR REFLECTANCE AND NEAR-INFRARED IMAGING - An imaging system for acquisition of NIR and full-color images includes a light source providing visible light and NIR light to an area under observation, such as living tissue, a camera having one or more image sensors configured to separately detect blue reflectance light, green reflectance light, and combined red reflectance light/detected NIR light returned from the area under observation. A controller in signal communication with the light source and the camera is configured to control the light source to continuously illuminate area under observation with temporally continuous blue/green illumination light and with red illumination light and NIR excitation light. At least one of the red illumination light and NIR excitation light are switched on and off periodically in synchronism with the acquisition of red and NIR light images in the camera. | 03-17-2011 |
| 20110069159 | SYSTEM FOR ORIENTATION ASSISTANCE AND DISPLAY OF AN INSTRUMENT IN AN OBJECT UNDER EXAMINATION PARTICULARLY FOR USE IN HUMAN BODY - A system for orientation assistance and display of an instrument that is inserted or present in the natural or artificially produced hollow cavity (human, animal, object), and that is equipped with one or more sensor units. Multiple measurements of the 3D position of the instrument equipped with one or more sensor units are performed by positioning a measuring system, so that a precise orientation and positioning of the instrument in the body can be computed. The 3D position data are used to compute a virtual image of the instrument synchronously. The virtual images are then either projected directly in exact position onto the body surface of a person or combined in a body surface image (real video camera image of the patient) onto a monitor or superimposed (virtual or augmented reality). The system is especially appropriate for displaying for a user a medical instrument, such as a catheter or a rigid or flexible endoscope, in the body of a person in real time, extracorporeally and in correct position. | 03-24-2011 |
| 20110069160 | IMAGING SYSTEM AND DEVICE - An imaging system and method of application, including lens designs tailored to be used with particular transformation algorithms, electronic hardware and algorithms for image transformations is described. Exemplary application of the system including automotive, photographic and medical endoscopic are also described. The system enables improved image view and allows customization of views by the end user even after installation of the image system hardware. | 03-24-2011 |
| 20110080474 | IMAGE PICKUP DEVICE, IMAGE PICKUP UNIT, AND ENDOSCOPE - An image pickup device according to the present invention including an image pickup device main body having a semiconductor substrate provided with a light-receiving section and a wiring layer laminated on the semiconductor substrate, has a first surface which causes light to enter the light-receiving section and positioned on the image pickup device main body on the side of the wiring layer and a second surface which causes light to enter the light-receiving section and positioned on the image pickup device main body on the side of the semiconductor substrate so as to oppose the first surface. | 04-07-2011 |
| 20110115891 | ENERGY DELIVERY APPARATUS, SYSTEM, AND METHOD FOR DEPLOYABLE MEDICAL ELECTRONIC DEVICES - An energy consuming module includes an electronic component suitable for use within a body cavity is disclosed. An antenna is coupled to the electronic component to communicate signals. A wireless energy module is coupled to the electronic component. A positioning element is used to locate the electronic component within the body cavity. A housing is used to support the electronic component, the antenna, the wireless energy module, and the positioning element. A system further includes a manipulation module for use external to the body cavity to manipulate the positioning element of the energy consuming module. The manipulation module includes a wireless energy transmitter element to supply energy to the wireless energy module of the energy consuming module, a communication circuit coupled to an antenna to communicate signals between the electronic component and the manipulation module, and a positioning element to locate and position the energy consuming module within the body cavity. The energy consuming module may include at least one electric terminal coupled to the energy module to receive an electric conductor to supply energy to the energy module from an energy source located outside the body cavity. | 05-19-2011 |
| 20110122241 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR IMAGE ENHANCEMENT OF DARK AREAS OF CAPSULE IMAGES - Systems and methods are provided for identifying dark areas in images captured by encapsulated cameras or endoscopes and enhancing the visibility of the dark area using intensity stretch. For capsule or endoscope images, there are often some dark areas caused by inadequate lighting. The poor visibility of detailed features in the dark area may reduce the detection rate of anomaly. The present invention calls for a method to detect the dark area based on contour. The intensities inside and outside the dark area are evaluated and are used to generate intensity transformation to stretch intensity in the dark area while minimizing the impact on the image quality outside the dark area. | 05-26-2011 |
| 20110149057 | Method for testing an optical investigation system - A method for testing an optical investigation system, with an imaging device, a video camera and a light source for optical investigation of an object, a reference surface with predetermined optical properties is illuminated with illuminating light from a light source. An image of the reference surface is recorded by the imaging device and the video camera. An operating condition of the video camera that prevails during the recording of the image is recorded. The functionality or another property of the investigation system is determined on the basis of the recorded operating condition. | 06-23-2011 |
| 20110164126 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR DISPLAYING AN IMAGE STREAM CAPTURED IN-VIVO - A system and method may allow automatic display of un-viewed images of an image stream, which may be produced by an ingestible capsule. A set of images acquired by an in-vivo device disposed within a body lumen is received by a receiver or workstation, and a portion of the set of images is selected for display as an image stream. The selected portion of images is displayed as a first image stream, and a complementary portion of the set of images is displayed as a second image stream. The complementary portion includes unselected images from the set of images, and/or images which are indicated as unviewed images. A graphical user interface is provided for selecting a viewing mode which is determined based on previously viewed images and users' review history. | 07-07-2011 |
| 20110164127 | METHOD AND ENDOSCOPE FOR IMPROVING ENDOSCOPE IMAGES - A method for improving endoscope images of, in part, fluorescent tissue regions which are illuminated with background light, which images are recorded by a color video camera wherein the color pixels from the endoscope images are transformed from the color space of the video camera (3) into a color space in which a straight line which passes through the color space region of the fluorescent light and the color space region of the background light runs parallel to a coordinate axis describing the fluorescent component of the pixels, and in that, in this color space, the fluorescent component of the pixels is changed by a non-linear characteristic which at least in regions increases the fluorescent contrast, namely the difference between higher fluorescent values and lower fluorescent values, and in that, finally, the pixels are transformed into a color space suitable for imaging. | 07-07-2011 |
| 20110175990 | ENDOSCOPE APPARATUS - An endoscope apparatus is an endoscope apparatus that picks up an image of an object using a camera. The endoscope apparatus includes a semiconductor device mounted on a circuit substrate including a CPU core and a drive circuit for driving the camera and a parameter setting section provided in the semiconductor device that sets parameter data for adjusting output timing of a drive signal of the drive circuit or input timing of an image signal from the camera. | 07-21-2011 |
| 20110175991 | Image Orienting Coupling Assembly - A coupling assembly for a scope and an image sensor housing is disclosed generally comprising an image orientation unit having first and second coupling sections for coupling the unit to a scope and an image sensor housing, such as a camera head, an optical assembly with a rotatable optical element for rotating the images, a rotation sensor for monitoring rotation of the optical element, an accelerometer for monitoring rotation of the unit, and a processor for receiving signals from the rotation sensor and the accelerometer and calculating the orientation of the images relative to the direction of gravity. In certain embodiments, the processor causes an actuator to rotate the optical element to level the images. In some embodiments, the processor activates a visual indicator, such as a diode, to indicate the direction of vertical. | 07-21-2011 |
| 20110181709 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR ENDOSCOPIC IMAGING WITH MONOCHROMATIC DETECTOR - Disclosed are systems and methods for obtaining color endoscopic images with a monochromatic detector. In certain embodiments, such a monochromatic detector can provide beneficial features such as high resolution capability. In certain embodiments, a number of different color light sources can be controlled separately so as to allow sequential illumination of an object with the different color lights. Images obtained from such sequential illumination can be combined to yield a color image. Various configurations and examples for facilitating such a process are disclosed. | 07-28-2011 |
| 20110199471 | Endoscope optical system and endoscope - Provided is an endoscope optical system including first deflecting means that deflects light incident along an incident optical axis in a direction along a first axis perpendicular to the incident optical axis and emits the light; second deflecting means having two reflecting faces that fold back the light emitted from the first deflecting means along a second axis separated from the first axis by a gap; and third deflecting means that deflects the light folded back by the second deflecting means in a direction perpendicular to the first axis and along a plane including the incident optical axis, wherein the first deflecting means is provided so as to be capable of swiveling about the first axis relative to the second deflecting means, and the two reflecting faces of the second deflecting means are disposed to form an obtuse angle therebetween. | 08-18-2011 |
| 20110205349 | Triple-Clad Optical Fibers and Devices With Triple-Clad Optical Fibers - According to some embodiments the triple-clad optical fiber comprises a core, a first inner cladding, a second inner cladding, and an outer cladding wherein: (i) the core comprises a radius r | 08-25-2011 |
| 20110211052 | ENDOSCOPE DEVICE, CAMERA DEVICE FOR ENDOSCOPE, AND DEFOGGING METHOD - An endoscope apparatus ( | 09-01-2011 |
| 20110221877 | ENDOSCOPE APPARATUS AND MEASUREMENT METHOD - An endoscope apparatus, includes: an imaging unit that captures a subject to acquire an image of the subject; a base point setting section that sets a first base point and a second base point on the image based on an instruction input via an input device; a base line setting section that sets a base line on the image based on the first base point and the second base point; a point setting section that sets at least three points on the image based on the base line; a base plane setting section that sets a base plane in a space based on the at least three points; a distance calculation section that calculates a distance between the base plane and a point corresponding to the first base point; and a display that displays the image. | 09-15-2011 |
| 20110228064 | ENDOSCOPE SYSTEM, IMAGING APPARATUS, AND CONTROL METHOD - An endoscope system includes an imaging section that includes an optical system and an imaging element, an observation mode setting section that sets an object observation mode, a diaphragm control section that selects a diaphragm state based on the observation mode, and an image processing section that processes an image acquired by the imaging section. The diaphragm control section selecting a first diaphragm state when the observation mode is a first observation mode. The first diaphragm state being a state in which a resolution determined by a diffraction limit based on a diaphragm of the optical system is lower than a resolution determined by the imaging element. The diaphragm control section selecting a second diaphragm state when the observation mode is a second observation mode. The second diaphragm state being a state in which the resolution determined by the diffraction limit based on the diaphragm of the optical system is equal to or higher than the resolution determined by the imaging element. | 09-22-2011 |
| 20110228065 | WIRELESS SENSOR DEVICE - A wireless sensor device capable of constant operation without replacement of batteries. The wireless sensor device is equipped with a rechargeable battery and the battery is recharged wirelessly. Radio waves received at an antenna circuit are converted into electrical energy and stored in the battery. A sensor circuit operates with the electrical energy stored in the battery, and acquires information. Then, a signal containing the information acquired is converted into radio waves at the antenna circuit, whereby the information can be read out wirelessly. | 09-22-2011 |
| 20110234780 | MEDICAL APPARATUS - A medical apparatus includes an endoscopic insertion portion provided with an image pickup unit and a channel; a treatment unit provided with a sensor and a bending portion and passed through a channel, with a distal end portion of the treatment unit being allowed to protrude from an insertion-portion distal end portion of the endoscopic insertion portion, where the sensor is disposed in the distal end portion and the bending portion is adapted to bend the distal end portion; a storage unit adapted to store three-dimensional image data; a target position setting unit adapted to set the target position based on the three-dimensional image data; a virtual endoscopic image generating unit adapted to generate a virtual endoscopic image using a line-of-sight parameter which includes a position, a direction, and a roll angle of the distal end portion detected by the sensor, based on the three-dimensional image data; and an image processing unit adapted to perform a superimposition process and thereby display operation information used to insert the distal end portion to the target position in superimposition on the virtual endoscopic image. | 09-29-2011 |
| 20110242300 | METHOD FOR RESETTING CMOS IMAGING ELEMENT IN ENDOSCOPE APPARATUS - According to an aspect of the present invention, when the CMOS imaging element is out of control, the soft reset and the device reset which partially initialize the CMOS imaging element are sequentially performed before the CMOS imaging element is reset by stopping the power supply where it takes long before the CMOS imaging element is restored. Thus, when the CMOS imaging element is restored to a normal state by one of the reset steps, the time to restore the CMOS imaging element can be substantially reduced. | 10-06-2011 |
| 20110242301 | IMAGE PROCESSING DEVICE, IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD, AND PROGRAM - An image processing device includes an image acquisition section that acquires an image that has been acquired by imaging a tissue using an endoscope apparatus, an in vivo position identification information acquisition section that acquires in vivo position identification information that specifies an in vivo position of the endoscope apparatus when the image has been acquired, a in vivo model acquisition section that acquires a in vivo model that is a model of the tissue, an on-model position determination section that specifies an on-model position that corresponds to the position specified by the in vivo position identification information on the acquired in vivo model, and a linking section that links information about the acquired image to the specified on-model position. | 10-06-2011 |
| 20110254937 | IMAGE PROCESSING DEVICE AND PROGRAM - 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. | 10-20-2011 |
| 20110261177 | SAMPLE AND HOLD CIRCUIT - 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. | 10-27-2011 |
| 20110267444 | ENDOSCOPE APPARATUS, METHOD, AND COMPUTER READABLE MEDIUM - Provided is an endoscope apparatus that simultaneously displays a plurality of observation images, which are images for form observation or function observation of an organism. The endoscope apparatus comprises an image capturing section that captures a series of raw images, which are images of the organism; a movement detecting section that detects movement of the organism; a range setting section that sets ranges for extracting portions of the raw images respectively as the observation images, according to the movement of the organism detected by the movement detecting section; an extracting section that extracts images of the ranges set by the range setting section respectively from the raw images; and a display control section that displays the raw images together with the observation images extracted respectively therefrom. | 11-03-2011 |
| 20110292194 | ENDOSCOPE SYSTEM - This endoscope system includes: a distal end portion which is inserted inside a specimen and which has an imaging section that creates video signals, a video signal processing section that processes the video signals from the imaging section, a video transmitting section that transmits the video signals processed by the video signal processing section, a timing signal creation section that creates a timing signal that is needed to drive the imaging section, the video signal processing section, or the video transmitting section, and a base clock receiving section that receives as an optical signal a base clock which is the basis of the timing signal and then converts the received optical signal into an electrical signal; and an external apparatus which has an insertion portion which guides the distal end portion into the specimen, a monitor that displays the video signals, and a video processor that processes the video signals from the distal end portion and outputs them to the monitor. The external apparatus includes a base clock creation section that creates the base clock using a phase synchronization circuit that has a feedback mechanism, and a base clock transmitting section that converts the base clock into an optical signal and transmits the optical signal to the base clock receiving section. The phase synchronization circuit is contained solely within the external apparatus. | 12-01-2011 |
| 20110298908 | ENDOSCOPE SYSTEM - An endoscope system includes an endoscope including an imaging part and a controller separated from the endoscope and connected to the endoscope through a signal line. The imaging part includes a plurality of light receiving portions two-dimensionally arranged and a driving part that reads a charge signal stored in each of the light receiving portions. The driving part conducts read scan in which read of the charge signals from the light receiving portions in a main and sub scanning direction. The driving part changes an order of outputting the lines in the image data by conducting the read scan on all lines included in the captured image so as to scan some lines successively with a prescribed number of lines interlaced along the sub scanning direction and scan the other lines successively from an interlaced line with the prescribed number of lines interlaced. | 12-08-2011 |
| 20110304717 | METHOD AND DEVICE FOR NAVIGATING AN ENDOSCOPIC CAPSULE - In a method and system for navigating an endoscopy capsule in a patient, wherein the endoscopy capsule includes a camera, a first image of an object in the interior of the patient is obtained with the camera, in which a re-identifiable structural feature of the object is identified. Successive images of the interior of the patient are then automatically obtained with the camera, and the endoscopy capsule is controlled, for each image, so that the position of the structural feature remains unchanged in the individual images while the image scale is intentionally enlarged or reduced. | 12-15-2011 |
| 20120002026 | IMAGE DISPLAY APPARATUS, IMAGE DISPLAY METHOD, AND COMPUTER PROGRAM - An average color bar indicating the overall imaging period of images taken in time sequence by a capsule endoscope is displayed. A list of checked images in the entire taken images is displayed in a checked-image display field, computation is made to what time during an observation period each checked image corresponds is computed, and a mark is displayed with a scale of the average color bar by a number corresponding to each checked image on the average color bar. | 01-05-2012 |
| 20120007972 | Objective lens and endoscope apparatus - An objective lens includes, in order from an object side, a front group having negative refractive power, an aperture stop, and a rear group having positive refractive power, wherein the front group includes, in order from the object side, a first lens which is a negative meniscus lens with a convex surface turned to the object side and a second lens which is a negative lens with a concave surface turned to the object side; the rear group includes, in order from the object side, a positive third lens and a fourth lens made up of a positive lens and a negative lens cemented together, and the objective lens satisfies conditional expression (1) below: −0.8| 01-12-2012 | |
| 20120007973 | IMAGING DEVICE AND TRANSMISSION/RECEPTION SYSTEM - There are provided an inexpensive imaging device that may perform data transmission promptly and easily, and a transmission/reception system using the imaging device. The imaging device includes, an imaging section, a recording section storing data of images shot by the imaging section, a transmission section transmitting the data stored in the recording section to the outside by radio, and a controller controlling the transmission section to start data transmission after the imaging section finishes image-shooting. | 01-12-2012 |
| 20120044334 | Hybrid Registration Method - A registration method whereby a sensor-based approach is used to establish initial registration and whereby upon the commencement of navigating an endoscope, image-based registration methods are used in order to more accurately maintain the registration between the endoscope location and previously-acquired images. A six-degree-of-freedom location sensor is placed on the probe in order to reduce the number of previously-acquired images that must be compared to a real-time image obtained from the endoscope. | 02-23-2012 |
| 20120062714 | REAL-TIME SCOPE TRACKING AND BRANCH LABELING WITHOUT ELECTRO-MAGNETIC TRACKING AND PRE-OPERATIVE SCAN ROADMAPS - A system and method for locating a position of an imaging device include a guided imaging device ( | 03-15-2012 |
| 20120062715 | WIRELESS ENDOSCOPIC APPARATUS, RECEIVING DEVICE THEREOF, AND RECEIVING METHOD - A receiving device of a wireless endoscopic apparatus includes a communication unit, a storage unit, and a determination unit. The communication unit communicates with a transmitting device using a communication channel selected from among n (n>1) communication channels each having a use frequency band partially overlapping with that of at least one of other communication channels, and receives image data transmitted from the transmitting device. The storage unit stores x (1| 03-15-2012 | |
| 20120069166 | NAVIGATION OF ENDOSCOPIC DEVICES BY MEANS OF EYE-TRACKER - A method for controlling image capturing and spatial control in a device monitored by imaging, in particular an endoscopic instrument, for examination and manipulation purposes, wherein the work region and the position and action of the device are monitored by means of one of the display means displaying the observed work region via optics. The device is held and moved by motor-driven equipment depending on the display, the respective position and intended action. The eye movements of the operating person or the line of sight during observation of the display is registered according to the eye-tracking method and used to control the image capturing and tracking and the display. | 03-22-2012 |
| 20120069167 | MARKER-FREE TRACKING REGISTRATION AND CALIBRATION FOR EM-TRACKED ENDOSCOPIC SYSTEM - A system and method for image-based registration between images locating ( | 03-22-2012 |
| 20120075443 | PROCESS OF REAL TIME ADJUSTMENT OF THE SENSITIVITY OF A VIDEO IMAGE SENSOR OF A VIDEOENDOSCOPIC PROBE - The invention relates to a method for adjusting the sensitivity of an image sensor, comprising: adjusting an integration duration of the image sensor between a minimum duration and an image frame duration, receiving from the image sensor a frame signal, amplifying the frame signal by applying an adjusted amplification gain between different minimum and maximum gain values, and for each frame of the frame signal, if an integration duration calculated as a function of an average value of the frame signal, is comprised between the minimum duration and a maximum duration equal to several times the frame duration, establishing the integration duration at the integration duration calculated and maintaining the amplification gain at a fixed value, otherwise maintaining the integration duration at the minimum or maximum duration and adjusting the amplification gain between the minimum and maximum values as a function of the average value. | 03-29-2012 |
| 20120075444 | VIDEOENDOSCOPE WITH CONFIGURABLE TACTILE CONTROLS - The invention relates to a videoendoscope comprising a videoendoscopic probe comprising an inspection tube having a distal end housing an image sensor, and a control handle fixed to the proximal end of the inspection tube, the control handle comprising a display screen, and a video processing circuit connected to the image sensor and the display screen, the display screen being covered by a touch panel, and having a format such that its surface may be divided into an image display area occupying a whole height of the display screen and having a format corresponding to that of a photosensitive surface of the image sensor, and a lateral control key display area having a sufficient surface to display several control keys of sufficient size to be individually operated. | 03-29-2012 |
| 20120075445 | IMAGING DEVICE AND ENDOSCOPIC DIAGNOSIS SYSTEM - A mask selector for selecting and setting a mask according to an input instruction and a level selector for selecting a halation reduction level are provided, and a luminance ratio of a first region containing a central area of an acquired image and a second region closer to the periphery thereof is obtained, the mean luminance and the peak luminance of the acquired image are mixed using weighting factors in accordance with the luminance ratio, and a photometric value representing a whole brightness of the acquired image is obtained to adjust the brightness of the acquired image based on the photometric value, the photometric value being obtained according to a peak luminance calculating condition and a weight setting condition preset according to a combination of a selected mask and halation reduction level. | 03-29-2012 |
| 20120075446 | ENDOSCOPE APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR RELEASING HEAT GENERATED BY IMAGING ELEMENT OF THE ENDOSCOPE APPARATUS - An endoscope apparatus includes an imaging element, a flexible substrate, and a flexible heat release sheet. The imaging element is built in an endoscope front end portion so as to receive incident light from a subject. The imaging element and components of a circuit for driving the imaging element are mounted on the flexible substrate and the flexible substrate is built in the endoscope front end portion. The flexible heat release sheet includes a first region attached to a given region of the imaging element other than a light receiving surface of the imaging element and a second region thermally contacted to a heat release member disposed in the endoscope front end portion. | 03-29-2012 |
| 20120075447 | ENDOSCOPE SYSTEM - A correction image is created from an image captured by a solid-state image sensor and low-frequency components are removed from the correction image to generate a correction parameter for correcting uneven sensitivity, the endoscope system is capable of correcting uneven sensitivity of the image captured by the solid-state image sensor without amplifying noise in the periphery of the image. | 03-29-2012 |
| 20120086789 | IMAGING SYSTEM FOR IMAGING A VISCOELASTIC MEDIUM - An imaging system for imaging a viscoelastic medium is disclosed. The imaging system comprises a variable refractive lens ( | 04-12-2012 |
| 20120092471 | ENDOSCOPIC DEVICE - To provide an endoscopic device capable of highly accurately correcting sensitivity unevenness of an image acquired by an imaging element regardless of output characteristics of a CCD sensor with respect to a light amount. | 04-19-2012 |
| 20120092472 | IMAGE PROCESSING DEVICE, METHOD OF CONTROLLING IMAGE PROCESSING DEVICE, AND ENDOSCOPE APPARATUS - An image processing device includes an image acquisition section that successively acquires a reference image via a successive imaging process performed by an imaging section of an endoscope apparatus, the reference image being an image including an image of an observation target, a state detection section that detects an operation state of the endoscope apparatus, and acquires operation state information that indicates a detection result, and an extraction section that extracts an area including the image of the observation target from the acquired reference image as an extraction area to acquire an extracted image, the extraction section determining a degree of position offset correction on the image of the observation target based on the operation state information acquired by the state detection section, and extracting the extracted image from the reference image using an extraction method corresponding to the determined degree of position offset correction. | 04-19-2012 |
| 20120098947 | Producing universally sharp images - A method for producing an output image defined by output pixels comprises capturing a focus stack of input images, each input image defined by input pixels and having a resolution higher than the output image, determining a group of input pixels in each input image corresponding to one of the output pixels, calculating a figure of merit and a summary pixel value for each group of input pixels, and computing a value for each output pixel by mathematically combining the figures of merit and the summary pixel values corresponding to each output pixel. The output image values are calculated such that the entire output image is sharply in focus. | 04-26-2012 |
| 20120105612 | IMAGING APPARATUS, ENDOSCOPE APPARATUS, AND IMAGE GENERATION METHOD - An imaging apparatus includes an image acquisition section, an exposure adjustment section, and a synthetic image generation section. The image acquisition section acquires a near point image in which a near-point object is in focus, and a far point image in which a far-point object positioned away as compared with the near-point object is in focus. The exposure adjustment section adjusts the ratio of the exposure of the near point image to the exposure of the far point image. The synthetic image generation section generates a synthetic image based on the near point image and the far point image acquired with exposure for which the ratio is adjusted. | 05-03-2012 |
| 20120113239 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR DISPLAYING AN IMAGE STREAM - A system and method to display an image stream captured by an in vivo imaging capsule may include selecting a first subset of images from an original image stream for display as a reduced image stream. The reduced image stream may be displayed in a main image window on a monitor. A second subset of images may be obtained by subtracting the first subset of images from the original image stream. An image from the first subset of images may be selected for display in the main image window during a first time slot, and an image from the second subset of images is selected for display in a peripheral window. The selected images may be displayed simultaneously. | 05-10-2012 |
| 20120120216 | ENDSCOPE APPARATUS AND PROGRAM - An endoscope apparatus includes an image acquisition section that acquires images in time series, a coefficient calculation section that calculates a correction coefficient for correcting blurring in a depth direction that is a direction along an optical axis of an imaging section, and a depth-direction blurring correction section that performs a depth-direction blurring correction process that corrects blurring in the depth direction on the images acquired in time series based on the correction coefficient. | 05-17-2012 |
| 20120120217 | MEDICAL IMAGE RECORDING/REPRODUCING APPARATUS, MEDICAL IMAGE RECORDING/REPRODUCING METHOD AND COMPUTER READABLE MEDIUM - A medical image recording apparatus for recording observed images of a subject outputted from a medical instrument, includes: an image arithmetic portion which generates feature images by highlighting specific features contained in the observed images; a display portion which displays inputted display images; a display image switching portion which switches the display images outputted to the display portion to either the observed images or images including the feature images generated by the image arithmetic portion; and an image information recording portion which records, as an image file, image-relevant information including timing information at execution of image switching by the display image switching portion and image generation information for generating the feature images and image information of the observed images. | 05-17-2012 |
| 20120133750 | IMAGING SENSOR WITH DATA SPLITTING - A system, apparatus and methods for providing a single use imaging device utilizing split data streams to maximize the data transfer rate between components for use in sterile environments is disclosed and described. A single use high definition camera used for general purpose surgical procedures including, but not limited to: arthroscopic, laparoscopic, gynecologic, and urologic procedures, may comprise an imaging device that is a sterile and designed to ensure single use. The imaging device may have one or more imaging sensors, either CCD or CMOS, encased in a housing. The imaging device may further components for splitting the transmitted data. | 05-31-2012 |
| 20120133751 | Imaging Apparatus, Imaging Method and Endoscope Apparatus - A head separated type imaging apparatus includes a head unit and a main unit which are separated, the head unit imaging a subject and the main unit processing an imaging signal transmitted from the head unit. The head unit includes an imaging unit having a plurality of pixels and imaging the subject, and a storage unit storing correction information for pixels for which a data amount of correction information is larger than a predetermined threshold out of correction information correcting noise of the plurality of pixels and remaining correction data. The main unit includes a correction information obtaining unit obtaining the correction information for pixels for which the data amount of correction information is larger than the predetermined threshold in priority and then obtaining the remaining correction data, and a correcting unit correcting, when the correction information obtaining unit completes obtaining of the correction information for pixels for which the data amount of correction information is larger than the predetermined threshold, an image signal transmitted from the imaging unit of the head unit based on the obtained correction information. | 05-31-2012 |
| 20120133752 | APPARATUS FOR POSITIONING A PERCUTANEOUS ACCESS DEVICE - Embodiments disclosed herein relate to medical procedures. Particularly disclosed are systems and methods for positioning a percutaneous access device for use with imaging sensors. A positioning apparatus is described, which may comprise at least one imaging device coupled to a guide device. The guide device may comprise a base plate and a guide member pivotally coupled to the base plate. The guide member may be configured with an alignment feature in which a percutaneous access device may rest. The at least one imaging device may comprise an imaging probe or a docking station configured to receive an imaging probe. Movement of the guide member and the one or more imaging devices may be coupled to facilitate imaging of sub-surface structures toward which the guide member and accompanying percutaneous access device are angled. A method of using a positioning apparatus to position a percutaneous access device is also described. | 05-31-2012 |
| 20120147164 | ENDOSCOPE OBJECTIVE LENS UNIT AND ENDOSCOPE - An endoscope objective lens unit includes a front lens group and a rear lens group with a diaphragm interposed therebetween. The front lens group includes a first lens and a second lens, and the rear lens group includes a third lens, a fourth lens and a fifth lens. The endoscope objective lens unit satisfies following expressions (1A) to (4): (1A) −3| 06-14-2012 | |
| 20120147165 | CONTROL DEVICE, ENDOSCOPE APPARATUS, AND FOCUS CONTROL METHOD - A control device includes an image acquisition section and a focus control section. The image acquisition section acquires an image captured by an imaging section. The focus control section performs a focus control process that focuses the imaging section on an object based on the acquired image. The focus control section performs the focus control process based on an image for which occurrence of a bright spot is suppressed. | 06-14-2012 |
| 20120154562 | METHOD AND DEVICE FOR JOINING A PLURALITY OF INDIVIDUAL DIGITAL IMAGES TO FORM A TOTAL IMAGE - In a device and a corresponding method for joining a plurality of individual digital images to form a total image, a plurality of features is determined in a first individual image by means of a selection unit using a feature-based algorithm and then tracked in a second individual image by means of a tracking unit. A transformation matrix, with which the individual images are joined in an output unit to form the total image, is calculated from the determined feature correspondences in a transformation unit. The individual images can be joined in real time and with a high degree of accuracy by means of the feature-based algorithm in combination with a robust algorithm to calculate the transformation matrix. | 06-21-2012 |
| 20120154563 | REAL-TIME EXPOSURE CONTROL FOR AUTOMATIC LIGHT CONTROL - An imager and a method for real-time, non-destructive monitoring of light incident on imager pixels during their exposure to light. Real-time or present pixel signals, which are indicative of present illumination on the pixels, are compared to a reference signal during the exposure. Adjustments, if necessary, are made to programmable parameters such as gain and/or exposure time to automatically control the imager's exposure to the light. In a preferred exemplary embodiment, only a selected number of pixels are monitored for exposure control as opposed to monitoring the entire pixel array. | 06-21-2012 |
| 20120154564 | APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATED PANNING AND DIGITAL ZOOMING IN ROBOTIC SURGICAL SYSTEMS - In one embodiment of the invention, a digital zoom and panning system for digital video is disclosed including an image acquisition device to capture digital video images; an image buffer to store one or more frames of digital video images as source pixels; a display device having first pixels to display images; a user interface to accept user input including a source rectangle to select source pixels within frames of the digital video images, a destination rectangle to select target pixels within the display device to display images, and a region of interest within the digital video images to display in the destination rectangle; and a digital mapping and filtering device to selectively map and filter source pixels in the region of interest from the image buffer into target pixels of the display device in response to the user input. | 06-21-2012 |
| 20120162401 | IMAGING SYSTEM - A unified imaging platform is disclosed. The unified imaging platform can be adapted for use with a variety of medical imaging devices. The unified medical imaging platform can include a display, a processor, a data storage device and one or more external interfaces. The unified imaging platform can be removably coupled to a medical imaging device such as an endoscope. The unified imaging platform can be coupled to the medical imaging device via a wired or wireless link. Using web services, the unified imaging platform can also transfer image data to other devices including a local desktop computer system, a mobile device and/or a remote system. Also disclosed is a medical imaging system including a router module wirelessly transmitting image data to a tablet PC or other distinct display device. The tablet PC may communicate corresponding image data to another tablet PC via a wireless telephone network. | 06-28-2012 |
| 20120162402 | Endoscope system and method for controlling endoscope actuator - An endoscope system includes: an actuator having an SMA wire and driving a moving member for moving a lens; an output control circuit; a detection circuit; and a CPU. The CPU outputs a driving signal to the output control circuit, on a basis of an instruction to move the lens, and on the basis of a position of the moving member corresponding to a resistance value detected by the detection circuit. In response to a moving instruction to move the lens from a far-point position to a near-point position, the CPU outputs the driving signal so that a current for moving the moving member from the far-point position to a position beyond the near-point position is passed through the SMA wire to heat the SMA wire. The CPU then performs preheating control, holding constant current transition control, and reheating control. | 06-28-2012 |
| 20120169857 | ENDOSCOPE APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR STORING ENDOSCOPIC IMAGE - An endoscope apparatus has an LCD which displays an endoscopic image, and an operation section. The endoscope apparatus stores an endoscopic image in a storage destination folder which is set as a storage destination for the endoscopic image from a plurality of folders which are created in a storage device in advance, displays information indicating the storage destination folder in a state in which the endoscopic image is displayed in the display section, and changes the storage destination folder in response to an operation of the operation section. | 07-05-2012 |
| 20120169858 | ENDOSCOPIC IMAGE REPRODUCING APPARATUS - An endoscopic image reproducing apparatus has an image pickup section that picks up an image of an object, an image generating unit that generates image data based on an image signal, an acceleration measuring section that measures accelerations of the image pickup section, a moving image file generating section that generates a moving image file including the image data and the acceleration data, a reading section that reads the image data and the acceleration data from the moving image file, a calculating section that calculates a position and a direction of the image pickup section at a certain time of a moving image based on an acceleration, an associating section that associates the position and direction of the image pickup section with the image data at that time, and an insertion path calculating section that calculates an insertion path based on the position of the image pickup section. | 07-05-2012 |
| 20120182409 | ENDOSCOPE SYSTEM AND LOW VISIBILITY DETERMINING METHOD - An endoscope system includes an image pickup section, provided in an endoscope, which performs image pickup, a determining section that determines whether a specific observation object exists inside an image pickup region of the image pickup section, a recognizing section that determines whether the specific observation object can be recognized as an image from the picked-up image in the image pickup region picked up by the image pickup section, a low visibility determination output section that determines, when the determining section determines that the specific observation object exists inside the image pickup region and the recognizing section cannot recognize the specific observation object as an image, that the image pickup section is in a low visibility condition and outputs a low visibility determination result, and an obstacle estimation section that estimates an obstacle or a type of obstacle which causes the low visibility according to the low visibility determination result. | 07-19-2012 |
| 20120188351 | ELECTRONIC ENDOSCOPE SYSTEM AND IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD - In an electronic endoscope system, a changed-area detector detects a changed area from an image captured by an endoscope, the changed area having different features from other area of the captured image. A mask data produce produces mask data based on the detected changed area, the mask data allocating an image processing parameter to each pixel of the captured image such that the changed area is processed in a different way from the other area. An image processor processes the captured image according to the mask data. Thus, an image area corresponding to an artificial object like a surgical tool may be detected as the changed area and excluded from unnecessary image processing. | 07-26-2012 |
| 20120188352 | CONCEPT OF SUPERIMPOSING AN INTRAOPERATIVE LIVE IMAGE OF AN OPERATING FIELD WITH A PREOPERATIVE IMAGE OF THE OPERATING FIELD - A device for superimposing an intraoperative first live image of an operating field with a preoperative second image of the operating field includes a capturer/provider for capturing and providing the first image, a provider for providing the second image, a definer for defining characteristic points in the first image and for defining points, which correspond to the characteristic points, in the second image, so that the characteristic points and the points corresponding thereto in the first and second images will mark mutually corresponding positions of the operating field, a transformer for transforming the image(s), so that the characteristic points of the first image and the points, which correspond thereto, of the second image will come to lie one above the other, and a superimposer for superimposing, following transformation, the second image with the first image or with the operating field to obtain a superimposed view of the operating field. | 07-26-2012 |
| 20120200683 | SYSTEM FOR RECORDING AND REPRODUCING IMAGES - An image recording and reproducing system that records and reproduces a combined image of images input from plural input sources outputs a combined image data group including component images forming the combined image, information related to the combined image, and image layout information of the combined image, records the output combined image data group, changes reproduction image designation information including information for designating component images forming a reproduction image, information related to the reproduction image, and image layout information of the reproduction image, forms a reproduction image from the recorded combined image data group on the basis of the changed reproduction image designation information, outputs the formed reproduction image, and receives the output reproduction image and reproduces the reproduction image. | 08-09-2012 |
| 20120200684 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR IN-VIVO IMAGING - An in-vivo imaging device including a camera may include a frame storage device. Systems and methods which vary the frame capture rate of the camera and/or frame display rate of the display unit of in-vivo camera systems are discussed. The capture rate is varied based on physical measurements related to the motion of the camera. Alternatively, the frame capture rate is varied based on comparative image processing of a plurality of frames. The frame display rate of the system is varied based on comparative image processing of a multiplicity of frames. Both the frame capture and the frame display rates of such systems can be varied concurrently. | 08-09-2012 |
| 20120200685 | ENDOSCOPE SCOPE AND WIRELESS ENDOSCOPE SYSTEM - An endoscope scope is provided with a generation unit that photographs a subject and generates moving image data and still image data, a reception unit that receives a transmission instruction for the still image data, a transmission unit that wirelessly transmits the still image data, the moving image data, and instruction information to instruct prohibition of wireless transmission by another wireless device, and a transmission control unit that causes the instruction information to be transmitted and then the still image data to be transmitted when receiving the transmission instruction. | 08-09-2012 |
| 20120218394 | IMAGE PROCESSING DEVICE, ELECTRONIC APPARATUS, ENDOSCOPE SYSTEM, INFORMATION STORAGE DEVICE, AND METHOD OF CONTROLLING IMAGE PROCESSING DEVICE - The image processing device includes: a first image acquisition section that acquires a first image, the first image being an image that includes an object image including information within a wavelength band of white light; a second image acquisition section that acquires a second image, the second image being an image that includes an object image including information within a specific wavelength band; a candidate attention area detection section that detects a candidate attention area based on a feature quantity of each pixel within the second image; a reliability calculation section that calculates reliability that indicates a likelihood that the candidate attention area is the attention area; and a display mode setting section that performs a display mode setting process that sets a display mode of an output image corresponding to the reliability calculated by the reliability calculation section. | 08-30-2012 |
| 20120242812 | ENDOSCOPE SYSTEM AND LIGHT SOURCE DEVICE THEREFOR - Under usual conditions, a first computation unit computes/outputs a first light adjustment signal in accordance with a photometric signal, and a second computation unit performs control of at least part of the endoscope system. The second computation unit computes/outputs the second light adjustment signal in accordance with the photometric signal together with the at least partial control while suppressing an increase in a processing load when an abnormality has occurred in the first computation unit. | 09-27-2012 |
| 20120242813 | INFORMATION PROCESSING APPARATUS AND CAPSULE ENDOSCOPE SYSTEM - An information processing apparatus includes a storage unit that stores data of the in-vivo images and information which is associated with the data of the in-vivo images and related to a position of a capsule endoscope in an inside of a subject; a positional information obtaining unit that obtains positional information of the capsule endoscope in capturing the in-vivo images based on the information related to the position; and a sequence changing unit that changes a sorting sequence of the in-vivo images based on the positional information obtained by the positional information obtaining unit. | 09-27-2012 |
| 20120249763 | ENDOSCOPE AND ENDOSCOPE APPARATUS - An endoscope includes: a CCD that picks up an image of a subject; an FPGA that is controlled by a main body portion 3 to output a drive signal for driving the CCD and transmits an image pickup signal outputted from the CCD to the main body; rewritable flash memory in which at least one of program data and setting data that relate to an operation of the FPGA is stored; and a switch group that, based on a rewriting instruction signal SW to the data in the flash memory, switches so that the data received by using all or a part of signal lines for the CCD, the lines being associated with observation of the subject, is inputted to the flash memory. | 10-04-2012 |
| 20120257028 | CAMERA MODULE FOR ENDOSCOPE - A camera module consists of an image sensor, an objective lens system, and a lens drive mechanism. The objective lens system includes a taking lens and a prism having a reflection surface inclined at an angle of 45° to an optical axis of the taking lens, to reflect incident light toward the image sensor on a circuit board, which is positioned in parallel to the optical axis of the taking lens. The lens drive mechanism includes a motor and a rotary shaft driven by the motor. The motor is positioned behind the prism, and a drive shaft of the motor is coupled to the rotary shaft through a power transmission mechanism. The rotary shaft is positioned on one radial side of the taking lens and is coupled to a movable lens element of the taking lens such that the movable lens element is moved in the axial direction by rotary motion of the rotary shaft. | 10-11-2012 |
| 20120262559 | ENDOSCOPE APPARATUS AND SHAKE CORRECTION PROCESSING METHOD - An endoscope apparatus includes an imaging section, a selection section, and a shake correction section. The imaging section includes an imaging optical system and an imaging element, and captures images. The selection section selects shake correction parameter information from a plurality of pieces of shake correction parameter information based on the observation state of the imaging section. The shake correction section performs a shake correction process on the captured images based on the shake correction parameter information selected by the selection section. | 10-18-2012 |
| 20120268578 | OPTICAL TISSUE IMAGING BASED ON OPTICAL FREQUENCY DOMAIN IMAGING - Optical devices and techniques for imaging and measuring targeted objects, e.g., tissues. | 10-25-2012 |
| 20120268579 | TARGETS, FIXTURES, AND WORKFLOWS FOR CALIBRATING AN ENDOSCOPIC CAMERA - The present disclosure relates to calibration assemblies and methods for use with an imaging system, such as an endoscopic imaging system. A calibration assembly includes: an interface for constraining engagement with an endoscopic imaging system; a target coupled with the interface on as to be within the field of view of the imaging system, the target including multiple of markers having calibration features that include identification features; and a processor configured to identify from first and second images obtained at first and second relative spatial arrangements between the imaging system and the target, respectively, at least some of the markers from the identification features, and using the identified markers and calibration feature positions within the images to generate calibration data. | 10-25-2012 |
| 20120274752 | IMPEDANCE MATCHING APPARATUS AND ENDOSCOPE INCLUDING THE SAME - An impedance matching apparatus includes: a cable that transmits a rectangular wave outputted from a solid image pickup device; a correlated double sampling circuit that performs scanning of the rectangular wave by sampling the rectangular wave with a timing of a signal clamp pulse being changed, based on a timing of the feed-through sampling pulse fixed at a timing at which the rectangular wave by the cable indicates a high value; a variable resistance provided at a tail end side of the cable; and a resistance value varying unit that, that performs the scanning with a resistance value of the variable resistance being changed, based on a signal outputted from the correlated double sampling circuit, changes a resistance value of the variable resistance so as to match a characteristic impedance of the cable. | 11-01-2012 |
| 20120274753 | ELECTRONIC ENDOSCOPE SIGNAL-PROCESSING DEVICE AND ELECTRONIC ENDOSCOPE SYSTEM - An electronic endoscope signal-processing device is provided that includes a gradation compensation processor. The gradation compensation processor compensates for R, G and B gradations by controlling R, G and B tone curves defining relationship between input values and output values of each of the R, G and B signals. The R tone curve is shaped so as to squash the output values of the R signal when the R signal input values are in a relatively low range and to expand the output values when the input values are in a relatively high range. The G and B tone curves are shaped so squash the output value of the respective signals when the input signals are in high or low ranges, and the G tone curve and the B tone curve are identical. | 11-01-2012 |
| 20120274754 | IMAGE PROCESSING DEVICE, ENDOSCOPE SYSTEM, INFORMATION STORAGE DEVICE, AND IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD - An image processing device has a first image acquisition section acquiring a first image which is an image that has information within a wavelength band of white light, a second image acquisition section acquiring a second image which is an image that has information within a specific wavelength band, an attention area detection section detecting an attention area within the second image based on a feature quantity of each pixel within the second image, a display state setting section performing a display state setting process that sets a display state of a display image generated based on the first image, and a designated elapsed time setting section performing a designated elapsed time setting process that sets a designated elapsed time based on a detection result for the attention area. The display state setting section performs the display state setting process based on the designated elapsed time. | 11-01-2012 |
| 20120281078 | IMAGE DISPLAY APPARATUS AND CAPSULE ENDOSCOPE SYSTEM - An image display apparatus includes an image processing unit; a position estimating unit; a display unit; a processing time estimating unit; and a processing setting unit for instructing the image processing unit and/or the position estimating unit to execute processing, wherein the display unit displays selection content selected in a selection region as well as a processing time confirmation region having a prediction processing time display field for displaying a prediction processing time predicted by the processing time estimating unit; and when an input receiving unit receives an input of an instruction for determining the selection content displayed on the display unit and the prediction processing time, the processing setting unit instructs the image processing unit and/or the position estimating unit to execute the determined processing. | 11-08-2012 |
| 20120293641 | IMAGE PICKUP UNIT FOR ENDOSCOPE - An image pickup unit includes a dioptric system that reflects a luminous flux of an optical image incident on an optical lens group and performs optical path conversion, an image sensor in a bare state that is joined to the dioptric system, and includes a light receiving element that forms the optical image, and a light shielding member that is placed to be opposed to and cover at least surfaces around an optical axis of the optical lens group, except for a joining surface of the dioptric system to the image sensor, so that an air gap apart from the image sensor by a predetermined distance is provided, shields incidence of a harmful light onto the light receiving element, and is formed from a metal thin film. | 11-22-2012 |
| 20120307027 | UNCALIBRATED VISUAL SERVOING USING REAL-TIME VELOCITY OPTIMIZATION - A robotic control method for a camera ( | 12-06-2012 |
| 20120307028 | IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS - An exemplary image processing apparatus comprises: a polarized light source section; an image capturing section which sequentially captures an image of the object that is being illuminated with each of three or more plane polarized light rays; and an image processing section. The image processing section includes: a varying intensity processing section which calculates a state of polarized light reflected from the object's surface; a reflection decision section which distinguishes a multi-reflection region in which incoming light is reflected twice from a recessed region from a once-reflected region in which the incoming light is reflected only once from the object's surface; and a mirror image search section which locates a pair of multi-reflection regions. Based on the pair of multi-reflection regions, the image processing section generates an image representing the recessed region on the object's surface. | 12-06-2012 |
| 20120320174 | ELECTRONIC ENDOSCOPIC APPARATUS - A CMOS sensor converts optical information into an electric signal, and outputs the converted electric signal as an image signal. An imaging clock generating unit generates an imaging clock acting as a source of a drive signal that drives the CMOS sensor. A drive signal generating unit generates an imaging synchronization signal and a drive signal based on the imaging clock. A display clock generating unit generates a display clock. A display synchronization signal generating unit generates a display synchronization signal based on the display clock. A phase comparing unit compares a phase of the imaging synchronization signal with a phase of the display clock, and controls oscillation of the display clock generating unit based on a result of the comparison. | 12-20-2012 |
| 20120320175 | ELECTRONIC ENDOSCOPIC APPARATUS - A phase control unit compares a phase of a display synchronization signal with a phase of a clock signal generated from a clock signal generated by an imaging clock generating unit, and controls oscillation of the imaging clock generating unit based on a result of the comparison. A drive signal generating unit generates a drive signal that drives a CMOS sensor based on a multiplication clock signal synchronized to the clock signal. | 12-20-2012 |
| 20120320176 | ELECTRONIC ENDOSCOPE APPARATUS - The image processor includes a display oscillation circuit that generates a display clock, and a monitor synchronization signal generating part that generates a monitor display synchronization signal based on the display clock. The endoscope includes an imaging oscillation circuit that generates an imaging clock, pixels that are driven based on the imaging clock, converts optical information into electrical signals and outputs the electrical signals as a digital data of a serial form, and a phase comparator that compare the phase of the monitor display synchronization signal with the imaging clock, and control the oscillation of the imaging oscillation circuit. | 12-20-2012 |
| 20120320177 | ELECTRONIC ENDOSCOPE APPARATUS - A phase comparing unit compares a phase of an imaging-side synchronization signal with a phase of a display-side clock, and controls oscillation of a display-side clock generating unit based on a result of the comparison. A display timing adjusting unit receives a video signal output from an endoscope at a timing based on the imaging-side synchronization signal and adjusts a synchronization timing of the received video signal to a synchronization timing based on a display-side synchronization signal. | 12-20-2012 |
| 20120327204 | ENHANCED SIGNAL NAVIGATION AND CAPTURE SYSTEMS AND METHODS - Navigation and tissue capture systems and methods for navigation to and/or capture of selected tissue using the innate electrical activity of the selected tissue and/or other tissue are described. In the context of left atrial appendage closure, the systems and methods can be used to navigate to the left atrial appendage and capture/control the appendage while a closure instrument (suture, clip, ring) is placed over the appendage and tightened down or a closure method (ablation, cryogenic procedures, stapling, etc.) is performed to close the left atrial appendage. The use of innate electrical activity for navigating devices may be used in connection with other tissues and/or areas of the body. | 12-27-2012 |
| 20120327205 | IMAGE PROCESSING DEVICE, ELECTRONIC APPARATUS, INFORMATION STORAGE DEVICE, AND IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD - The image processing device includes a first image acquisition section that acquires a first image that includes an object image including information within a wavelength band of white light, a second image acquisition section that acquires a second image that includes an object image including information within a specific wavelength band, a type determination section that determines a type of the object image in the second image based on a feature quantity of each pixel included in the second image, and a highlight section that performs a highlight process on the first image based on the type of the object image determined by the type determination section. | 12-27-2012 |
| 20130002842 | Systems and Methods for Motion and Distance Measurement in Gastrointestinal Endoscopy - Systems and methods for extracting and measuring motion from images capture during capsule endoscopy in accordance with embodiments of the invention are disclosed. In one embodiment of the invention, an endoscope system configured to generate a spatial index of images captured along a passageway includes a processor and a camera configured to capture a plurality of images as the camera moves along a passageway, wherein the processor is configured to compare sets of at least two images from the plurality of images, determine motion of the camera along the passageway using the sets of at least two images, determine the distance the camera traveled along the passageway at the point at which an image in each of the sets of at least two images was captured, and generate a spatial index for the plurality of images by associating distances traveled along the passageway with the images. | 01-03-2013 |
| 20130002843 | MOTOR DRIVE APPARATUS AND IMAGING APPARATUS FOR DIAGNOSIS - A motor drive apparatus mounted with an imaging probe having a transmitting and receiving unit which carries out signal transmission and reception continuously, comprises: a scanner unit; a pull-back unit; and an operation unit, wherein on the side surface of the scanner unit, there are formed, at positions where facing each other, a convex portion formed for a predetermined length along the straight-ahead direction of the scanner unit, and a concave portion having an upper end surface which forms an identical surface as a lower end surface of the convex portion. | 01-03-2013 |
| 20130002844 | ENDOSCOPE APPARATUS - To provide an endoscope apparatus with which an affected site can be treated with a treatment instrument while viewing tissue in the body cavity, including a region located at the rear of the treatment instrument. An endoscope apparatus is employed, which is provided with an image generating portion that generates an image of an subject; an image-saving memory portion that saves a real-time image; a forceps-region extracting portion that extracts a forceps region, in which forceps exist, from the real-time image; an image-position aligning portion that aligns positions of the saved image saved in the image-saving memory portion and the real-time image; a forceps-region extracting portion that extracts a region corresponding to the forceps region from the saved image saved in the image-saving memory portion; and an image combining portion that combines an image of the region extracted by the forceps-region extracting portion and the real-time image. | 01-03-2013 |
| 20130016198 | IMAGE PROCESSING DEVICE, ENDOSCOPE APPARATUS, INFORMATION STORAGE DEVICE, AND IMAGE PROCESSING METHODAANM Higuchi; KeijiAACI TokyoAACO JPAAGP Higuchi; Keiji Tokyo JPAANM Kuriyama; NaoyaAACI TokyoAACO JPAAGP Kuriyama; Naoya Tokyo JP - An image processing device includes an image signal acquisition section that acquires image signals that include signals of an object image from an image sensor, the image sensor being configured so that the object image is formed in an imaging area via an optical system, and is not formed in a non-imaging area, a processing target area setting section that sets a processing target area to an image of an image signal acquired area so that the processing target area is included in the imaging area, the image signal acquired area being an area in which the image signals have been acquired, and the processing target area including pixels used for a grayscale transformation process, and a grayscale transformation section that performs the grayscale transformation process based on pixel values of the pixels included in the processing target area. | 01-17-2013 |
| 20130016199 | ELECTRONIC ENDSCOPIC APPARATUSAANM Kobayashi; NaruyasuAACI Kawasaki-shiAACO JPAAGP Kobayashi; Naruyasu Kawasaki-shi JPAANM Kotoda; KaoruAACI TokyoAACO JPAAGP Kotoda; Kaoru Tokyo JPAANM Nishimura; HisashiAACI TokyoAACO JPAAGP Nishimura; Hisashi Tokyo JPAANM Azuma; MotooAACI Tokorozawa-shiAACO JPAAGP Azuma; Motoo Tokorozawa-shi JPAANM Takizawa; KazuhiroAACI TokyoAACO JPAAGP Takizawa; Kazuhiro Tokyo JPAANM Sato; TakayukiAACI TokyoAACO JPAAGP Sato; Takayuki Tokyo JPAANM Tanaka; SatoshiAACI TokyoAACO JPAAGP Tanaka; Satoshi Tokyo JP - An electronic endoscopic apparatus includes an endoscopic scope and an image processing processor. The endoscopic scope includes a slid-state imaging device, an imaging-side multiplying unit, and an imaging synchronization signal generating unit. The image processing processor includes a display clock generating unit, a monitor synchronization signal generating unit, a master imaging clock generating unit, a processor-side multiplying/dividing unit, a phase-comparison oscillation control unit, and a display timing adjustment unit. | 01-17-2013 |
| 20130027531 | OPERATION METHOD OF ENDOSCOPE - Disclosed is an operation method of an endoscope, the method comprising: a sheath insertion step of percutaneously inserting at least one sheath in a pericardial cavity of a heart; an insertion step of inserting a rigid scope in the sheath; a view field securing step for securing the view field for a surgical site within the pericardial cavity; a guide step for guiding the rigid scope to the surgical site; and an observation step of observing the surgical site with the rigid scope. | 01-31-2013 |
| 20130027532 | IMAGE PROCESSING DEVICE, IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD, AND IMAGE PROCESSING PROGRAM - An image processing device classifies a region of interest included in an image into multiple classification items. The image processing device has: an initial region detector that detects at least part of the region of interest and sets the part as an initial region; an expansion region detector that detects an expansion region by expanding the initial region; and a region determining unit that calculates feature data of the initial region and the expansion region, and determines, based on the feature data, to which of the multiple classification items the region of interest belongs. | 01-31-2013 |
| 20130027533 | DUAL OPTICAL PATH PRISM AND CAMERA IN A MINIMALLY INVASIVE SURGICAL SYSTEM - In a minimally invasive surgical system, a camera includes a prismatic element having a lens within the prismatic element. The lens corrects the resulting image focus for the non-visible light to make it substantially the same as the focus for the visible light. Alternatively, the lens corrects the resulting image focus for the visible light to make it substantially the same as the focus for the non-visible light. | 01-31-2013 |
| 20130027534 | IMAGE PICKUP APPARATUS - A second lens frame has a shape including: a contact portion having a cylindrical shape with a diameter smaller than an inner diameter of a space portion of a first lens frame, a distal end portion thereof being brought into contact with an end face of the first lens frame; and a fitting portion having a diameter larger than that of the contact portion in a cylindrical shape fitting on an inner wall surface of the first lens frame, and when the second lens frame is inserted into the space portion of the first lens frame, a gap is formed therebetween. Accordingly, a distal end portion of the second lens frame is reliably brought into contact with an end face of a flange portion of the first lens frame, whereby variations in position in an optical axis direction are eliminated, enabling provision of a stable optical precision. | 01-31-2013 |
| 20130033589 | SIMULTANEOUS ACQUISITION OF DIFFERING IMAGE TYPES - A system in one embodiment includes an image forming device for forming an image from an area of interest containing different image components; an illumination device for illuminating the area of interest with light containing multiple components; at least one light source coupled to the illumination device, the at least one light source providing light to the illumination device containing different components, each component having distinct spectral characteristics and relative intensity; an image analyzer coupled to the image forming device, the image analyzer decomposing the image formed by the image forming device into multiple component parts based on type of imaging; and multiple image capture devices, each image capture device receiving one of the component parts of the image. Additional systems and methods are presented. | 02-07-2013 |
| 20130038707 | Apparatus and Method for Using Augmented Reality Vision System in Surgical Procedures - A system and method for improving a surgeon's vision by overlaying augmented reality information onto a video image of the surgical site. A high definition video camera sends a video image in real time. Prior to the surgery, a pre-operative image is created from MRI, x-ray, ultrasound, or other method of diagnosis using imaging technology. The pre-operative image is stored within the computer. The computer processes the pre-operative image to decipher organs, anatomical geometries, vessels, tissue planes, orientation, and other structures. As the surgeon performs the surgery, the AR controller augments the real time video image with the processed pre-operative image and displays the augmented image on an interface to provide further guidance to the surgeon during the surgical procedure. | 02-14-2013 |
| 20130038708 | ENDOSCOPE APPARATUS - An endoscope apparatus having a plurality of observation modes includes: an objective optical system including a moving lens; a CCD that picks up an image of an object via the objective optical system; a contour enhancement section that performs contour enhancement of the image outputted from the CCD and outputs contour component signals; a signal value comparison section that compares a maximum value of the contour component signals and a predetermined threshold value according to the observation mode; a focusing evaluation section that determines a focusing state by determining a signal distribution of the contour component signals; and an actuator drive section that controls movement of the moving lens based on the focusing state determined by the focusing evaluation section and a result of the comparison by the signal value comparison section. | 02-14-2013 |
| 20130038709 | ENDOSCOPE AND ENDOSCOPE SYSTEM - An endoscope includes: a CDS circuit that samples an image pickup signal from a CCD via a feedthrough sampling pulse SHP and a clamp pulse SHD to output a post-sampling image pickup signal; a CPU that controls a sampling timing of each of SHP and SHD and evaluates the post-sampling image pickup signal from the CDS circuit, and a flash memory that stores timing information on the respective timings and timing determination procedure information. The CPU, upon receipt of an adjustment instruction for adjustment of the respective timings of SHP and SHD, rewrites the timing information in the flash memory according to a result of evaluation of a plurality of post-sampling image pickup signals obtained by shifting the respective timings based on the timing determination procedure information. | 02-14-2013 |
| 20130050454 | ENDOSCOPE APPARATUS AND CONTROL METHOD OF ENDOSCOPE APPARATUS - An endoscope apparatus includes: a region dividing portion that divides an image; a brightness mean calculation portion that has a peripheral brightness mean calculation portion that calculates a peripheral brightness mean value, and a center brightness mean calculation portion that calculates a center brightness mean; a first weighting factor calculation portion that calculates a first weighting factor α; a first photometric value calculation portion that calculates a first photometric value based on a sum total of a value obtained by multiplying a center brightness mean by the first weighting factor α and a value obtained by multiplying the peripheral brightness mean by (1−α); and a brightness adjustment control portion that generates a brightness adjustment control signal for adjusting the brightness of the image based on the first photometric value. | 02-28-2013 |
| 20130057666 | OBJECTIVE LENS FOR ENDOSCOPE, AND ENDOSCOPE - An objective lens for an endoscope, comprising a first lens group having a negative power, an aperture stop, and a second lens group having a positive power arranged in this order from an object side, wherein the first lens group comprises at least a negative front group lens having a concave surface facing an image side, and a positive front group lens having a convex surface facing the image side arranged in this order from the object side, and the second lens group comprises at least a positive rear group lens having a convex surface facing the image side and a cemented lens formed by cementing together a negative lens and a positive lens being arranged in this order from the object side, and wherein the objective lens for an endoscope is configured to satisfy a predetermined condition. | 03-07-2013 |
| 20130057667 | VIDEO LARYNGOSCOPE - Disclosed is a video laryngoscope having a body, an insertion section extending from the body generally parallel to a median plane of the laryngoscope extending through the body, and a display screen assembly extending from the body generally perpendicular to the median plane, the body comprising a grip portion intermediate the display screen assembly and the insertion section. The display screen assembly, comprising a display screen, extends laterally from the body and the inner edge of the display screen falls within the lateral extent of the body. The grip portion is also of a minimum size to allow an adult to grip the laryngoscope, the hand abutting the screen assembly. Thus, the laryngoscope is of a minimum overall size, the screen is positioned as close as possible to the line of sight of a user directly viewing the distal end of the insertion section, during a medical procedure, facilitating the user alternating between direct and indirect viewing, whereas the screen does not prevent the user from manipulating the laryngoscope by applying thumb pressure to the body. The laryngoscope may optionally be provided with thumb operable controls on the body or the screen. The screen may be adjustable about an axis, and, by virtue of the configuration and size of the laryngoscope, adjustment may be effected by the user's thumb, without the need to adjust the grip of the remaining digits. | 03-07-2013 |
| 20130063580 | OPERATION INPUT DEVICE AND MANIPULATOR SYSTEM - With a simple configuration, a area in which an operating unit can move is prevented from being limited. Provided is an operation input device including a display; an operating unit that operates a display object displayed on the display; a head-mounted unit that is mounted on the head of an operator; relative position sensors that detect a relative position and a relative orientation of one of the head-mounted unit and the operating unit with respect to the other; and a control unit that actuates the display object displayed on the display on the basis of changes in the relative position and the relative orientation detected by the relative position sensors. | 03-14-2013 |
| 20130070069 | Coregistering images of a region of interest during several conditions using a landmark subsurface feature - Described embodiments include a system, method, and computer program product. A described system includes an image coregistration circuit that coregisters a first depiction of a region of interest of a mammalian body part during a first condition by a reference medical image and a second depiction of the region of interest of the mammalian body part during a second condition by a target medical image. The coregistration is at least partially based on the first spatial relationship and on the second spatial relationship. The described system includes a computer-readable media configured to maintain informational data corresponding to the coregistration of the first depiction of the region of interest and the second depiction of the region of interest. | 03-21-2013 |
| 20130070070 | Diffractive Optical Element and Endoscope - Provided is a diffractive optical element that is formed by laminating two optical material layers formed of different energy-cured resins; in which a relief pattern is formed at the interface between the two optical material layers; and that satisfies the following conditional expressions: | 03-21-2013 |
| 20130076879 | ENDOSCOPIC IMAGE PROCESSING DEVICE, ENDOSCOPE APPARATUS, AND IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD - An endoscopic image processing device includes an image acquisition section (A/D conversion section) that acquires a front image that corresponds to a front field of view and a side image that corresponds to a side field of view, and a chromatic-aberration-of-magnification correction section that performs a chromatic-aberration-of-magnification correction process on an observation optical system, the chromatic-aberration-of-magnification correction section determining whether a processing target image signal corresponds to the front field of view or the side field of view, and performing a front chromatic-aberration-of-magnification correction process as the chromatic-aberration-of-magnification correction process when the chromatic-aberration-of-magnification correction section has determined that the processing target image signal corresponds to the front field of view. | 03-28-2013 |
| 20130083177 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MOSAICKING ENDOSCOPE IMAGES CAPTURED FROM WITHIN A CAVITY - Systems and methods for capturing and mosaicking images of one or more surfaces of a collapsed cavity are described. One embodiment includes capturing images using an endoscope, where the optics of the endoscope are radially symmetrical, locating the optical center and dewarping each of the captured images by mapping the image from polar coordinates centered on the optical center of the image to rectangular coordinates, discarding portions of each dewarped image to create high clarity dewarped images, estimating the motion of the endoscope with respect to the interior surface of the cavity that occurred between successive high clarity dewarped images, registering the high clarity dewarped images with respect to each other using the estimates of motion, and combining the registered high clarity dewarped images to create at least one mosaic. | 04-04-2013 |
| 20130083178 | ENDOSCOPE SYSTEM AND EXTERNAL CONTROL DEVICE FOR ENDOSCOPE - In the processor device connected to the endoscope, the imaging signal transmitted in serial from an imaging chip of the endoscope is converted by an S/P converter to parallel data, and is then decoded by an 8B10B decoder. Pixel data (eight bits) for each pixel is converted by an 8B10B encoder of the imaging chip to word data with ten bits being taken as one word for serial transmission. In the processor device, the fact that a deviation occurs in timing of word synchronization for delimiting serial data into word data due to an influence of noise or the like is detected from a decode error in the 8B10B decoder, and recovery is made by shifting the timing of word synchronization. | 04-04-2013 |
| 20130083179 | ENDOSCOPE SYSTEM AND EXTERNAL CONTROL DEVICE FOR ENDOSCOPE - In the processor device connected to the endoscope, the imaging signal transmitted in serial from an imaging chip of the endoscope is converted by an S/P converter to parallel data, and is then decoded by an 8B10B decoder. When data corruption occurs due to noise or the like during transmission of the imaging signal and normal pixel data cannot be obtained due to decode error at an 8B10B decoder, that pixel data is interpolated with pixel data of a peripheral part in an inner memory of an image processing circuit. | 04-04-2013 |
| 20130083180 | FOCUS CONTROL DEVICE, ENDOSCOPE APPARATUS, AND FOCUS CONTROL METHOD - A focus control device includes an image acquisition section that acquires a captured image that has been captured by an imaging optical system, an evaluation value calculation section that calculates a focus evaluation value based on the captured image, the focus evaluation value being used to evaluate an in-focus state of an object in the captured image, a determination information calculation section that calculates determination information based on the focus evaluation value, a determination section that determines whether to start or stop an autofocus control process based on the determination information, and a focus control section that starts or stops the autofocus control process based on a determination result of the determination section. | 04-04-2013 |
| 20130093866 | OPTICAL MOTION TRACKING OF AN OBJECT - The present invention relates to a system and a method for monitoring/tracking the movement of an object in a location which is difficult to access, such as the movement of a patient in a clinical MRI scanner. This is achieved by an optical motion tracking system for determining the movement of an object at least partly located in a volume of difficult access and/or at least partly located in an electromagnetic field, said system comprising a borescope for imaging a pattern on the object or a surface part of the object with a camera, said pattern or surface part located adjacent to a distal end of the borescope and said camera attached to a proximal end of said borescope, and image processing means for calculating the movement of said pattern or surface part relative to the distal end of the borescope based on a plurality of frames/images captured by the camera. The invention further relates to the use of a borescope for motion tracking of an object and a marker plate suitable for use in the motion tracking system. | 04-18-2013 |
| 20130093867 | ENDOSCOPE - Projection beams are emitted from a projection unit. An image generating unit associated with the projection unit generates phase-structured image sequences in close-up by a light-emitting display or at a distance by a projection module and downstream image guides, and transmits the sequences to the projection unit. In this manner, both alternatives allow sequences of phase-structured images, phase-shifted relative to each other, to be projected onto the surface to be measured and imaged by the projection unit, even under very spatially limited conditions. The latter alternative allows a battery-powered, capsule-shaped 3D measurement head to be inserted into cavities to be measured without any feeds (other than the guide wire). In this case, the battery powers both the micro display and the image sensor, wherein the image sensor data representing the reflection of the projected image can be either transmitted wirelessly or stored. | 04-18-2013 |
| 20130100263 | IMAGE SIGNAL CORRECTION APPARATUS, IMAGING APPARATUS, ENDOSCOPIC APPARATUS - An image signal correction apparatus includes: a frame memory configured to hold input image signals corresponding to a predetermined number of frames; a difference calculation unit configured to calculate a difference signal between an input image signal and each of the image signals held in the frame memory; a filter unit configured to pass a difference signal having a value equal to or smaller than a threshold value; and a control unit configured to change the threshold value of the filter unit in accordance with the value of the difference signal calculated in the difference calculation unit. | 04-25-2013 |
| 20130107025 | ENDOSCOPIC IMAGE PICKUP UNIT | 05-02-2013 |
| 20130113904 | System and Method for Multiple Viewing-Window Display of Computed Spectral Images - Method and Systems are provided for presenting in-vivo image data. In order to increase the efficiency of viewing computed spectral sequences, the computed spectral sequences are generated according to a set of spectral patterns and the multiple computed spectral sequences are displayed using multiple display windows on one or more display devices. Various aspects of user interface related to presentation of concurrent presentation of computed spectral sequences are addressed. Graphic representation corresponding to the spectral pattern associated with said each computed spectral sequence can be displayed. Furthermore, user interface to select a set of spectral patterns from a plurality of sets of spectral patterns can be provided. The method may further comprise providing user interface to modify one or more parameters of the spectral pattern associated with a selected spectral color image. | 05-09-2013 |
| 20130113905 | IMAGE PROCESSING DEVICE, IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD, MACHINE READABLE RECORDING MEDIUM, ENDOSCOPE SYSTEM - 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. | 05-09-2013 |
| 20130128020 | IMAGE PICKUP APPARATUS, ENDOSCOPE AND IMAGE PICKUP APPARATUS MANUFACTURING METHOD - An image pickup apparatus includes: a cover glass portion having a function of a right angle prism; an image pickup device substrate portion including an image pickup device on a first principal surface and a back-face electrode on a second principal surface, the back-face electrode being connected to the image pickup device via a through-wiring; and a bonding layer that bonds the cover glass portion and the image pickup device substrate portion that have a same outer dimension. | 05-23-2013 |
| 20130135453 | IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS - In an embodiments, an apparatus includes: a polarized light source which sequentially illuminates an object with three or more plane polarized light rays; and an image sensor which sequentially captures an image of the object that is being illuminated with each plane polarized light ray and which obtains polarization images by sequentially changing the direction of the polarized light transmission axis at each pixel while the object is being illuminated with each polarized light rays. The apparatus further includes: a processing section for generating an intensity maximizing angle image YPH and a degree of intensity modulation image YD; and a distribution estimating section which estimates, based on YPH and YD, the distribution in a single pixel of the azimuth angles of V-grooves on the object's surface. | 05-30-2013 |
| 20130141557 | Adapter for endoscope, processor for endoscope and endoscope system - An adapter for endoscope includes: an image pickup device driving signal generation circuit; an image signal output circuit; an endoscope identification information reception circuit receiving endoscope ID information; a ROM storing adapter ID information about the adapter; a flash memory storing parameters for adjustment; and a control section performing control to store the parameters for adjustment into the flash memory according to a command from a processor to write the parameters for adjustment, and read the parameters for adjustment stored in the flash memory and output the parameters for adjustment stored in the flash memory to the processor according to a command from the processor to read the parameters for adjustment. | 06-06-2013 |
| 20130155212 | Optical Unit and Endoscope - An optical unit includes: a plurality of lenses that form an object image on an image plane that is a light-receiving surface of a CCD; an aperture diaphragm; and an infrared absorption filter disposed on the image plane side relative to the aperture diaphragm, the infrared absorption filter including coating surfaces resulting from a YAG laser cut-off film and an LD laser cut-off film that each cut off predetermined laser light being formed respectively, and an F number FNO, a maximum image height IH, and a distance Δd between a paraxial image formation position in a ghost optical path on which a light beam emitted from the aperture diaphragm BI is reflected by the image plane and further reflected by the coating surface and reaches the image plane again and the image plane satisfy (Expression 1): | 06-20-2013 |
| 20130155213 | SYSTEM FOR USE IN SURGICAL PROCEDURES - The present disclosure relates to a system for use in surgical procedures. The system includes an endoscope; an imaging device coupled to the endoscope; an imaging processor coupled to the imaging device; and at least one management system coupled to the imaging processor, wherein a function of the management system is automatically adjusted upon receipt of a communication from the imaging processor. A method of adjusting an image of a surgical site during a surgical procedure is also disclosed. | 06-20-2013 |
| 20130155214 | ELECTRONIC ENDOSCOPE - An electronic endoscope includes a lens holder that has a tube-shaped part, a wide-angle lens that is mounted on the lens holder and that is arranged on one-end side of the tube-shaped part in a state that an optical axis is aligned to a center axis of the tube-shaped part so that an observational field of view extends to a sideward region of the tube-shaped part, an imaging device that receives light acquired through the wide-angle lens and that converts the light into an electric signal, a transparent cover that covers one-end side of the tube-shaped part and whose part facing the observational field of view of the wide-angle lens has transparency, a tube-shaped body part that is connected to the transparent cover on the-other-end side of the tube-shaped part, and a driving section that causes the lens holder to advance or retreat in the center axis direction. | 06-20-2013 |
| 20130169773 | ENDOSCOPE APPARATUS - An endoscope apparatus has a transmission device of an endoscope and a reception device of a processor. The transmission device calculates a DC balance value of input data, compares the DC balance value and a cumulative value thereof, and compares the sign of the DC balance value and the sign of the cumulative value. When the signs are the same sign, the transmission device generates intermediate data by exchanging a first value and a second value with each other for all the bits of the input data, and generates predetermined information indicating that all the bits have been inverted. When the signs are different signs, the transmission device performs a process of setting the input data as the intermediate data and transmits the intermediate data by a serial signal. | 07-04-2013 |
| 20130169774 | PROCESSOR FOR ELECTRONIC ENDOSCOPE AND ELECTRONIC ENDOSCOPE APPARATUS - A processor for an electronic endoscope includes first and second image storing units; a motion detector obtains a difference of image data; and a controller executes control in one of a first mode where the image data is sequentially converted into the video signal, and the image data and the difference are sequentially stored in the first and second image storing units; a second mode where the image data stored in the first image storing unit is outputted, and the generated image data and the difference are sequentially stored in the second image storing unit; and a third mode where the image data stored in the second image storing unit is outputted, and the generated image data and the difference are sequentially stored in the first image storing unit, and in the second and the third modes, based on the difference. | 07-04-2013 |
| 20130176409 | ENDOSCOPE SYSTEM AND EXTERNAL CONTROL DEVICE FOR ENDOSCOPE - In the processor device connected to the endoscope, the imaging signal transmitted in serial from an imaging chip of the endoscope is converted by an S/P converter to parallel data, and is then decoded by an 8B10B decoder. In the imaging signal, word synchronous data is inserted at predetermined intervals. In the processor device, a process of determining the word synchronous data as appropriate word synchronous data if the word synchronous data has been detected a plurality of number of times and establishing word synchronization is performed. | 07-11-2013 |
| 20130176410 | ENDOSCOPE SYSTEM - An endoscope system has an image pickup section and a processor. The image pickup section has a control register section which controls a sensor section, a nonvolatile memory which stores first setup data, a control signal interface section which sets the first setup data in the control register section, and an initialization check register which senses an abnormality in the control register section. When an abnormality is sensed, the control signal interface section reads out the setup data from the nonvolatile memory and performs control so as to reset the setup data in the control register section. The control signal interface section further has a memory which stores reset occurrence information upon occurrence of reset. The processor includes a control section which reads out the reset occurrence information from the memory, and, when reset is detected, transmits second setup information held by the processor to the image pickup section. | 07-11-2013 |
| 20130176411 | IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS AND ENDOSCOPE SYSTEM - An endoscope system includes a light source device, a CCD, a video processor, and an observation monitor, wherein the video processor includes: a band decomposition processing section that performs a decomposition processing for decomposing into a plurality of spatial frequency bands on a signal of an image picked up by the CCD, to generate a plurality of band images; an enhancement processing section that performs an enhancement processing on selected band images based on an enhancement amount set for a region where an observation target in a subject is distributed in a feature space formed with wavelength bands or spatial frequency bands of the band images selected among the plurality of band images as axes; and an image generation section that integrates the plurality of band images subjected to the color conversion processing, for each wavelength image, to generate an image. | 07-11-2013 |
| 20130182090 | IMAGE PICKUP DEVICE AND ENDOSCOPIC DEVICE - An image pickup device includes, but is not limited to: an image pickup unit; a first selector; and an output unit. The image pickup unit includes a plurality of pixels arranged in a matrix. Each of the pixels is configured to generate, store, and output a pixel signal. The first selector is configured to select a column of the matrix and control the pixels arranged in the column selected. The output unit is configured to convert into a voltage signal, the pixel signal output from each of the pixels. | 07-18-2013 |
| 20130188029 | ENDOSCOPE SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING ENDOSCOPE SYSTEM - An endoscope system includes a focus control section that performs a focus control process on an optical system of an endoscopic scope, an operation information acquisition section that acquires operation information about at least one operation among a discharge operation, a suction operation, and a tissue treatment operation based on sensor information from an operation detection sensor, and a switch control section that determines whether or not to cause the focus control section to perform the focus control process based on the operation information. | 07-25-2013 |
| 20130188030 | IMAGE PICKUP UNIT AND ENDOSCOPE DISTAL END PORTION INCLUDING THE IMAGE PICKUP UNIT - A lens holder that holds a lens in an inner portion thereof, an image pickup device including a light-receiving section, the image pickup device being positioned at a rear in an optical axis direction L of the lens, a cover glass attached to a facing surface of the image pickup device, and a fitting portion formed in at least an outer circumferential face of the cover glass, the fitting portion allowing a rear end-side part of the lens holder to be fitted thereon are included, and the lens holder and the image pickup device are each formed to have a size allowing the lens holder and the image pickup device to have a same width in a width direction when the rear end-side part is fitted on the fitting portion. | 07-25-2013 |
| 20130194403 | ENDOSCOPE APPARATUS, IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD, AND INFORMATION STORAGE DEVICE - An endoscope apparatus includes an imaging section that captures a plurality of images in time series using an objective optical system, a range setting section that sets at least one of a search range and a non-search range to a reference image among the plurality of images, the search range including a center area, and the non-search range including a peripheral area, a motion detection section that performs a motion detection process that detects a motion between a processing target image and the reference image, and an image blending section that blends the processing target image and the reference image based on the motion detection process, the motion detection section setting a processing target area to the processing target image, and performing the motion detection process by searching an area that corresponds to the processing target area within a range based on the search range and/or the non-search range. | 08-01-2013 |
| 20130201309 | ENDOSCOPE - An endoscope includes a bending operation knob inputting a bending operation of a bending section in first perpendicular directions, a touch surface which is exposed in an outer surface of a grip casing and on which a bending operation of the bending section in second perpendicular directions is input, and a positional information calculator calculating a positional information of a touched region with time, the touched region being a region that is touched in the touch surface. The endoscope includes a positional change detector detecting a positional change of the touched region when the bending operation of the bending section in the second perpendicular directions is input, and a drive controller controlling a drive state of a drive member in accordance with the positional change of the touched region. | 08-08-2013 |
| 20130201310 | SYSTEM FOR CONTROLLING IMAGE DATA OF IMAGE SENSOR FOR CAPSULE ENDOSCOPE - The present invention relates to a system for controlling an image data of an image sensor for a capsule endoscope, and more particularly, to a system for controlling an image data of an image sensor for a capsule endoscope, which controls the image data of a capsule endoscope system in which operations are changed using two image sensors of a capsule endoscope that are identically designed and manufactured in order to capture images of the inside of the human body. | 08-08-2013 |
| 20130208101 | IMAGING APPARATUS - An imaging apparatus includes first and second imaging units, a reading unit that reads pixel information from pixels set as a reading target in each of the first and second imaging units, a control unit that sets the pixels as the reading target in each of the first and second imaging units in a manner such that the pixel information is alternately read from the first and second imaging units by the reading unit, and controls timing of exposure processes in the first and second imaging units and timing of reading processes of the pixel information for the first and second imaging units by the reading unit, to be correlated with one another, a transmission unit that transmits the pixel information read from each of the first and second imaging units in a same transmission path, and an image processing unit that generates an image based on the pixel information. | 08-15-2013 |
| 20130222562 | IMAGING APPARATUS - An imaging apparatus includes: a first and second optical systems that focus and emit incident light, a transparent wavelength, and a focal length of them being different from each other; an imaging unit that includes a first region on which the light emitted from the first optical system is incident and a second region on which the light emitted from the second optical system is incident, can output, as pixel information, an electric signal after photoelectric conversion from pixels arbitrarily set as read targets; a setting unit that can arbitrarily set the read targets in at least one of the first region and the second region; a reading unit that reads the pixel information from the read targets; a control unit that changes the read targets according to an acquisition target image; and an image processing unit that generates the acquisition target image. | 08-29-2013 |
| 20130222563 | ELECTRONIC ENDOSCOPIC APPARATUS AND CONTROL METHOD THEREOF - An electronic endoscopic apparatus includes an endoscopic scope, an imaging device provided in the endoscopic scope, a signal processing unit processing a captured image signal obtained by the imaging device to generate an observation image, a monitor device displaying the observation image, and a control unit controlling the signal processing unit to generate a high definition observation image and a high sensitivity observation image as the observation image, in which the control unit makes the signal processing unit generate the high sensitivity observation image at the time of screening the inside of the biological body, and generate the high definition observation image at the time of precise inspecting for an interest area in the body. | 08-29-2013 |
| 20130229502 | ENDOSCOPE SYSTEM - An endoscope system includes: a photoelectric conversion element that subjects an image formed by an optical lens to photoelectric conversion; a contour enhancing section that detects an edge component in a picked-up image subjected to the photoelectric conversion, thereby generating a contour enhancement signal; an electronic zoom region determining section that determines an electronic zoom region in the picked-up image based on a strength of the contour enhancement signal; an instruction section that provides an instruction for enlargement/reduction of the image; a parameter setting section that sets a zoom parameter for an electronic zoom section according to the of the instruction section; and the electronic zoom section that upon an input of the instruction of the instruction section, performs an electronic zoom of the picked-up image for the electronic zoom region determined by the electronic zoom region determining section, according to the parameter set by the parameter setting section. | 09-05-2013 |
| 20130229503 | IMAGE MANAGEMENT APPARATUS, IMAGE MANAGEMENT METHOD AND COMPUTER-READABLE RECORDING MEDIUM - An apparatus includes: a storage that stores operation information including information on an operation on a display screen of a medical image and reference feature data that are feature data of the medical image subjected to the operation; an acquiring unit that acquires image data corresponding to a series of medical images; a processor that calculates feature data of each medical image; a setter that compares the feature data calculated by the image processor with the stored reference feature data, and, when reference feature data having a correspondence to the feature data exist, sets, as information related to a display operation executed when the series of medical images are displayed on a screen, the information related to the operation associated with the reference feature data having the correspondence; and a controller that executes the set display operation when image data included in the series of medical images are played back. | 09-05-2013 |
| 20130229504 | THREE DIMENSIONAL ULTRASONIC GUIDANCE OF SURGICAL INSTRUMENTS - An ultrasonic imaging system is used to observe and guide insertion of a needle into the body to access a targeted surgical site. A two dimensional array probe scans a volumetric region including the surgical site and a multiplanar reformatter formats the resulting 3D echo dataset to form a sequence of spatially adjacent images in real time. A plurality of the spatially adjacent images are concurrently displayed in real time. As the clinician inserts the needle into the body its progress of insertion may be observed in one plane. But if the insertion path of the needle is not constrained to one plane but passes through numerous planes, the insertion path is seen in successive ones of the concurrently displayed adjacent images. | 09-05-2013 |
| 20130235173 | IMAGE PICKUP DEVICE AND IMAGE PICKUP SYSTEM - An image pickup apparatus includes an image pickup section that acquires an image by image pickup of an object and acquire digital data of the image, a determining section that determines whether there are a predetermined number or more of consecutive bits with a first bit value or a second bit value in data per pixel included in the digital data, a bit value inversion processing section that inverts, when a determination result that there are the predetermined number or more of consecutive bits with the first or the second bit value is obtained, the bit values so that a ratio between the first bit value and the second bit value included in the corresponding pixel data becomes a predetermined ratio, and a serial conversion section that serializes and outputs the respective bit values of the digital data obtained as the processing result of the bit value inversion processing section. | 09-12-2013 |
| 20130235174 | Image Pickup Apparatus and Image Pickup Apparatus System - An image pickup apparatus includes: an objective optical system for focusing a bundle of light rays from an object into an image; an image sensor placed in the vicinity of the image-forming position of the objective optical system; a dividing element placed between the objective optical system and the image sensor and used for dividing a bundle of light rays from the objective optical system into reflected and transmitted bundles of light rays; a first reflection member for reflecting back the bundle of light rays reflected by the dividing element; and a second reflection member for reflecting the bundle of light rays transmitted by the dividing element, wherein the bundle of light rays reflected by the first reflection member via the dividing element is focused to form an image on a first area of the image sensor, and the bundle of light rays reflected by the second reflection member is focused to form an image on a second area of the image sensor, the second area of the image sensor being different from the first area of the image sensor. | 09-12-2013 |
| 20130235175 | ENDOSCOPE SYSTEM - Provided is an endoscope system in which an insertion unit includes a distal end, an optical fiber cable configured to transmit a first image signal output by an image signal generating unit as an optical signal, and an electric cable configured to transmit the second image signal output by the image signal generating unit as an electrical signal. An image signal processing unit performs image processing of any one of the first image signal or the second image signal transmitted by the insertion unit. A scope distal end includes an imaging unit configured to include a plurality of pixels to output a pixel signal, and the image signal generating unit configured to generate the first image signal and the second image signal having a data volume smaller than that of the first image signal using the pixel signal output by the imaging unit. | 09-12-2013 |
| 20130235176 | IMAGING OPTICAL SYSTEM AND IMAGING DEVICE - An imaging optical system comprises a first lens group composed of a negative single lens, a second lens group composed of a positive lens element and a negative lens element attached together, an aperture stop, a third lens group composed of a positive lens element and a negative lens element attached together, and a fourth lens group composed of a negative single lens, in this order from an object side. Expressions 0.37| 09-12-2013 | |
| 20130242069 | SCANNING CONFOCAL ENDOSCOPE SYSTEM - A scanning confocal endoscope system is configured by: a point source that scans on a subject with excitation light by periodically moving in a two-dimensional plane; a point source control means that controls the point source so that irradiation density of the excitation light becomes smaller than or equal to predetermined density over a whole scanning area; a confocal pinhole arranged at a position conjugate with a converging point of the excitation light; an image signal detection means that detects an image signal by receiving fluorescence emitted from the subject being excited by the excitation light via the confocal pinhole; and an image generation means that generates a confocal image using the detected image signal. | 09-19-2013 |
| 20130258079 | NAVIGATING ATTACHMENT FOR OPTICAL DEVICES IN MEDICINE, AND METHOD - A method for presenting image data, in which an optical implement captures the position and positional information is obtained thus and, with the aid of the positional information, image data are determined and displayed or processed further. The image data to be displayed are at least in part based on virtual image data, not real image data captured directly by the optical implement. These virtual image data represent an object or body part situated in the field of view of the optical implement. Within the scope of the method, real image data are recorded by means of the optical implement, the position and/or alignment of the optical implement is captured simultaneously and positional information is derived therefrom. | 10-03-2013 |
| 20130258080 | ENDOSCOPIC IMAGE PROCESSING DEVICE, INFORMATION STORAGE DEVICE AND IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD - The endoscopic image processing device includes an image acquisition section that acquires a normal observation image and a zoom observation image, the normal observation image being an image that includes an image of an object, and the zoom observation image being an image that magnifies the image of the object within an observation area that is part of the normal observation image, an attention area determination section that specifies an attention area on the zoom observation image, and a boundary setting section that detects a position of a boundary on the normal observation image that corresponds to a boundary of the attention area specified on the zoom observation image based on pixel values of the zoom observation image, and sets a boundary image at the detected position of the boundary on the normal observation image. | 10-03-2013 |
| 20130271585 | METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR IMAGE PROCESSING IN WIRELESS CAPSULE ENDOSCOPY - Methods and apparatus for image processing suitable for use in wireless capsule endoscopy are provided. The image processing techniques exploit characteristic features of endoscopic images to enable low complexity compression. A color space conversion, coupled with lossless predictive coding and variable length coding are employed. Sub-sampling and clipping may also be used. The described image processing can be used both with both white-band imaging and narrow-band-imaging. | 10-17-2013 |
| 20130271586 | ENDOSCOPE SYSTEM - An endoscope system includes an endoscope including a CCD for generating an image pickup signal, and a processor including a video processing circuit. The processor includes: a VCXO that generates a reference clock signal; a PLL circuit that synchronizes a phase of the image pickup signal to be inputted and a phase of the reference clock signal; a synchronization detection circuit that detects whether the phase of the image pickup signal synchronizes with the phase of the reference clock signal; and a multiplexer that controls the video processing circuit, on the basis of the detection result by the synchronization detection circuit, to cause the video processing circuit to output a predetermined video when a non-phase-synchronized state is detected, and to cause the video processing circuit to output a video signal obtained by processing the image pickup signal by the video processing circuit when a phase-synchronized state is detected. | 10-17-2013 |
| 20130286172 | ENDOSCOPE APPARATUS, INFORMATION STORAGE DEVICE, AND IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD - The endoscope apparatus includes an image acquisition section (image composition processing section) that acquires a captured image in a zoom observation state in time series, the zoom observation state being an observation state in which a magnification of an optical system is higher than that in a normal observation state, a defocus amount information extraction section (texture extraction section) that extracts defocus amount information from the captured image in the zoom observation state, and a defocus amount correction section (texture correction amount calculation section, texture correction section, and blending section) that corrects the captured image based on the extracted defocus amount information. | 10-31-2013 |
| 20130286173 | MEASURING ENDOSCOPE APPARATUS, PROGRAM AND RECORDING MEDIUM - The present invention provides a measuring endoscope apparatus which includes an endoscope that photoelectrically converts an image of an object to generate an imaging signal, a signal processing section that processes the imaging signal to generate image data, a distance measuring section that calculates an object distance based on a principle of triangulation using the image data, and a display section that displays the image of the object based on the image data. The measuring endoscope apparatus further includes a measuring section that calculates a size of the mark indicating a size of the object based on the object distance and a view angle of the endoscope. The display section also displays a mark along with the image of the object based on the image data. | 10-31-2013 |
| 20130293692 | IMAGE DISPLAY APPARATUS - An image display apparatus that can shorten time for observing a series of images of an interior of a subject without hampering observation of a desired region of interest is provided. The image display apparatus according to the present invention is an image display apparatus for displaying the series of images of the interior of the subject picked up at time series, including an image extracting unit | 11-07-2013 |
| 20130300846 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR VIDEO PROCESSING - A method for processing video can include storing input video frame data at a video data buffer and outputting the stored video frame data from the video data buffer at an output video frame rate based on at least an amount of video frame data stored at the video data buffer. | 11-14-2013 |
| 20130300847 | IMAGE PICKUP SYSTEM - An image pickup system includes an image pickup device (CIS) provided with a TG which generates a first reference synchronization signal and includes a synchronization signal self-generating counter, and a processor provided with a TG that generates a second reference synchronization signal and a reference synchronization signal comparing section that compares the first reference synchronization signal superimposed on a video signal with the second reference synchronization signal, in which when a shift occurs between the first reference synchronization signal and the second reference synchronization signal, the processor transmits the second reference synchronization signal or phase correction amount information to the CIS, and the TG changes a timing of the first reference synchronization signal according to the second reference synchronization signal or the phase correction amount information. | 11-14-2013 |
| 20130307950 | OPTICAL POLARIMETRIC IMAGING - A method for probing morphology of a tissue surface using a system which may include a light source, a polarizer, an analyzer, and a camera with a plurality of picture elements. The method illuminates the tissue surface with incident light through the polarizer. The camera may capture through the analyzer, scattered light from the tissue surface in a continuous sequence of image frames. Variation of polarization state may be of at least one of (1) the incident light from the light source by varying the polarizer or (2) the scattered light from the tissue surface by varying the analyzer. During the capture, for a picture element of the camera, a varying intensity signal of the scattered light is detected responsive to the varying polarization state. | 11-21-2013 |
| 20130314516 | VIDEOSCOPE AND IMAGE CORRECTING METHOD THEREOF - A videoscope includes: an imaging device having at least one monitoring subject pixel each of which produces, frame by frame, a normal detection value or an abnormal detection value, normal pixels and at least one defective pixel; a memory which is stored with a position address of each of the at least one monitoring subject pixel; and an image processing unit which performs image processing on image signals produced by the imaging device so as to judge, in each frame, based on information stored in the memory, whether each of the at least one monitoring subject pixel has produced a normal detection value or an abnormal detection value and to correct the detection value of each of the at least one monitoring subject pixel using detection values of nearby normal pixels only in frames in which an abnormal detection value is produced. | 11-28-2013 |
| 20130314517 | IMAGE PICKUP UNIT AND ENDOSCOPE - The present invention provides an image pickup unit including an objective lens including a plurality of optical system members via which an object image is formed, the image pickup unit including: a fixed barrel that holds a fixed lens in the objective lens; a moving lens holding barrel that holds a moving lens and is disposed so as to be slidable along an optical axis inside the fixed barrel; and a voice coil motor section that generates a drive force for moving the moving lens holding barrel relative to the fixed barrel along the optical axis, and the voice coil motor section is disposed so that a center axis of action of a generated thrust force passes through a gravity center of a driven member to be driven by the voice coil motor section. | 11-28-2013 |
| 20130321601 | OBSERVATION INSTRUMENT - An observation instrument includes an image capturing device, a processor, a first display, a second display, a half mirror and a pair of polarized glasses. The processor is electrically connected to the image capturing device. The first display and the second display are electrically connected to the processor. The first display and the second display face each other, and cooperatively define a right or an obtuse angle. The half mirror is located on an angle bisector line defined by the first and the second displays for receiving emitting lights. The polarized glasses is located at a front of the half mirror, and comprises a first lens and a second lens, in which the first lens allows a perpendicularly polarized light to pass through only, the second lens allows a horizontally polarized light to pass through only. | 12-05-2013 |
| 20130329024 | MEDICAL IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS - A medical image processing apparatus is provided which generates a three-dimensional superposed image showing an inserted medical device in a preoperative image. | 12-12-2013 |
| 20130329025 | IMAGE PICKUP APPARATUS AND IMAGE PICKUP SYSTEM - An image pickup apparatus includes: an image pickup device for picking up an image of an object; a reception portion that is provided in a processor including a signal processing portion processes an image signal obtained by picking up the object with the image pickup device, and that receives a first synchronization signal generated in a first synchronization signal generation portion and is transmitted through a cable; a calculation portion that sequentially detects a plurality of periods of the first synchronization signal that the reception portion receives, and carries out processing to perform a calculation that determines an average value of the detected plurality of periods of the first synchronization signal; and a second synchronization signal generation portion that generates a second synchronization signal taking a value based on a calculation result of the calculation portion as a period, and supplies the second synchronization signal to the image pickup device. | 12-12-2013 |
| 20130329026 | IMAGING MECHANISM, ENDOSCOPE, AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING IMAGING MECHANISM - An imaging mechanism includes: an imaging device; a light receiving section that is provided on one surface of the imaging device; a cover member that covers the one surface of the imaging device and the light receiving section; and a lens unit that has a plurality of lenses including a plano-convex lens having a flat portion and a lens barrel, and that is optically coupled to the light receiving section, the lens barrel fixing the plurality of lenses, wherein the plano-convex lens having the flat portion is provided at a closest position to the imaging device in the plurality of lenses such that the flat portion faces the imaging device, and the flat portion protrudes from an end of the lens barrel toward the imaging device and is fixed to the cover member. | 12-12-2013 |
| 20130342667 | ENDOSCOPE APPARATUS, REPRODUCING APPARATUS, DISPLAYING METHOD AND INSPECTION REPORT GENERATING APPARATUS - An endoscope apparatus includes: an image processing portion that performs image processing on a signal of an image picked up by an image pickup device provided at a distal end portion of an endoscope insertion portion to generate an endoscope image; a gravity direction detecting portion that detects information about a gravity direction of the distal end portion; a gravity signal processing portion that performs predetermined signal processing on a signal of the information about the gravity direction detected by the gravity direction detecting portion to detect gravity information. The recording medium reading/writing portion of the endoscope apparatus stores data of the endoscope image generated by the image processing portion and data of the gravity information detected by the gravity signal processing portion in two AVI files and records the files on a recording medium. | 12-26-2013 |
| 20140002623 | RECEIVING APPARATUS AND CAPSULE ENDOSCOPE SYSTEM | 01-02-2014 |
| 20140002624 | MEDICAL ENDOSCOPE SYSTEM | 01-02-2014 |
| 20140002625 | IMAGE PROCESSING DEVICE | 01-02-2014 |
| 20140015946 | IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS - In an image processing apparatus, a storage circuit stores a parameter of a display processing characteristic in each display device and a parameter of a target value of image quality. The parameter of a target value of image quality includes a parameter of image processing of an image processing circuit to display a predetermined image quality and a parameter of display processing of the display device. An adjustment of image quality in the image processing apparatus is performed by adjusting a processing parameter when performing image processing on the image data that is output to the display device based on the parameter of the display processing characteristic corresponding to the display device that is a destination and on the parameter of the target value of image quality. | 01-16-2014 |
| 20140022365 | CALIBRATION TOOL FOR SCANNING ENDOSCOPE - A calibration tool for a scanning endoscope includes: an abutment portion that is in contact with and abuts an illumination window provided in a distal end face of an insertion portion of a scanning endoscope and is configured to be in contact with a region of the illumination window other than a region in which an illuminating light beam applied from the illumination window is scanned; and a chart with a calibration pattern drawn thereon, the calibration pattern being provided for calibrating a scan pattern of the illuminating light, the chart being arranged parallel to the distal end face with a predetermined distance from a surface of the illumination window positioned as a result of the illumination window coming into contact with the abutment portion, according to a size of the calibration pattern, whereby image calibration of the scanning endoscope can accurately be performed with a simple configuration. | 01-23-2014 |
| 20140028819 | MEASURING ENDOSCOPE APPARATUS AND PROGRAM - An imaging section images a subject to generate an image. A display displays an image. A measuring section measures the size of the subject on the basis of the image. A recording section associates calibration data of a measuring endoscope apparatus including a value obtained when the measuring section measures the size of the calibrator on the basis of an image obtained when the imaging section has imaged the calibrator, and calibration data of the calibrator including a value obtained when the calibrator is measured by a higher-rank measuring instrument of a traceability system, and a value obtained when the measuring section measures the size of a measurement object different from the calibrator on the basis of an image of the measurement object, with the image of the measurement object image and records the associated data on a recording medium. | 01-30-2014 |
| 20140028820 | System and Method for Display of Capsule Images and Associated Information - Method and system are provided for displaying images captured from a capsule camera system. In one embodiment of the present invention, annotation data associated with image sequence data is used to derive navigation guide for the images. The navigation guide comprises a series of part representations corresponding to the images, and wherein one color is selected for each of the series of part representations. In another embodiment of the present invention, the intensity of the image sequence data is used to derive the navigation guide, which comprises a series of intensity profiles corresponding to the images. Various ways to derive the intensity profile are disclosed. | 01-30-2014 |
| 20140028821 | IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS - An image processing apparatus is provided with: a first feature value calculating section calculating a first feature value for each of pixels constituting an image obtained by picking up an image of a subject; a region dividing section dividing the image into multiple regions on the basis of the first feature values; a second feature value calculating section calculating a second feature value for each of the divided regions; a classification section performing classification with regard to which of multiple kinds of attributes each region of the multiple regions has, on the basis of the second feature value; a judgment section judging whether a region having a predetermined attribute exists or not; and a diagnostic support information calculating section correcting an attribute value of the region having the predetermined attribute to calculate diagnostic support information for supporting a diagnosis. | 01-30-2014 |
| 20140036050 | IMAGING DEVICE AND IMAGING METHOD - The imaging device includes an image sensor that includes a plurality of pixels that generate an image signal from an object image that is formed by an imaging optical system, a scaling section that performs a scaling process on an original image that includes image signals that correspond to the plurality of pixels, and an output section that outputs an image after the scaling process as a scaled image, the scaling section performing the scaling process using a different scaling factor corresponding to the position of a pixel of interest within the scaled image, and the image sensor including pixels in a number larger than the number of pixels of the scaled image as the plurality of pixels. | 02-06-2014 |
| 20140043453 | ENDOSCOPE FOR STORING IMAGES - An endoscope is provided having a video compiler, a still-image compiler, a monitor, and a recorder. The video compiler continuously receives image signals and creates a video file with the image signals. The still-image compiler receives the image signals, and creates a still image. The monitor receives the video file from the video compiler and continuously displays the video. The recorder receives the video file from the video compiler and receives the still image from the still-image compiler, and stores the video file and the still image. | 02-13-2014 |
| 20140055582 | ENDOSCOPIC CALIBRATION METHOD AND APPARATUS - An exemplary embodiment providing one or more improvements includes a calibration method and apparatus for calibrating an imaging assembly for use with any given one of a plurality of working assemblies. | 02-27-2014 |
| 20140055583 | ENDOSCOPE SYSTEM - An endoscope system may include: an insertion section that is inserted into an object under examination, having an image capturing unit that successively outputs a pixel signal of a strength responsive to the amount of light of the pixel, and a time converter that converts the intensity of the pixel signal to time information representing a time interval by a time width and that transmits the converted time information; a transfer section that guides the outside of the object under examination the time information transmitted from the time converter; and an external apparatus positioned outside the object under examination, having a time interval converter that receives the time information guided by the transfer section and converts to a digital signal and outputs the intensity of the pixel signal represented by the received time information and an image processing unit that outputs an image responsive to the pixel signal. | 02-27-2014 |
| 20140055584 | ARIADNE WALL TAPING FOR BRONCHOSCOPIC PATH PLANNING AND GUIDANCE - A method, system and program product are provided for planning an intervention procedure in a body lumen. A CT scan of the body lumen is performed. A virtual rendering is created of the inside of the body lumen corresponding to an interventional camera image. Then a virtual tape corresponding to a planned path for the intervention procedure is projected onto a wall of the body lumen. The virtual tape is projected onto the lumen wall, which is relatively distant from the camera point on the virtual rendering, so the tape does not appear to oscillate like a central thread. Also, since the virtual tape is located on the lumen wall, it does not occlude the center of the lumen, allowing a user to better visualize the lumen during planning, during fly through, and even during an actual intervention. | 02-27-2014 |
| 20140063215 | MEDICAL IMAGE RECORDING APPARATUS, RECORDING METHOD OF THE SAME, AND NON-TRANSITORY COMPUTER READABLE MEDIUM - A medical image recording apparatus includes: a storage unit that records, at a first compression rate, moving image data acquired by a modality apparatus; a control section that determines degrees of importance of individual frame images constituting the moving image data; and a compression processing section that, if a situation of the moving image data recorded in the storage unit satisfies a prescribed condition, (i) compresses the moving image data at a second compression rate that is smaller than the first compression rate and (ii) compresses each frame image of the moving image data at a compression rate that is smaller than the first compression rate and larger than the second compression rate and that decreases as the degree of importance decreases. | 03-06-2014 |
| 20140078276 | IMAGE PICKUP UNIT FOR ENDOSCOPE AND ENDOSCOPE - In this invention, an image pickup unit for endoscope including an image pickup device includes, in an optical black region of the image pickup device, a phase reference pixel region in which a pixel that outputs a signal capable of being used for phase adjustment of the video by receiving light is disposed, and an optical axis of an objective optical system member having an image circle which is narrower than an effective pixel region of the image pickup device is arranged at a position closer to the phase reference pixel region with respect to a center of the effective pixel region such that light transmitted through the objective optical system member can reach the phase reference pixel region. | 03-20-2014 |
| 20140092225 | Imaging Device and Endoscope - The depth of field is extended by using a simple structure. Provided is an imaging device comprising: an objective optical system that comprises an aperture stop that is disposed at an intermediate position on an optical axis and that has an opening that allows incident light from an object to pass therethrough; and an imaging element that acquires an optical image of the object, which is formed by the objective optical system, wherein pixels of the imaging element are arranged in a square along two mutually orthogonal axial directions, and the aperture stop includes a light-blocking portion at a portion aligned with the optical axis, the light-blocking portion having a square shape with sides inclined at 45° relative to the directions in which the pixels are arranged. | 04-03-2014 |
| 20140111628 | FOCUS CONTROL DEVICE, ENDOSCOPE DEVICE, AND FOCUS CONTROL METHOD - A focus control device, an endoscope system, a focus control method, and the like can implement an autofocus operation in an appropriate state by setting a focus mode of an imaging optical system. The focus control device includes a focus control section that controls a focus of an imaging optical system that includes at least a zoom lens that adjusts an optical magnification, and sets a focus mode of the imaging optical system, and an image acquisition section that acquires an image through the imaging optical system, the focus mode including a fixed focus mode and an autofocus (AF) mode, and the focus control section switching the focus mode between the fixed focus mode and the AF mode corresponding to whether the zoom lens is positioned on a wide-angle side or a telescopic side relative to a reference point that is situated between a wide-angle end and a telescopic end. | 04-24-2014 |
| 20140118515 | Extensible and Guidable Apparatus - The current invention presents an extensible and guidable apparatus and methods to evaluate tubular or cavitary structure. The apparatus has a power, control and display unit and a flexible tubular device having a proximal end and a distal end. A stretchable conduit and a plurality of extensible channels run longitudinally inside the flexible tubular device. The flexible tubular device comprises a non-extensible tubular shaft and a reversibly extensible tubular shaft, connected longitudinally in tandem. The reversibly extensible tubular shaft comprises a plurality of reversible extension segments and is controllably longitudinally extensible and bendable by changes in pressure and volume of a medium in said reversible extension segments. Said tubular device is directionally bendable at the distal end by selective negative changes in pressure in said distal end. Said tubular device obtains visual information of target area and material samples, and is capable of manipulation of the target area. | 05-01-2014 |
| 20140118516 | SOLID STATE IMAGING MODULE, SOLID STATE IMAGING DEVICE, AND INFORMATION PROCESSING DEVICE - A solid state imaging module according to an embodiment can be attached to and detached from an information processing device, the solid state imaging module including: an imaging element formed on a semiconductor substrate and including a plurality of pixel blocks, each of the plurality of pixel blocks having a plurality of pixels; a first optical system for imaging a subject on an imaging plane; and input and output terminals that are connectable to the information processing device, which processes information from the imaging element. | 05-01-2014 |
| 20140118517 | MEDICAL INFORMATION MANAGEMENT APPARATUS AND MEDICAL INFORMATION MANAGEMENT SYSTEM - An order storage unit stores an order for a medical practice to be performed using an endoscopic system. A control unit transmits an order to the endoscopic system via a communication line and also transmits device setting information linked to at least one of a doctor and a medical practice type specified by the order. When the control unit receives a notification of a change from the endoscopic system while the medical practice specified by the order is being performed, the control unit transmits new device setting information corresponding to the change to the endoscopic system. | 05-01-2014 |
| 20140118518 | CONTROLLED-USE IMAGING SYSTEM - The invention relates to an imaging system comprising:
| 05-01-2014 |
| 20140132746 | IMAGE CAPTURE STABILIZATION - An endoscopic video system with still image capture stabilization, including a processor, an image capture device capturing a plurality of still images at a time interval, an image buffer temporarily storing a portion of the still images, and software executing on the processor for retrieving, upon receiving an image capture instruction, a first one of the still images from the image buffer, the first one of the still images representative of a still image captured a first length of time prior to the image capture instruction. | 05-15-2014 |
| 20140152789 | OPTICAL FIBER STRUCTURE, ILLUMINATION UNIT, ENDOSCOPE, AND A METHOD OF MANUFACTURING AN OPTICAL FIBER STRUCTURE - An optical fiber structure according to the present application includes a cylindrical resin body, and a plurality of circumferential arrays of optical fiber bare wires disposed within the resin body and extending along a longitudinal direction of the resin body. The resin body includes a linear slit provided at a location intermediate the length of the resin body. The linear slit extends from an outer surface to an inner bore of the resin body and extending substantially parallel to the bare wires. | 06-05-2014 |
| 20140160259 | CAMERA SYSTEM WITH MINIMAL AREA MONOLITHIC CMOS IMAGE SENSOR - The disclosure extends to methods, systems, and computer program products for digitally imaging with area limited image sensors, such as within a lumen of an endoscope. | 06-12-2014 |
| 20140176691 | ENDOSCOPE FOR OUTPUTTING SIGNAL - An endoscope is provided having an imager, an analog-digital converter, and a data converter. The imager comprises multiple pixels which output pixel signals, and that outputs an image signal comprising the pixel signals. The analog-digital converter converts the image signal to digital image data in parallel data format. The data converter converts the digital image data to transmission data. The data converter converts the pixel-generated digital image data based on a first rule, converts the converted digital image data to converted pixel data in serial data format, and adds a start bit and an end bit to the converted pixel data to convert the digital image data to the transmission data. | 06-26-2014 |
| 20140184764 | Reprogrammable Video Imaging System with Modular Architecture - A reprogrammable modular imaging device with a control module and at least one input module connected to the control module. Image data is received by the input module for processing and transmission to the control module. A program is received by the control module to reprogram the processor. | 07-03-2014 |
| 20140184765 | Video Imaging System With Multiple Camera White Balance Capability - A system for capturing image data including a control module having a control switch and a processor, the processor being adapted for white balance control and the control switch being adapted to initiate white balance control, at least one input module connected to the control module, the input module providing white balance calibration, and at least one camera coupled to the input module. One or more of the at least one input module are configured as active input modules, each active input module having an active camera generating an image signal. The control module detects the one or more active input modules and controls one of the one or more active input modules, selected based on user feedback, to calibrate white balance of the image signal of the active camera coupled to the selected input module and to transmit the calibrated image signal to the control module for display. | 07-03-2014 |
| 20140184766 | MODULAR MEDICAL IMAGING SYSTEM - A modular video imaging system, and more particularly, a modular video imaging system having a control module connectable to multiple input modules. 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 unit providing general functions such as user interface and general image processing that is not camera specific. | 07-03-2014 |
| 20140198194 | Endoscope - An endoscope includes an objective optical system at a distal end of an inserted portion to acquire a subject image; a part that splits the subject image into two optical images focused differently; an imaging device that acquires two images by simultaneously capturing the optical images arranged on an imaging surface; and a part for cutting out at least abutting portions of the optical images on the imaging device, wherein A+B>C+D, where A is half the maximum length of light-receiving regions for the optical images at the imaging surface; where TW is an entry angle at the imaging surface when A is at the maximum image height and d is an optical-path-length difference between the optical images, B=d×tanTW; C is half the length of the light-receiving regions in a direction of the optical images arranged on the imaging surface; and D is a distance between the two light-receiving regions. | 07-17-2014 |
| 20140204187 | ENDOSCOPE IMAGE PROCESSING DEVICE, ENDOSCOPE SYSTEM, AND IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD - An endoscope image processing device includes an image acquisition section and a boundary region correction section. The image acquisition section acquires image signals that form a front image corresponding to a front field of view and a side image corresponding to a side field of view as a single acquired image. A region within the acquired image that corresponds to the front field of view is referred to as a front region, and a region within the acquired image that corresponds to the side field of view is referred to as a side region. The boundary area correction section performs a process that causes at least one of an image of the front region and an image of the side region to overlap a boundary region that is a region that defines a boundary between the front region and the side region. | 07-24-2014 |
| 20140210971 | Navigation Using a Pre-Acquired Image - A method for imaging, including capturing an initial image of a surface under investigation using a first endoscope, and delineating within the initial image a target region of interest surrounded by an initial image peripheral region, the target region of interest having a location defined with respect to the initial image peripheral region. The method includes capturing a subsequent image of the surface under investigation using a second endoscope and identifying in the subsequent image, by comparison with characteristics of the initial image peripheral region, a subsequent image peripheral region corresponding to the initial image peripheral region. The further includes computing the location of the target region of interest in the subsequent image in response to the identified subsequent image peripheral region. | 07-31-2014 |
| 20140210972 | FOCUS CONTROL DEVICE, ENDOSCOPE SYSTEM, AND FOCUS CONTROL METHOD - The focus control device includes a focus control section that controls an imaging optical system that is configured so that an in-focus object plane position is changed when an imaging magnification is changed, an image acquisition section that acquires a plurality of images captured through the imaging optical system at a different imaging magnification, and a change-in-magnification detection section that detects a change in magnification that is at least one of a change in the imaging magnification and a change in size of an object within an image among the plurality of images, the focus control section driving the imaging optical system based on an AF evaluation value that indicates the focus state of the imaging optical system and calculated based on the image and the change in magnification to control focus of the imaging optical system. | 07-31-2014 |
| 20140210973 | IMAGE PROCESSING DEVICE, ENDOSCOPE SYSTEM, IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD, AND COMPUTER-READABLE STORAGE DEVICE - An image processing device includes an evaluation value calculation section that calculates an evaluation value that is used to determine whether or not an inter-frame state of an object within a captured image is a stationary state, an estimated noise amount acquisition section that acquires an estimated noise amount of the captured image, a determination section that determines whether or not the inter-frame state of the object is the stationary state based on the evaluation value and the estimated noise amount, and a noise reduction processing section that performs a first noise reduction process (time-direction noise reduction process) when it has been determined that the inter-frame state of the object is the stationary state, and performs a second noise reduction process that includes at least a spatial-direction noise reduction process when it has been determined that the inter-frame state of the object is not the stationary state. | 07-31-2014 |
| 20140210974 | IMAGING DEVICE, ENDOSCOPE APPARATUS, AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING IMAGING DEVICE - The imaging device includes an imaging optical system that includes a movable lens that simultaneously adjusts the angle of view and the in-focus object distance, an image sensor, a plurality of phase sensors, an acquisition section (A/D conversion section) that acquires phase information from the plurality of phase sensors, a lens control section that controls the position of the movable lens, and a moving amount calculation section that calculates the moving amount of the movable lens necessary for implementing an in-focus state of an image formed on the image sensor due to light beams that have passed through the imaging optical system, based on a phase difference that is based on the phase information, the lens control section controlling the position of the movable lens based on the moving amount calculated by the moving amount calculation section. | 07-31-2014 |
| 20140218494 | High Definition Video Recorder/Player - Apparatus, including a host processor, which is configured to receive video data encapsulated in a standard definition transmission format, and to store the encapsulated video data in a memory. The apparatus further includes a data converter, which is configured to receive high definition video data as a sequence of packets and to encapsulate the sequence of packets in the standard definition transmission format. The data converter is also configured to convey the encapsulated packets to the host processor so that the host processor stores the packets in the memory. | 08-07-2014 |
| 20140232840 | APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR FOUR DIMENSIONAL SOFT TISSUE NAVIGATION IN ENDOSCOPIC APPLICATIONS - A surgical instrument navigation system is provided that visually simulates a virtual volumetric scene of a body cavity of a patient from a point of view of a surgical instrument residing in the cavity of the patient. The surgical instrument navigation system includes: a surgical instrument; an imaging device which is operable to capture scan data representative of an internal region of interest within a given patient; a tracking subsystem that employs electro-magnetic sensing to capture in real-time position data indicative of the position of the surgical instrument; a data processor which is operable to render a volumetric, perspective image of the internal region of interest from a point of view of the surgical instrument; and a display which is operable to display the volumetric perspective image of the patient. | 08-21-2014 |
| 20140232841 | RADIATION VIDEO PROCESSING DEVICE, RADIATION VIDEO CAPTURING DEVICE, RADIATION VIDEO CAPTURING SYSTEM, RADIATION VIDEO PROCESSING METHOD AND PROGRAM STORAGE MEDIUM - A radiographic video processing device includes: an acquisition section that acquires gradation signals expressing charges; and a control section that, if capture of a video image formed from plural frames is being performed with a radiation detector, and a number of the pixels, from which charges are combined and read by switching elements included in adjacent pixels of the radiation detector, has been increased, effects control such that, from a frame at a time of the increase up until a predetermined frame, the gradation signals distributed in a higher density range than that for frames subsequent to the predetermined frame are used as image data. | 08-21-2014 |
| 20140240476 | IMAGING UNIT AND IMAGING MODULE - An imaging unit includes: a columnar optical member including an incident surface on which light is incident, a reflecting surface for reflecting the light incident from the incident surface in a direction different from the incident surface, and an emission surface for causing the light incident from a direction orthogonal to the incident surface and reflected from the reflecting surface to travel in a straight line and emitting the light to the outside; an imaging device including a light receiving unit, formed on a surface of the imaging device, for receiving the light emitted from the emission surface and performing photoelectric conversion on the light; and a cylindrical imaging holder, protruding from at least part of an outer edge of one end in line with a side surface shape of the optical member, for defining the position of the incident surface and holding the optical member. | 08-28-2014 |
| 20140247332 | IMAGE SENSOR CALIBRATION - A method of calibrating an image sensor may include detecting a response from a pixel of the image sensor as a result of light having an intensity impinging on the pixel, and measuring the actual standard deviation of the response of the pixel at the intensity of light. The method may also include determining an averaging number for the pixel at the intensity. The averaging number may be a number of responses of the pixel at the intensity to be averaged to attain an average response having a standard deviation less than or equal to a target value. The method may further include determining the average response of the pixel using the determined averaging number. | 09-04-2014 |
| 20140247333 | ENDOSCOPE AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING THE SAME - An endoscope includes an objective optical system fixed in an observation window provided in a distal end portion main body of the endoscope, an imaging optical system configured to form an image of light incident via the objective optical system and to cause the light to be incident on an imaging element, a ring-shaped member whose outer periphery is circular and in which at least a part of the imaging optical system is arranged on an inner periphery of the ring-shaped member, with an optical axis of the imaging optical system being eccentric with respect to a central axis of the outer periphery, and a frame body in which a through hole that has a long hole shape having a diameter in a minor axis direction thereof equal to an outer diameter of the ring-shaped member is provided and the ring-shaped member is fitted into the through hole. | 09-04-2014 |
| 20140253703 | Video Capture And Streaming Diagnostics Metadata - A system and method for diagnosing problems in a medical imaging system. In some implementations, problems with the medical imaging system are determined by encoding information into an image relating to system settings or other data, and using the information to diagnose possible problems with the image and/or the medical imaging system. | 09-11-2014 |
| 20140253704 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR IMAGING DURING A MEDICAL PROCEDURE - 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. | 09-11-2014 |
| 20140267653 | NOISE AWARE EDGE ENHANCEMENT - The disclosure extends to methods, systems, and computer program products for enhancing edges within an image in a light deficient environment, which utilizes knowledge of the expected noise pixel by pixel, to control the strength of the edge enhancement and thereby limit the impact of the enhancement on the perception of noise. | 09-18-2014 |
| 20140267654 | COMPREHENSIVE FIXED PATTERN NOISE CANCELLATION - The disclosure extends to methods, systems, and computer program products for producing an image in light deficient environments having cancelled fixed pattern noise. | 09-18-2014 |
| 20140300716 | ENDOSCOPE APPARATUS AND CONTROL METHOD FOR ENDOSCOPE APPARATUS - The endoscope apparatus includes a focus control section that performs a focus control process that controls a plurality of in-focus object plane position, the plurality of in-focus object plane positions being set discretely, a switch control section that switches the focus control process between an autofocus control process and a manual focus control process, and an operation section that is operated by a user, when the operation section has been operated by the user during a period in which the focus control section performs the autofocus control process, the switch control section switching the focus control process from the autofocus control process to the manual focus control process, and the focus control section moving the in-focus object plane position to an in-focus object plane position among the plurality of in-focus object plane positions that differs from the in-focus object plane position when the operation section has been operated. | 10-09-2014 |
| 20140307071 | ENDOSCOPE APPARATUS - An endoscope apparatus is an endoscope apparatus having an insertion portion having an image pickup device in a distal end portion, and a main body portion, and has a drive circuit that outputs a drive signal that drives the image pickup device, and a changing section that changes at least one of a pulse width and a peak value of a reset gate signal included in the drive signal, in response to a temperature of a vicinity of the image pickup device or the main body portion. | 10-16-2014 |
| 20140307072 | IMAGE PROCESSING DEVICE, IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD, AND INFORMATION STORAGE DEVICE - An image processing device includes an image acquisition section that acquires an image in time series, the image having been captured by an imaging section, and including an object, a distance acquisition section that acquires distance information based on the distance from the imaging section to the object, and links the distance information to the image, an electronic zoom condition setting section that sets at least an electronic zoom magnification as an electronic zoom condition, and an electronic zoom processing section that performs an electronic zoom process on the image based on the electronic zoom condition, the electronic zoom condition setting section increasing the electronic zoom magnification as the distance indicated by the distance information decreases. | 10-16-2014 |
| 20140320617 | Video Processing In A Compact Multi-Viewing Element Endoscope System - The present specification is directed towards endoscopes, such as colonoscopes, that provide a broader field of view and allow extended access of surgical tools and also enable efficient packing of all necessary elements in the tip section, while maintaining their functionality. Also described are methods and systems for capturing and displaying still and video images using an endoscope corresponding to a left-side looking, a front-looking and a right-side looking viewing element of an endoscopic tip generated in a native aspect ratio. | 10-30-2014 |
| 20140320618 | IMAGING DEVICE, ENDOSCOPE SYSTEM AND METHOD OF ELIMINATING NOISE - An imaging device causes a signal to be output from a first transfer line via a second transfer unit by a noise signal reading operation and a light-noise sum signal reading operation, the noise signal reading operation resetting a transfer capacitor when a signal of a charge converter is output to the first transfer line after a first transfer unit is turned into an OFF state and the charge converter is reset, and the light-noise sum signal reading operation outputting the signal of the charge converter to the first transfer line after the transfer capacitor resetting unit is turned into an OFF state, the first transfer unit is turned into an ON state, and a charge accumulated by a photoelectric conversion element is transferred. | 10-30-2014 |
| 20140320619 | IMAGING UNIT AND IMAGING SYSTEM - An imaging unit includes: an imager that receives and photoelectrically converts light from a target to be captured; a branching unit that branches a signal from the imager into two signals; a first converter into which one of the two signals is input to convert the input signal into an optical signal; a second converter into which the other of the two signals is input to convert the input signal into an electric signal; a first output unit that outputs the optical signal; a second output unit that outputs the electric signal; a detector that detects a unit connected to the imaging unit; and a controller that causes the first output unit to output the optical signal if the unit detected by the detector is the control unit, and causes the second output unit to output the electric signal if the unit detected by the detector is the inspection unit. | 10-30-2014 |
| 20140333742 | White Balance Enclosure for Use with a Multi-Viewing Elements Endoscope - The specification describes a white balance enclosure for use with a tip of a multi-viewing elements endoscope. The white balance enclosure is used to provide a reference white background to the plurality of viewing elements when the tip is positioned within the white balance enclosure and a white balance circuit is used to calculate and store reference white balance values based on white field/test feed signals generated by the plurality of viewing elements exposed to the reference white background. | 11-13-2014 |
| 20140340496 | IMAGING APPARATUS AND IMAGING SYSTEM - An imaging apparatus includes: a sensor unit having a light receiving unit provided with a plurality of pixels for photoelectrically converting received light to generate an electrical signal after photoelectric conversion, and capable of reading the electrical signal generated by the light receiving unit as image information; a control unit configured to control an output mode of the electrical signal on a pixel-by-pixel basis such that a pixel signal level generated by photoelectrically converting the light and a reset level of the pixels are alternately output, and configured to output the electrical signal corresponding to a specified display pattern; a signal processing unit configured to perform signal processing on the electrical signal output from the sensor unit; and a transmission unit configured to transmit a processed signal processed by the signal processing unit to outside. | 11-20-2014 |
| 20140362199 | SURGICAL PORT LOCALIZATION - A method, device, and system are provided for placing a port ( | 12-11-2014 |
| 20150015687 | ENDOSCOPE SMALL IMAGING SYSTEM - An endoscope camera, including a cylindrical enclosure having an enclosure diameter, and an imaging array mounted within the enclosure so that a plane face of the imaging array is parallel to the enclosure diameter. The camera includes a right-angle transparent prism having a rectangular entrance face, an exit face, and an hypotenuse configured to reflect radiation from the entrance face to the exit face. The entrance face has a first edge longer than a second edge, and the prism is mounted within the enclosure so that the first edge is parallel to the enclosure diameter and so that the exit face mates with the plane face of the imaging array. The camera further includes optics, configured to receive incoming radiation from an object, which are mounted so as to transmit the incoming radiation to the imaging array via the entrance and exit faces of the prism. | 01-15-2015 |
| 20150042773 | Endoscopic Objective Optical System and Imaging Apparatus - To allow placement of optical members by providing a long back focus, make aberrations less subject to manufacturing errors, and reduce variations in aberrations during focusing. An endoscopic objective optical system includes, in order from an object side, a front group with negative refractive power, a focusing lens, and a rear group with positive refractive power, wherein: the endoscopic objective optical system satisfies conditional expressions (1) to (4) below: | 02-12-2015 |
| 20150054929 | ENDOSCOPE SYSTEM - An endoscope system includes: a virtual endoscopic image generating section that generates a virtual endoscopic image; an image pickup section picking up an image of an inside of the lumen; a position information obtaining section that obtains information on a position of a distal end of an insertion portion of an endoscope; a distance calculating section that calculates a distance from the obtained position of the distal end of the insertion portion to a feature region; a distance comparing section that determines whether or not the calculated distance is within a set distance via comparison; a variation amount detecting section that detects a variation amount of a feature of a structure of an organ in the picked-up endoscopic image; and an information recording section that records the position of the distal end of the insertion portion based on a result of the comparison by the distance comparing section. | 02-26-2015 |
| 20150062316 | ENDOSCOPE AND ENDOSCOPE SYSTEM - An endoscope having an insertion portion to be inserted into an object to be observed, includes: a substantially tubular holder member mounted to the insertion portion and having an open front end portion including a shoulder surface surrounded by an axial wall; a lens barrel holding an objective lens system and received in the holder member; and a light-transmissive closure member fitted into a front opening defined by the axial wall, and fixed to the front opening by a bonding agent interposed between an outer circumferential surface of the closure member and an opposing inner circumferential surface of the open front end portion of the holder member, wherein a space axially adjoining the shoulder surface is defined between an outer circumferential surface of a front end portion of the lens barrel and an opposing inner circumferential surface of the holder member. | 03-05-2015 |
| 20150085092 | SURGERY ASSISTANCE DEVICE AND SURGERY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM - A personal computer ( | 03-26-2015 |
| 20150085093 | Endoscope Or Exoscope - An endoscope or exoscope having a shaft and at least one objective and at least one electronic image recorder for recording an image of an object field, wherein the objective and image recorder are arranged in a distal end region of the endoscope or exoscope, and includes at least one cable, routed within the endoscope or exoscope, for supply of and/or image transmission from the electronic image recorder, wherein the electronic image recorder includes an optical unit, which is rotatable about a first axis of rotation identical or approximately parallel to a direction of view of the scope, and on which the cable is connected and can be wound on a circumferential surface of the optical unit, and wherein the distal end region includes a cavity, in which storage for holding a section of the cable is held. | 03-26-2015 |
| 20150085094 | IMAGE PICKUP APPARATUS, SEMICONDUCTOR APPARATUS, AND IMAGE PICKUP UNIT - An image pickup apparatus includes: an image pickup chip including a light receiving section and electrode pads, on a first main face, and a plurality of connection electrodes, each of which is connected to each of the electrode pads via each of a plurality of through-hole interconnections, on a second main face; a transparent cover glass having a larger plan-view dimension than the image pickup chip; a transparent adhesive layer that bonds the first main face of the image pickup chip and the cover glass; and a sealing member that covers a side face of the image pickup chip and a side face of the adhesive layer, and is made of an insulating material having a same plan-view dimension as the cover glass. | 03-26-2015 |
| 20150097935 | INTEGRATED TRACKING WITH WORLD MODELING - Disclosed are various embodiments for determining a pose of a mobile device by analyzing a digital image captured by at least one imaging device to identify a plurality of regions in a fiducial marker indicative of a pose of the mobile device. A fiducial marker may comprise a circle-of-dots pattern, the circle-of-dots pattern comprising an arrangement of dots of varied sizes. The pose of the mobile device may be used to generate a three-dimensional reconstruction of an item subject to a scan via the mobile device. | 04-09-2015 |
| 20150138328 | ENDOSCOPE APPARATUS - An endoscope apparatus includes: e.g., an image pickup device including an effective pixel region and an ineffective pixel region, a signal transmission cable that transmits an output signal from the image pickup device, an analog front-end circuit that samples the transmitted output signal and converts a resulting output signal into a digital signal, and a timing generator that generate first and second image pickup drive signals for driving the image pickup device in first and second image pickup device drive modes using horizontal transfer clocks having different frequencies, respectively, and when the first image pickup device drive mode is switched to the second image pickup device drive mode, a control circuit adjusts a timing for a timing generator to generate the second image pickup drive signal. | 05-21-2015 |
| 20150145978 | ELECTRONIC ENDOSCOPE DEVICE - The electronic endoscope device is provided with: a spectral image capturing means for capturing a spectral image of a predetermined wavelength range in a body cavity and obtaining spectral image data; a spectrum resolving means whereby the spectral data of each of the pixels included in the spectral image data is resolved into a plurality of predetermined component spectra by performing regression analysis; a spectrum compositing means for recomposing the predetermined plurality of component spectra, removing at least one of the plurality of component spectra, and thereby generating composited image data; and a display means for performing screen display on the basis of the composite image data. | 05-28-2015 |
| 20150145979 | RADIO COMMUNICATION SYSTEM AND COMMUNICATION METHOD - A radio communication system, which includes a transmission apparatus that transmits a video signal and a plurality of reception apparatuses that receive the video signal, includes: a storage section that stores information for identifying that a priority related to transmission of the video signal to each of the plurality of reception apparatuses is either a first priority or a second priority lower than the first priority; an error detection section that detects a presence or absence of occurrence of a communication error related to transmission/reception of the video signal; a determination section that determines whether there is a reception apparatus of the first priority among the reception apparatuses in which the communication error is occurring; and a control section that retransmits the video signal only when there is a reception apparatus of the first priority among the reception apparatuses in which the communication error is occurring. | 05-28-2015 |
| 20150320296 | IMAGE PROCESSING DEVICE, ENDOSCOPE APPARATUS, INFORMATION STORAGE DEVICE, AND IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD - An image processing device includes an image acquisition section, a distance information acquisition section, a motion detection section that detects motion information about a local motion of an object, a classification section that performs a classification process that classifies a structure of the object based on a distance information, and an enhancement processing section that. excludes a pixel or an area within the captured image for which it has been determined that the motion amount of the object is larger than a threshold value based on the motion information from the target of the enhancement process based on a classification result, or decreases the enhancement level of the enhancement process applied to the pixel or the area within the captured image as the motion amount of the object within the pixel or the area increases based on the motion information. | 11-12-2015 |
| 20150320299 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR DISPLAYING AN IMAGE STREAM - Systems and methods for displaying an image stream captured by an in vivo imaging device are presented. A method comprises receiving a stream of image frames captured by the in vivo device, each frame comprising a plurality of pixels. A summarized image presentation comprising summarized data elements may be generated, each summarized data element corresponding to at least one frame from the image stream. Summarized data elements are generated by ordering pixels of one or more image frames according to a first sorting parameter, sampling the ordered pixels according to a predetermined sampling scheme to acquire a subset of ordered pixels; and combining or appending sampled pixels to form a summarized data element. The summarized data elements are combined to form a summarized image presentation. | 11-12-2015 |
| 20150326800 | SOLID-STATE IMAGING APPARATUS AND ENDOSCOPE APPARATUS - A solid-state imaging apparatus includes a plurality of photoelectric conversion sections configured to generate a signal charge according to an amount of an incident light and disposed in a matrix, a first accumulation section configured to accumulate the signal charge, a first transfer section configured to transfer the signal charge from the photoelectric conversion sections to the first accumulation section, a second accumulation section configured to accumulate the signal charge accumulated in the first accumulation section, a second transfer section configured to transfer the signal charge accumulated in the first accumulation section to the second accumulation section, a reset section configured to reset the signal charge accumulated in the second accumulation section, an output section configured to output a signal according to the signal charge accumulated in the second accumulation section, and first and second control sections configured to control each section for every row or column. | 11-12-2015 |
| 20150342443 | IMAGING ELEMENT, IMAGING DEVICE, ENDOSCOPE, ENDOSCOPE SYSTEM, AND METHOD OF DRIVING IMAGING ELEMENT - An imaging element includes: a plurality of pixels arranged into a two-dimensional matrix, configured to receive light from outside, and configured to generate and output an imaging signal according to an amount of light received; a first transfer line connected to the pixel and configured to transfer the imaging signal; a pixel selection unit configured to perform a selection operation of selecting a selection target pixel from among the plurality of pixels in order to read the imaging signal out to the first transfer line and a de-selection operation of canceling the selection of the pixel being selected; and control unit configured to control the pixel selection unit. The control unit performs the selection operation of selecting a new selection target pixel after performing the de-selection operation on the basis of a synchronization signal from outside. | 12-03-2015 |
| 20150350502 | WAFER-LEVEL CAMERA MODULE AND MANUFACTURING METHOD THEREOF - The present disclosure illustrates a wafer-level camera module for an endoscope and manufacturing method thereof. The wafer-level camera module includes substrate, image sensor unit, light emitting units, lens module, and transparent package member. The substrate has a first area and a plurality of second areas. The image sensor unit and the light emitting units are located at the first area and the plurality of second areas, respectively. The image sensor unit is covered by the lens module, but the plurality of light emitting units are not covered by the lens module. The transparent package member is disposed above the plurality of plurality of light emitting units and around the lens module. The light generated from the light emitting units transmits through the transparent package to outer environment. An opaque material is coated between the lens module and the transparent package member. | 12-03-2015 |
| 20150363942 | IMAGE PROCESSING DEVICE, ENDOSCOPE APPARATUS, IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD, AND INFORMATION STORAGE DEVICE - An image processing device, an endoscope apparatus, an image processing method, an image processing program, and the like make it possible to perform an appropriate enhancement process corresponding to the observation state. The image processing device includes an image acquisition section that acquires a captured image that includes an image of an object, a motion amount acquisition section that acquires a motion amount of the object, a known characteristic information acquisition section that acquires known characteristic information that is information that represents known characteristics relating to the object, and an enhancement processing section that performs an enhancement process that corresponds to the motion amount based on the known characteristic information. | 12-17-2015 |
| 20150374209 | OPERATION INPUT DEVICE AND MASTER-SLAVE SYSTEM - With an object of suppressing unintended motion of a slave device due to an erroneous operation of a master device, an operation input device includes: a one-dimensional operation unit which can generate a one-dimensional motion command signal; and a two-dimensional operation unit which can generate a two-dimensional motion command signal, wherein the one-dimensional operation unit and the two-dimensional operation unit can be operated independently from each other. | 12-31-2015 |
| 20160014328 | IMAGE PROCESSING DEVICE, ENDOSCOPE APPARATUS, INFORMATION STORAGE DEVICE, AND IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD | 01-14-2016 |
| 20160022117 | IMAGING ELEMENT, IMAGING DEVICE, ENDOSCOPE, ENDOSCOPE SYSTEM, AND METHOD OF DRIVING IMAGING ELEMENT - An imaging element includes: a plurality of pixels; first vertical transfer lines; a second vertical transfer line; a reference voltage generator configured to generate a first reference voltage for a column-black reference signal, a second reference voltage for a line-black reference signal and a third reference voltage for phase adjustment; a phase adjusting signal generator configured to output a phase adjusting signal corresponding to the third reference voltage; a first reference signal generator configured to generate a column-black reference signal corresponding to the first reference voltage; a second reference signal generator configured to generate a line-black reference signal corresponding to the second reference voltage; and a timing generator configured to drive the phase adjusting signal generator, the first reference signal generator and the second reference signal generator to transmit the phase adjusting signal, the column-black reference signal and the line-black reference signal, respectively. | 01-28-2016 |
| 20160029925 | MEDICAL IMAGE PROCESSING DEVICE, METHOD FOR OPERATING THE SAME, AND ENDOSCOPE SYSTEM - First RGB image signals are inputted. A first B/G ratio and a first G/R ratio are calculated. The first B/G ratio and the first G/R ratio are converted into a second B/G ratio and a second G/R ratio, respectively, through a color information conversion process. Owing to the color information conversion process, a difference between first and second observation areas in a second signal ratio space formed by the second B/G ratio and the second G/R ratio is greater than a difference between the first and second observation areas in a first signal ratio space formed by the first B/G ratio and the first G/R ratio, and a difference between the first and third observation areas in the second signal ratio space is greater than a difference between the first and third observation areas in the first signal ratio space. | 02-04-2016 |
| 20160037029 | IMAGE PICKUP APPARATUS AND ELECTRONIC ENDOSCOPE - An image pickup apparatus includes a laminated substrate on which a plurality of electronic components configuring a driving circuit of a solid-state image pickup device are mounted and in which a plurality of conductor layers and a plurality of vias are formed, electronic component connection lands provided on a surface of the laminated substrate, any one of the plurality of electronic components being electrically connected to the electronic component connection lands, and a cable connection land provided on the surface of the laminated substrate, a plurality of signal cables being electrically connected to the cable connection land. At least one of the plurality of electronic components is embedded in a position superimposed on the electronic component connection lands or the cable connection land on an inside of the laminated substrate. | 02-04-2016 |
| 20160037082 | RECONSTRUCTION OF IMAGES FROM AN IN VIVO MULTI-CAMERA CAPSULE - Method and apparatus of reconstruction of images from an in vivo multi-camera capsule are disclosed. In one embodiment of the present invention, the capsule comprises two cameras with overlapped fields of view (FOVs). Intra-image based pose estimation is applied to the sub-images associated with the overlapped area to improve the pose estimation for the capsule device. In another embodiment, two images corresponding to the two FOVs are fused by using disparity-adjusted, linear weighted sum of the overlapped sub-images. In yet another embodiment, the images from the multi-camera capsule are stitched for time-space representation. | 02-04-2016 |
| 20160051134 | GUIDANCE OF THREE-DIMENSIONAL SCANNING DEVICE - Disclosed are various embodiments for providing operability and guidance of a mobile scanning device configured to scan and generate images and reconstructions of surfaces of objects. A mobile scanning device, such as an otoscanner, may be guided such that collection of data for the surfaces of objects is optimized. In addition, the mobile scanning device may be further guided such that a position of the mobile scanning device may be maintained utilizing detection of fiducial markers via one or more sensors. | 02-25-2016 |
| 20160081533 | SERIALIZATION OF SINGLE-USE ENDOSCOPES - A system, device and method for serializing and authorizing a single use imaging device are provided. In one embodiment, the invention provides a single use imaging device comprising a memory having a stored code that includes a unique serial identifier. In another embodiment, the invention provides a system for authorizing a single use imaging device comprising a single use imaging device with an image of a verification object that includes a serial identifier uniquely associated with the device, a control unit capable of electronically receiving the verification object image, a decoder capable of extracting a serial identifier from the verification object image, a database of authorized serial identifiers, and means for determining if the single use imaging device is authorized. | 03-24-2016 |
| 20160100748 | ENDOSCOPE - An endoscope has an imaging unit at a distal end portion of an insert section, and a relay board including an imaging signal converter that converts imaging signals output from the imaging unit is provided inside the insert section. Here, a data transmission method of an imaging signal transmitted at least in a section from the imaging unit to the relay board is a low-amplitude differential transmission method. | 04-14-2016 |
| 20160105606 | IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS FOR ELECTRONIC ENDOSCOPE, ELECTRONIC ENDOSCOPE SYSTEM, AND IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD FOR ELECTRONIC ENDOSCOPE - In the case where a value of the aspect ratio of the display area of an image display device is larger than a value of the aspect ratio of a captured image indicated by an imaging signal, image processing for making the magnification of an image of a peripheral portion outside a central portion of the captured image larger than the magnification of an image of the central portion so as to match the aspect ratio of the display area of the image display device is performed. Accordingly, the magnification of the image of the peripheral portion of the captured image is increased by using the display area that is elongated in the horizontal direction, without degrading the visibility of the image of the central portion of the captured image. As a result, it is possible to improve the visibility of the image of the peripheral portion. | 04-14-2016 |
| 20160113480 | DECODING DEVICE, IMAGING SYSTEM, DECODING METHOD, CODING/DECODING METHOD, AND COMPUTER-READABLE RECORDING MEDIUM - A decoding device includes: a data obtaining unit configured to obtain a key block and a non-key brock, the key block forming a part of image data of one frame, and the non-key block forming a part of the image data of one frame on at least a part of which a coding process is performed; a characteristic information storage unit configured to store characteristic information regarding a pixel value correlation characteristic in a frame; and a decoding unit configured to perform repeated decoding by a belief-propagation method based on a first log-likelihood ratio and a second log-likelihood ratio to estimate the non-key block before the coding process, the first log-likelihood being obtained from the non-key block, and the second log-likelihood ratio being obtained from the key block and the characteristic information. | 04-28-2016 |
| 20160135670 | APPARATUS FOR PROVIDING IMAGING SUPPORT DURING A SURGICAL INTERVENTION - A surgical operation imaging device is disclosed. The surgical operation imaging device has an endoscope having a camera that generates image data, a manipulator that moves the endoscope, and a viewing device that presents a moving image based on the image data. The surgical operation imaging device also has a controller that controls the manipulator and the endoscope based on a plurality of operating states and an operating element coupled with the controller. The operating element has a first switching state and a second switching state. A selected operating state is selected from the plurality of operating states based on the operating element switching between the first switching state and the second switching state. The selected operating state is changed based on the operating element switching between the first switching state and the second switching state. | 05-19-2016 |
| 20160140691 | METHOD AND DEVICE FOR JOINING A PLURALITY OF INDIVIDUAL DIGITAL IMAGES TO FORM A TOTAL IMAGE - In a device and a corresponding method for joining a plurality of individual digital images to form a total image, a plurality of features is determined in a first individual image by means of a selection unit using a feature-based algorithm and then tracked in a second individual image by means of a tracking unit. A transformation matrix, with which the individual images are joined in an output unit to form the total image, is calculated from the determined feature correspondences in a transformation unit. The individual images can be joined in real time and with a high degree of accuracy by means of the feature-based algorithm in combination with a robust algorithm to calculate the transformation matrix. | 05-19-2016 |
| 20160174827 | System and Method for Processing Video Images Generated By A Multiple Viewing Elements Endoscope | 06-23-2016 |
| 20160179305 | INSPECTION IMAGE DISPLAY APPARATUS, INSPECTION IMAGE DISPLAY METHOD AND STORAGE MEDIUM | 06-23-2016 |
| 20160182776 | 180 Degree Bendable Articulating Borescope Endoscope | 06-23-2016 |
| 20160189363 | IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD, CORRESPONDING IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS AND ENDOSCOPE ARRANGEMENT - In an image processing method ( | 06-30-2016 |
| 20160192824 | ENDOSCOPE | 07-07-2016 |
| 20160249789 | ENDOSCOPE | 09-01-2016 |
| 20160249790 | ENDOSCOPE | 09-01-2016 |
| 20190142255 | ENDOSCOPE | 05-16-2019 |
