Imaging system for endoscope

1. An apparatus comprising:

at least one illumination source configured to emit illumination energy;

an illumination control system connected to the at least one illumination source to receive the illumination energy, the illumination control system being configured to control the illumination energy to output a sequence of different illumination wavelengths using the illumination energy, wherein the illumination control system comprises:

a reflector, and

at least one wavelength division multiplexer, diffraction grating, or adjustable color filter;

a member configured to be at least partially inserted into a patient;

a plurality of optical fibers connected to the illumination control system and disposed within the member; and

an image capture device including a plurality of pixels, each pixel of the image capture device being configured to detect the illumination energy associated with each of the plurality of different illumination wavelengths reflected from an object.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a processor coupled to the image capture device and configured to produce a composite image based on the illumination energy associated with each of the plurality of different illumination wavelengths reflected from the object.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one wavelength division multiplexer, diffraction grating, or adjustable color filter is configured to separate broad band light into illumination energy associated with the different illumination wavelengths.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the image capture device is configured to detect illumination energy of any wavelength in the visible spectrum.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a processor coupled to the image capture device and configured to send information to the illumination control system to synchronize the output of the sequence of illumination wavelengths to the image capture device.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the illumination control system is configured to transmit the illumination energy associated with the respective illumination wavelengths through respective outputs.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the illumination control system includes three wavelength division multiplexers coupled to the illumination source, wherein each wavelength division multiplexer is coupled to an optical fiber and is configured to separate broad band light into an illumination energy associated with illumination wavelengths associated with red, blue or green light.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the at least one wavelength division multiplexer, diffraction grating, or adjustable color filter is a wavelength division multiplexer, and the at least one wavelength division multiplexer is coupled to the illumination source and to at least one of the plurality of optical fibers.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the illumination control system includes three diffraction gratings coupled to the illumination source, wherein each diffraction grating is coupled to an optical fiber and is configured to separate broad band light into an illumination energy associated with illumination wavelengths associated with red, blue or green light.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a processor coupled to the image capture device and configured to adjust a characteristic of the illumination energy based on the detected illumination energy.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the illumination control system includes three adjustable color filters coupled to the illumination source, wherein each adjustable color filter is coupled to an optical fiber and is configured to separate broad band light into an illumination energy associated with illumination wavelengths associated with red, blue or green light.

12. A method comprising:

positioning a distal end of an elongate member near an object;

producing illumination energy associated with different illumination wavelengths to output a sequence of the different illumination wavelengths, wherein producing illumination energy associated with different illumination wavelengths includes separating broad band light using at least one of a wavelength division multiplexer, a diffraction grating, or an adjustable color filter;

transmitting the illumination energy through a plurality of optical fibers extending through the elongate member, each optical fiber being configured to transmit a different illumination wavelength of the sequence to output the sequence of different illumination wavelengths towards the object;

illuminating the object using the illumination energy transmitted through the plurality of optical fibers;

detecting the illumination energy reflected from the object associated with all of the illumination wavelengths with an image capture device; and

producing a plurality of image frames based on the detected illumination energy.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising producing a composite image based on at least two of the image frames.

14. The method of claim 12 , further comprising determining a timing of production of the image frames and synchronizing a timing of the production of illumination energy to the timing of the production of the image frames.

15. The method of claim 12 , further comprising directing the illumination energy associated with one of the illumination wavelengths to the object, wherein the illumination wavelengths include illumination wavelengths associated with red, blue or green light.

16. An endoscopic system comprising:

an member configured to be at least partially inserted into a patient;

a plurality of optical fibers extending through the member;

a plurality of pump light sources coupled to the plurality of optical fibers via a first optical fiber section, a reflector, and a facet, and configured to direct illumination energy associated with a plurality of different illumination wavelengths through the plurality of optical fibers such that the different illumination wavelengths of the illumination energy are produced in a sequence, each optical fiber being configured to transmit a different illumination wavelength of the sequence to output the sequence of different illumination wavelengths;

an image capture device disposed in the elongate member, the image capture device including a plurality of pixels, the image capture device being configured to produce a plurality of image frames; and

a processor coupled to the image capture device and configured to receive the plurality of image frames from the image capture device.

17. The endoscopic system of claim 16 , wherein the image capture device is configured to detect illumination energy of any wavelength in the visible spectrum.

18. The endoscopic system of claim 16 , wherein the illumination control system is configured to separate broad band light into the illumination energy associated with the different illumination wavelengths and to direct the illumination energy associated with the illumination wavelengths through the respective optical fibers.

19. The endoscopic system of claim 16 , wherein the processor is configured to determine a timing of the image frames and to send information to the illumination control system to synchronize the output of the sequence of illumination wavelengths to the image capture device.

20. The endoscopic system of claim 16 , wherein, after receiving power from a power source, the image capture device is configured to operate without an external control signal.