A method and apparatus for imaging a body lumen are disclosed. According to the method, an imaging apparatus is induced into the body lumen. Structured light from the imaging apparatus is projected into the body lumen. The structured light reflected from anatomical features in the body lumen is detected by the imaging apparatus. A first structured light image is generated from the detected structured light by the imaging apparatus. Non-structured light is emitted from the imaging apparatus into the body lumen. The non-structured light reflected from the anatomical features in the body lumen is detected by the imaging apparatus. A non-structured light image is generated from the detected non-structured light by the imaging apparatus. The frame period of the first structured light image is shorter than the frame period of the non-structured light image. In one embodiment, the imaging apparatus corresponds to a capsule endoscope.

A teleoperated surgical system is provided that comprises a support arm; a surgical instrument, moveably mounted to the support arm, including a housing a proximal end portion and a distal end portion and having an end effector at the distal end portion thereof; an actuator to impart movement to the surgical instrument; an optical fiber, including a proximal end portion and a distal end portion, mounted to the surgical instrument to emit first light from its distal end at the distal end portion of the surgical instrument; and a light source disposed to impart the first light to the proximal end of the optical fiber at a first angle within an acceptance angle of the optical fiber.

A camera head for an endoscope includes: a casing grasped by a user and detachably connected to an insertion unit inserted into a subject, the insertion unit taking an object image from the subject; an optical element having translucency and configured to seal the casing by being provided in the casing; an imaging element provided in the casing and configured to capture the object image taken into the casing through the optical element; and a dew condensation forming unit provided in the casing and having a smaller thermal resistance value than the optical element, the dew condensation forming unit functioning as a transmission path of heat between inside and outside of the casing.

A future shape estimation apparatus includes an insertion section, a shape sensor and an insertion section future shape estimation circuit. The insertion section has flexibility and is to be inserted into an observation target object. The shape sensor detects a bending state of the insertion section and outputs a detection signal. The insertion section future shape estimation circuit estimates a future shape of the insertion section after a predetermined lapse of time based on information acquired from the detection signal output from the shape sensor, and outputs the future shape as future estimation shape information.

In one embodiment, a method for a stereo endoscope includes receiving electromagnetic radiation through an inner protective window; focusing the electromagnetic radiation with a left optical component toward a left pixel array of a stereo image sensor along an optical axis of the left optical component parallel with but offset from a center axis of the left pixel array; and focusing the electromagnetic radiation with a right optical component toward a right pixel array of the stereo image sensor along an optical axis of the right optical component parallel with but offset from a center axis of the right pixel array. The left pixel array and the right pixel array are offset from the center optical axis of the stereo endoscope to provide stereo image convergence.

A stereoscopic endoscope that includes at least one image sensor, one or more processing devices, and a display device. The image sensors sense a pair of stereo images, based on capturing light passing through apertures electronically defined at a first aperture location and a second aperture location, respectively, on a liquid crystal layer within the endoscope. The size of each aperture, spacing between the apertures, and polarization state associated with each aperture are controlled using corresponding control signals provided to the liquid crystal layer. The image data captured through the apertures is used to generate control signals representing one or more views of a surgical scene. The views are then presented on a display device.

A stereoscopic endoscope apparatus includes: an insertion portion; a variable focus objective optical system; a fixed focus objective optical system; an image pickup section; an image signal generation output section that outputs an image signal for two-dimensional display when a focal length of the variable focus objective optical system and a focal length of the fixed focus objective optical system are different from each other, and outputs an image signal for stereoscopic observation when the focal length of the variable focus objective optical system and the focal length of the fixed focus objective optical system are coincident with each other in the near point observation state.

A family of endoscopes includes a non-zero degree endoscope and a zero degree endoscope. The zero degree endoscope includes a first image capture unit mounted in a distal portion of the zero degree endoscope with a lengthwise axis of the first image capture unit substantially parallel to a lengthwise axis of that distal portion. The non-zero degree endoscope includes a second image capture unit mounted in a distal portion of the non-zero degree endoscope with a lengthwise axis of the second image capture unit intersecting a lengthwise axis of that distal portion at a non-zero angle. The first and second image capture units have substantially identical non-folded optical paths.

In this endoscope apparatus, an imaging optical system is disposed in a distal end of an endoscope insertion unit. An measurement processing unit performs a measurement process by the principle of triangulation on the basis of an image corresponding to an optical image obtained via an imaging optical system and camera parameters of a first position and a second position. A reliability determination unit determines the reliability of the measurement process. The measurement process is based on a measurement point set in the image corresponding to the optical image obtained via the imaging optical system at the first position. A notification control unit sends a notification to prompt a user to perform an operation of moving the distal end in a direction from the second position toward the first position when the reliability determination unit determines that the reliability is low.

An endoscope system includes: a first processor configured to perform first image processing on a set of image data; a second processor configured to perform second image processing on another set of image data; a third processor configured to generate, based on sets of image data output from the first and second processors, display image data; a recorder configured to record therein image data based on the sets of image data output from the first and second processors; a fourth processor configured to generate a first synchronization signal for synchronization among the first processor, the second processor, and the third processor; a fifth processor configured to generate a second synchronization signal for synchronization between the third processor and the recorder; and a controller configured to select one of the first and second synchronization signals, and perform control for synchronization between the third processor and the recorder.