JP2010051399A - Endoscopic image recording device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To automatically start recording endoscopic images and to automatically stop recording. <P>SOLUTION: The endoscopic image recording device has a red color detecting part. The red color detecting part determines whether an R signal, G signal and B signal of respective pixels constituting one frame satisfy conditions of R>G and R>B. If the number of pixels satisfying the above conditions is larger than a half of the total pixels, it is determined that many red parts are included in the frame, and a recording starting signal is outputted to a CPU 16. If the number of the pixels is not more than a half, a recording stopping signal is outputted to the CPU 16. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an endoscope image recording apparatus, and more particularly to control of start and stop of image recording.

  Endoscopes are widely used in the medical field, and an apparatus for recording an image obtained by the endoscope, particularly a moving image, on a storage medium such as a hard disk or an optical disk has been proposed. Usually, when an endoscopic image is recorded as a moving image, the user manually operates the operation means of the recording apparatus to start and stop recording, but there is a problem that it is troublesome and complicated.

  Patent Document 1 below discloses that recording is automatically started when set to fluorescence observation, narrow-band light observation, or infrared light observation, and stopped when switched to a normal image. ing. Also, recording is started when a signal greater than a preset brightness value is detected in a predetermined area in the endoscopic image, and no signal greater than a preset brightness value is detected from that predetermined area. In this case, it is disclosed to stop recording.

JP 2006-271871 A

  As described above, it is effective to automatically start and stop the recording using the brightness of the image or the like. However, it is important what signal is used as a trigger, and the start and stop of the recording with the highest possible accuracy. It is desirable to target signals that can control the stop.

  An object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus capable of automatically controlling the start and stop of recording of a moving image of an endoscopic image.

  The present invention is an endoscopic image recording apparatus for recording an image signal obtained by imaging the inside of a body cavity of a subject with an endoscope provided with an image sensor, the recording means for recording the image, A determination unit that determines whether or not the image signal includes red above a threshold value, and when the determination unit determines that the image signal includes red, recording of the image signal to the recording unit is automatically started; And a control unit that automatically stops recording of the image signal in the recording unit when it is determined that the image signal is not included.

  When the endoscope is inserted into the body cavity, the red component increases as compared with other color components. Therefore, it is possible to control the start / stop of recording at an appropriate timing by determining whether or not a large amount of red component is included in the image signal.

  In one embodiment of the present invention, the determination means is configured such that a pixel having R> G and R> B is a threshold value with respect to an R signal, a G signal, and a B signal of each pixel constituting an image for one frame. If it exists, it is determined that red is included above the threshold value.

  In another embodiment of the present invention, the determination means includes pixels that satisfy V> 0 and V> U with respect to the luminance signal Y and the color difference signals U and V of each pixel constituting an image for one frame. If it exists above the threshold, it is determined that red is included above the threshold.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to automatically control the start and stop of the recording of a moving image of an endoscopic image, and to set an appropriate timing.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 shows a configuration block diagram of an endoscope image recording apparatus in the present embodiment. An endoscopic image recording apparatus is connected to an endoscope and receives a video signal from an image sensor provided in the endoscope, for example, a CCD or a CMOS. A video signal from the endoscope is supplied to the A / D converter 10. The CCD camera has a Bayer array color filter and outputs R, G, and B color signals. Each color signal is appropriately amplified by an amplifier and supplied to the A / D converter 10.

  The A / D converter 10 converts each of the R signal, the G signal, and the B signal into a digital signal, and further adjusts the gain by an AGC (auto gain control) circuit, and then supplies the digital signal to the red detection unit 12 and the image decoder 14.

  The image decoder 14 decodes the digital image signal and supplies it to the CPU 16 as recorded data.

The red detection unit (red determination unit) 12 includes a processor and a frame memory, detects a red part from the digital image signal, and determines whether or not the red part is included, more specifically, the red part is more than a threshold value. In response to this, a recording control signal is supplied to the CPU 16. The frame memory stores the digital value of the R signal, the digital value of the G signal, and the digital value of the B signal for each pixel constituting one frame. That is, the frame memory includes an R signal memory that stores an R signal for one frame, a G signal memory that stores a G signal for one frame, and a B signal memory that stores a B signal for one frame. Note that when a Bayer color filter is used, the R pixel, the G pixel, and the B pixel are separated from each other. For example, the R signal and the B signal in a certain G pixel are calculated by interpolation of surrounding signals. The processor of the red detection unit 12 compares the digital value of the R signal, the digital value of the G signal, and the digital value of the B signal stored in the frame memory for each pixel. And
When the digital value of the R signal> the digital value of the G signal and the digital value of the R signal> the digital value of the B signal are satisfied, the pixel is determined to be a red portion. For example, when an R value of a pixel pij is 100, a G value is 50, and a B value is 60, the pixel pij is determined to be a red portion because the above condition is satisfied. A flag indicating a red portion is set for a pixel determined to be a red portion. Alternatively, the processor of the red detection unit 12 converts the R, G, and B signals into luminance signals and color difference signals,
Y = 0.299R + 0.587G + 0.114B
U = −0.169R−0.331G + 0.500B
V = 0.500R-0.419G + 0.081B
If
V> 0
And V> U
If the condition is satisfied, the pixel can be detected as a red portion. Then, the processor of the red detection unit 12 determines whether or not each pixel constituting one frame is a red portion, and the number of pixels determined to be a red portion is at least half of the total number of pixels constituting one frame. It is determined whether or not it exists. That is, if the total number of pixels constituting one frame is ΣP and the pixel determined to be a red portion is pij,
Σpij ≧ 1/2 ・ ΣP
It is determined whether or not the above is satisfied. Σpij can be calculated by extracting and counting pixels for which a flag is set. When the number of pixels Σpij in the red portion is more than half of the total number of pixels ΣP, the processor determines that there are many red portions as a whole in the frame of interest, and supplies a recording start signal to the CPU 16 as a recording control signal. . On the other hand, when the number of pixels Σpij in the red portion is less than half of the total number of pixels ΣP, it is determined that the red portion is small and a recording stop signal is supplied as a recording control signal.

The processor of the red detection unit 12 may detect the red portion by other methods. For example, when the number of pixels determined to be a red portion is at least 2/3 or more of the total number of pixels constituting one frame, it is determined that there are many red portions as a whole in a frame of interest, and recording is performed as a recording control signal. A start signal may be supplied to the CPU 16. Alternatively, m and n are arbitrary natural numbers,
Σpij ≧ n / m · ΣP
It may be determined whether or not m is satisfied, and m and n (where m> n) may be arbitrarily set by the user.

  Further, the processor of the red detection unit 12 may divide one frame into a plurality of image blocks and determine whether the number of pixels in the red portion is large or small for each block. For example, one frame is divided into four blocks, and it is determined whether the number of pixels in the red portion is large or small for each block. The method for determining each block is the same as the above method. It is determined whether each pixel constituting the block is a red portion, and the number of pixels determined to be a red portion is the total number of pixels of the block. Judgment is made based on whether or not the majority. Then, it is determined whether or not the block having a large number of red portions is more than a majority of all the blocks. If the number of blocks is more than the majority, it is determined that there are many red portions and the recording start signal is supplied to the CPU 16. Good.

  Further, the processor 12 of the red detection unit 12 divides one frame into a plurality of image blocks or areas, pays attention to only a specific block or area, and determines whether the red portion is large or small in the specific block or area. Thus, the recording start signal may be supplied to the CPU 16.

  The processor of the red detection unit 12 determines whether the luminance value Y is equal to or greater than a threshold when determining whether the luminance signal and the color difference signal are a red portion, and the luminance value Y is a threshold value. When the value is equal to or greater than the value, the red portion may be determined when V> 0 and V> U.

  It is preferable to adjust the white balance of the digital image signal before the red color detecting unit 12 detects red color. In the white balance adjustment, the gain of each signal is adjusted so that the levels of the R signal, the G signal, and the B signal are equal when a reference white subject is photographed. The red detection unit 12 detects a red portion with respect to the R signal, G signal, and B signal that have undergone white balance adjustment.

  The CPU 16 edits the recording data in accordance with an operation signal from the remote controller 22 or the operation panel 24, and controls the start and stop of recording of the recording data from the image decoder 14 in accordance with the recording control signal from the red detection unit 12. To do. That is, when a recording start signal is supplied from the red detection unit 12, the recording data is stored in the storage 26 and a moving image is recorded. Further, when a recording stop signal is supplied from the red detection unit 12, recording to the storage 26 is stopped. The storage 26 is a recording device using a hard disk or other magnetic disk, optical disk, semiconductor memory, or the like. When recording data is stored in the storage 26, the recording data is divided into chapters, and an index is created and stored for each chapter. In addition, the shooting date, patient data, and the like are added to the recorded data. The CPU 16 may transmit the recording data to an external server connected to the network, and record the recording data in the external server.

  The image encoder 18 encodes the recording data read from the storage 26, that is, reproduction data, and supplies the encoded data to the D / A converter 20.

  The D / A converter 20 converts the encoded reproduction data into an analog signal and displays it as a video output on a display device such as a monitor.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, when capturing an in-vivo image with an endoscope, attention is paid to the fact that red is the basic image in the body, and a video is automatically triggered by the increase in the red portion. Since the recording of the moving image is automatically stopped with the red portion being reduced as a trigger, it is possible to prevent an operation error that may occur when the recording is started and stopped manually.

It is a configuration block diagram of an embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

  10 A / D converter, 12 Red detector, 14 Image decoder, 16 CPU, 18 Image encoder, 20 D / A converter, 22 Remote control, 24 Operation panel, 26 Storage.

Claims (3)

An endoscope image recording apparatus for recording an image signal obtained by imaging the inside of a body cavity of a subject with an endoscope provided with an imaging element,
Recording means for recording the image;
Determining means for determining whether or not the image signal includes red above a threshold value;
Recording of the image signal to the recording unit is automatically started when the determination unit determines that the image signal is included, and recording of the image signal to the recording unit is performed when it is determined that the determination unit does not include the image signal. Control means for automatically stopping
An endoscopic image recording apparatus comprising: The apparatus of claim 1.
The determination means thresholds red when R> G and R> B are greater than or equal to a threshold with respect to the R signal, G signal, and B signal of each pixel constituting an image for one frame. An endoscopic image recording apparatus, characterized in that it is determined that the value exceeds a value. The apparatus of claim 1.
The determination means turns red when a pixel having V> 0 and V> U is equal to or greater than a threshold value with respect to the luminance signal Y and the color difference signals U and V of each pixel constituting an image for one frame. An endoscopic image recording apparatus, characterized in that it is determined to include a threshold value or more.

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