An endoscope stereo imaging device includes an endoscope lens assembly and an imaging module. The imaging module includes first, second and third lens assemblies, a beam splitter, first and second image sensors and a micro lens array. A light beam from the endoscope lens assembly is transmitted to the beam splitter after passing through the first lens assembly and is split into first and second portions of the light beam. The first portion light beam is transmitted to the first image sensor via the second lens assembly and forms a two-dimensional image. The second portion light beam is transmitted to the second image sensor via the third lens assembly and the micro lens array sequentially and forms a first three-dimensional image.

In a minimally invasive surgical system, an image capture unit includes a prism assembly and sensor assembly. The prism assembly includes a beam splitter, while the sensor assembly includes coplanar image capture sensors. Each of the coplanar image capture sensors has a common front end optical structure, e.g., the optical structure distal to the image capture unit is the same for each of the sensors. A controller enhances images acquired by the coplanar image capture sensors. The enhanced images may include (a) visible images with enhanced feature definition, in which a particular feature in the scene is emphasized to the operator of minimally invasive surgical system; (b) images having increased image apparent resolution; (c) images having increased dynamic range; (d) images displayed in a way based on a pixel color component vector having three or more color components; and (e) images having extended depth of field.

To reduce power consumption in a solid-state image pickup element that performs pixel addition. A solid-state image pickup element includes a predetermined number of blocks, each of which is provided with a plurality of normal pixels arranged in a predetermined direction, and a light shielding area in which the predetermined number of light shielding pixels are arranged in the predetermined direction, the light shielding pixels being connected to the respective blocks. A scanning circuit that controls each of the plurality of normal pixels in the block so that the block transfers electric charge to the light shielding pixel corresponding to the block. A signal processing unit is provided, for each of the light shielding pixels, with a signal processing circuit that processes a signal generated by the light shielding pixel on the basis of the transferred electric charge.

A camera objective lens for an endoscope has an object-side first prism and an image-side second prism, a first lens system arranged on the object side of the first prism and a second lens system arranged on the image side of the first prism, and a sensor surface arranged at the image-side end of the camera objective lens parallel to the longitudinal axis of an endoscope shaft of the endoscope. The first prism and the second prism are designed to cause a first to third beam deflection as a three-fold beam deflection. The first lens system includes a biconcave first lens, a biconvex second lens, a third lens formed as a rod lens, a plane-concave fourth lens and a biconvex fifth lens in this order as viewed from the object side. The second lens system includes a convex-plane sixth lens, a seventh lens formed as a meniscus lens, a biconvex eighth lens and a biconcave ninth lens in this order as viewed from the object side.

An endoscope system includes an endoscope, an image generating unit, a display unit, a displayed-image controlling unit, and a distance sensing unit. The endoscope includes an image pickup optical system including a first image pickup device and a second image pickup device. The distance sensing unit senses distance information. Based on the distance information, the displayed-image controlling unit controls a first picked-up image so as to change a position of a first output region included in an entire image pickup region of the first image pickup device and in which an image pickup signal for the first picked-up image is outputted, and controls a second picked-up image so as to change a position of a second output region included in an entire image pickup region of the second image pickup device and in which an image pickup signal for the second picked-up image is outputted.

A 3D video endoscope has a shaft which has the form of a flexible or rigid elongated hollow body, a first image sensor, a second image sensor, a first optical channel which comprises a first objective lens and a first optical image guiding system which forwards the image captured by the first objective lens to the first image sensor, a second optical channel which comprises a second objective lens and a second optical image guiding system which forwards the image captured by the second objective lens to the second image sensor. The first optical channel and second optical channel are substantially arranged in the shaft. The first optical channel has a first diaphragm which reduces the aperture of the first optical channel compared to the aperture of the second optical channel. Apart from the first diaphragm, the first optical channel and the second optical channel are structured identically.

A stereoscopic vision endoscope objective optical system includes, in order from an object side, a first lens group having a negative refractive power, a second lens group having a positive refractive power, and a rear-side lens group having a positive refractive power. The rear-side lens group includes a first rear group and a second rear group. The first lens group and the second lens group are disposed so that an optical axis of the second lens group coincides with an optical axis of the first lens group. The optical axis of the first lens group is located between an optical axis of the first rear group and an optical axis of the second rear group. Each of the first rear group and the second rear group includes a first sub group, an aperture stop, and a second sub group, and the first sub group includes a negative lens.

A three-dimensional endoscope comprises a video signal input portion to which a first video signal is obtained by a first imaging system and a second video signal is obtained by a second imaging system are inputted. A video signal identification portion that identifies a two-dimensional video signal and a three-dimensional video signal are obtained from the video signal input portion. An image condition detection portion that when the video signal identification portion has detected the two-dimensional video signal, analyzes a display area of a two-dimensional image to detect a foggy region. An image combining portion that, when the image condition detection portion has detected a foggy region in a video of at least one of the first imaging system and the second imaging system, combines both of the first video signal and the second video signal to generate a composite image in which fogginess of the foggy region being eliminated.

A stereo endoscope for capturing a first image which is provided to be observed by a first eye and a second image which is provided to be observed by a second eye, including a shaft with a distal end region, a first image sensor in the distal end region of the shaft, for capturing the first image, and a second image sensor in the distal end region of the shaft, for capturing the second image. The first image sensor and the second image sensor are arranged offset relative to one another in a direction which is parallel to at least either a light-sensitive layer of the first image sensor or a light-sensitive layer of the second image sensor and which is orthogonal to a longitudinal axis the distal end region of the shaft. The first image sensor and the second image sensor are oriented in opposite directions.

A stereoscopic endoscope includes an outer tube with an internal cavity, an insert, first and second image forming assemblies, first and second optical fiber bundles, and a first adapter. The insert is positioned within the outer tube and has a first side and a second side each including a concave outer surface. The insert holds the first and second image forming assemblies in a parallel relationship. Each optical fiber bundle substantially fills a non-circular void in the outer tube defined as a cross- sectional area between a respective side of the insert and a respective portion of an inner surface of the outer tube. The first adapter is configured to connect at least one of the first optical fiber bundle and the second optical fiber bundle to an illumination source.