JP2005261636A - White balance adjusting device of endoscope - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To properly carry out a white balance adjustment by always positioning the distal end portion of a scope portion at the same position when carrying out the white balance adjustment in an endoscope apparatus. <P>SOLUTION: A switch button 50 is disposed on the inner peripheral surface of a white balance adjusting tube 22. The white balance adjustment is carried out when the distal end portion 10a of the scope portion 10 is inserted into the white balance adjusting tube 22 and the distal end portion 10a pushes the switch button 50. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to white balance adjustment in an endoscope apparatus used, for example, for medical purposes.

  The endoscope apparatus includes a scope unit and a processor connected to the scope unit and provided with a light source device and the like. The scope part is inserted into the lumen (for example, in the digestive tract of a human body, in a boiler tube, etc.) from the distal end, and the scope part uses the illumination light emitted from the light source device to capture the image in the lumen. The obtained image is displayed on a monitor TV or the like connected to the processor. Here, since the color tone of the image displayed on the monitor TV or the like depends on the light source device, imaging conditions, and the like, it may be different from the color tone of the image in the lumen.

Therefore, in order to eliminate such a color tone shift, it is known to perform white balance adjustment before starting imaging. The white balance adjustment is performed, for example, by inserting the distal end portion of the insertion portion of the scope portion into the white balance adjustment tube. In other words, the white balance adjustment is performed based on the reflected light that is emitted from the light source device and reflected on the bottom surface of the white balance adjustment tube, and the reflected light is captured at the tip of the scope unit (for example, patents). Reference 1).
JP-A-5-76483

  In white balance adjustment, it is preferable that reflected light captured at the tip of the scope always has the same color tone, and therefore the position of the tip of the scope when the white balance is adjusted is always the same. Is preferred.

  However, white balance adjustment is usually performed by pressing a switch such as a keyboard when the tip of the scope is inserted to an arbitrary position on the white balance adjustment tube. Is difficult to keep constant. In addition, when the keyboard is pressed, one hand is released from the scope unit, and therefore the scope unit is held with one hand when adjusting the white balance. Therefore, the tip portion during white balance adjustment is easy to move up and down, and its position is not stable.

  In view of the above, an object of the present invention is to make the position of the tip of the scope portion the same when the white balance adjustment is performed, so that the white balance adjustment is accurate.

  The endoscope white balance adjusting device according to the present invention has a scope part for imaging the inside of a lumen and a white inside, and the distal end part of the scope part can be inserted from the opening part toward the bottom surface. The white balance adjustment tube for adjusting the white balance of the image obtained by the scope and the white balance adjustment tube, and detecting that the tip of the scope has been inserted into a predetermined position in the white balance adjustment tube And detecting means for adjusting the white balance of the image when the detecting means detects that the scope portion is inserted at a predetermined position.

  The predetermined position is preferably located at a certain distance from the bottom surface. When the detection means is a switch button protruding from the inner peripheral surface of the white balance adjusting tube at a predetermined position, the detection means is pressed by inserting the tip portion into the predetermined position and detects that it has been inserted.

  It is preferable that the switch button protrudes gradually from the opening toward the bottom.

  The white balance adjusting pipe has a first pipe part continuously provided on the bottom surface and a second pipe part that is provided closer to the opening than the first pipe part and has a shorter diameter than the first pipe part. The button is provided on the second pipe portion.

  According to the present invention, white balance adjustment can be performed whenever the scope unit is always inserted at a fixed position of the white balance adjustment tube.

  Embodiments according to the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to FIGS.

  FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an electronic endoscope apparatus to which an embodiment of the present invention is applied. The electronic endoscope apparatus includes a processor 20, an operation panel 21 for operating the processor 20 and a connector 23 are provided on one surface of the processor 20, and a white balance adjustment tube 22 is fixed. Yes. The connector 23 is detachably connected with a scope unit 10 for imaging inside a lumen (for example, inside a body cavity).

  The white balance adjustment tube 22 is a tube for adjusting the white balance of the image obtained by the scope unit 10, and the inner side is white. The white balance adjusting tube 22 can be inserted into the scope unit 10 from the opening 24 toward the upper bottom surface 25, and the opening 24 is provided downward. A WB (white balance) button (not shown) is provided in the white balance adjustment tube 22.

  FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the endoscope apparatus. The scope unit 10 includes a tubular insertion unit 13 that is inserted into the body and has flexibility, an operation unit 19 for a user to operate the scope unit 10, and a connection unit 15 that connects the operation unit 19 and the processor 20. Have

  The scope unit 10 is provided with a light guide member 12 made of an optical fiber bundle. The light guide member 12 is inserted from the connection portion 15 through the operation portion 19 to the distal end portion 10 a of the insertion portion 13. The connecting portion 15 is connected to the processor 20, whereby one end portion of the light guide member 12 is optically connected to an illumination light source 102 provided in the processor 20. Illumination light from the light source 102 passes through the light guide member 12 and is emitted from the other end portion of the light guide member 12, and is irradiated, for example, to the internal organ officer X in the body cavity. Between the light source 102 and the end of the light guide member 12, a diaphragm 120 for adjusting the amount of illumination light supplied to the light guide member 12 is provided.

  An imaging element 14 (for example, a CCD) is provided at the distal end portion 10a of the insertion portion 12. The electrical drive of the image sensor 14 is controlled by the CCD drive circuit 222, and the CCD drive circuit 222 is controlled by the microcomputer 124.

  The subject image captured by the image sensor 14 is converted into an analog image signal, and the image signal is converted into a digital signal by the A / D conversion circuit 125. The A / D converted image signal is subjected to processing such as white balance, gamma correction, and contour enhancement in a processing circuit 123 provided in the microcomputer 124, and then sent to the processor 20. Here, in the white balance processing, the gain of each color component (RGB) in the image signal is controlled based on the RGB gain data stored in the memory 140. The A / D conversion circuit 125, the CCD drive circuit 222, the microcomputer 124, and the memory 140 are provided in the scope unit 10.

  The image signal sent to the processor 20 side is subjected to predetermined signal processing in the image signal processing circuit 104 and then separated into a luminance signal (Y) and color difference signals (RY) and (BY). Are temporarily stored in the Y memory 106, the RY memory 108, and the BY memory 110, respectively. The image signals stored in each memory are sequentially read out every frame and sent to the video processing circuit 114.

  In the video processing circuit 114, a digital image signal is converted into an analog signal, and after being subjected to amplification processing or the like, an RGB video signal is obtained. The RGB video signal is output as an image to the monitor TV 200 via the output terminal circuit 199.

  The timing circuit 112 provided in the processor 20 controls the operation timing of the image signal processing circuit 104 and the video processing circuit 114 in the processor 20 and the memories 106, 108, based on the timing control information sent from the system controller 130. Write and read control to 110 is performed.

  An aperture adjustment circuit 122 is connected to the image signal processing circuit 104, and the aperture adjustment circuit 122 adjusts the opening of the aperture 120 to adjust the amount of illumination light. The diaphragm adjustment circuit 122 drives and controls the diaphragm 120 based on the luminance signal (Y) so that the optimum diaphragm opening degree is obtained.

  A WB switch 150 is connected to the system controller 130. As will be described later, when the switch button 50 is pressed, the WB switch 150 sends an ON signal for white balance adjustment to the system controller 130.

  The white balance adjustment process of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4 are diagrams schematically showing the white balance adjusting tube 22.

  The white balance adjusting tube 22 is provided with a first tube portion 41 provided continuously with the bottom surface 25, and a second tube having a diameter shorter than that of the first tube portion 41. It has the pipe part 42 and the connection part 43 which connects the 1st and 2nd pipe parts 41 and 42. As shown in FIG. The connecting portion 43 is provided on the opening 24 side of the first tube portion 41 and is formed so that the diameter gradually decreases toward the opening 24. A switch button 50 (detection means) is provided on the inner peripheral surface of the second pipe portion 42 that is a fixed distance from the bottom surface 25. The switch button 50 is provided in the second pipe portion 42 at a position close to the bottom surface 25 and protrudes from the inner peripheral surface so as to gradually increase from the opening 24 toward the bottom surface 25.

  When white balance adjustment is performed, the insertion portion 13 of the scope unit 10 is inserted into the white balance adjustment tube 22 along the inner peripheral surface of the white balance adjustment tube 22 on the switch button 50 side. When the insertion portion 13 is inserted and the distal end portion 10a reaches a predetermined position at a certain distance from the bottom surface 25, the distal end portion 10a presses the inclined portion of the switch button 50.

  When the switch button 50 is pressed, the WB switch 150 outputs an ON signal, and the output ON signal is input to the system controller 130 in the processor 20. When an ON signal for white balance adjustment is input, the system controller 130 starts white balance adjustment processing.

  The white balance adjustment process will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. FIG. 5 is a flowchart of a program for white balance adjustment processing.

  In step S300, when the endoscope apparatus is turned on (not shown) and the light source 102 is turned on, illumination light is irradiated from the distal end portion 10a of the scope section 10. In step S <b> 310, it is determined whether an ON signal is input from the WB switch 150 to the system controller 130. If an ON signal is input, it will be judged that the front-end | tip part 10a of the scope part 10 was inserted in the predetermined position, and will progress to S320. If an ON signal is not input in step S310, it waits until an ON signal is input in step S310.

  In step S <b> 320, the white bottom surface 25 of the white balance adjustment tube 22 is imaged by the image sensor 14, and the captured RGB image signals for one frame are respectively integrated in the microcomputer 124. In step S330, the respective integrated output values (photometric values) obtained by integrating the RGB image signals are compared in the microcomputer 124. Specifically, in step S330, the photometric values of the R and B image signals are compared with the integrated output value of the G image signal. If both integrated output values are the same as the G integrated output value, the process proceeds to step S350. If not identical, the process proceeds to step S340.

  In step S340, RGB gain data used in the processing circuit 123 is set. For example, if the integral output ratios R / G and B / G of R and G and B and G are X and Y, respectively, the gains of R and B are changed to 1 / X and 1 / Y times, respectively. The gain of is not changed. When the gain of each signal is changed, the process returns to step S330, and in step S330, the RGB integrated output values amplified with the changed RGB gain are respectively compared. Steps S330 and S340 are repeated until the output value of G becomes equal to the output values of R and B in step S330.

  In step S350, the RGB gain set in step S340 is stored in the memory 140 as RGB gain data, and the white balance adjustment process ends. Note that the RGB gain data stored in the memory 140 is used in the white balance processing performed in the processing circuit 124 as described above.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, the white balance adjustment is started by pressing the WB button 50 provided in the white balance adjustment tube 22, so that it is not necessary to press a button such as the operation panel 21. White balance adjustment is possible.

  Since the WB button 50 is located at a certain distance from the bottom surface 25, white balance adjustment is performed when the scope unit 10 is always inserted at a certain position, and white balance adjustment can be performed without error.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the white balance adjustment tube 22 has first and second tube portions 41 and 42, and the switch button 50 is connected to the first tube portion 41 in the second tube portion 42. It is provided at a close position. Thereby, since the light emitted from the distal end portion 10a of the endoscope is irradiated to the first tube portion 41 without being blocked by the second tube portion 42, the white balance can be adjusted more appropriately. it can.

  In the present embodiment, the detection means is the switch button 50 that is pressed when the distal end portion 10a is inserted. However, as long as it can detect that the distal end portion 10a has been inserted into a predetermined position. Others may be used, for example, an optical sensor or the like.

The perspective view of the endoscope processor in the embodiment of the present invention is shown. 1 shows an electrical configuration of an endoscope according to an embodiment of the present invention. The schematic diagram when the front-end | tip part of a scope part is inserted in a white balance adjustment pipe | tube is shown. The schematic diagram when the front-end | tip part of a scope part presses a switch button is shown. The flowchart of white balance adjustment is shown.

Explanation of symbols

10 Scope section 20 Processor 22 White balance adjustment tube 50 Switch button

Claims (5)

A scope for imaging the lumen;
A white balance adjustment tube that is white on the inside, into which the tip of the scope portion can be inserted from the opening toward the bottom, and for adjusting the white balance of the image obtained by the scope portion;
Detection means provided on the white balance adjustment tube, and detecting that the tip of the scope portion is inserted into a predetermined position in the white balance adjustment tube;
An endoscope white balance adjustment device comprising: an adjustment unit that adjusts the white balance of the image when the detection unit detects that the scope unit is inserted at the predetermined position.   The white balance adjusting device according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined position is located at a certain distance from the bottom surface.   The detection means is a switch button protruding from an inner peripheral surface of the white balance adjusting tube at the predetermined position, and is pressed by inserting the tip portion into the predetermined position. The white balance adjusting device according to 1.   The white balance adjustment device according to claim 3, wherein the switch button protrudes from the opening to gradually increase toward the bottom surface. The white balance adjustment pipe includes a first pipe portion provided continuously with the bottom surface, and a second pipe portion provided on the opening side of the first pipe portion and having a diameter shorter than that of the first pipe portion. The white balance adjustment device according to claim 3, wherein the switch button is provided in the second pipe portion.

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