US20140046136A1 - Device and method for reducing effects of video artifacts - Google Patents

Abstract

A method for reducing an effect of a video artifact includes adjusting a phase of a second imaging device's video clock signal so that a phase of the second imaging device's video synchronization signal matches a phase of a first imaging device's video synchronization signal. An endoscopic system includes a first imaging device, a second imaging device, a light source, and a controller that reduces an artifact in an image produced by the first imaging device. In some embodiments, the first imaging device faces the light source.

Description

RELATED APPLICATIONS
• This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 13/606,465, filed Sep. 7, 2012, which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 11/751,597, filed May 21, 2007, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,310,530, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/801,748, filed May 19, 2006, the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.
TECHNICAL FIELD
• The present invention relates to a device and method for reducing effects of video artifacts.
BACKGROUND
• Multiple endoscopic devices with multiple cameras and light sources may be used for medical procedures, inspection of small pipes, or remote monitoring. For example, such an endoscopic device may be a medical endoscope comprising a flexible tube, and a camera and a light source mounted on the distal end of the flexible tube. The endoscope is insertable into an internal body cavity through a body orifice to examine the body cavity and tissues for diagnosis. The tube of the endoscope has one or more longitudinal channels, through which an instrument can reach the body cavity to take samples of suspicious tissues or to perform other surgical procedures such as polypectomy.
• There are many types of endoscopes, and they are named in relation to the organs or areas with which they are used. For example, gastroscopes are used for examination and treatment of the esophagus, stomach and duodenum; colonoscopes for the colon; bronchoscopes for the bronchi; laparoscopes for the peritoneal cavity; sigmoidoscopes for the rectum and the sigmoid colon; arthroscopes for joints; cystoscopes for the urinary bladder; and angioscopes for the examination of blood vessels.
• Each endoscope has a single forward viewing camera mounted at the distal end of the flexible tube to transmit an image to an eyepiece or video camera at the proximal end. The camera is used to assist a medical professional in advancing the endoscope into a body cavity and looking for abnormalities. The camera provides the medical professional with a two-dimensional view from the distal end of the endoscope. To capture an image from a different angle or in a different portion, the endoscope must be repositioned or moved back and forth. Repositioning and movement of the endoscope prolongs the procedure and causes added discomfort, complications, and risks to the patient. Additionally, in an environment similar to the lower gastro-intestinal tract, flexures, tissue folds and unusual geometries of the organ may prevent the endoscope's camera from viewing all areas of the organ. The unseen area may cause a potentially malignant (cancerous) polyp to be missed.
• This problem can be overcome by providing an auxiliary camera and an auxiliary light source. The auxiliary camera and light source can be oriented to face the main camera and light source, thus providing an image of areas not viewable by the endoscope's main camera. This arrangement of cameras and light sources can provide both front and rear views of an area or an abnormality. In the case of polypectomy where a polyp is excised by placing a wire loop around the base of the polyp, the camera arrangement allows better placement of the wire loop to minimize damage to the adjacent healthy tissue.
• The two cameras may be based on different technologies and may have different characteristics. In many cases, the main camera is a charge coupled device (CCD) camera that requires a very intense light source for illumination. Such as a light source may be a fiber optic bundle. The auxiliary camera may be a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) camera with a light emitting diode (LED) to provide illumination.
SUMMARY
• The inventors of the present application have observed that, when multiple imaging and light emitting devices are used as described in the background section of the present specification, artifacts may appear on the video images produced by the imaging devices. One example of the observed artifacts is a “thin line” near the top edge of a video image generated by a main endoscope's CCD imaging device, when the CCD imaging device is used in pair with retrograde imaging and light emitting devices.
• The inventors believe that this “thin line” artifact is caused by how images are captured and/or processed by the CCD imaging device. Alternatively or additionally, the artifact may be related the video processing circuitry. In a CCD camera system, image data are captured and/or processed a single row of the image at a time. As a result, if there is a bright light source such as the retrograde light emitting device, individual pixels of the image can succumb to charge “leaks” which can spill over into the other light receptors in the same row. This may cause loss of portions of the video image and appearance of a “thin line” in the video image.
• The present invention can be used to reduce the effects of the “thin line” artifact. In accordance with one aspect of the invention, an endoscopic system includes a first imaging device, a second imaging device, a light source, and a controller that reduces an artifact in an image produced by the first imaging device. In some embodiments, the first imaging device faces the light source.
• In one preferred embodiment, the controller adjusts a frequency of the second imaging device's video clock signal so that a frequency of the second imaging device's video synchronization signal matches a frequency of the first imaging device's video synchronization signal.
• In another preferred embodiment, the controller adjusts a phase of the second imaging device's video clock signal to vary the phase between the second imaging device's video synchronization signal and the first imaging device's video synchronization signal. The phase between the two video synchronization signals may be zero or nonzero.
• In still another preferred embodiment, the controller synchronizes a duty cycle of the light source to turn on the light source only when the first imaging device is in a vertical blanking interval to reduce the size of the artifact.
• In yet another preferred embodiment, the controller moves the artifact by adjusting a pulse width and/or delay timing of the light source. Preferably, the controller moves the artifact vertically.
• In still yet another preferred embodiment, wherein the controller includes a phase lock loop circuit that is connected to the first imaging device to receive a video synchronization signal of the first imaging device and connected to the second imaging device to receive a video synchronization signal of the second imaging device and to send a video clock signal for the second imaging device, wherein the phase lock loop circuit adjusts a phase of the second imaging device's video clock signal so that a phase of the second imaging device's video synchronization signal matches a phase of the first imaging device's video synchronization signal.
• In a further preferred embodiment, the phase lock loop circuit adjusts a frequency of the second imaging device's video clock signal so that a frequency of the second imaging device's video synchronization signal matches a frequency of the first imaging device's video synchronization signal.
• In a still further preferred embodiment, the controller includes a light source driver, and the light source driver is connected to the phase lock loop circuit to receive the video clock signal. Preferably, the light source driver synchronizes a duty cycle of the light source to turn on the light source only when the first imaging device is in a vertical blanking interval to reduce the size of the artifact.
• In a yet further preferred embodiment, the light source driver moves the artifact by adjusting a pulse width and/or delay timing of the light source. Preferably, the controller moves the artifact vertically.
• In a still yet further preferred embodiment, the phase lock loop circuit includes a sync separator that is connected to the first imaging device to receive the video synchronization signal of the first imaging device and connected to the second imaging device to receive the video synchronization signal of the second imaging device. Preferably, the sync separator extracts a vertical synchronization signal from the video synchronization signal of the first imaging device and another vertical synchronization signal from the video synchronization signal of the second imaging device.
• In another preferred embodiment, the phase lock loop circuit includes a phase detector that is connected to the sync separator to receive the vertical synchronization signals. Preferably, the phase detector computes the phase difference between the vertical synchronization signals using the vertical synchronization signal of the first imaging device as a reference signal.
• In still another preferred embodiment, the phase lock loop circuit includes a low pass filter that is connected to the phase detector to receive the phase difference and that averages the phase difference to reduce the noise content of the phase difference.
• In yet another preferred embodiment, the phase lock loop circuit includes an oscillator that is connected to the low pass filter to receive the averaged phase difference and that creates the video clock signal.
• In accordance with another aspect of the invention, an endoscopic system includes a first imaging device, a second imaging device, a light source, and a controller that varies a phase difference between video synchronization signals of the first and second imaging devices to reduce an artifact in an image produced by the first imaging device.
• In accordance with still another aspect of the invention, an endoscopic system includes a first imaging device, a first light source, a second imaging device, a second light source, and a controller. The first imaging device and light source may face the second imaging device and light source. Preferably, the controller includes a phase lock loop circuit that is connected to the first imaging device to receive a video synchronization signal of the first imaging device and connected to the second imaging device to receive a video synchronization signal of the second imaging device and to send a video clock signal for the second imaging device so that image frames of the imaging devices have the same frequency and are in phase. The first imaging device and light source may be powered on during one half of the frame period, and the second imaging device and light source are powered on during the other half of the frame period.
• In a preferred embodiment, the frame frequency is sufficiently high such that eyes cannot sense that the first and second imaging devices and their light sources are intermittently powered on and off.
• In accordance with a further aspect of the invention, a method for reducing an effect of a video artifact includes adjusting a phase of a second imaging device's video clock signal so that a phase of the second imaging device's video synchronization signal matches a phase of a first imaging device's video synchronization signal.
• In a preferred embodiment, the method further includes adjusting a frequency of the second imaging device's video clock signal so that a frequency of the second imaging device's video synchronization signal matches a frequency of the first imaging device's video synchronization signal.
• In another preferred embodiment, the method further includes synchronizing a duty cycle of a light source to turn on the light source only when the first imaging device is in a vertical blanking interval to reduce the size of the artifact, wherein the light source faces the first imaging device.
• In yet another preferred embodiment, the method further includes moving the artifact by adjusting a pulse width and/or delay timing of the light source. Preferably, the moving step includes moving the artifact vertically.
• In still yet another preferred embodiment, the adjusting step includes extracting a vertical synchronization signal from the video synchronization signal of the first imaging device and another vertical synchronization signal from the video synchronization signal of the second imaging device.
• In a further preferred embodiment, the adjusting step includes computing the phase difference between the vertical synchronization signals using the vertical synchronization signal of the first imaging device as a reference signal.
• In a still further preferred embodiment, the adjusting step includes averaging the phase difference to reduce the noise content of the phase difference.
• In a yet further preferred embodiment, the adjusting step includes creating the video clock signal.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
• FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of an endoscope with an imaging assembly according to one embodiment of the present invention.
• FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of the distal end of an insertion tube of the endoscope ofFIG. 1.
• FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of the imaging assembly shown inFIG. 1.
• FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of the distal ends of the endoscope and imaging assembly ofFIG. 1.
• FIG. 5 shows a schematic diagram of a controller that, together with the endoscope ofFIG. 1, forms an endoscope system.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
• FIG. 1 illustrates anexemplary endoscope10 of the present invention. Thisendoscope10 can be used in a variety of medical procedures in which imaging of a body tissue, organ, cavity or lumen is required. The types of procedures include, for example, anoscopy, arthroscopy, bronchoscopy, colonoscopy, cystoscopy, EGD, laparoscopy, and sigmoidoscopy.
• Theendoscope10 ofFIG. 1 includes aninsertion tube12 and animaging assembly14, a section of which is housed inside theinsertion tube12. As shown inFIG. 2, theinsertion tube12 has twolongitudinal channels16. In general, however, theinsertion tube12 may have any number of longitudinal channels. An instrument can reach the body cavity through one of thechannels16 to perform any desired procedures, such as to take samples of suspicious tissues or to perform other surgical procedures such as polypectomy. The instruments may be, for example, a retractable needle for drug injection, hydraulically actuated scissors, clamps, grasping tools, electrocoagulation systems, ultrasound transducers, electrical sensors, heating elements, laser mechanisms and other ablation means. In some embodiments, one of the channels can be used to supply a washing liquid such as water for washing. Another or the same channel may be used to supply a gas, such as CO.sub.2 or air into the organ. Thechannels16 may also be used to extract fluids or inject fluids, such as a drug in a liquid carrier, into the body. Various biopsy, drug delivery, and other diagnostic and therapeutic devices may also be inserted via thechannels16 to perform specific functions.
• Theinsertion tube12 preferably is steerable or has a steerabledistal end region18 as shown inFIG. 1. The length of thedistal end region18 may be any suitable fraction of the length of theinsertion tube12, such as one half, one third, one fourth, one sixth, one tenth, or one twentieth. Theinsertion tube12 may have control cables (not shown) for the manipulation of theinsertion tube12. Preferably, the control cables are symmetrically positioned within theinsertion tube12 and extend along the length of theinsertion tube12. The control cables may be anchored at or near thedistal end36 of theinsertion tube12. Each of the control cables may be a Bowden cable, which includes a wire contained in a flexible overlying hollow tube. The wires of the Bowden cables are attached tocontrols20 in thehandle22. Using thecontrols20, the wires can be pulled to bend thedistal end region18 of theinsertion tube12 in a given direction. The Bowden cables can be used to articulate thedistal end region18 of theinsertion tube12 in different directions.
• As shown inFIG. 1, theendoscope10 may also include acontrol handle22 connected to theproximal end24 of theinsertion tube12. Preferably, the control handle22 has one or more ports and/or valves (not shown) for controlling access to thechannels16 of theinsertion tube12. The ports and/or valves can be air or water valves, suction valves, instrumentation ports, and suction/instrumentation ports. As shown inFIG. 1, the control handle22 may additionally includebuttons26 for taking pictures with an imaging device on theinsertion tube12, theimaging assembly14, or both. Theproximal end28 of the control handle22 may include an accessory outlet30 (FIG. 1) that provides fluid communication between the air, water and suction channels and the pumps and related accessories. Thesame outlet30 or a different outlet can be used for electrical lines to light and imaging components at the distal end of theendoscope10.
• As shown inFIG. 2, theendoscope10 may further include animaging device32 andlight sources34, both of which are disposed at thedistal end36 of theinsertion tube12. Theimaging device32 may include, for example, a lens, single chip sensor, multiple chip sensor or fiber optic implemented devices. Theimaging device32, in electrical communication with a processor and/or monitor, may provide still images or recorded or live video images. Thelight sources34 preferably are equidistant from theimaging device32 to provide even illumination. The intensity of eachlight source34 can be adjusted to achieve optimum imaging. The circuits for theimaging device32 andlight sources34 may be incorporated into a printed circuit board (PCB).
• As shown inFIGS. 3 and 4, theimaging assembly14 may include atubular body38, ahandle42 connected to theproximal end40 of thetubular body38, anauxiliary imaging device44, alink46 that provides physical and/or electrical connection between theauxiliary imaging device44 to thedistal end48 of thetubular body38, and an auxiliary light source50 (FIG. 4). The auxiliarylight source50 may be an LED device.
• As shown inFIG. 4, theimaging assembly14 of theendoscope10 is used to provide an auxiliary imaging device at the distal end of theinsertion tube12. To this end, theimaging assembly14 is placed inside one of thechannels16 of the endoscope'sinsertion tube12 with itsauxiliary imaging device44 disposed beyond thedistal end36 of theinsertion tube12. This can be accomplished by first inserting the distal end of theimaging assembly14 into the insertion tube'schannel16 from the endoscope'shandle18 and then pushing theimaging assembly14 further into theassembly14 until theauxiliary imaging device44 and link46 of theimaging assembly14 are positioned outside thedistal end36 of theinsertion tube12 as shown inFIG. 4.
• Each of the main andauxiliary imaging devices32,44 may be an electronic device which converts light incident on photosensitive semiconductor elements into electrical signals. The imaging sensor may detect either color or black-and-white images. The signals from the imaging sensor can be digitized and used to reproduce an image that is incident on the imaging sensor. Two commonly used types of image sensors are Charge Coupled Devices (CCD) such as a VCC-5774 produced by Sanyo of Osaka, Japan and Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor (CMOS) camera chips such as an OVT 6910 produced by OnmiVision of Sunnyvale, Calif. Preferably, themain imaging device32 is a CCD imaging device, and theauxiliary imaging device44 is a CMOS imaging device.
• When theimaging assembly14 is properly installed in theinsertion tube12, theauxiliary imaging device44 of theimaging assembly14 preferably faces backwards towards themain imaging device32 as illustrated inFIG. 4. Theauxiliary imaging device44 may be oriented so that theauxiliary imaging device44 and themain imaging device32 have adjacent or overlapping viewing areas. Alternatively, theauxiliary imaging device44 may be oriented so that theauxiliary imaging device44 and themain imaging device32 simultaneously provide different views of the same area. Preferably, theauxiliary imaging device44 provides a retrograde view of the area, while themain imaging device32 provides a front view of the area. However, theauxiliary imaging device44 could be oriented in other directions to provide other views, including views that are substantially parallel to the axis of themain imaging device32.
• As shown inFIG. 4, thelink46 connects theauxiliary imaging device44 to thedistal end48 of thetubular body38. Preferably, thelink46 is a flexible link that is at least partially made from a flexible shape memory material that substantially tends to return to its original shape after deformation. Shape memory materials are well known and include shape memory alloys and shape memory polymers. A suitable flexible shape memory material is a shape memory alloy such as nitinol. Theflexible link46 is straightened to allow the distal end of theimaging assembly14 to be inserted into the proximal end ofassembly14 of theinsertion tube12 and then pushed towards thedistal end36 of theinsertion tube12. When theauxiliary imaging device44 andflexible link46 are pushed sufficiently out of thedistal end36 of theinsertion tube12, theflexible link46 resumes its natural bent configuration as shown inFIG. 3. The natural configuration of theflexible link46 is the configuration of theflexible link46 when theflexible link46 is not subject to any force or stress. When theflexible link46 resumes its natural bent configuration, theauxiliary imaging device44 faces substantially back towards thedistal end36 of theinsertion tube12 as shown inFIG. 5.
• In the illustrated embodiment, the auxiliarylight source50 of theimaging assembly14 is placed on theflexible link46, in particular on the curved concave portion of theflexible link46. The auxiliarylight source50 provides illumination for theauxiliary imaging device44 and may face substantially the same direction as theauxiliary imaging device44 as shown inFIG. 4.
• The endoscope of the present invention, such as theendoscope10 shown inFIG. 1, may be part of an endoscope system that also includes a controller. The term “controller” as used in this specification is broadly defined. In some embodiments, for example, the term “controller” may simply be a signal processing unit.
• The controller can be used for, among others, reducing or eliminating the “thin line” artifacts described above.FIG. 5 illustrates apreferred embodiment52 of the controller. Thepreferred controller52 includes a phase lock loop (PLL)circuit54. ThePLL circuit54 includes async separator56, aphase detector58, alow pass filter60, and anoscillator62.
• Thesync separator56 is connected to each of the main andauxiliary imaging devices32,44 to receive avideo synchronization signal64 from eachimaging device32,44. Thesync separator56 extracts a vertical synchronization signal from eachvideo synchronization signal64. Thephase detector58 is connected to thesync separator56 and receives the vertical synchronization signals from thesync separator56. Thephase detector56 then computes the phase difference between the vertical synchronization signals using the vertical synchronization signal of themain imaging device32 as the reference signal. Thelow pass filter60 is connected to thephase detector58 and receives the phase difference from thephase detector58. Thelow pass filter60 averages the phase difference to reduce the noise content of the phase difference. Theoscillator62 is connected to thelow pass filter60 and receives the averaged phase difference. Based on the averaged phase difference, theoscillator62 creates an output signal that matches the frequency and phase of the vertical synchronization signal of themain imaging device32. This output signal of thePLL circuit54 may be then amplified and sent to theauxiliary imaging device44 as avideo clock signal66. This feedback control loop adjusts the phase and/or frequency of the auxiliary imaging device's video clock so that the phase and frequency of the auxiliary imaging device'svideo synchronization signal64 match those of themain imaging device32′svideo synchronization signal64. In other words, the twoimaging devices32,44 have the same frame frequency and frame phase.
• Thepreferred controller52 shown inFIG. 5 may also include an auxiliarylight source driver68 that is used to “pulse” the auxiliarylight source50. A “pulsed” light source is not constantly powered on. Instead, it is turned on and off intermittently at a certain frequency. The frequency, phase and duty cycle (pulse width) of the auxiliarylight source50 can be adjusted by the auxiliarylight source driver68. in addition, the output signal of thePLL circuit54 may also be sent to the auxiliarylight source driver68 to match the frequency of the auxiliarylight source50 with that of theimaging devices32,44.
• The inventors of the present application have discovered that the size and position of the artifact on an image produced by themain imaging device32 may be adjusted by varying at least the duty cycle of the auxiliarylight source50 and by varying at least the phase of the auxiliarylight source50 relative to theimaging devices32,44. For example, the duty cycle of the auxiliarylight source50 may be adjusted to vary at least the size of the artifact. In particular, the size of the artifact may be reduced by decreasing the duty cycle of the auxiliarylight source50. In the case of the “thin line” artifact, the length of the artifact may be reduced by decreasing the duty cycle of the auxiliarylight source50.
• For another example, the artifact on an image produced by themain imaging device32 may be moved, such as vertically, by varying at least the phase of the auxiliarylight source50 relative to theimaging devices32,44. Thecontroller52 may allow a user to adjust the phase of the auxiliarylight source50 to move the artifact to a region of non-interest in the image such as the location of the auxiliarylight source50.
• For a further example, the duty cycle and/or phase of the auxiliarylight source50 may be adjusted so that the auxiliarylight source50 is powered on only when themain imaging device32 is in a vertical blanking interval, resulting in a reduction in the size of the artifact.
• Similarly, using the above-described processes and devices, the size and/or position of an artifact on an image produced by theauxiliary imaging device44 may be adjusted by varying at least the duty cycle of the mainlight source34 and by varying at least the phase of the mainlight source34 relative to theimaging devices32,44.
• In addition, an artifact on an image produced by one of theimage devices32,44 may also be minimized by introducing a phase difference between the video synchronization signals of the main andauxiliary imaging devices32,44 (i.e., introducing a phase delay between the frame rates of the two video signals). ThePLL circuit54 may be used to maintain the desired phase difference between the video synchronization signals. Thecontroller52 may be used to adjust the phase difference between the video synchronization signals to minimize the artifact.
• Theauxiliary imaging device44 and itslight source50 may be connected to the controller52 (not shown) via electrical conductors that extend from theimaging device44 andlight source50; through thelink46,tubular body38, and handle42; to thecontroller52. The electrical conductors may carry power and control commands to theauxiliary imaging device44 and itslight source50 and image signals from theauxiliary imaging device44 to thecontroller52.
• Thecontroller52 may be used to adjust the parameters of theimaging devices32,44 and theirlight sources34,50, such as brightness, exposure time and mode settings. The adjustment can be done by writing digital commands to specific registers controlling the parameters. The registers can be addressed by their unique addresses, and digital commands can be read from and written to the registers to change the various parameters. Thecontroller52 can change the register values by transmitting data commands to the registers.
• In an alternate embodiment, thecontroller52 may be used to reduce light interference between themain imaging device32 andlight source34 and theauxiliary imaging device44 andlight source50. Since themain imaging device32 andlight source34 face theauxiliary imaging device44 andlight source50, the mainlight source34 interferes with theauxiliary imaging device44, and the auxiliarylight source50 interferes with themain imaging device32. Light interference is the result of the light from a light source being projected directly onto an imaging device. This may cause light glare, camera blooming, or over saturation of light, resulting in inferior image quality.
• To reduce or eliminate light interference, theimaging devices32,44 and theirlight sources34,50 may be turned on and off alternately. In other words, when themain imaging device32 andlight source34 are turned on, theauxiliary imaging device44 andlight source50 are turned off. And when themain imaging device32 andlight sources34 are turned off, theauxiliary imaging device44 andlight source50 are turned on. Preferably, theimaging devices32,44 and theirlight sources34,50 are turned on and off at a sufficiently high frequency that eyes do not sense that thelight sources34,50 are being turned on and off.
• The timing of powering on and off theimaging devices32,44 and theirlight sources34,50 can be accomplished using thePLL circuit54 shown inFIG. 5. ThePLL circuit54 may be employed to match the frame frequencies and phases of theimaging devices32,44 as discussed above. Then, themain imaging device32 andlight source34 are powered on during one half of the frame period, and theauxiliary imaging device44 andlight source50 are powered on during the other half of the frame period.
• The above-described processes and devices may also be used when there are more than two imaging devices and two light sources and when the imaging devices and light sources are on two or more endoscopes.

Claims (18)

What is claimed is:

1. An endoscopic system comprising:

an insertion tube;

a first imaging sensor disposed at a distal portion of the insertion tube;

a second imaging sensor coupled to the insertion tube such that the first and second imaging sensors have adjacent or overlapping views;

a pulsed light source coupled to the insertion tube and configured to provide illumination for the second imaging sensor; and

a controller configured to activate the first imaging sensor and the pulsed light source such that during a first time interval, the pulsed light source is activated and the first imaging sensor is not activated, and during a second time interval that is distinct from the first time interval, the pulsed light source is not activated and the first imaging sensor is activated.

2. The endoscopic system ofclaim 1, wherein the pulsed light source is activated only when the first imaging sensor is in a vertical blanking interval.

3. The endoscopic system ofclaim 1, wherein the controller is configured to synchronize a duty cycle and/or phase of the pulsed light source such that the pulsed light source is activated only when the first imaging sensor is not activated.

4. The endoscopic system ofclaim 3, wherein the pulsed light source is activated only when the first imaging sensor is in a vertical blanking interval.

5. The endoscopic system ofclaim 1, wherein the second imaging sensor and the pulsed light source face in substantially the same direction.

6. The endoscopic system ofclaim 1, wherein the first and second imaging sensors are configured to simultaneously provide different views of the same area.

7. The endoscopic system ofclaim 6, wherein the first imaging sensor is configured to provide a front view of the area and the second imaging sensor is configured to provide a retrograde view of the same area.

8. The endoscopic system ofclaim 1, wherein the second imaging sensor is oriented to provide a view that is substantially parallel to the axis of the first imaging sensor.

9. The endoscopic system ofclaim 1, wherein the pulsed light source is activated and the first imaging sensor is activated at a sufficiently high frequency that eyes cannot sense that the light source and first imaging sensor are intermittently activated.

10. The endoscopic system ofclaim 1, wherein the image frames of the first and second imaging sensors have the same fundamental frequency and the controller is configured to activate the pulsed light source for only a portion of a full duty cycle.

11. The endoscopic system ofclaim 10, wherein the controller is configured to decrease the duty cycle of the pulsed light source to reduce the size of an image artifact of the first imaging sensor.

12. The endoscopic system ofclaim 1, wherein the image frames of the first and second imaging sensors have the same fundamental frequency and are phase locked, and the controller is configured to vary the phase of the pulsed light source relative to the first imaging sensor to move an image artifact of the first imaging sensor.

13. The endoscopic system ofclaim 1, wherein the pulsed light source is a first light source, and the endoscopic system further comprises a second light source, wherein the second imaging sensor and the first light source are activated during the first time interval, and the first imaging sensor and the second light source are activated during the second time interval.

14. The endoscopic system ofclaim 13, wherein the image frames of the first and second imaging sensor have the same fundamental frequency, and the second imaging sensor and the first light source are activated during one half of the frame period, and the first imaging sensor and the second light source are activated during the other half of the frame period.

15. The endoscopic system ofclaim 13, wherein the second imaging sensor and the first light source are activated and the first imaging sensor and the second light source are activated at a sufficiently high frequency such that eyes do not sense that the imaging sensors and the light sources are intermittently activated.

16. The endoscopic system ofclaim 13, wherein the image frames of the first and second imaging sensors have the same fundamental frequency and the controller is configured to activate the first light source for only a portion of a full duty cycle.

17. The endoscopic system ofclaim 16, wherein the controller is configured to decrease the duty cycle of the first light source to reduce the size of an image artifact of the first imaging sensor.

18. The endoscopic system ofclaim 13, wherein the image frames of the first and second imaging sensors have the same fundamental frequency and are phase locked, and the controller is configured to vary the phase of the first light source relative to the first sensor to move an image artifact of the first imaging sensor.

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