IP Library › Granted Patent US 12672764
Granted Patent B2
US 12672764 · App. 18/244,506 · Granted Jul 7, 2026

Endoscope system, processor, and method for estimating temperature of endoscope

Inventor: Sayuri Yamamoto (Hino, JP)
Assignee: OLYMPUS MEDICAL SYSTEMS CORP.
A61B1/0051A61B1/00097A61B1/0058
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12672764
App. No.
18/244,506
Granted
Jul 7, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

An endoscope system includes: an endoscope equipped with an insertion portion inserted into a subject; a heating element provided in the insertion portion and configured to generate heat; a temperature sensor configured to acquire heating element temperature data on temperature of the heating element; and a processor. The processor outputs initial surface temperature, which is data on insertion portion surface temperature at a first time point prior to a heating start time of the heating element, based on the heating element temperature data at the first time point and estimates changes in the insertion portion surface temperature over time after the first time point based on the heating element temperature data after the first time point using the initial surface temperature as an initial value of the insertion portion surface temperature.

Claims (12)

1 . A processing apparatus comprising:

a processor comprising hardware, the processor being configured to:

acquire heating element temperature data from a temperature sensor configured to estimate temperature of a heating element provided in an insertion portion of an endoscope inserted into a subject;

output initial surface temperature, which is insertion portion surface temperature at a first time point prior to a start of heating of the heating element, based on the heating element temperature data at the first time point,

estimate changes in the insertion portion surface temperature over time after the first time point based on the heating element temperature data after the first time point using the initial surface temperature as an initial value of the insertion portion surface temperature; and

output a change in the insertion portion surface temperature based on a mathematical equation containing a function that has a gain and a time constant or a modification of the function, using the heating element temperature data as an input value to the mathematical equation.

2 . The processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to determine to stop heating the heating element based on the insertion portion surface temperature.

3 . The processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to output the initial surface temperature based on the heating element temperature data only at the first time point.

4 . The processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to:

output the initial surface temperature based on the heating element temperature data only at the first time point; and

output a change in the insertion portion surface temperature based on a mathematical equation containing a function that has a gain and a time constant or a modification of the function, using the heating element temperature data as an input value to the mathematical equation.

5 . The processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to output the initial surface temperature by adding a predetermined safety value.