JP2014110910A - Stereoscopic endoscope apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a stereoscopic endoscope apparatus capable of switching between stereoscopic observation and planar observation by two optical paths.SOLUTION: Stereoscopic observation is possible when electronic images having binocular parallax of a left-and-right pair obtained from both of the two optical paths are displayed side by side on a display panel 16, and planar observation is possible when either of the electronic images is selected and only the selected electronic image is displayed side by side. Since switching between stereoscopic observation and planar observation can be made by selecting either or both of the two optical paths, the internal structure can be simplified and an insertion part 10 can be made thinner.

Description

  The present invention relates to a stereoscopic endoscope apparatus.

  2. Description of the Related Art Endoscopic devices for observing a test site that cannot be directly viewed by inserting an elongated insertion portion into a body cavity or the like are widely used. In a normal endoscope apparatus, since the test site can be seen only in a flat (2D) view without perspective, it is difficult to observe fine irregularities on the surface of the body cavity, for example. There was a problem that diagnosis and various treatments by observation were not easy.

  Therefore, a plurality of observation optical systems are provided in parallel, and the observation optical system is arranged so that the optical axes of these optical systems form a convergence angle, so that the observation site can be observed three-dimensionally (3D). A stereoscopic endoscope apparatus has been proposed.

  This type of stereoscopic endoscope apparatus has a total of three optical paths: two optical paths for stereoscopic observation and one optical path for planar observation. By switching between the two optical paths and the one optical path, the stereoscopic endoscope apparatus Observation and planar observation can be performed (for example, refer to Patent Document 1).

JP 2005-296467 A

  However, in such a conventional technique, since three optical paths are formed inside, the internal structure of the endoscope is complicated and it is difficult to manufacture. There is also a problem that the insertion portion of the endoscope is inevitably thick.

  The present invention has been made paying attention to such a conventional technique, and an object thereof is to provide a stereoscopic endoscope apparatus capable of switching between stereoscopic observation and planar observation with two optical paths.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, an objective optical system that forms a subject image, a pair of left and right relay optical systems that transmit an optical image from the objective optical system, and an optical image transmitted by the relay optical system are formed. An endoscope including an imaging optical system, and an imaging unit that captures a pair of optical images having binocular parallax imaged by the imaging optical system as an electronic image, and a pair of left and right electronic images captured by the imaging unit An electronic image display device that can display an electronic image displayed on a display panel with a built-in display and from the pair of eyepieces, and a display panel of the electronic image display device that displays a pair of left and right electronic images captured by the imaging means And a video switching means capable of displaying either side by side or selecting one of the electronic videos and displaying it on the left and right.

  The invention according to claim 2 is characterized in that the objective optical system has a variable focus structure common to the left and right optical paths.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, if the electronic images having a pair of left and right binocular parallax obtained from both of the two optical paths are displayed side by side on the left and right sides of the display panel, stereoscopic observation is possible. If only an electronic image is selected and displayed side by side, it is possible to perform planar observation. Since the three-dimensional observation and the two-dimensional observation can be performed only by switching between the two optical paths, the internal structure is simplified and the thickness of the insertion portion can be reduced.

  According to the second aspect of the present invention, since the objective optical system is common to the left and right optical paths and has a variable focus structure, focus adjustment of the left and right electronic images to be observed is performed during both stereoscopic observation and planar observation. However, the focus state of both the left and right electronic images is always the same. Therefore, there is no sense of incongruity and observation with little fatigue can be performed.

1 is an overall view showing a usage state of a stereoscopic endoscope apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. Sectional drawing which shows the structure of a stereoscopic endoscope apparatus. The figure which shows the internal structure of an electronic video display apparatus. The figure which shows the front-end | tip part of a stereoscopic endoscope apparatus. The figure which shows the movable lens of an objective optical system. Sectional drawing which shows an objective optical system. The figure which shows the state which displays the electronic image which has binocular parallax on the display panel side by side. The figure which shows the state which displays either one of the electronic images which have binocular parallax on the display panel side by side.

  1 to 8 are views showing a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The patient P is in a state of sleeping on the bed 1, and the abdomen is exposed. A floor-mounted holding arm 2 is provided near the bed 1, and an endoscope 3 is held at the tip of the holding arm 2. Two articulated arms 4 are also installed in the bed 1 and extend to the abdomen. An auxiliary tool for assisting treatment by the endoscope 3 is held at the tip of the articulated arm 4. The distal end of the endoscope 3 is inserted into the abdomen of the patient P.

  Another holding arm 5 is also installed around the bed 1, and an electronic video display device 6 is held at the tip of the holding arm 5. The electronic video display device 6 is supported on the head of the doctor D by a band 7, and an internal electronic video can be observed from the eyepiece 8 of the electronic video display device 6. The electronic image displayed on the electronic image display device 6 is an image in the abdomen of the patient P taken from the distal end of the endoscope 3, and based on the electronic image displayed on the electronic image display device 6, the doctor D Can use the tool 9 to treat the abdomen of the patient P.

  The endoscope 3 according to this embodiment is a rigid endoscope having two optical paths for left eye and right eye. The endoscope 3 has an elongated insertion portion 10 on the distal end side. A common objective optical system 18 is provided at the distal end of the insertion portion 10. The objective optical system 18 includes a fixed lens 22 and a movable lens 23, and has a variable focus structure. A screw 25 that is driven by a motor 24 is screwed into a range that does not participate in imaging of the movable lens 23 (a range in which a light beam traveling toward the relay optical system does not pass) (see FIG. 6). Therefore, the focal length of the objective optical system 18 can be changed by changing the distance between the movable lens 23 and the fixed lens 22 by rotating the screw 25 in the forward and reverse directions by the motor 24. On the opposite side of the screw 25 in the insertion portion 10, an illumination optical system 26 is provided in a range that is not involved in imaging (see FIG. 4). The illumination optical system 26 includes a relay lens, and illumination light is supplied from a light source device (not shown).

  Behind the objective optical system 18, a rod lens 19 is disposed as a relay optical system for transmitting a subject image. A prism 20 that widens the optical axis interval is provided behind the rod lens 19, and two imaging optical systems 11 are connected to the base end side of the prism 20. The imaging optical system 11 is connected to a single camera (imaging means) 12 having a two-dimensional solid-state imaging device such as a CCD image sensor via a prism 21 that narrows the optical axis interval, and a pair of left and right CCD images provided inside. A pair of left and right electronic images having binocular parallax can be taken by a sensor (hereinafter referred to as a CCD). A zoom 13 is provided in the middle of the imaging optical system 11 and can be enlarged 1 to 8 times. Therefore, the variable focus structure of the objective optical system 18 can be configured compactly and stored in the insertion portion 10.

  The electronic video photographed by the camera 12 is displayed on a pair of display panels (liquid crystal, organic EL, etc.) 16 provided inside the electronic video display device 6 via the video switching means 15. The image switching means 15 can also display both the left and right pair of electronic images captured by the camera 12 on the left and right display panels 16, respectively, and select one of the left and right electronic images to display the same electronic image. It can also be displayed on the display panel 16.

  The display panel 16 is partitioned by the partition wall 17, and the doctor D can observe the pair of left and right electronic images from the eyepiece unit 8. That is, only the right display panel 16 can be observed from the right eyepiece 8, and only the left display panel 16 can be observed from the left eyepiece 8.

  Therefore, a pair of electronic images having binocular parallax is obtained by the left and right CCDs of the camera 12, and the right electronic image R is displayed on the right display panel 16 via the image switching means 15, and the left display is displayed. If the left-side electronic image L is displayed on the panel 16, stereoscopic observation can be performed from the eyepiece unit 8 (see FIG. 7).

  Further, for example, if only one electronic video R (L) is displayed on the left and right display panels 16 by the video switching means 15, planar observation can be performed (see FIG. 8). When stereoscopic observation is not necessary, or when the user is tired from stereoscopic observation and wants to rest his eyes, the image switching means 15 is switched to planar observation. In this case, since the video switching means 15 distributes one electronic video R (L) as an electronic video signal, the light quantity in each optical path is not halved by the half mirror.

  In both the three-dimensional observation and the two-dimensional observation, the focus state of the electronic image can be changed by adjusting the focus of the objective optical system 18. Even if the focal length is changed, since the objective optical system 18 is common to the left and right optical paths, the focus state of both the left and right electronic images is always the same. Therefore, there is no sense of incongruity and observation with little fatigue can be performed.

  According to this embodiment, as described above, since the stereoscopic observation and the planar observation can be performed only by switching between the two optical paths, the internal structure is simplified and the thickness of the insertion portion can be reduced.

  In the above embodiment, an example in which an electronic image is displayed on two distant display panels 16 has been shown. However, one wide display panel is divided into left and right parts, and an electronic image is displayed on each. You may display.

3 Endoscope 6 Electronic image display device 11 Imaging optical system 12 Camera (imaging means)
15 Image switching means 18 Objective optical system 19 Rod lens (relay optical system)
P Patient D Doctor

Claims (2)

An objective optical system that forms a subject image, a pair of left and right relay optical systems that transmit an optical image from the objective optical system, an imaging optical system that forms an optical image transmitted by the relay optical system, and an imaging optical system An endoscope provided with an image pickup unit that picks up a pair of optical images having binocular parallax imaged in as an electronic image;
An electronic image display device capable of displaying a pair of left and right electronic images captured by the imaging means on a built-in display panel and observing the displayed electronic images from a pair of eyepieces;
Video switching means capable of displaying a pair of left and right electronic images captured by the imaging means side by side on the left and right of the display panel of the electronic image display device or selecting either one of the electronic images and displaying them on the left and right;
A stereoscopic endoscope apparatus comprising:   2. The stereoscopic endoscope apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the objective optical system has a common left and right optical path and a variable focus structure.

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