JPH01277532A - Auxiliary display device for endoscope - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent the non-coincidence of the up-and-down direction of the image displayed on a monitor with that due to the subjectivity of an observer, by constituting a display part equipped with a monitor displaying the image taken by an imaging means, a mount part and a main body part in a revolving manner. CONSTITUTION:The mount part 21 fixed to the eyepiece part 6 of an endoscope and a display part 23 are provided to a main body part 22 having an imaging means 27 internally mounted or connected thereto. A monitor 24 displaying the image taken by the imaging means 27 is provided to said display part 23. The mount part 21, the main body part 22 and the display part 23 are respectively constituted in a revolvable manner.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to an auxiliary display device for an endoscope that allows an endoscope operator to refer to an observed image at hand.

[Prior art and problems to be solved by the invention] In recent years, organs within a body cavity are observed by inserting an elongated insertion section into a body cavity, and when necessary, a treatment instrument inserted into a treatment instrument channel is used. Endoscopes are widely used to enable various treatments. In addition, in the industrial field, it is also useful to observe the inside of pipes, etc., and check for scratches, cracks, and other damage.
Endoscopes that can inspect for , discoloration, etc. are widely used.

Some of the above-mentioned endoscopes are provided with an image guide made of a fiber bundle, for example, from a region at the distal end of the insertion section where the objective lens is provided to a region where the eyepiece lens is provided at the eyepiece section.

It is of course possible to directly observe the observation image transmitted to the eyepiece through the fan base bundle with the naked eye, but for reasons such as allowing simultaneous observation by a large number of viewers, etc. A technique is generally practiced in which an imaging means is attached to the eyepiece and an image taken by the imaging means is displayed on a television monitor or the like.

According to this conventional technology, the television monitor is generally installed at a location slightly distant from the operator of the endoscope, and the operator must operate the endoscope by referring to the screen of the television monitor. I have no choice but to take an unreasonable posture.

Therefore, the present applicant filed the previously filed patent application No. 62-5555.
In Specification No. 1, a small monitor capable of displaying an image captured by the imaging means is provided in the operation section of the endoscope, and the operator operates the endoscope while referring to the image on the monitor. We are proposing a technology that enables this operation.

However, in this prior art, the monitor is fixed to the endoscope, and the tip of the endoscope is directed to the site to be observed. When the J2 mirror is rotated, the monitor is also rotated about the axis of the endoscope along with this rotation.

Therefore, there is a problem that the vertical direction of the image displayed on this monitor does not match the vertical direction subjectively perceived by the operator and the observer, resulting in poor usability.

Furthermore, when an imaging means is attached to the eyepiece, depending on the position of the eyepiece and the imaging device in the rotating direction, moiré or the like may occur in the image taken by the imaging device, which may impede observation. there is a possibility.

[Object of the Invention] The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned circumstances, and aims to prevent mismatch between the vertical direction of an image displayed on a monitor and the vertical direction subjectively determined by an operator and an observer. In addition, it is an object of the present invention to provide an auxiliary display device for an endoscope that avoids the occurrence of moiré etc. in an image captured by an imaging means. The auxiliary display device for endoscopy is a main body that has an imaging means built-in or connected to it. A mount part fixed to the eyepiece part of the mirror and a display part are provided, and a monitor for displaying the image taken by the above-mentioned imaging means is provided on the display part. The mount section 1, main body section 2, and display section are each configured to be rotatable.

With this configuration, the mount part is fixed to the eyepiece part of the endoscope, and the main body part is fixed at a position where moiré etc. can be eliminated by rotating the main body part, while the monitor is suitable for observation or reference. Rotate the display section.

[Example] Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

1 to 6 relate to the first embodiment of the present invention, in which FIG. 1 is a side view of the auxiliary display device, FIG. 2 is a view taken along the line ■-■ in FIG. 1, and FIG. FIG. 4 is a block diagram of the endoscope system, FIG. 5 is a plan view of the monitor, and FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of the tip of the endoscope.

As shown in FIG. 4, the endoscope system 1 in which this embodiment is used includes an endoscope 3 having an elongated insertion section 2, a light source device 4 for supplying illumination light to the inner endoscope 113, and an endoscope system 1 in which the present embodiment is used. An auxiliary display device 7 attached to the eyepiece section 6 of the vision vL3 and a video device 8
The image signal of the auxiliary display device 7 is input to this video device 8.

A light guide 9 formed of a flexible fiber bundle is inserted into the insertion section 2 of the endoscope 3, and is located on the side of a wide operation section 11 formed at the rear end of the insertion section 2. By connecting the light guide cable 12 extending from the light source device 4 to the light source device 4, illumination light is supplied to the light guide 9, and is irradiated from the distal end of the light guide 9 to the region to be observed via the light distribution lens 13. It is now possible to do so.

A bendable curved section 18 is provided at the rear part of the insertion section 2 adjacent to the distal end section 14, and by rotating an angle knob 19 provided on the operation section 11, this curved section 18 can be bent.
can be bent vertically and horizontally.

Further, an objective lens 16 is disposed within the distal end portion 14, and an image guide 17 formed of a flexible fiber bundle is disposed within the insertion portion 2 so that its distal end surface faces the focal plane of the objective lens 16. is inserted. The observation image transmitted to the rear surface by the image guide 17 can be observed with the naked eye through the eyepiece lens in the eyepiece section 6.

The above-mentioned auxiliary display device @7 is attached to this eyepiece section 6.

As shown in FIG. 1, this auxiliary display device 7 includes a main body 22
A mount section 21 is provided at the bottom of the main body section 22, while a display section 23 having a monitor 24 is mounted on the top of the main body section 22. The mount section 211, main body section 221, and display section 23 are configured to be rotatable relative to each other about a straight line that coincides with the optical axis 6a of the eyepiece section 6.

The mount section 21 is detachably fixed to the eyepiece section 6, and the mount section 21 is attached to the eyepiece section 6.
The auxiliary display device 7 is configured to be attached and detached by attaching and detaching the auxiliary display device 7 to and from the display device.

Further, an imaging lens 26 for condensing light from the eyepiece of the eyepiece section 6 is disposed on the main body section 22, and
A solid-state image pickup device 27, which is an example of an image pickup means, is fixed to a region to be imaged by the imaging lens 26. Note that a stopper 22a is provided on the outer periphery of the main body portion 22.

As shown in FIG. 2, a stopper ring 28 having a plurality of engagement recesses 28a formed around the inner periphery is fixed inside the mount portion 21. As shown in FIG. On the other hand, in the main body portion 22, an engaging member 29 is engaged with the engaging recess 28a and is biased toward the engaging recess 28a by an elastic body 29a.
is provided.

Further, a suppressing member 31 is disposed on the main body 22 to separate the engagement member 29 from the engagement recess 28a by pressing the elastic body 29a, and is operable from the outside of the main body 22. It has become.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 3, a recess 23b in which an elastic body 32 is disposed is formed on the inner surface of the display section 23, and one side of the elastic body 32 is always attached to the main body 22 by its biasing force.
By contacting the outer periphery of the main body part 22 and the display part 23, rotation of the main body part 22 and the display part 23 is prevented.

Further, the display portion 23 is formed with an extension portion 23a extending in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis 6a.
The above-mentioned monitor 24 is provided on a. Further, an image signal processing circuit (not shown) for processing image signals of the solid-state imaging cable 27 is installed in the auxiliary display device 7,
The image is processed through this image signal processing circuit and input to the monitor 24. It should be noted that this image signal processing circuit does not necessarily have to be built into the auxiliary display device 7, but can be processed by the video device and described later.
It is also possible to configure such that the information is inputted to the display section 23 again via 3. The monitor 24 also includes, for example, a CR
T, plasma, LCD.

Various models such as LED, ELD, and ECD can be used, and the monitor 24 and the solid-state image sensor 27 are connected via a slip ring (not shown) or the like, and the display section 23 Even if the solid-state imaging device 27 is rotated relative to the main body 22, the electrical connection between the solid-state imaging device 27 and the monitor 24 is not disconnected.

Further, a cord 33 is extended from one side of the display unit 23 to be connected to the video device 8 and to output an image signal to the video device 8 and to supply electricity to the auxiliary display device 7. The image captured by the solid-state imaging device 27 is not only displayed on the monitor 24, but also input to the video device 8 via this output cord 33 and displayed on the monitor 8a of the video device 8. is also displayed. Incidentally, by providing the display section 23 with an external connection terminal and a power supply terminal, it is also possible to eliminate the cord 33.

Various control buttons 34 are provided on the top surface of the display section 23 to control the color tone of the image displayed on the monitor 24° 80, the solid-state image sensor 27, and the video device 8. This control signal is also input to the bidet device 8 via the code 33.

As shown in FIG. 5, the peripheral area of the monitor 24 shows the state when the video device 8 is controlled, that is, recording,
A status display window 36a is provided for displaying the status of playback, fast forwarding, etc., as well as a white balance status display window 36b, a sensitivity gain status display window 36C, and a status display window 36d for indicating 0N10FF of the freeze function. ing.

On the other hand, the monitor 8 of the video device 8 is also provided with various status display windows 36a to 36d similar to those described above, and information necessary for observation can be displayed within the above-mentioned range. J! This can be obtained in the same way as the operator of Mirror 3.

Further, this video device 8 is provided with a keyboard 37 of a microcomputer so as to be able to be stored therein, and also records an image II imaged by the solid-state image sensor 27.
For example, there are provided control buttons 39 that function similarly to the various control buttons 34 provided on the 8 mm V CR 38 and the display section 23 described above.

Next, the operation of the embodiment with the above-described configuration will be explained.

The light guide cable 12 extended from the operation part 11 of the family gift 113 is connected to the light source device 4, and the illumination light supplied from the light source device 4 is transmitted to the tip part 14 through the light guide 9, and the light distribution lens 13 to the area to be observed.

Then, the image of the area to be observed is transmitted to the eyepiece 6 via the image guide 17, and can be observed through the eyepiece of the eyepiece 6.

Additionally, a mount section 21 of the auxiliary display device 7 is attached to the eyepiece section 6.
By attaching the auxiliary display device 7 to the endoscope 3, the cord 33 is connected to the video device 8.

In other words, the light from the eyepiece is focused by the imaging lens 26 of the main body 22, and is imaged by a solid-state image sensor 27, which is an example of an imaging means. This captured image is then displayed on the monitor 24 of the display unit 23 and the video device 8.
is displayed on the monitor 8a. The operator operates the endoscope 11113 while referring to the image on the monitor 24, and
The camera's white balance, color tone, etc. are adjusted via the control button 34.

In this case, depending on the position in the rotation direction of the solid axis @ element 27 of the auxiliary display device 7 attached to the eyepiece 6 and the eyepiece 6, moiré etc. may occur in the image displayed on the monitor 24.8a. It may interfere with observation.

When this moiré occurs, the user grasps the main body portion 22 and presses the pressing member 31 with a finger or the like. Then, this pressing member 3
1, the elastic body 29a is pressed and the engagement between the engagement member 29 and the engagement recess 28a is released. In this state, the main body 22 is rotated to a position where moiré and the like disappear from the image displayed on the monitor 24.88.

Then, the pressure on the pressing member 31 by a finger or the like is released,
The main body portion 22 is rotated by a predetermined angle.

Then, the engagement member 29 engages with the nearby engagement recess 28a, thereby fixing the mount section 21 and the main body section 22.

When the main body section 22 is rotated, the solid-state image sensor 27 is also rotated, the display section 23 is also rotated, and the image displayed on the monitor 24 is also rotated. As a result, the vertical direction subjectively determined by the observer and operator does not match the direction in this image. A similar situation also occurs when the endoscope 3 is rotated to direct the distal end 14 toward the site to be observed. Furthermore, when this display section 23 rotates, various control buttons 3 provided on this display section 23 are activated.
The operation in step 4 becomes complicated.

In this case, the display section 23 is held and rotated to a convenient position for observation and operation. The display section 23 and the mount section 21 are fixed together by the engagement member 29 and the engagement recess 28a as described above, and the mount section 21 is attached to the eyepiece section 6, while the main body Since the rotation between the section 22 and the display section 23 is only prevented by the contact of the elastic body 32, the display section 23 can be easily rotated by hand or the like. By rotating the display section 23, the mount section 21 and the main body section 22
There is no rotation between the two.

Then, if necessary, press the control button 34 of the display section 23 or the control button 3 of the video device 8.
9, the solid-state image sensor 27 and the video device 8 are controlled. The state of this control is displayed on display windows 36a-d provided on the monitor 24.8a.

In this embodiment, since the monitor is provided with various display windows to display the control status, the control status can be observed not only by the operator of the endoscope but also through the monitor of the video equipment. It also has the effect that the observer can understand it visually.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, an example has been described in which the auxiliary display device is configured to be outputted to a video device via a code so that it can be displayed on Tanabata on this video device or recorded on a VCR. It is also possible to connect the cord to a large monitor via a bidet subprocessor for viewing by a large number of observers.

Furthermore, in this actual example, an example was explained in which the auxiliary display device was attached to an endoscope with a flexible insertion section, but this auxiliary display device can also be used for, for example, a rigid endoscope type endoscope. Of course, it can be used for

Furthermore, the means for fixing the main body and the mount, or the main body and the display, are not limited to those of this embodiment, and it is also possible to configure the fixing by other means such as screws. .

Although only characters are displayed on the display window of the monitor shown in FIG. 5, symbols, pictures, etc. may be displayed for easier understanding.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, an example in which the display unit is configured to rotate around the optical axis has been described, but the rotation center line of this display unit does not necessarily have to coincide with the optical axis, and the operation The central axis of rotation may be set so as to rotate to a position suitable for observation.

7 and 8 relate to a second embodiment of the present invention, in which FIG. 7 is a side view of the auxiliary display device, and FIG. 8 is a view taken along the line ■-■ in FIG. 7. Incidentally, the same members and members having the same function as those in the first embodiment described above are given the same reference numerals, and the explanation thereof will be omitted.

This embodiment is configured such that a general industrial video camera 27 can be attached to the auxiliary display device 7 as an example of imaging means. That is, the main body portion 22 is provided with a mount 42 in place of the solid-state image sensor, and the video camera 27 is attached to the mount 1-42 via an adapter 43. Then, the light from the eyepiece section 6 that is focused by the imaging lens 26 provided on the main body section 22 is photographed by the video camera 27. The image taken by the video camera 27 is output to the video device 8 or the like, and is also input to the display section 23 via the cord 33.

Although the mount 42 and the adapter 43 are formed with, for example, a C mount, other types of mounts may be used as long as the video camera 27 can be attached thereto. By doing so, it is possible to correspond to various video cameras 27.

As shown in FIG. 8, a large number of engaging portions 44 are formed around the outer periphery of the main body portion 22.
A plate spring 46 that is engaged with the engaging part 44 is provided on the display part 23 facing the main body part 22 . Relative rotation with the display section 23 is prevented.

With this configuration, when the display unit 23 is held and rotated,
The display section 23 is rotated against the biasing force of the leaf spring 46, and the leaf spring 46 is rotated at a position where the display section 23 stops rotating.
is engaged with the engaging portion 44, and the display portion 23 is fixed.

Further, an image formed by the imaging lens 26 is photographed by a video camera 27, and this imaging signal is output to the video device 8, while this imaging signal is transmitted to the display section 2 via the cord 33.
3, and the image is displayed on the monitor 24.

In this embodiment, an example has been described in which the video camera 27 is attached to the mount 42 provided on the display section 23 via the adapter 43, but the video camera 27 may also be attached directly to the mount 42. It is possible.

With the configuration of this embodiment, images can be taken with a conventional video camera, so the range of selection of imaging means is widened, and it is possible to use one suitable for the object to be observed. Moreover, it can be constructed at low cost.

FIG. 9 is a side view of an auxiliary display device according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

In this embodiment, the central axis of rotation of the display section 23 is set perpendicular to the optical axis 6a of the eyepiece section 6, and the monitor 24 of the display section 23 is arranged parallel to the optical axis 6a. It is arranged.

According to such a configuration, even in the case of a medical examination in which the operation part 11 of the endoscope 3 needs to be held high, or in the case of an examination of water and sewage pipes in which the insertion port is located at a relatively high position, etc. , the monitor 24 is extremely easy to see, and the various control buttons 34 can be easily operated.

[Effects of the Invention] As explained above, the endoscopic life-assistance display device according to the present invention not only allows the operator to confirm the observed image at hand, but also allows the operator to check the posture of the operator and the endoscope. This prevents discrepancies between the vertical direction of the image displayed on the monitor and the subjective vertical direction of the operator and observer, regardless of the orientation of the image. occurrence is prevented.

In addition, it has the additional effect that the endoscope can be operated more easily and the operation time can be shortened, and the examination time can be shortened accordingly.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

1 to 6 relate to the first embodiment of the present invention, in which FIG. 1 is a side view of the auxiliary display device, FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of FIG. 1, and FIG. I [l-111 line arrow view in Figure 1, No. 4]
5 is a plan view of the monitor, FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of the tip of the endoscope, and FIGS. 7 and 8 relate to the second embodiment of the present invention. 7 is a side view of the auxiliary display device, FIG. 8 is a view taken along the line ■-■ in FIG. 7, and FIG. 9 is a side view of the auxiliary display device according to a third embodiment of the present invention. 3...Endoscope 6...Eyepiece section 21...Mount section 22...Body section 23...Display section 24...Monitor 27...To transport means H-th n Figure 8 Figure 9 Procedure? Ftl official document (spontaneous) July 22, 1988 Ha1, case description 1988 patent application No. 105976
No. 2, Title of the invention Auxiliary display device for endoscope 3, Relationship with the case of the person making the amendment Patent applicant representative: Satoshi Shimoyama Department 4: Attorney: Portrait 1: The scope of claims is defined as follows: Correct. "A mount part fixed to the eyepiece part of the endoscope and a display part are provided in the main body part in which the imaging means is built-in or connected,"
This display section is equipped with a monitor that displays the 0 imaged by the image carrying means, while the mount section 1 main body section 1 display section is configured to be rotatable. Characteristic auxiliary display means for endoscopes. ” 2. “Image” in the following passages in Mei 11 is replaced by “Image J.
I will correct it. 16th line of the 2nd page 5th line of the 3rd page 7th line of the same page 14th line of the same page 20th line of the same page 4th line of the 4th page 7th of the same page Line 15th line of the same page 16th line of the 5th page 19th line of the 8th page 19th to 20th lines of the same page 2nd o line of the same page 1st of the 9th page Line 2nd line of the same page 16th line of the same page 19th line of the same page 7th line of the 10th page 6th line of the 11th page 17th line of the same page 12th page 7th line 9th line on the same page 16th line on the same page 3rd line on the 13th page 12th line on the same page 14th line on the same page 19th line on the 16th page 18th 3rd line of page 19th line 10th to 11th line 1st page of same page
3rd line 3, Figure 5 of the drawing will be corrected as shown in red ink on the attached drawing. that's all

Claims (1)

[Claims] A mount part fixed to the eyepiece part of the endoscope and a display part are provided in the main body part in which the imaging means is built-in or connected, and the image taken by the imaging means is displayed on the display part. 1. An auxiliary display device for an endoscope, wherein the mount section, main body section, and display section are each configured to be rotatable.