Patent ID: 6878109
Filing Date: 2005-04-12
Classification: A61B

Abstract:
1. A light source apparatus for providing illuminating light to an endoscope, comprising: a light source lamp for generating illuminating light; a digital micromirror device having a plurality of micromirrors which receive and reflect the illuminating light generated by the light source lamp, wherein each of the plurality of micromirrors rotates to change a reflection direction of said illuminating light; a light-converging optical system for directing the illuminating light reflected by the plurality of micromirrors to be incident on a light guide integrated in the endoscope; a mirror control circuit which determines whether or not the illuminating light should impinge on the light guide integrated in the endoscope by altering the direction of the illuminating light reflected by the plurality of micromirrors of the digital micromirror device based on an exposure-time control signal introduced in accordance with the type of an imaging element installed in the endoscope; a mirror which reflects an incident light component out of light reflected by the digital micromirror device towards the light guide introduced in the endoscope; and a light integrating device for uniformly integrating the reflected light inserted between the mirror and the light-converging optical system.