Endoscope system
By designing an endoscope system compatible with image sensors and power conditioning circuits of multiple interface types, the problem of existing systems being incompatible with different interface types has been solved, enabling wider application and lower cost.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- MACROLUX MEDICAL TECH CO LTD
- Filing Date
- 2025-01-03
- Publication Date
- 2026-06-16
Smart Images
Figure CN224357570U_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This application relates to the field of endoscopy technology, and more specifically to an endoscopy system. Background Technology
[0002] With the development of medical technology, the use of endoscopic systems for treatment is becoming increasingly common. An endoscopic system includes an endoscope, which typically acquires image signals through its own image sensors. The endoscopic system then processes and displays these images. However, current endoscopic systems only support endoscopes with certain interface types of image sensors. Endoscopes using other interface types cannot be used in these systems. Furthermore, due to limitations in the components of endoscopic systems, some image signals need to be converted before processing, increasing the cost of the system. Utility Model Content
[0003] This application provides an endoscope system that is compatible with image sensors of various interface types, making it applicable to a wider range of scenarios. The technical solution is as follows:
[0004] An endoscope system is provided, the endoscope system comprising: one or more endoscopes and an image processing unit;
[0005] One or more of the endoscopes include an image sensor and a first interface. The image sensors of the one or more endoscopes have different interface types. The image sensor is used to generate a corresponding image signal based on the image acquired by the endoscope. One end of the first interface is connected to the image sensor, and the other end of the first interface is used to connect to the image processing unit.
[0006] The endoscope also includes at least one power adjustment circuit, the output of which is connected to the input of the image sensor. The at least one power adjustment circuit is used to adjust the voltage to different voltages required by the image sensor.
[0007] The image processing unit includes a second interface, a signal processing module, an isolation module, and an image processing module; the second interface is pluggable to the first interface, and the second interface has multiple pins, which can be multiplexed by the image sensor of different interface types;
[0008] The input terminal of the signal processing module is connected to the second interface, and the output terminal of the signal processing module is connected to the input terminal of the isolation module. The input terminal of the isolation module is also connected to the second interface, and the output terminal of the isolation module is connected to the input terminal of the image processing module. When the second interface is connected to the first interface, the signal processing module and / or the isolation module can receive image signals sent by image sensors with different interface types. The signal processing module is used to process the received image signals accordingly and send the processed image signals to the isolation module. The isolation module is used to electrically isolate the received signals and send the electrically isolated signals to the image processing module. The image processing module is used to optimize the received signals based on the image parameters corresponding to the endoscope, so as to optimize the images acquired by the endoscope.
[0009] Optionally, the second interface includes voltage pins and signal transmission pins;
[0010] The voltage pin is used to connect to the input terminal of the at least one power adjustment circuit through the first interface, so that the at least one power adjustment circuit adjusts the voltage received from the voltage pin to a different voltage required by the image sensor.
[0011] The signal transmission pin is used to connect to the image sensor through the first interface. The signal transmission pin is also connected to the input terminal of the signal processing module and the input terminal of the isolation module, so that the signal processing module and / or the isolation module can receive the image signal sent by the image sensor.
[0012] Optionally, the interface of the image sensor is one or more of MIPI (Mobile Industry Processor Interface), LVDS (Low-Voltage Differential Signaling) interface, analog interface, and SerDes (Serializer and Deserializer) interface.
[0013] Optionally, the signal processing module includes a plurality of transistors Q1;
[0014] The bases of the plurality of transistors Q1 are respectively connected to the signal transmission pin and the input terminal of the isolation module, and the collector of the transistors Q1 is also connected to the input terminal of the isolation module;
[0015] The transistor Q1 can send the low-power signal from the first image signal received from the MIPI image sensor to the isolation module through its collector, and send the high-speed signal from the first image signal received from the MIPI image sensor to the isolation module through its base.
[0016] Optionally, the signal processing module further includes a signal conversion chip, the input terminal of which is connected to the signal transmission pin, and the output terminal of which is connected to the isolation module;
[0017] The signal conversion chip can convert the second image signal sent by the image sensor with the analog interface and the image sensor with the SerDes interface into a DVP (Digital Video Port) signal, and send the DVP signal to the isolation module.
[0018] Optionally, the input terminal of the isolation module is also connected to the signal transmission pin;
[0019] The isolation module can electrically isolate the third image signal sent by the image sensor of the LVDS interface, and send the electrically isolated third image signal to the image processing module.
[0020] Optionally, the isolation module includes a first isolation submodule and a second isolation submodule;
[0021] The input terminal of the first isolation submodule is connected to the collector of the transistor Q1 and the output terminal of the signal conversion chip, respectively, and the output terminal of the first isolation submodule is connected to the input terminal of the image processing module.
[0022] The input terminal of the second isolation submodule is connected to the base of the transistor Q1 and the signal transmission pin, respectively, and the output terminal of the second isolation submodule is connected to the input terminal of the image processing module.
[0023] Optionally, each of the at least one power regulation circuit includes a linear regulator;
[0024] The input terminal of the linear regulator is connected to the voltage pin through the first interface, the output terminal of the linear regulator is connected to the image sensor, and the linear regulator also has a ground terminal.
[0025] Optionally, the second interface further includes a function pin and a lighting voltage pin;
[0026] The functional pins can be connected to the image sensor with MIPI, the image sensor with LVDS interface, the image sensor with analog interface, and the image sensor with SerDes interface, so that the endoscope can perform related functions.
[0027] The illumination voltage pin can be connected to the image sensor with MIPI, the image sensor with LVDS interface, the image sensor with analog interface, and the image sensor with SerDes interface to provide power for the illumination of the endoscope.
[0028] Optionally, the endoscope further includes a pressure sensor and a charge pump;
[0029] The input terminal of the pressure sensor is connected to the output terminal of the charge pump, and the input terminal of the charge pump is connected to the voltage pin through the first interface. The charge pump is used to adjust the voltage received from the voltage pin to the required voltage of the pressure sensor so that the pressure sensor can measure the pressure of the endoscope during use.
[0030] The technical solution provided in this application can bring at least the following beneficial effects:
[0031] The endoscope system in this embodiment includes image sensors with different interface types, meaning the system is compatible with image sensors of different interface types, expanding its application scope and enhancing its compatibility. Furthermore, the endoscope includes a power adjustment circuit that adjusts the voltage to the required power supply voltage for the image sensors, meeting their power needs. Additionally, the image processing unit includes a second interface that can be plugged into the first interface in the endoscope. Thus, when the second interface is connected to the first interface, the signal processing module and / or the isolation module in the image processing unit can receive image signals from the image sensors with different interface types, enabling the system to be matched with different endoscopes and improving its flexibility. Attached Figure Description
[0032] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an endoscope system provided in an embodiment of this application;
[0033] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of another endoscope system provided in an embodiment of this application;
[0034] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of another endoscope system provided in an embodiment of this application;
[0035] Figure 4This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an image processing unit provided in an embodiment of this application;
[0036] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of another image processing unit provided in an embodiment of this application;
[0037] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of another image processing unit provided in an embodiment of this application;
[0038] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of another image processing unit provided in an embodiment of this application;
[0039] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an endoscope provided in an embodiment of this application;
[0040] Figure 9 This application provides a schematic diagram illustrating the connection relationship between an image sensor with different interfaces and a second interface, as shown in an embodiment of the present application.
[0041] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of another endoscope provided in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation
[0042] The present application will now be described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. Similar elements in different embodiments are referred to by related similar element reference numerals. In the following embodiments, many details are described to facilitate a better understanding of the present application. However, those skilled in the art will readily recognize that some features may be omitted in different situations, or may be replaced by other elements, materials, or methods. In some cases, certain operations related to the present application are not shown or described in the specification. This is to avoid obscuring the core parts of the present application with excessive description. For those skilled in the art, detailed description of these related operations is not necessary; they can fully understand the related operations based on the description in the specification and general technical knowledge in the art.
[0043] Furthermore, the features, operations, or characteristics described in the specification can be combined in any suitable manner to form various embodiments, and the operational steps involved in each embodiment can also be rearranged or adjusted in a manner that is obvious to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the specification and drawings are only for clearly describing a particular embodiment and do not imply that they represent the necessary components and / or order.
[0044] The serial numbers assigned to components in this document, such as "first" and "second," are used only to distinguish the described objects and have no sequential or technical meaning. Unless otherwise specified, the terms "connection" and "linkage" used in this application include both direct and indirect connections (linkages).
[0045] The endoscope system provided in the embodiments of this application will now be described in detail.
[0046] Please refer to Figure 1 , Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of an endoscope system provided in an embodiment of this application. The endoscope system includes one or more endoscopes 1 and an image processing unit 2. Each endoscope 1 includes an image sensor 11 and a first interface 12. The image sensors 11 of the one or more endoscopes 1 have different interface types. The image sensor 11 is used to generate corresponding image signals based on images acquired by the endoscope 1. One end of the first interface 12 is connected to the image sensor 11, and the other end of the first interface 12 is used to connect to the image processing unit 2. The endoscope 1 also includes at least one power adjustment circuit 13. The output terminals of the at least one power adjustment circuit 13 are all connected to the input terminals of the image sensor 11. The at least one power adjustment circuit 13 is used to adjust the voltage to different voltages required by the image sensor 11. The image processing unit 2 includes a second interface 21, a signal processing module 22, an isolation module 23, and an image processing module 24. The second interface 21 is pluggably connected to the first interface 12 and has multiple pins. The signal processing module 22 can be multiplexed by image sensors 11 with different interface types; the input of the signal processing module 22 is connected to the second interface 21, the output of the signal processing module 22 is connected to the input of the isolation module 23, the input of the isolation module 23 is also connected to the second interface 21, and the output of the isolation module 23 is connected to the input of the image processing module 24; when the second interface 21 is connected to the first interface 12, the signal processing module 22 and / or the isolation module 23 can receive image signals sent by image sensors 11 with different interface types; the signal processing module 22 is used to process the received image signals accordingly and send the processed image signals to the isolation module 23; the isolation module 23 is used to electrically isolate the received signals and send the electrically isolated signals to the image processing module 24; the image processing module 24 is used to optimize the received signals based on the image parameters corresponding to the endoscope 1, so as to optimize the images acquired by the endoscope 1.
[0047] The image sensors 11 included in the one or more endoscopes 1 have different interface types, that is, the endoscope system supports image sensors with multiple interface types.
[0048] Since the image sensor 11 may require different voltages to operate, the endoscope 1 may include at least one power adjustment circuit 13, and the output terminals of the at least one power adjustment circuit 13 are all connected to the input terminals of the image sensor 11. Therefore, each of the at least one power adjustment circuit 13 can output the adjusted voltage to the image sensor 11, thereby enabling the image sensor 11 to transmit image signals in subsequent processes.
[0049] The endoscope 1 also includes a first interface 12, one end of which is connected to the image sensor 11. The image processing unit 2 also includes a second interface 21 that can be plugged into the first interface 12. Therefore, when the first interface 12 is connected to the second interface 21, the image processing unit can receive the image signal from the image sensor 11.
[0050] Furthermore, the first interface 12 includes multiple pins that can be multiplexed by image sensors 11 of different interface types. For example, pin X of the first interface 12 can be connected not only to the image sensor 11 of interface A, but also to the image sensor 11 of interface B, thereby realizing the multiplexing of pin X. Pin multiplexing can reduce the cost of wire connections in the endoscope system.
[0051] Since the image signals sent by some interface-type image sensors 11 need to be processed before electrical isolation, the image processing unit 2 may also include a signal processing module 22. The input terminal of the signal processing module 22 is connected to the second interface 21. Thus, when the second interface 21 is connected to the first interface 12, the signal processing module can receive the image signals sent by the image sensor 11 and process the received signals accordingly. The output terminal of the signal processing module 22 is connected to the input terminal of the isolation module 23. Therefore, the isolation module 23 can receive the processed image signals sent by the signal processing module 22 and perform electrical isolation on the image signals. The output terminal of the isolation module 23 is also connected to the input terminal of the image processing module 24. Thus, the image processing module can receive the electrically isolated signals sent by the isolation module 23 and optimize the signals based on the image parameters corresponding to the endoscope 1. Since the image signals are generated based on the images acquired by the endoscope 1, optimizing the signals can optimize the images acquired by the endoscope 1.
[0052] Since the isolation module 23 can directly electrically isolate the image signals sent by the image sensor 11 of some interface types, the input terminal of the isolation module 23 can also be connected to the second interface 21. Thus, when the second interface 21 is connected to the first interface 12, the isolation module 23 can receive the image signals from the image sensor 11 and directly perform electrical isolation operation on the received image signals.
[0053] As described above, some image signals need to be processed by the signal processing module 22 before the isolation module 23 can perform electrical isolation, while some image signals do not require the signal processing module 22 to perform corresponding operations, and the isolation module 23 can directly perform electrical isolation.
[0054] Therefore, in some embodiments, the isolation module 23 may not need to be connected to the second interface 21, but only needs to be connected to the signal processing module 22. In this case, when the image signal is an image signal that requires corresponding processing before the isolation module 23 can perform electrical isolation, the signal processing module 22 can process the image signal, that is, the signal processing module 22 can only process specific image signals. When the image signal is an image signal that the isolation module 23 can directly electrically isolate, the image signal is not an image signal that the signal processing module 22 can process. Therefore, the processing of the image signal by the signal processing module 22 will not affect the image signal. Thus, even if the image signal reaches the isolation module 23 only after passing through the signal processing module 22, the image signal received by the isolation module 23 is the same as the image signal sent by the image sensor 11.
[0055] The type of image signal depends on the interface type of the image sensor 11. Therefore, when the interface type of the image sensor 11 corresponds to the interface type of the image signal that the signal processing module 22 can process, the signal processing module 22 will process the image signal to obtain the processed signal; when the interface type of the image sensor 11 corresponds to the interface type of the image signal that the signal processing module 22 cannot process, the processing work of the signal processing module 22 will not affect the image signal.
[0056] In some embodiments, the image processing module 24 is an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array).
[0057] It should be noted that this application only improves the hardware portion of the existing endoscope system; that is, this application does not improve any software / algorithm / control logic portion of the existing endoscope system. The specific data processing flows within the endoscope 1 and processing unit 2 described above all employ existing technologies in the field. The above description of the processing flows is merely illustrative and does not limit the scope of the processing flow.
[0058] In some embodiments, please refer to Figure 2 The second interface 21 includes a voltage pin 211 and a signal transmission pin 212. The voltage pin 211 is used to connect to the input terminal of at least one power adjustment circuit 13 through the first interface 12, so that the at least one power adjustment circuit 13 adjusts the voltage received from the voltage pin 211 to a different voltage required by the image sensor 11. The signal transmission pin 212 is used to connect to the image sensor 11 through the first interface 12. The signal transmission pin 212 is also connected to the input terminal of the signal processing module 22 and the input terminal of the isolation module 23, so that the signal processing module 22 and / or the isolation module 23 receive the image signal sent by the image sensor 11.
[0059] The voltage pin 211 can be connected to the input of at least one power adjustment circuit 13 through the first interface 12. Thus, when the second interface 21 and the first interface 12 are connected, the voltage pin 211 can provide voltage to each power adjustment circuit 13, thereby enabling each power adjustment circuit 13 to adjust the voltage to the corresponding voltage required by the image sensor 11.
[0060] The signal transmission pin 212 can be connected to the image sensor 11 through the first interface 12, and the signal transmission pin 212 is also connected to the input terminal of the signal processing module 22 and the input terminal of the isolation module 23 respectively. Thus, when the second interface 21 and the first interface 12 are connected, the signal transmission pin 212 can transmit the image signal from the image sensor 11 to the signal processing module 22 and / or the isolation module 23.
[0061] In addition, in some embodiments, the signal transmission pin 212 may include multiple sub-pins to meet different signal transmission requirements. For example, the signal transmission pin 212 may include four sub-pins: DN, DP, CN, and CP. DN and DP are a group that can transmit a set of differential signals, and CN and CP are a group that can also transmit a set of differential signals.
[0062] In some embodiments, please refer to Figure 3 The interface of the image sensor 11 is one or more of MIPI, LVDS, analog, and SerDes interfaces.
[0063] It should be noted that the above description is based on the image sensor 11 having an interface of MIPI, LVDS, analog, or SerDes. Of course, in practical applications, the image sensor can also have other interfaces, and this application embodiment does not limit this.
[0064] In some embodiments, please refer to Figure 4 The signal processing module 22 includes multiple transistors Q1 (the figure illustrates an example with two transistors Q1); the base b of the multiple transistors Q1 is connected to the signal transmission pin 212 and the input terminal of the isolation module 23, respectively, and the collector c of the transistors Q1 is also connected to the input terminal of the isolation module 23; the transistors Q1 can transmit the low-power signal in the first image signal received from the MIPI image sensor 11 to the isolation module 23 through their collector c, and transmit the high-speed signal in the first image signal received from the MIPI image sensor 11 to the isolation module 23 through their base b.
[0065] In other words, when the endoscope 1 includes an MIPI image sensor 11, the image signal received by the image processing unit 2 is the first image signal. In order to provide appropriate electrical isolation for the first image signal in subsequent processes, the signal processing module 22 may include multiple transistors Q1.
[0066] The base b of transistor Q1 is connected to signal transmission pin 212, thereby enabling the base b of transistor Q1 to receive image signals from image sensor 11. The base b of transistor Q1 is also connected to the input terminal of isolation module 23, thereby enabling the corresponding image signals to reach isolation module 23 after passing through the base b of transistor Q1. The collector c of transistor Q1 is also connected to the input terminal of isolation module 23, thereby enabling the corresponding image signals to reach isolation module 23 after passing through the collector c of transistor Q1.
[0067] As described above, transistor Q1 can transmit the low-power signal from the first image signal received from the MIPI image sensor 11 to the isolation module 23 through its collector c, and transmit the high-speed signal from the first image signal received from the MIPI image sensor 11 to the isolation module 23 through its base b. In other words, transistor Q1 can separate the low-power signal and the high-speed signal from the first image signal. Specifically, the high-speed signal in the first image signal cannot turn on transistor Q1; it can only pass through the base b of transistor Q1 and directly reach the isolation module 23. The low-power signal in the first image signal can turn on transistor Q1; it can travel from the base b of transistor Q1 to the collector c, and then be transmitted to the isolation module 23.
[0068] Thus, when the interface of the image sensor 11 is MIPI, there is no need to convert the image signal sent by the image sensor 11. The corresponding image signal can be separated by transistor Q1 to achieve the corresponding electrical isolation, thereby realizing low-cost and safe electrical isolation.
[0069] Continuing from the above description, since transistor Q1 can only separate the low-power signal and the high-speed signal from the first image signal corresponding to the MIPI image sensor 11, the signal separation process of transistor Q1 will not affect the image signal sent by the image sensor 11 with the LVDS interface, analog interface, or SerDes interface. That is, even if the image signal sent by the image sensor 11 with the above interface passes through transistor Q1, the image signal output by transistor Q1 is the same as the image signal input to it.
[0070] In some embodiments, please refer to Figure 4 The emitter e of transistor Q1 is grounded, thereby improving safety.
[0071] In some embodiments, the signal processing module 22 may also include a diode to prevent static electricity; may also include at least one capacitor to filter noise; and may also include at least one resistor for impedance matching.
[0072] In some embodiments, please refer to Figure 5 The signal processing module 22 also includes a signal conversion chip 221. The input terminal of the signal conversion chip 221 is connected to the signal transmission pin 212, and the output terminal of the signal conversion chip 221 is connected to the isolation module 23. The signal conversion chip 221 can convert the second image signal sent by the analog interface image sensor 11 and the SerDes interface image sensor 11 into a DVP signal and send the DVP signal to the isolation module 23.
[0073] In other words, when the endoscope 1 includes an image sensor 11 with an analog interface and / or an image sensor 11 with a SerDes interface, the image signal received by the image processing unit 2 is a second image signal. In order to provide appropriate electrical isolation for the second image signal in subsequent processes, the signal processing module may include a signal conversion chip 221.
[0074] The input terminal of the signal conversion chip 221 is connected to the signal transmission pin 212, so that the signal conversion chip can receive the image signal from the image sensor 11. The output terminal of the signal conversion chip 221 is also connected to the isolation module 23, so that after the signal conversion chip processes the corresponding image signal, it can also send it to the isolation module 23.
[0075] As described above, the signal conversion chip 221 can only convert the second image signal received from the image sensor 11 with the analog interface and / or the image sensor 11 with the SerDes interface into a DVP signal. Therefore, for the image sensor 11 with the MIPI or LVDS interface, the signal conversion operation of the signal conversion chip 221 will not affect the image signal sent by the image sensor 11 with the aforementioned interface. That is, even if the image signal sent by the image sensor 11 with the aforementioned interface passes through the signal conversion chip 221, the image signal output by the signal conversion chip 221 is the same as the image signal input to it.
[0076] It should be noted that the signal conversion chip 221 mentioned above may include a decoding chip, or, in application, the signal conversion chip may also include other components, which is not limited in this application embodiment.
[0077] In some embodiments, please refer to Figure 6 The input terminal of the isolation module 23 is also connected to the signal transmission pin 212; the isolation module 23 can electrically isolate the third image signal sent by the image sensor 11 of the LVDS interface, and send the electrically isolated third image signal to the image processing module 24.
[0078] In other words, when the endoscope 1 includes an image sensor 11 with an LVDS interface, the image signal received by the image processing unit 2 is a third image signal. The isolation module 23 can directly electrically isolate the third image signal. Therefore, the input terminal of the isolation module 23 can be directly connected to the signal transmission pin 212, so that the input terminal of the isolation module 23 can directly receive the third image signal and perform corresponding electrical isolation operations on the third image signal.
[0079] As described above, transistor Q1 can only perform signal separation operations on the first image signal without affecting the second and third image signals. Similarly, signal conversion chip 221 can only perform signal conversion operations on the second image signal without affecting the first and third image signals. Therefore, isolation module 23 does not need to be connected to signal transmission pin 212; it only needs to be connected to transistor Q1 or signal conversion chip 221 to receive the initial third image signal.
[0080] In some embodiments, please refer to Figure 7The isolation module 23 includes a first isolation submodule 231 and a second isolation submodule 232. The input terminal of the first isolation submodule 231 is connected to the collector c of transistor Q1 and the output terminal of signal conversion chip 221, respectively, and the output terminal of the first isolation submodule 231 is connected to the input terminal of image processing module 24. The input terminal of the second isolation submodule 232 is connected to the base b of transistor Q1 and signal transmission pin 212, respectively, and the output terminal of the second isolation submodule 232 is connected to the input terminal of image processing module 24.
[0081] Since different signals may require different electrical isolation operations, the isolation module 23 may further include a first isolation submodule 231 and a second isolation submodule 232 capable of electrically isolating different signals. The first isolation submodule 231 can electrically isolate low-power signals and DVP signals. Therefore, the input terminal of the first isolation submodule 231 can be connected to the collector c of transistor Q1 and the output terminal of signal conversion chip 221, respectively, so as to receive low-power signals and / or DVP signals. The output terminal of the first isolation submodule 231 is connected to the input terminal of image processing module 24. Therefore, after the first isolation submodule 231 electrically isolates the low-power signals and / or DVP signals, it can send the electrically isolated low-power signals and / or DVP signals to image processing module 24, which will then continue subsequent operations.
[0082] In some embodiments, the first isolation submodule 231 may include a digital isolator. A digital isolator is a chip in an endoscope system that provides high resistance isolation when digital or analog signals are transmitted, thereby isolating the endoscope system from the user, improving safety, and reducing ground loop noise.
[0083] The second isolation submodule 232 can electrically isolate the high-speed signal and the third image signal. Therefore, the input terminal of the second isolation submodule can be connected to the base b of transistor Q1 and the signal transmission pin 212 respectively, so as to receive the high-speed signal and / or the third image signal. The output terminal of the second isolation submodule 232 is connected to the input terminal of the image processing module 24. Therefore, after the second isolation submodule 232 electrically isolates the high-speed signal and / or the third image signal, it can send the electrically isolated high-speed signal and / or the third image signal to the image processing module 24, so that the image processing module 24 can continue the subsequent operation.
[0084] In some embodiments, the second isolation submodule 232 may include an LVDS isolator. An LVDS isolator is an electronic device used to isolate LVDS signals, i.e., low-voltage differential signals, which transmit data over two wires via differential signal pairs and has the advantages of low power consumption, low electromagnetic interference, and high transmission rate.
[0085] It should be noted that the above description is based on the isolation module 23 including a first isolation submodule 231 and a second isolation submodule 232, wherein the first isolation submodule 231 includes a digital isolator and the second isolation submodule 232 includes an LVDS isolator. Alternatively, in practical applications, the isolation module 23 may include more or fewer isolation submodules for corresponding electrical isolation, and the first isolation submodule 231 and the second isolation submodule 232 may also include other components. This application embodiment does not limit this.
[0086] In some embodiments, please refer to Figure 8 Each of the at least one power regulation circuit 13 (three power regulation circuits 13 are illustrated in the figure) includes a linear regulator 131; the input of the linear regulator 131 is connected to a voltage pin 211 via a first interface 12, the output of the linear regulator 131 is connected to an image sensor 11, and the linear regulator 131 also has a ground terminal.
[0087] Since each of the multiple linear regulators 131 can be connected to the voltage pin 211 via the first interface 12, when the endoscope 1 is connected to the image processing unit 2, each of the multiple linear regulators 131 can receive the voltage from the voltage pin 211 and adjust the voltage to different magnitudes to meet the power requirements of the image sensor 11. Furthermore, each of the multiple linear regulators 131 is also connected to the image sensor 11, thus, after adjusting the voltage from the voltage pin 211, the multiple linear regulators 131 can output the adjusted voltage to the image sensor 11. For example, please refer to... Figure 8 ,from Figure 8 As can be seen, the power adjustment circuit 13 includes three linear regulators 131, and the three regulators 131 can adjust the voltage from the voltage pin 211 to 2.8V, 1.8V and 1.2V, and all of them are connected to the image sensor 11. Thus, the image sensor 11 can obtain voltages of 2.8V, 1.8V and 1.2V to meet its own power requirements.
[0088] It should be noted that the linear regulator 131 can be an LDO (low dropout regulator), or other regulators, and this application embodiment does not limit this.
[0089] In some embodiments, please refer to Figure 9The second interface 21 also includes a function pin 213 and an illumination voltage pin 214; the function pin 213 can establish a connection with the image sensor 11 with MIPI, the image sensor 11 with LVDS interface, the image sensor 11 with analog interface and the image sensor 11 with SerDes interface, so that the endoscope 1 can perform related functions; the illumination voltage pin 214 can establish a connection with the image sensor 11 with MIPI, the image sensor 11 with LVDS interface, the image sensor 11 with analog interface and the image sensor 11 with SerDes interface, so as to provide power for the illumination of the endoscope 1.
[0090] In other words, when the endoscope 1 is connected to the image processing unit 2, as long as the interface of the image sensor 11 is one or more of MIPI, LVDS, analog, or SerDes interfaces, the endoscope 1 can perform various functions through the function pin 212, and the illumination in the endoscope 1 can be powered through the illumination voltage pin 214.
[0091] Continuing from the above description, from Figure 9 As can be seen, the voltage pin 211, signal transmission pin 212, function pin 213 and illumination voltage pin 214 can all be reused by image sensors 11 with different interfaces, which can save resources and reduce the cost of the endoscope system.
[0092] In some embodiments, please refer to Figure 10 The endoscope 1 also includes a pressure sensor 14 and a charge pump 15; the input terminal of the pressure sensor 14 is connected to the output terminal of the charge pump 15, and the input terminal of the charge pump 15 is connected to a voltage pin 211 through a first interface 12. The charge pump 15 is used to adjust the voltage received from the voltage pin 211 to the required voltage of the pressure sensor 14 so that the pressure sensor 14 can measure the pressure of the endoscope 1 during use.
[0093] Since the input terminal of the charge pump 15 can be connected to the voltage pin 211 via the first interface 12, the charge pump 15 can receive the voltage from the voltage pin 211 when the endoscope 1 is connected to the image processing unit 2. Furthermore, the output terminal of the charge pump 15 is also connected to the input terminal of the pressure sensor 14. Therefore, after adjusting the voltage from the voltage pin 211, the charge pump 15 can output the adjusted voltage to the pressure sensor 14. For example, please refer to... Figure 10 ,from Figure 10 As can be seen, the charge pump 15 can adjust the voltage from the voltage pin 211 to 5V, thereby outputting a 5V voltage to the pressure sensor 14 to meet the power requirements of the pressure sensor 14.
[0094] In some embodiments, the charge pump 15 may also include multiple capacitors to achieve power filtering, voltage stabilization, and voltage boosting.
[0095] The endoscope system in this embodiment includes image sensors with different interface types, meaning the system is compatible with image sensors of different interface types, expanding its application scope and enhancing its compatibility. Furthermore, the endoscope includes a power adjustment circuit that adjusts the voltage to the required power supply voltage for the image sensors, meeting their power needs. Additionally, the image processing unit includes a second interface that can be plugged into the first interface in the endoscope. Thus, when the second interface is connected to the first interface, the signal processing module and / or the isolation module in the image processing unit can receive image signals from the image sensors with different interface types, enabling the system to be matched with different endoscopes and improving its flexibility.
[0096] Furthermore, the second interface includes a voltage pin, which can be connected to the power adjustment circuit through the first interface. Therefore, only one power supply pin is needed to provide the appropriate power voltage to the endoscope, saving resources. The image sensor interface can be one or more of MIPI, LVDS, analog, and SerDes interfaces. When the image sensor interface is MIPI, the electrical isolation module can include a transistor that separates and electrically isolates the low-power and high-speed signals in the first image signal. This eliminates the need for signal conversion and achieves low-cost, safe electrical isolation. Moreover, the charge pump in the endoscope can generate the voltage required by the pressure sensor, saving wire cores and enabling a pressure-measuring endoscope with minimized wire diameter.
[0097] The above-described specific examples are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of this invention. Those skilled in the art can make various simple deductions, modifications, or substitutions based on the concept of this invention.
Claims
1. An endoscope system, characterized in that, The endoscope system includes: one or more endoscopes and an image processing unit; One or more of the endoscopes include an image sensor and a first interface. The image sensors of the one or more endoscopes have different interface types. The image sensor is used to generate a corresponding image signal based on the image acquired by the endoscope. One end of the first interface is connected to the image sensor, and the other end of the first interface is used to connect to the image processing unit. The endoscope also includes at least one power adjustment circuit, the output of which is connected to the input of the image sensor. The at least one power adjustment circuit is used to adjust the voltage to different voltages required by the image sensor. The image processing unit includes a second interface, a signal processing module, an isolation module, and an image processing module; the second interface is pluggable to the first interface, and the second interface has multiple pins, which can be multiplexed by the image sensor of different interface types; The input terminal of the signal processing module is connected to the second interface, and the output terminal of the signal processing module is connected to the input terminal of the isolation module. The input terminal of the isolation module is also connected to the second interface, and the output terminal of the isolation module is connected to the input terminal of the image processing module. When the second interface is connected to the first interface, the signal processing module and / or the isolation module can receive image signals sent by image sensors with different interface types. The signal processing module is used to process the received image signals accordingly and send the processed image signals to the isolation module. The isolation module is used to electrically isolate the received signals and send the electrically isolated signals to the image processing module. The image processing module is used to optimize the received signals based on the image parameters corresponding to the endoscope, so as to optimize the images acquired by the endoscope.
2. The endoscope system as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The second interface includes voltage pins and signal transmission pins; The voltage pin is used to connect to the input terminal of the at least one power adjustment circuit through the first interface, so that the at least one power adjustment circuit adjusts the voltage received from the voltage pin to a different voltage required by the image sensor. The signal transmission pin is used to connect to the image sensor through the first interface. The signal transmission pin is also connected to the input terminal of the signal processing module and the input terminal of the isolation module, so that the signal processing module and / or the isolation module can receive the image signal sent by the image sensor.
3. The endoscope system as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The image sensor interface is one or more of MIPI, LVDS, analog, and SerDes interfaces.
4. The endoscope system as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The signal processing module includes multiple transistors Q1; The bases of the plurality of transistors Q1 are respectively connected to the signal transmission pin and the input terminal of the isolation module, and the collector of the transistors Q1 is also connected to the input terminal of the isolation module; The transistor Q1 can send the low-power signal from the first image signal received from the MIPI image sensor to the isolation module through its collector, and send the high-speed signal from the first image signal received from the MIPI image sensor to the isolation module through its base.
5. The endoscope system as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The signal processing module further includes a signal conversion chip, the input terminal of which is connected to the signal transmission pin, and the output terminal of which is connected to the isolation module. The signal conversion chip can convert the second image signal sent by the image sensor with the analog interface and the image sensor with the SerDes interface into a DVP signal, and send the DVP signal to the isolation module.
6. The endoscopic system as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The input terminal of the isolation module is also connected to the signal transmission pin; The isolation module can electrically isolate the third image signal sent by the image sensor of the LVDS interface, and send the electrically isolated third image signal to the image processing module.
7. The endoscope system as described in claim 4, characterized in that, The isolation module includes a first isolation submodule and a second isolation submodule, and the signal processing module further includes a signal conversion chip; The input terminal of the first isolation submodule is connected to the collector of the transistor Q1 and the output terminal of the signal conversion chip, respectively, and the output terminal of the first isolation submodule is connected to the input terminal of the image processing module. The input terminal of the second isolation submodule is connected to the base of the transistor Q1 and the signal transmission pin, respectively, and the output terminal of the second isolation submodule is connected to the input terminal of the image processing module.
8. The endoscope system as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that, Each of the at least one power regulation circuits includes a linear regulator. The input terminal of the linear regulator is connected to the voltage pin through the first interface, the output terminal of the linear regulator is connected to the image sensor, and the linear regulator also has a ground terminal.
9. The endoscopic system as described in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The second interface also includes function pins and lighting voltage pins; The functional pins can be connected to the image sensor with MIPI, the image sensor with LVDS interface, the image sensor with analog interface, and the image sensor with SerDes interface, so that the endoscope can perform related functions. The illumination voltage pin can be connected to the image sensor with MIPI, the image sensor with LVDS interface, the image sensor with analog interface, and the image sensor with SerDes interface to provide power for the illumination of the endoscope.
10. The endoscope system as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that, The endoscope also includes a pressure sensor and a charge pump; The input terminal of the pressure sensor is connected to the output terminal of the charge pump, and the input terminal of the charge pump is connected to the voltage pin through the first interface. The charge pump is used to adjust the voltage received from the voltage pin to the required voltage of the pressure sensor so that the pressure sensor can measure the pressure of the endoscope during use.