Patent ID: 8831710
Filing Date: 2014-09-09
Classification: A61B,G02B

Abstract:
1. A medical observation system, comprising: a medical probe that is configured to observe a subject by scanning the subject with laser light for a plurality of frames, each frame including a pattern scanning period and a braking period, which follows the pattern scanning period; a laser source that supplies the laser light to the medical probe; a light guiding member configured to guide the laser light supplied by the laser source to an exit end face of the light guiding member; an oscillator configured to oscillate a part of the light guiding member around the exit end face of the light guiding member from a first predetermined position to a second predetermined position in the pattern scanning period, to scan the subject with the laser light; a judger configured to judge that the medical probe is located outside a body of a patient based on an amount of light, which is received by a light-receptive member, during the braking period, the braking period being a period in which the laser light is not emitted toward the subject and the exit end face of the light guiding member returns from the second predetermined position to the first predetermined position before the pattern scanning period in a subsequent frame starts; and a controller configured to limit an amount of laser light emitted from the laser source in the subsequent frame to be lower than or equal to a predetermined amount in response to the judger judging that the medical probe is located outside the body.