Endoscope Focus Control for Insertion State Adaptation
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Solution Overview
Problem
The instability of auto focus (AF) operation in endoscopes due to the insertion and removal of the insertion part from a living body, which causes significant changes in the imaging characteristics, leading to an unstable focus.
Innovation Solution
An endoscope system with circuitry that monitors the insertion state of the endoscope and controls the focus in different manners based on whether the insertion part is inserted in or removed from the body, using a first manner when inserted and a second manner when removed, to maintain stable AF operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the insertion part is inserted into or removed from the living body during surgery, then the imaging characteristics change significantly, but the AF operation becomes unstable
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the focus control method changeable based on insertion state. The system dynamically switches between first focus control (when inserted in living body) and second focus control (when removed), allowing the AF operation to adapt to different imaging conditions while maintaining stability. This resolves the contradiction by making the system flexible rather than fixed.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the control parameters of the focus control operation based on the insertion state. When the insertion part is inserted into the living body, one set of control parameters is used; when removed, a different set is used. This parameter adaptation allows the system to handle significant imaging characteristic changes while maintaining reliable AF operation.
2Manufacturing precision
If the focus control operation is performed continuously, then the imaging quality is maintained, but the actuator lifespan is reduced due to unnecessary motion noise
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements periodic action by controlling the focus control operation based on the insertion state. When the insertion part is removed from the living body, the system switches to a different focus control mode that reduces unnecessary actuator motion. This periodic switching between control modes maintains imaging quality when needed while extending actuator lifespan during removal periods.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the unnecessary focus control operation that occurs during removal from the living body. By detecting the removal state and adjusting the focus control accordingly, the system eliminates unnecessary actuator motion and associated noise, thereby extending actuator lifespan while maintaining imaging quality when the scope is actually in use.
Data Source
AI summary
An endoscope system includes circuitry configured to monitor a characteristic of an endoscope including an imaging device and a scope coupled to the imaging device, wherein the characteristic is indicative of whether the scope is inserted in a living body or not, in the event that the characteristic satisfies a predetermined condition, control a focus of the endoscope system in a first manner and, in the event that the characteristic does not satisfy the predetermined condition, control the focus of the endoscope system in a second manner, different from the first manner.