JP2002360514A - Light source device and processor for electronic endoscope - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To improve a beam-condensing rate of illumination light by providing a plurality of LEDs with condenser lenses, respectively. SOLUTION: A fiber scope 10 is connected to the light source device 100. The light source device 100 is provided with a light source unit 102 and the light source unit 102 comprises a plurality of the LEDs 110 and the condenser lenses 120 disposed at the radiation surfaces of the respective LEDs 110. The LEDs 110 output approximately parallel white light and the condenser lenses 120 condense the white light to the incident end face of a light guide member 16.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a light source device to which a fiber scope, an electronic scope or the like is connected, and which supplies illumination light to a distal end portion of a flexible tube of these endoscopes.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art An endoscope is provided with an objective lens at the tip of a flexible tube to be inserted into a body or the like, and directly observes an optical subject image formed by the objective lens at an eyepiece, or a solid-state imaging device. The photoelectric conversion by the element is performed and observed by a monitor device or the like. In general, since a flexible tube is inserted into a space without light, it is necessary to illuminate a subject by supplying illumination light to a distal end. Conventionally, halogen lamps and xenon lamps,
Metal halide lamps and the like have been used as light sources for illumination, and these lamps have the advantage of high light-collecting properties and high luminance. However, these lamps are disadvantageous in that they are large and consume large amounts of electricity and heat. This drawback is a particularly serious obstacle for a light source of a recently developed portable endoscope.

In order to solve this problem, a configuration using a small-sized light emitting diode as a light source, which has a small electric power consumption and a small amount of heat generation and whose light quantity control is relatively easy, has been considered. The light emitting diode has an orientation characteristic that the radiated light is diffused, and since the light emitting amount of the light emitting diode alone is extremely small as compared with the above-described lamp, the light collecting property is poor compared with the above-described lamp, so that the subject can be observed. However, there is a problem that a sufficient amount of light cannot be obtained.

[0004]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In view of the above problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a light source device which is small in size, generates a small amount of heat, and can supply high-luminance illumination light.

[0005]

A light source device according to the present invention is a light source device having a light source unit to which an optical cable of a scope having an optical cable for guiding light to a distal end portion of a flexible tube is optically connected. A plurality of light source units are arranged at positions facing the incident end of the optical cable, each of which is provided integrally with a light emitting diode that outputs substantially parallel light, and on each radiation surface of the light emitting diode. And a condenser lens for condensing the light at the incident end. Thereby, the heat generation amount is small and the illumination light with high luminance can be supplied.

In the above light source device, the light emitting diode is a stacked type light emitting diode in which a red light emitting element for emitting red light, a blue light emitting element for emitting blue light, and a green light emitting element for emitting green light are arranged in layers. In this case, white light is output from the emission surface by simultaneously emitting red light, blue light, and green light in substantially the same direction toward the emission surface.

The processor for an electronic endoscope according to the present invention is a processor for an electronic endoscope having a light source unit to which an optical cable for guiding light to a distal end portion of a flexible tube of an electronic scope is optically connected. A plurality of light source units are arranged at positions facing the incident end of the optical cable, and light emitting diodes each outputting substantially parallel light; and a light emitting unit is provided integrally on each emitting surface of the light emitting diode, and the light source unit is provided from the emitting surface. And a condenser lens for condensing light at the incident end.

In the processor for an electronic endoscope, the light emitting diode is a stacked structure in which a red light emitting element for emitting red light, a blue light emitting element for emitting blue light, and a green light emitting element for emitting green light are arranged in layers. A type light-emitting diode that emits red light, blue light, and green light simultaneously in substantially the same direction toward a radiation surface to output white light from the radiation surface.

[0009]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a light source device according to an embodiment of the present invention together with a fiberscope. The fiberscope 10 is connected to the light source device 100 and its flexible tube 12
An objective lens 14 is fixedly mounted at the tip of the lens. A light guide member 16 that guides illumination light from the light source device 100 to the distal end surface 12 a and an image guide member 18 that guides reflected light from a subject transmitted through the objective lens 14 to the eyepiece 20 pass through the flexible tube 12. ing. The ride guide member 16 and the image guide member 18 are each composed of an optical fiber bundle. The light source device 100 includes a plurality of light emitting diodes (hereinafter, referred to as LEDs) 110, a light source unit 102 including a condensing lens 120 provided integrally on the surface of each LED 110, and the output of these LEDs 110 is controlled by a current. And a light source driving circuit 140 for controlling. Each LED 11
0 outputs substantially parallel white light.
6a.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view of the light source unit 102, and FIG. 3 is a front view of the light source unit. The light source unit 102 includes a hemispherical flange 104, and a plurality of mounting holes 106 are formed in the flange 104, and an LED 110 and a condenser lens 120 are fixed to the mounting holes 106, respectively. The condenser lens 120 is disposed so that its optical axis substantially matches the optical axis of the LED 110 described later. Each LED 110 outputs white light toward the incident end face 16a of the light guide member 16 at the center of the flange 104. The arrangement of the LED 110 and the condensing lens 120 in the flange 104 is shown in FIG.
However, the present invention is not limited to the sequence shown in FIG.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional view showing a single LED 110. The LED 110 is a red LE from the bottom layer.
D110R, blue LED110B and green LED11
The stacked LEDs are arranged in layers in the direction of light emission in the order of 0G. Green LED 110G and blue LED 110
A spacer 116 made of a transparent synthetic resin is provided between B and B, and a spacer 118 is provided between the blue LED 110B and the red LED 110R. Green LED 11
0G and the spacer 116 between the curved optical surface 11
4G, the blue LED 110B and the spacer 118
The curved optical surface 114B is also formed between them. Further, an optical surface 114R is formed on the lowermost layer of the LED 110, and a radiation surface 115 is formed on the uppermost layer.

The red LED 110R is a red light emitting element 11
2R and a pair of lead wires 130R for sending an electric signal to the light emitting element. The red light emitting element 112R is mounted on one of the lead wires 130R.
The R electrical terminals (not shown) are electrically connected to the respective leads 130R via wires 132R, and these are sealed with a transparent synthetic resin (not shown). Blue LED
The same configuration is also applied to 110B and the green LED 110G. In the corresponding configuration, “R” is replaced with “B” or “G”.

Each LED 110R, 110B and 110
G can be turned on independently of each other.
40 to each of the light emitting elements 112R, 112B and 112G
The currents (signals) are sent separately.

The three optical surfaces 114R, 114B and 1
14G are each formed in a thin film and exhibit a rotational radiation surface shape rotationally symmetric with respect to the center of the surface. The centers of the optical surfaces are arranged on the same axis P. The optical surfaces 114R, 114B and 114G are optical elements that reflect and transmit light of a predetermined wavelength. The optical surface 114G reflects green light and transmits blue light and red light. Optical surface 114B reflects blue light and transmits red light. Optical surface 114R reflects all visible light. The radiation surface 115 is a plane perpendicular to the axis P,
All of the green light, blue light and red light traveling in the direction indicated by the arrow are transmitted. Each color light emitted from each of the light emitting elements 112R, 112B and 112G becomes parallel light and is emitted from the emission surface 115 to the outside.

As described above, the LED 110 can emit parallel light of three primary colors of light, red, blue, and green.
When R, 112B, and 112G emit light simultaneously, white light can be output to the outside.

As described above, the light source device 100 of this embodiment
According to the method described above, since the condensing lens 120 is provided on the radiation surface of the plurality of stacked LEDs 110, it is possible to supply illumination light having high light condensing rate and high brightness to the fiberscope 10.

The light source unit of the light source device according to the present invention is a signal processing device with a built-in light source of an electronic endoscope device which captures an image with a solid-state image sensor provided at the tip of a scope and reproduces an optical image on a monitor device. It goes without saying that the present invention may be applied to an endoscope processor. Further, the imaging method of this electronic endoscope device may be a simultaneous method in which the light source unit supplies white light, or a plurality of stacked LED devices.
And a color sequential system in which red light, blue light and green light are supplied independently.

[0019]

As described above, the light source device according to the present invention has the advantages that it is small in size, generates a small amount of heat, and can supply high-luminance illumination light.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a light source device of the present invention together with a fiber scope.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view of the light source unit shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a front view of the light source unit shown in FIG.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional view showing a structure of an LED alone constituting a light source unit.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Fiber scope 16 Light guide member 100 Light source device 102 Light source unit 110 LED 120 Condensing lens

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A light source device comprising a light source unit to which an optical cable for guiding light to a distal end portion of a flexible tube of a scope is optically connected, wherein the light source unit is located at a position facing an incident end of the optical cable. A plurality of light emitting diodes each of which outputs substantially parallel light, and a condensing lens which is provided integrally with each of the radiation surfaces of the light emitting diode and collects light from the radiation surface to the incident end. And a light source device. 2. The light-emitting diode is a stacked light-emitting diode in which a red light-emitting element that emits red light, a blue light-emitting element that emits blue light, and a green light-emitting element that emits green light are arranged in layers. 2. The light source device according to claim 1, wherein white light is output from the emission surface by simultaneously emitting the red light, the blue light, and the green light in substantially the same direction toward the emission surface. 3. 3. An electronic endoscope processor comprising a light source unit to which an optical cable for guiding light to a distal end of a flexible tube of an electronic scope is optically connected, wherein the light source unit is an incident end of the optical cable. A plurality of light emitting diodes arranged at positions facing each other, each of which outputs substantially parallel light; and a light emitting diode which is provided integrally on each emission surface of the light emitting diode, and collects light from the emission surface at the incident end. A processor for an electronic endoscope, comprising: a condenser lens that emits light. 4. The light emitting diode is a stacked light emitting diode in which a red light emitting element that emits red light, a blue light emitting element that emits blue light, and a green light emitting element that emits green light are arranged in layers. 4. The electronic endoscope according to claim 3, wherein the red light, the blue light, and the green light are simultaneously emitted in substantially the same direction toward the emission surface to output white light from the emission surface. 5. Processor.