IP Library › Granted Patent US 10,405,737
Granted Patent B2
US 10,405,737 · App. 15/380,081 · Granted Sep 10, 2019

Endoscope light source apparatus

Inventors: Motoki Tabata (Hino, JP); Takeshi Ito (Hino, JP); Satoshi Ohara (Hachioji, JP)
Assignee: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
A61B1/0684A61B1/06A61B1/0661A61B1/07
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,405,737
App. No.
15/380,081
Granted
Sep 10, 2019
Kind
B2
Abstract

An endoscope light source apparatus includes a first light source section that emits first light, a second light source section that emits second light, and an optical path combiner that combines an optical path of the first light and an optical path of the second light. The etendue of the first light source section is smaller than the etendue of the second light source section. The optical path combiner has an optical deflection surface that deflects the second light, and has an aperture that allows the first light to pass through it within an area of the optical deflection surface. The optical path combiner deflects the second light so that a center axis of the optical path of the second light deflected by the optical deflection surface corresponds to a center axis of the optical path of the first light that has passed through the aperture.

Claims (20)

1. An endoscope light source apparatus to which an endoscope is to be connected, the endoscope light source apparatus comprising:

a first light source section including a first light source that emits first light source light;

a second light source section including a second light source that emits second light source light; and

an optical path combiner that combines an optical path of the first light source light and an optical path of the second light source light,

a light converger that transforms the first light source light emitted from the first light source section into convergent light,

an etendue of the first light source section being smaller than an etendue of the second light source section,

the optical path combiner having an optical deflection surface that deflects the second light source light, and having an aperture within an area of the optical deflection surface, the aperture being positioned at a distance from the light converger,

the optical path combiner deflecting the second light source light so that a center axis of the optical path of the second light source light deflected by the optical deflection surface corresponds to a center axis of the optical path of the first light source light that has passed through the aperture,

the first light source light and the second light source light entering the endoscope through the respective optical paths whose center axes correspond to each other; and

the aperture of the optical path combiner is arranged at a light convergence point of the convergent light or in proximity thereof along the optical path of the first light source light such that an opening of the aperture is equal to or greater than a beam diameter of the first light source light at the distance from the light converger.

2. The endoscope light source apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the center axes of the optical paths of the first and second light source light correspond to an optical axis of an entrance end of the endoscope with the endoscope being connected to the endoscope light source apparatus.

3. The endoscope light source apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the first light source section further includes an optical fiber that guides the first light source light, and the first light source light is emitted from a position in proximity to the aperture or a position closer to the endoscope than the optical path combiner.

4. The endoscope light source apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein a shape of the aperture is identical to a beam shape of the first light source light as projected onto a plane perpendicular to the center axis of the optical path of the first light source light.

5. The endoscope light source apparatus according to claim 1 , the first light source section includes a laser light source, and the second light source section includes a lamp light source or a light emitting diode light source.

6. An endoscope apparatus comprising:

the endoscope light source apparatus according to claim 1 ; and

the endoscope to be connected to the endoscope light source apparatus,

the endoscope including a light entrance section that takes in the first and second light source light, and a light guide that guides the first and second light source light that has entered the light entrance section.

7. The endoscope apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the light guide of the endoscope comprises a bundle fiber.

8. The endoscope apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the light guide of the endoscope comprises a single optical fiber.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 15, 2016
From: TABATA, MOTOKI; ITO, TAKESHI; OHARA, SATOSHI
To: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 040992/0422 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2014-124758 · Jun 17, 2014 · national
Continuity (2)
Continuation PCTJP2015064612 · May 21, 2015
Related Publication 20170095144A1 · Apr 6, 2017