Endoscopy illumination system for stroboscopy

US6734893B1 · kind B1 · utility

Assignee

• OLYMPUS WINTER & IBE GMBH · DE

Inventors

• Markus Hess · Annaberg-Buchholz, DE
• Michael Ludwigs · Berlin, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Dec 4, 1998
• Grant date: May 11, 2004
• Expiry date: Dec 4, 2018

Classification

• Technology area (CPC A): Human Necessities
• CPC primary: A61B1/2673
• WIPO field: Medical technology
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

An endoscopy illumination system with a light-emitting element placed at the tip of an endoscope is disclosed. Pulses of light illuminate moving parts of the human body, enabling an observer to obtain information about the dynamical behavior of intracorporal structures, including vocal fold oscillations. An electronic control unit, which may obtain frequency and phase information from a microphone detecting the sound of an examinee's voice, generates light pulses for stroboscopy. The light-emitting elements are over-modulated light emitting diodes in the preferred embodiment. The endoscopy illumination system may be powered by batteries, rechargeables, or transformers. When image capture devices, including CCD and CMOS cameras, are used to record video images, electronic gating circuits activate the light-emitting elements, resulting in improved imaging.