JPH0143930B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an endoscopic photographing system, and more particularly to an endoscopic photographing system in which a release means is provided in a light source unit.

Generally, a release means, ie, a release switch, is provided in a camera, but there is an endoscope photographing system in which this release switch is provided in a light source unit, and a photograph can be taken by the release switch of this light source unit. However, in such an endoscopic imaging system, the camera is equipped with a trigger circuit that operates in response to the release switch and controls the camera's shutter drive circuit, motor drive circuit, photometry circuit, and light emission control circuit provided in the light source unit. (Patent application 1975-107514). For this reason, the camera is large and heavy, resulting in poor operability.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide an endoscope photographing system in which a trigger means is provided in a light source unit and the camera is made smaller and lighter.

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

According to the endoscope photographing system shown in FIG. 1, an endoscope 1, a light source unit 6, and an endoscope camera 7 are connected to each other. The endoscope 1 has a distal end insertion section 2, a flexible section 3, a hand operation section 4, and a light source connection section 5. The light source unit 6 includes a light source 13 and this light source 1.
A light emission control circuit 17 for controlling the light emission of No. 3 is provided. This light source unit is further provided with a trigger circuit 21 for controlling the photographing operation.
One output end of is connected to the input end of the light emission control circuit 17. Furthermore, this light source unit 6 is provided with a release switch 8 within the light source. An in-camera release switch 12 is connected to the input end of the trigger circuit 21 via a signal transmission line 10 in parallel with a release switch 8 in the light source.

The camera 7 is provided with a film winding motor 15 and a motor drive circuit 19 for driving this motor. In addition, the shutter 16 and this shutter 16
A shutter drive circuit 20 is provided to control opening and closing of the shutter. The shutter 16 faces the eyepiece 24 of the endoscope 1 via the beam splitter 23. A light receiving element 14 is disposed close to the beam splitter 23, and this light receiving element is connected to a photometry circuit 18 which is connected to a light emission control circuit 17. The photometry circuit 18, the motor drive circuit 19, and the shutter drive circuit 20 are connected to a trigger circuit 21 via a signal line 10.

The light source 13 of the light source unit 6 is optically coupled to the distal end insertion portion 2 via a light guide tube (optical fiber tube) 28 of the endoscope 1. In addition, the camera 7 is an endoscope eyepiece 2.
5 and image guide tube (optical
It is optically connected to an endoscope objective lens 27 via a fiber tube 26.

The electrical circuit system of the endoscopic imaging system as described above is equivalently shown in FIG. 2. When taking a photograph while operating the operating section 4 of the endoscope 1 in an endoscope photographing system, when the endoscope operator finds the desired photographing point, he/she requests an assistant to operate the release switch 8 in the light source. . When the light source release switch 8 is closed, the trigger circuit 21 applies a trigger signal to the light emission control circuit 17, photometry circuit 18, and shutter drive circuit 20 to activate these circuits 17, 18, and 20. As a result, the shutter 16 is opened, the light source 13 is turned on, and the photometry circuit 18 measures the amount of exposure based on the light incident on the light receiving element 14 while the shutter is open, and when the appropriate amount of exposure is reached, the light emission control circuit 18
A light emission stop signal is supplied to 7. This allows light source 1
3 goes out, and the shutter drive circuit 20 closes the shutter 16. When automatic exposure photographing is completed in this way, the trigger circuit 21 supplies a drive signal to the motor drive circuit 19 to drive the motor 15 to wind the film.

In the above embodiment, the release switch is provided on the camera and the light source unit, but the release switch is provided on the light source unit 6.
An external release switch may be provided which is connected to the light source and connected in parallel with the release switch 8 within the light source.

Further, in the above embodiment, a large number of signal lines 10
However, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, communication circuits 30 and 31 are provided in the light source unit 6 and camera 7, so that a small number of transmission paths are transmitted via both communication circuits 30 and 31. , for example 2
It may be configured such that data communication can be performed using one or four signal lines 10. That is, the communication circuit 30 of the light source unit 6 is connected to the light source release switch 8, the light emission control circuit 17, and the trigger circuit 21, and the communication circuit 31 of the camera 7 is connected to the release switch 12, the photometry circuit 18, the motor drive circuit 19, and the shutter drive circuit 20. connected to both communication circuits 3
0 and 31 are configured to perform time-division data communication by serial transmission of the generated signals.

According to this embodiment, since there are fewer signal lines, the wiring in the endoscope 1 is simplified.

In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the trigger signal from the trigger circuit 21 is transmitted to the shutter drive circuit 20, and the photometry circuit 18 and the motor drive circuit 19 are triggered via the shutter drive circuit 20. ing.

According to this embodiment, the output end of the trigger circuit 21 is connected to the light emission control circuit 17 and also connected to the shutter drive circuit 20 of the camera 7 via the signal line 10.
connected to. The output end of the shutter drive circuit 20 is connected to the shutter solenoid 16a, the photometry circuit 18, and the motor drive circuit 19. In such an endoscope imaging system, when the release switch 12 of the camera 7 or the release switch 8 in the light source is closed, the trigger circuit 21 is activated and generates a trigger signal. This trigger signal is supplied to the shutter drive circuit 20 via the signal line 10. The shutter drive circuit 20 opens the shutter 16 in response to a trigger signal. When the shutter 6 is opened, the trigger circuit 21 inputs a light emission trigger signal to the light emission control circuit 17. The light emission control circuit 17 activates the light source 13 in response to the light emission trigger signal and causes light to enter the light guide. At this time, the shutter drive circuit 2
0 energizes the photometry circuit 18 and starts photometry. The photometry circuit 18 integrates the light reception signal of the light receiving element 14 and generates a light emission stop signal when this integrated value reaches a reference value. This light emission stop signal is signal line 10.
When the light is transmitted to the light emission control circuit 17 via the light emission control circuit 17, the light emission control circuit 17 stops light transmission from the light source 13.
The shutter drive circuit 20 operates for a certain period of time after being activated by the trigger signal from the trigger circuit 21, for example.
After 250 ms, the shutter 16 is closed and a start signal is supplied to the motor drive circuit 19, through which the motor 15 winds the film. When the film winding is completed, one shooting session ends. As described above, according to this embodiment, the shutter drive circuit 20 takes charge of the trigger function for the photometry circuit 18 and the motor drive circuit 19, so that the circuit configuration of the trigger circuit of the light source unit can be simplified.

As explained above, according to the present invention, there is provided an endoscopic photographing system in which the trigger means is provided in the light source unit and the camera and the light source unit are controlled by the trigger means. The camera can be configured to be small and lightweight, and the operability of the endoscopic imaging system is improved.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an endoscopic imaging system according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is an equivalent electrical circuit diagram of the endoscopic imaging system of FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a diagram using a communication circuit. 4 is an equivalent electrical circuit diagram of the endoscopic imaging system of FIG. 3, and FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of the endoscopic imaging system of another embodiment. A schematic configuration diagram, and FIG. 6 is an equivalent electrical circuit diagram of the endoscopic imaging system of FIG. 5. 1... Endoscope, 6... Light source unit, 7... Camera,
8... Release switch in light source, 10... Signal line, 13... Light source, 14... Light receiving element, 15... Motor, 16... Shutter, 17... Light emission control circuit, 18
...Photometering circuit, 19...Motor drive circuit, 20...Shutter drive circuit, 21...Trigger circuit, 30, 31...
communication circuit.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. In an endoscope photographing system comprising at least an endoscope, a light source unit, and a camera, and a release means is provided at least in the light source unit, a trigger means is provided in the light source unit, and a trigger means is provided in the light source unit, and a release means is provided in at least the light source unit. shutter drive circuit provided in
An endoscope photographing system characterized in that a motor drive circuit, a photometry circuit, and a light emitting circuit provided in the light source unit are controlled by the trigger means. 2. The light source unit is provided with a first communication circuit connected to at least the trigger means and the light emitting circuit, and the camera is provided with a second communication circuit connected to the shutter drive circuit, the motor drive circuit, and the photometry circuit. 2. The endoscopic imaging system according to claim 1, wherein a circuit is provided, and the first and second communication circuits perform data communication through a small number of transmission paths provided in the endoscope. 3. The endoscope photographing system according to claim 1, wherein said shutter drive circuit has means for outputting a signal that operates in response to said trigger means and triggers said motor drive circuit and photometry circuit.