IP Library Granted Patent US 11,397,314
Granted Patent B2
US 11,397,314 · App. 16/903,467 · Granted Jul 26, 2022

Endoscope system, optical adaptor for endoscope, and method of controlling endoscope system

Inventor: Shinpei Suzuki (Tokyo, JP)
Assignee: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
G02B23/2407A61B1/00163A61B1/00183G01N21/954G01N2201/062G01N2201/0612G01N2201/0638G01N2201/0648
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,397,314
App. No.
16/903,467
Granted
Jul 26, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

In an endoscope system, a first actuator is configured to move a first optical member when a control signal is applied to the first actuator. A second actuator is configured to move a second optical member only when the control signal having a signal value greater than or equal to a predetermined value is applied to the second actuator. A signal source is configured to apply the control signal having the signal value greater than or equal to the predetermined value or the control signal having a signal value less than the predetermined value to the first actuator and is configured to apply the control signal having the signal value greater than or equal to the predetermined value to the second actuator.

Claims (96)

1. An endoscope system comprising:

a first optical member;

a second optical member;

a first actuator capable of controlling the first optical member;

a second actuator capable of controlling the second optical member; and

a signal source configured to output a control signal to the first actuator and the second actuator,

wherein the first actuator and the second actuator are electrically connected to the signal source,

the first actuator is configured to move the first optical member when the control signal is applied to the first actuator,

the second actuator is configured to move the second optical member only when the control signal having a signal value greater than or equal to a predetermined value is applied to the second actuator, and

the signal source is configured to apply the control signal having the signal value greater than or equal to the predetermined value or the control signal having a signal value less than the predetermined value to the first actuator and is configured to apply the control signal having the signal value greater than or equal to the predetermined value to the second actuator.

2. The endoscope system according to claim 1 ,

wherein the signal source is configured to apply the control signal having the signal value less than the predetermined value to the first actuator and the second actuator after the signal source applies the control signal having the signal value greater than or equal to the predetermined value to the first actuator and the second actuator.

3. The endoscope system according to claim 1 ,

wherein the first actuator and the second actuator are electromagnetic actuators,

the first optical member is a shutter or a prism,

the second optical member is a shutter different from the first optical member in a case in which the first optical member is a shutter, and

the second optical member is a prism different from the first optical member in a case in which the first optical member is a prism.

4. The endoscope system according to claim 1 ,

wherein the first actuator includes a first coil that generates a magnetic force acting on the first optical member when the control signal is applied to the first actuator,

the second actuator includes a second coil that generates a magnetic force acting on the second optical member when the control signal is applied to the second actuator, and

a number of turns of the first coil is greater than a number of turns of the second coil.

5. The endoscope system according to claim 1 ,

wherein the first actuator includes a first permanent magnet fixed to the first optical member,

the second actuator includes a second permanent magnet fixed to the second optical member, and

a magnetic force of the first optical member is stronger than a magnetic force of the second permanent magnet.

6. The endoscope system according to claim 1 ,

wherein the first actuator includes:

a first magnetic substance; and

a first coil wound around the first magnetic substance and configured to cause the first magnetic substance to be magnetized when the control signal is applied to the first actuator,

the second actuator includes:

a second magnetic substance; and

a second coil wound around the second magnetic substance and configured to cause the second magnetic substance to be magnetized when the control signal is applied to the second actuator, and

a magnetic force generated in the first magnetic substance when the first magnetic substance is magnetized is stronger than a magnetic force generated in the second magnetic substance when the second magnetic substance is magnetized.

7. The endoscope system according to claim 1 , further comprising a signal line connecting the first actuator and the second actuator to the signal source,

wherein the first actuator and the second actuator are connected in parallel to the signal line, and

the second actuator includes a resistor electrically connected to the signal line.

8. The endoscope system according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a resistor; and

a signal line connecting the first actuator and the second actuator to the signal source,

wherein the first actuator and the second actuator are connected in parallel to the signal line, and

the resistor is connected in series to the second actuator and electrically connected to the signal line.

9. The endoscope system according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a signal line connecting the first actuator and the second actuator to the signal source;

a first resistor; and

a second resistor,

wherein the first actuator and the second actuator are connected in parallel to the signal line,

the first resistor is connected in series to the first actuator and electrically connected to the signal line, and

the second resistor is connected in series to the second actuator and electrically connected to the signal line.

10. The endoscope system according to claim 1 ,

wherein, the first actuator is configured to move the first optical member when the control signal is continuously applied to the first actuator for longer than or equal to a first application duration,

the second actuator is configured to move the second optical member only when the control signal having the signal value greater than or equal to the predetermined value is continuously applied to the second actuator for longer than or equal to a second application duration,

the first application duration is longer than the second application duration,

the signal source is configured to continuously apply the control signal having the signal value greater than or equal to the predetermined value to the first actuator and the second actuator for longer than or equal to the second application duration and shorter than the first application duration, and

the signal source is configured to continuously apply the control signal having the signal value less than the predetermined value to the first actuator and the second actuator for longer than or equal to the first application duration.

11. The endoscope system according to claim 10 ,

wherein a timing at which the control signal having the signal value greater than or equal to the predetermined value is applied to the first actuator and the second actuator is different from a timing at which the control signal having the signal value less than the predetermined value is applied to the first actuator and the second actuator.

12. The endoscope system according to claim 10 ,

wherein the first actuator and the second actuator are electromagnetic actuators,

the first optical member is a shutter,

the second optical member is a shutter different from the first optical member.

13. The endoscope system according to claim 10 ,

wherein the first optical member is heavier than the second optical member.

14. The endoscope system according to claim 10 , further comprising:

a condenser; and

a signal line connecting the first actuator and the second actuator to the signal source,

wherein the first actuator and the second actuator are connected in series to each other, and

the condenser is connected to the signal line in parallel with the first actuator.

15. The endoscope system according to claim 10 , further comprising:

a detector configured to detect positions of the first optical member and the second optical member; and

a control circuit configured to control the signal source such that a state of the endoscope system becomes any one of a first state and a second state on the basis of the positions detected by the detector,

wherein, the first state is a state in which the control signal having the signal value less than the predetermined value is continuously applied to the first actuator and the second actuator for longer than or equal to the first application duration, and

the second state is a state in which the control signal having the signal value greater than or equal to the predetermined value is continuously applied to the first actuator and the second actuator for longer than or equal to the second application duration and shorter than the first application duration.

16. An optical adaptor for an endoscope, the optical adaptor comprising:

a first optical member;

a second optical member;

a first actuator configured to operate when a control signal having a predetermined signal value is applied to the first actuator and configured to move the first optical member; and

a second actuator configured to operate only when a control signal having a signal value greater than the predetermined signal value is applied to the second actuator and configured to move the second optical member,

wherein the first actuator and the second actuator are electrically connected to each other.

17. The optical adaptor according to claim 16 ,

wherein, the first actuator is configured to move the first optical member when the control signal having the predetermined signal value is continuously applied to the first actuator for longer than or equal to a first application duration,

the second actuator is configured to move the second optical member only when the control signal having the signal value greater than or equal to the predetermined signal value is continuously applied to the second actuator for longer than or equal to a second application duration, and

the first application duration is longer than the second application duration.

18. A method of controlling an endoscope system, the method comprising:

a first step; and

a second step,

wherein the endoscope system includes:

a first optical member;

a second optical member;

a first actuator capable of controlling the first optical member;

a second actuator capable of controlling the second optical member; and

a signal source configured to output a control signal to the first actuator and the second actuator,

the first actuator and the second actuator are electrically connected to the signal source,

the first actuator is configured to move the first optical member when the control signal is applied to the first actuator,

the second actuator is configured to move the second optical member only when the control signal having a signal value greater than or equal to a predetermined value is applied to the second actuator,

the signal source is configured to apply the control signal having the signal value greater than or equal to the predetermined value or the control signal having a signal value less than the predetermined value to the first actuator in the first step, and

the signal source is configured to apply the control signal having the signal value greater than or equal to the predetermined value to the second actuator in the second step.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 2, 2022
From: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
To: EVIDENT CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 060691/0945 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 17, 2020
From: SUZUKI, SHINPEI
To: OLYMPUS CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 052959/0679 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP JP2017-250403 · Dec 27, 2017 · national
Continuity (2)
Continuation PCTJP2018047794 · Dec 26, 2018
Related Publication 20200310101A1 · Oct 1, 2020