Patent ID: 7289139

Claim:
An endoscopic video system for communicating between an endoscope and a detachable camera head comprising: a first transponder/transceiver affixed to the endoscope set to transmit radio frequency signals containing electronic representations of endoscope parameters and endoscope use history data and set to receive radio frequency signals containing electronic representations of modified endoscope use history data; a second transponder/transceiver affixed to the detachable camera head set to transmit radio frequency signals containing the electronic representations of modified endoscope use history data, and set to receive radio frequency signals containing the electronic representations of endoscope parameters and endoscope use history data; a memory device coupled to the first transponder/transceiver having memory locations for storing the electronic representations of the data contained in the radio frequency signals; and a camera control unit, coupled to the camera head, for receiving and processing the electronic representations of endoscope parameters and endoscope use history data.