JP2002306407A - Image recorder for electronic endoscope - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent forgetting of updating data on a photographed image. SOLUTION: An image signal IMS is input to an analog-digital converter 310 of an image recorder 300, and converted into a digital signal. The converter 310 is connected to a bus 310. Further, a character superposition processing and image display processing unit 330, a nonvolatile recording medium 340, an operating unit 350, a microcomputer 360, a memory 370 and a clock IC (timer) 380 are connected to the bus 310. The timer 380 measures a time interval of recording the image and imparts a condition for judging possibility of updating. The microcomputer 360 and the timer 380 constitute an attention calling means 385 for calling a user's attention.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image recording apparatus for an electronic endoscope capable of recording an endoscope image and data related thereto.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art When an image of a patient's body is captured by an electronic endoscope apparatus, it is necessary to record data such as a patient name, a patient ID, a physician, and an imaging date associated with the image. is there. In a conventional image recording device for an electronic endoscope,
Once data to be recorded in relation to the captured image was input, the same data was recorded for subsequent images unless the data was updated. This has the advantage that data input can be omitted if the data is common, but if the data is to be updated and the update is neglected, the old data will be recorded as it is.

[0003]

That is, in the conventional image recording apparatus for an electronic endoscope, erroneous data may be recorded at the time of recording data relating to a captured image.

The present invention has been made to solve such a conventional problem, and has as its object to provide an image recording apparatus for an electronic endoscope which can prevent forgetting to update data.

[0005]

According to the present invention, there is provided an image recording apparatus for an electronic endoscope, comprising: an input device for inputting data related to an endoscope image; a memory for holding the input data; When there is a possibility that the data needs to be updated, a non-volatile recording medium that records the mirror image and the data in association with each other,
Warning means for calling the user's attention. This can prevent forgetting to update the data.

Further, in the image recording apparatus for an electronic endoscope according to the present invention, the alerting means includes a timer for measuring a time interval of the image recording, and alerts the user when the time interval reaches a predetermined time. It may evoke.

[0007]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Next, an embodiment of an image recording apparatus for an electronic endoscope according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[First Embodiment] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a first embodiment of an image recording apparatus for an electronic endoscope according to the present invention, together with an electronic endoscope system. The image recording device 300 for an electronic endoscope is connected to a processor (video signal processing device) 200 for an electronic endoscope and a monitor 400. The processor 200 for the electronic endoscope is connected to a living body by a scope 100 having a flexible insertion portion. Captures internal images, etc.

The scope 100 captures an image by, for example, a frame sequential method. In the case of the frame sequential method, a white light source (not shown) such as a xenon lamp is provided in the endoscope unit, and light from this white light source is transmitted to R (red), G (green), and B (green).
The light is sequentially converted into illumination light of three primary colors by a (blue) rotating color filter. The illumination light is illuminated from the distal end of the scope into the interior of the organ or the like. An image sensor (not shown) composed of a CCD is provided at the tip of the scope 100, and receives R, G, and B reflected lights of the subject and receives RG for one frame.
The signal is photoelectrically converted into a B pixel signal. Pixel signals of each color for one frame are sequentially read from the image sensor. In the electronic endoscope processor 200, an RGB pixel signal is subjected to an improvement process such as a gamma correction process and a white balance correction process, and a synchronization signal is added to generate an RGB component video signal. A luminance signal and a color difference signal are generated from the signals, and a composite video signal is generated by mixing the luminance signal and the color difference signal with a composite synchronization signal. The RGB video signal and the composite video signal (these are indicated by the image signal IMS) are output from the video output terminal and the first video output terminal to the image recording device 300, respectively. The monitor 400 is
An image input from the electronic endoscope processor 200 to the electronic endoscope image recording device 300 or an image recorded in the electronic endoscope image recording device 300 is displayed.

[0010] The image signal IMS is input to the analog-to-digital converter 310 of the image recording apparatus 300 and is converted into a digital signal. The analog-to-digital conversion unit 310 is connected to a bus 320, and furthermore, the bus (data bus) 320 includes a character superimposition processing and image display processing unit 330, a non-volatile recording medium 340, an operation unit 350, a microcomputer 360, a memory 370, a clock IC (Timer) 380 is connected.

The operation unit 350 is an input device such as a keyboard, a mouse, a foot switch, a touch panel, and the like, and inputs data related to an image input by the image signal IMS, for example, as character data. Further, the operation of the image recording apparatus 300 for an electronic endoscope, for example, the nonvolatile recording medium 3
40, and controls other operations such as writing, reading and the like. The non-volatile recording medium 340 records an image and data related thereto. MO or CD as the non-volatile recording medium 340
-RW, hard disk, ZIP and other high capacity media are used. The memory 370 is a main memory of the image recording apparatus 300 for an electronic endoscope, and is constituted by a RAM (random access memory). Data related to the image input from the operation unit 350 is temporarily stored in the memory 370. The microcomputer 360 controls the entire image recording device 300. The microcomputer has a ROM (Read Only Memory), reads and executes a built-in program, and reads a desired image, character, or figure, and controls the monitor 400 to display it. Character superimposition processing and image display processing unit 3
Reference numeral 30 is connected to the monitor 400, and displays an image input by the image signal IMS and an image recorded on the nonvolatile recording medium 340 on the monitor 400. Further, the character superimposition processing and image display processing section 330 superimposes an image to be displayed on various character fonts, graphics, and the like, and displays them on the monitor 400. Character fonts and the like to be displayed are read from the ROM in response to an input from the operation unit 350, or are read from the ROM under control of a program. Timer 3
Reference numeral 80 measures the time interval of image recording, and provides conditions for determining the possibility of updating. The microcomputer 360 is a timer 3
The update possibility is determined by looking at the measurement time of 80, and a process of calling the user's attention is executed as necessary. Microcomputer 3
The 60 and the timer 380 constitute an alerting means 385 for attracting such user's attention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing a data recording process executed by the microcomputer 360. The data recording process includes the following steps S201 to S209.

[Step S201] When an image recording command is issued from the operation unit 350 in a state where the image signal IMS is input from the electronic endoscope processor 200, step S2 is performed.
The processing below 01 is started as an interrupt processing, and the image signal converted into the digital signal is recorded on the nonvolatile recording medium 340. [Step S202] The timer 380 starts time measurement from the completion of one image recording, and determines whether or not a predetermined time has elapsed from the completion of the previous image recording. The predetermined time can be set in advance by the operator using the operation unit 350 or the like according to the purpose.

[Step S203] Step S202
When it is determined that the time interval from the previous time has reached the predetermined time, a warning message is displayed to draw the user's attention. As shown as a message MES on the monitor 400 of FIG. 1, a message such as "Do you want to update the data?" Is displayed together with the captured image. The image display processing unit 330 performs a process of superimposing the image and the character at this time.

[Step S204] The user responds to the warning in step S203 through the operation unit 350, and a branch is made in accordance with the response. “No change required”, “change immediately”, and “change later” are prepared as the user's answer. In the case of "change later", the process proceeds to step S206.

[Step S205] If the user responds "immediate change" in step S204, new data will be accepted. Here, the user operates the operation unit 350.
Input new data such as a patient name, a patient ID, a user name (doctor name), an imaging date, etc. from the memory 370.
Is updated to new data. After that, the procedure moves to step S207. Unless the data in the memory 370 is updated, the data is held until the power of the image recording apparatus 300 is turned off.

[Step S206] If the user answers "change later" in step S204, the memory 370
Clear the data stored in. Then step S2
Shift to 07. The data is changed by separately operating the operation unit 350 after the end of the image recording process.

[Step S207] When the user answers "no change required" in step S204, or after completion of steps S205 and S206, in step 207, data related to the image held in the memory 370 is recorded. The non-volatile recording medium 34 associated with the
0 is stored.

[Step S208] Here, the timer 380 is used.
Stop, reset the timing, and restart. The measurement of the time interval from this to the next image recording is started. [Step S209] After the above processing ends, the process returns to the main routine.

As described above, at the time of image recording, the user is alerted based on the time interval from the previous image recording, so that it is possible to prevent the user from forgetting to update the data.

[Second Embodiment] FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a second embodiment of the image recording apparatus for an electronic endoscope according to the present invention. In the second embodiment, in the image recording apparatus 300 for an electronic endoscope, a part except for a nonvolatile recording medium 340 is integrated with a processor for an electronic endoscope.
0 is an external type.

The analog-to-digital converter 310, the character superimposition processing and the image display processor 33 in the first embodiment.
The operation unit 350, the microcomputer 360, the memory 370, and the timer 380 are integrally formed with the electronic endoscope processor 200, and the nonvolatile recording medium 340 is an external type. The integrated device is herein referred to as an electronic endoscope processor 1000. In the figure, a video signal processing unit 22
0 corresponds to the video signal processing portion of the electronic endoscope processor 200 of the first embodiment.

The electronic endoscope processor 1000 is provided with a video signal processing unit 220 to which the scope 100 is connected. The video signal processing unit 220 is connected to the analog / digital conversion unit 310 and the image display processing unit 330. I have. As in the first embodiment, the monitor 400 is connected to the image display processing unit 330.

The analog / digital conversion unit 310 and the character superimposition processing / image display processing unit 330 are connected to a bus 320. Further, an operation unit 350, a microcomputer 360, a memory 370, and a timer 380 are connected to the bus 320. The nonvolatile recording medium 340 is connected to the bus 320 via a SCSI or other high-speed interface 390. As in the first embodiment, the timer 380 and the microcomputer 36
The alerting means 385 is constituted by 0.

As described above, the electronic endoscope processor 100
0 may have a function for image recording processing in addition to the original captured image processing function, and the nonvolatile recording medium 340 may be an external type. The second embodiment has the same effects as the first embodiment, and also has the non-volatile recording medium 3
40 can be selected and upgraded to high-performance equipment.

[Third Embodiment] FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a third embodiment of the image recording apparatus for an electronic endoscope according to the present invention. In the third embodiment, in addition to the image signal IMS, the data communication signal DCS is output to the electronic endoscope image recording device 300 from the electronic endoscope processor 200 in the first embodiment.

The image recording apparatus 300 includes an analog / digital conversion section 310, a character superimposition processing and image display processing section 33.
0, nonvolatile recording medium 340, operation unit 350, microcomputer 3
60, a memory 370, and a timer 380 are connected to a bus, and a data communication interface 500 is connected to the bus 320. The data communication interface 500 enables various commands from the electronic endoscope processor 200 to be received in the electronic endoscope image recording device 300, and the data communication interface 500 transmits the various commands from the electronic endoscope processor 200 to the electronic endoscope image recording device 300. Can be remotely controlled.

If the user operates only the electronic endoscope 200 while observing the monitor 400, the user can execute all operations such as recording of an endoscope image, recording of related data, reading and writing of an image, and the like. It is.

[0029]

As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to prevent forgetting to update data relating to a captured image.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a first view of an image recording apparatus for an electronic endoscope according to the present invention.
It is a block diagram showing an embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing a data recording process of the embodiment.

FIG. 3 shows a second example of the image recording apparatus for an electronic endoscope according to the present invention.
It is a block diagram showing an embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a third view of the image recording apparatus for an electronic endoscope according to the present invention.
It is a block diagram showing an embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 100 scope 200, 1000 electronic endoscope processor 220 video signal processing unit 300 image recording device 310 analog / digital conversion unit 320 bus 330 character superimposition processing and image display processing unit 340 nonvolatile recording medium 350 operating unit 360 microcomputer 370 memory 380 clock IC (timer) 385 Warning means 400 Monitor 500 Data communication interface

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page F term (reference) 4C061 AA00 BB00 CC06 DD03 JJ17 NN05 NN07 SS11 WW04 WW14 WW18 WW20 YY02 YY03 YY12 YY13 YY18 5C022 AA09 5C052 AA17 DD04 DD05 GA02 GC05 5C054 CC01 FE16 GA04

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. An input device for inputting data related to an endoscope image, a memory for holding the input data, and a non-volatile recording medium for recording the endoscope image and the data in association with each other And an alerting unit that alerts the user when there is a possibility that the data should be updated. An image recording apparatus for an electronic endoscope, comprising: 2. An alerting means comprising a timer for measuring a time interval of recording of an endoscope image, and alerting a user when the time interval reaches a predetermined time. 2. The image recording device for an electronic endoscope according to 1. 3. An input device for inputting data related to an endoscope image, a memory for holding the input data, and a non-volatile recording medium for recording the endoscope image and the data in association with each other An alerting means for alerting a user when there is a possibility that the data should be updated, and a video signal processing device for an electronic endoscope.