JP2022008970A - Lens unit - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an imaging device that can easily conduct a series of imaging operations in dermoscopy imaging and clinical imaging by itself alone.

SOLUTION: An imaging device 1 has an imaging element 31 and images an object on an optical axis entering the imaging element 31. The imaging device also includes: a body part 10; a first lens unit 20 located to be movable between a position on the optical axis and a position off the optical axis in the body part 10, the first lens unit including a first conversion lens 21 with a first angle of view; and a second lens unit 60 located to be movable between a position on the optical axis and a position off the optical axis in the body part 10 and not to interfere with the first conversion lens 21 on the optical axis, the second lens unit including a second conversion lens 62 with a second angle of view different from the first angle of view.

SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

COPYRIGHT: (C)2022,JPO&INPIT

Description

The present invention relates to an image pickup apparatus.

In recent years, an increase in skin diseases such as melanoma (malignant melanoma) has become a problem due to aging and ozone layer depletion. For diagnosing such skin diseases, an imaging device called a dermoscopy camera that can photograph the pigment distribution and color tone inside the skin is utilized. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a camera-equipped mobile phone to which a dermoscope can be attached and detached. During dermoscopy photography, the skin disease area is photographed with a camera-equipped mobile phone equipped with a dermoscope, and during normal photography, the skin disease area is photographed with a camera-equipped mobile phone with the dermoscope removed.

However, in the invention disclosed in Patent Document 1, when switching between dermoscopy photography and clinical photography, there is a problem that it takes time to take an image because a dedicated attachment must be replaced each time or the camera itself must be exchanged. was there. Specifically, when making a dermoscopy diagnosis, many dermatologists take pictures according to the following procedure.
1) To identify an individual, take a picture of the patient's chart using a normal camera.
2) In order to identify the position of the diseased part, the diseased part and its surroundings are photographed in a non-contact state as clinical photography.
3) Use a dermoscopy camera to photograph the diseased part in contact.

Then, when taking a picture with the above procedure, it is necessary to take a picture of the medical record, the diseased part and its surroundings with a normal camera, and then replace it with a dermoscopy camera to take a dermoscopy of the diseased part. There was a problem that it took time.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2005-192944

The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide an imaging device capable of facilitating a series of dermoscopy imaging and clinical imaging with one imaging device.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, one aspect of the present invention is an image pickup device having an image pickup element and photographing a subject on an optical axis incident on the image pickup element, wherein the main body and the optical axis are attached to the main body. The first lens unit including the first conversion lens having the first angle of view, which is movable between the upper position and the position outside the optical axis, does not interfere with the first conversion lens on the optical axis. A second lens unit including a second conversion lens which is provided on the main body so as to be movable between the position on the optical axis and the position outside the optical axis and has a second angle of view different from the first field of view. It is characterized by having.
Other features of the present invention will be clarified by the description of the present specification and the accompanying drawings.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an imaging device capable of facilitating a series of imaging of dermoscopy imaging and clinical imaging with one imaging device.

It is a perspective view at the time of the dermoscopy photography of the dermoscopy camera which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a partially disassembled perspective view at the time of the transition of photography of the dermoscopy camera which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a perspective view at the time of clinical photography of the dermoscopy camera which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a front view at the time of the dermoscopy photography of the dermoscopy camera which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is sectional drawing of the dermoscopy camera cut by the cutting line I-I in FIG. It is a front view at the time of clinical photography of the dermoscopy camera which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is sectional drawing of the dermoscopy camera cut by the cutting line II-II in FIG. It is a schematic diagram showing the state of the illuminance distribution of the light emitted from the LED, (a) shows the distribution on the irradiation surface shown in FIG. 5, and (b) shows the distribution on the irradiation surface shown in FIG. 7, respectively.

Hereinafter, embodiments of a dermoscopy camera to which the present invention is applied will be described with reference to the drawings. In the specification of the present application, the term "Dermoscope" is referred to as "skin" according to the proper use of "Microscope: microscope" and "Microscopy: inspection with a microscope or use of a microscope (method)". The term "Dermoscopy" is used to mean "skin examination using the same magnifying glass or use (act) of the same magnifying glass" in the sense of "magnifying glass (device) for examination".

(Overall configuration of dermoscopy camera 1)
The dermoscopy camera 1 according to the present embodiment is provided with two lens units dedicated and optimized for different imaging (dermoscopy imaging and clinical imaging), and each lens unit is the center of the image sensor at the time of each imaging. It is configured to be placed in. Then, at the time of dermoscopy shooting, the LED mounted on the camera body is overlapped with the lens unit, and the LED light is focused in the center by the light guide plate for shooting. On the other hand, at the time of clinical imaging, the lens unit is arranged inside the LED mounted on the camera body, and the LED light is directly used as straight line light and irradiated to a distance (for example, 2 m ahead) for imaging. Hereinafter, it will be described in detail.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a dermoscopy camera to which the present invention is applied at the time of dermoscopy shooting. FIG. 2 is a partially exploded perspective view of a dermoscopy camera to which the present invention is applied at the time of transition to shooting. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a dermoscopy camera to which the present invention is applied at the time of clinical imaging. FIG. 4 is a front view of a dermoscopy camera to which the present invention is applied at the time of dermoscopy shooting. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a dermoscopy camera cut along the cutting line I-I in FIG. FIG. 6 is a front view of a dermoscopy camera to which the present invention is applied at the time of clinical imaging. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of a dermoscopy camera cut along the cutting line II-II in FIG.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 7, the dermos copy camera 1 optically includes a camera body (imaging device body) 10, a first lens unit 20 movably provided on the camera body 10, and a first lens unit 20. It is roughly configured by a second lens unit 60 movably provided on the camera body 10 so as not to interfere with the camera body 10. Hereinafter, it will be described in detail.

In the following description, as shown in FIG. 1, the imaging target side is the front (front, front) of the dermos copy camera 1, the opposite side is the rear, and the vertical and horizontal directions when the dermos copy camera 1 is viewed from the front are shown. The explanation will be based on the Cartesian coordinate system with the vertical and horizontal directions as it is. Further, unless otherwise specified, the attachment of each member may be performed by an appropriate method such as attachment using screws, screws or the like, attachment such as fitting, or the like.

As shown in FIG. 1, the dermoscopy camera 1 has a dermoscopy shooting state (first shooting state) in which the first lens unit 20 is arranged in front of the camera body 10 (arranged at the first position) to enable dermoscopy shooting. As shown in FIG. 2, the first lens unit 20 is rotated upward to shift to the clinical imaging state (imaging transition state), and as shown in FIG. 3, the second lens unit 60 is moved to the camera body. It can be switched to a clinical imaging state (second imaging state) in which clinical imaging is possible by arranging it in front of 10 (arranging it in the second position). In this way, the first lens unit 20 and the second lens unit 60 can be rotated so as not to optically interfere with each other. In addition, clinical imaging means imaging by a general method of using a camera, for example, imaging the skin surface including a skin diseased part.

(About the configuration of the camera body 10)
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the camera body 10 has a housing 11, and a zoom lens 12 as a master lens and a plurality of LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes) 13a as a light source are mounted inside the housing 11. It has the LED substrate 13 and the light diffusing plate 14. Further, as shown in FIG. 5, the camera body 10 accommodates various components such as a circuit wiring board 30 and an image pickup element 31 behind the zoom lens 12. The housing 11 is provided with a shutter button 18 (see FIG. 4) on the upper surface and a power button 17 on the right surface.

Further, inside the housing 11, a storage unit that stores the captured image read by the image sensor 31 according to the operation of the shutter button 18, a control unit that controls each of the above-mentioned parts, and a power supply for each of the above-mentioned parts are supplied. Although a battery unit for supplying is provided, these illustrations are omitted.

For the camera body 10, a known image pickup device used for ordinary photography, for example, a configuration of a commercially available digital camera can be adopted. For example, the zoom lens 12, the circuit wiring board 30, and the image pickup element 31 may be used. Known parts can be used. The zoom lens 12 has a known optical lens. Further, as the image pickup device 31, a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) image sensor or a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) image sensor can be used. Further, the camera body 10 is provided with a touch panel type screen (not shown) for displaying the captured image and executing various settings of the dermoscopy camera 1.

As shown in FIG. 2, the housing 11 is formed with a substrate accommodating portion 11a formed of an annular recess that surrounds the zoom lens 12. The LED substrate 13 on which the LED 13a is mounted is accommodated in the substrate accommodating portion 11a. Further, a light diffusing plate 14 as a light diffusing portion is placed on the housing 11 so as to cover the front of the LED substrate 13.

The LED substrate 13 has an annular shape, and eight LEDs 13a are mounted on the front surface thereof. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the eight LEDs 13a are arranged concentrically with respect to the center of the LED substrate 13 at equal intervals. As a result, the LED substrate 13 on which the LED 13a is mounted functions as a ring flash that emits light forward from the outer peripheral position of the zoom lens 12. The LED 13a is composed of an LED that emits white light.

The light diffusing plate 14 is made of, for example, a translucent synthetic resin, and has minute irregularities formed on its surface. The light diffusing plate 14 passes the light emitted from the LED 13a and is emitted forward as diffused light.

Here, a rotation support portion 191 that rotatably supports the first lens unit 20 is formed on the upper portion of the camera body 10. Rotating protrusions (not shown) that serve as the rotation axis of the first lens unit 20 are formed on the left and right surfaces of the rotation support portion 191. Further, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the first lens unit 20 and the camera body 10 are formed on the annular edge of the housing 11 when the dermoscopy camera 1 is placed in the dermoscopy shooting state (see FIG. 1). Two upper and lower engaging protrusions 15 protruding forward for relative positioning, and two left and right magnetism arranged to maintain the contact state between the first lens unit 20 and the camera body 10. A body 16 is provided.

Further, a rotation support portion 192 that rotatably supports the second lens unit 60 is formed in the vicinity of the front center of the camera body 10. Rotating protrusions (not shown) serving as a rotation axis of the second lens unit 60 are formed on the left and right surfaces of the rotation support portion 192, respectively.

(About the configuration of the first lens unit 20)
As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the first lens unit 20 is a cylindrical cover body 40 in which the tip of a conical body is cut, and is attached to the tip of the cover body 40 and is conical like the cover body 40. It has a cylindrical tip cover body 41 in which the tip of the body is cut, and a cover lens 24 fitted in the opening 41b of the tip cover body 41.

The cover body 40 is made of a resin such as a polyvinyl chloride derivative or an acrylic resin. The outer shape of the cover body 40 has a tapered shape toward the front, and the inside thereof is hollow. Further, the hollow portion of the cover body 40 also has a shape whose diameter is reduced toward the front.

As shown in FIG. 5, the cover body 40 is provided with the first conversion lens 21 and the light guide plate 22, and the tip cover body 41 is provided with the polarizing filter 23. The first lens unit 20 functions as a dermoscope for enlarging the skin disease portion.

The first conversion lens 21 is a double-sided convex lens, which is interposed between the zoom lens 12 of the camera body 10 and the skin disease portion to increase the magnifying power of the captured image. Specifically, a lens capable of magnifying the diseased part of the patient 10 to 30 times in combination with the magnifying magnification of the zoom lens 12 is adopted. The first conversion lens 21 is attached to the inner peripheral surface of the cover body 40 via a support portion (not shown). The first conversion lens 21 is configured to have an angle of view (first angle of view) suitable for enlarging the skin disease portion.

The light guide plate 22 includes a light guide plate main body 22b that guides incident light, a reflective film 22a formed on the inner peripheral surface of the light guide plate main body 22b, and a reflective film 22c formed on the outer peripheral surface of the light guide plate main body 22b. have. The light guide plate 22 has a hollow shape whose diameter is reduced toward the front. The light guide plate 22 is attached to the inner peripheral surface of the cover body 40 in a state where its outer peripheral surface is in close contact with the inner peripheral surface. The light guide plate main body 22b is made of a translucent synthetic resin such as acrylic. The rear end surface of the light guide plate main body 22b forms a light incident surface 22d. The light incident surface 22d is arranged in front of the LED 13a in the dermoscopy photographing state, and is a surface on which the light emitted from the LED 13a is incident.

On the other hand, the front end surface of the light guide plate main body 22b forms a light emitting surface 22e. The light emitting surface 22e is a surface on which the light guided by the light guide plate main body 22b is emitted to the outside. The reflective film 22a and the reflective film 22c are metal films such as aluminum, and prevent light guided from the surface of the light guide plate main body 22b from leaking to the outside. As a result, the light incident from the light incident surface 22d can be emitted from the light emitting surface 22e without weakening the light.

The tip cover body 41 is made of a resin such as a polyvinyl chloride derivative or an acrylic resin. The tip cover body 41 has a tubular body, and a plurality of hooking portions 41a, which are recesses for the photographer to hook a finger, are formed on the outer peripheral surface thereof. The photographer can attach the tip cover body 41 to the tip of the cover body 40, for example, by screwing the tip cover body 41 into the cover body 40. As described above, the tip cover body 41 and the cover body 40 have a structure in which they can be attached and detached by a known method such as screwing or fitting. An opening 41b for fitting the cover lens 24 is formed at the tip of the tip cover body 41.

The polarizing filter 23 is provided in the hollow portion of the tip cover body 41. When the tip cover body 41 is attached to the cover body 40, the polarizing filter 23 is arranged in front of the light guide plate 22. The polarization filter 23 is polarized when passing light emitted from the light emitting surface 22e of the light guide plate 22. The polarized light is reflected by the substance under the skin while suppressing the diffuse reflection on the skin surface.

The cover lens 24 is fitted in an opening 41b formed at the tip of the tip cover body 41. The cover lens 24 is made of a transparent synthetic resin, allows the light emitted from the polarizing filter 23 to pass forward, and causes the reflected light to enter the dermoscopy camera 1. Further, the cover lens 24 protects the inside of the first lens unit 20 from moisture and dust. At the time of dermoscopy photography, the cover lens 24 is brought into contact with the skin disease portion.

Here, the first lens unit 20 has a rotating portion 25 at the top of the cover body 40, and is pivotally supported by the rotating support portion 191 provided at the top of the camera body 10 described above. It can rotate around the rotation axis R1. Then, on the edge of the first lens unit 20, there are two upper and lower parts for positioning by engaging with the engaging convex portion 15 of the camera body 10 when the dermos copy camera 1 is put into the dermos copy shooting state (see FIG. 1). The engaging recess 20a and the two left and right magnetic bodies 26 that maintain a state of being in contact with the magnetic body 16 provided in the camera body 10 by magnetic contact with each other are provided. Due to this magnetism, the first lens unit 20 is fixed so as to seal the camera body 10 at the time of dermoscopy photography. On the other hand, when the first lens unit 20 is released from the camera body 10, it is temporarily fixed so that the opened state can be maintained. Although not shown here, temporary fixation can be achieved by a known configuration. For example, the rotating portion 25 may be provided with a protrusion and a notch corresponding to the rotating support portion 191 of the camera body 10.

At the time of dermoscopy photography, the zoom lens 12 including the light guide plate 22 is arranged at the center of the image pickup element 31, the LED 13a is turned on, and the LED light is condensed on the photographing surface by the light guide plate 22 to enable dermoscopy photography. When switching from dermoscopy imaging to clinical imaging, the first lens unit 20 is moved (rotated) upward around the first rotation axis R1.

(About the configuration of the second lens unit 60)
As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the second lens unit 60 has a rectangular support 61 and a second conversion lens 62 fitted in the opening 62a at the tip of the support 61. The support 61 is made of a resin such as a polyvinyl chloride derivative or an acrylic resin. The second lens unit 60 functions as clinical imaging by a general camera usage method such as imaging the skin surface including a skin diseased portion.

Here, the second lens unit 60 has a rotating portion 63 at the base of the support 61, and is pivotally supported by the rotating support portion 192 provided near the front center of the camera body 10 described above. As a result, it is possible to rotate around the second rotation shaft R2. As a result, the second lens unit 60 can rotate with respect to the camera body 10, but is temporarily fixed so that the state can be maintained during both dermoscopy imaging and clinical imaging. Although not shown here, temporary fixation can be achieved by a known configuration. For example, the rotating portion 63 may be provided with a protrusion and a notch corresponding to the rotating support portion 192 of the camera body 10. As described above, the first lens unit 20 and the second lens unit 60 can be rotated so as not to optically interfere with each other. Specifically, the first conversion lens 21 and the second conversion lens 21 of the first lens unit 20 The second conversion lens 62 of the lens unit 60 is movably provided on the camera body 10 so as not to interfere with each other on the optical axis.

That is, when photographing a subject on the optical axis incident on the image pickup element 31, the first lens unit 20 has the first conversion lens 21 between the position on the optical axis and the position outside the optical axis with respect to the camera body 10. The second lens unit 60 is provided on the camera body 10 so that the second conversion lens 62 does not interfere with the first conversion lens 21 of the first lens unit 20 on the optical axis. On the other hand, it is provided so as to be movable between the position on the optical axis and the position outside the optical axis. Then, as described above, the first lens unit 20 and the second lens unit 60 have the first rotation axis R1 located at the top of the camera body 10 and the second rotation located near the front center of the camera body 10, respectively. Since each lens is rotated separately by the axis R2, the first lens unit 20 that is closed (that is, located on the optical axis) in the dermoscopy imaging state prevents the second lens unit 60 from closing, and clinical imaging is performed. The second lens unit 60, which is closed (that is, located on the optical axis) in the state, prevents the first lens unit 20 from closing. By this prevention mechanism, the first lens unit 20 and the second lens unit 60 are prevented from being positioned on the optical axis at the same time.

At the time of clinical imaging, the second lens unit 60 for clinical imaging is rotated from the side opposite to the direction in which the first lens unit 20 is rotated and is arranged at the center of the image sensor 31 to perform clinical imaging. At this time, the second conversion lens 62 for clinical photography is designed to have a small diameter, and the LED 13a provided on the camera body 10 becomes linear light as it is, and irradiates the hand to 2 m ahead. The second conversion lens 62 is configured to have an angle of view (second angle of view) suitable for taking a wide image of the skin surface including the skin disease portion. The second angle of view of the second conversion lens 62 of the second lens unit 60 is set to be wider than the first angle of view of the first conversion lens 21 of the first lens unit 20.

(About the progress of LED light during dermoscopy shooting)
FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the dermoscopy camera 1 at the time of dermoscopy photography shown in FIG. The light emitted from the LED 13a passes through the light diffusing plate 14 and is incident on the light guide plate main body 22b from the light incident surface 22d. As shown by arrows L1 and L2, the light incident on the light guide plate main body 22b is guided inside the light guide plate main body 22b while being reflected by the reflective film 22a and the reflective film 22c. The light guided by this is focused on the center of the first lens unit 20 toward the tip. Eventually, the light guided inside the light guide plate main body 22b is emitted from the light emitting surface 22e and passes through the polarizing filter 23, as shown by the arrow L3. The light polarized by the polarizing filter 23 passes through the cover lens 24 and is emitted forward as shown by the arrow L4.

(About the progress of LED light during clinical photography)
FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the dermoscopy camera 1 at the time of clinical imaging shown in FIG. The light emitted from the LED 13a passes through the light diffusing plate 14 and is linearly emitted forward as diffused light as shown by the arrow L5. The LEDs 13a that emit such light are arranged at equal intervals on the circumference provided outside the zoom lens 12, and are arranged in substantially the same plane as the zoom lens 12. In FIG. 7, the light arrow L5 of the light emitted from the LED 13a below the zoom lens 12 is not shown because it is blocked by the second lens unit 60. The light from the LED 13a is emitted forward linearly as shown by the arrow L5.

(About the illuminance distribution of LED light)
Next, the illuminance distribution of the light emitted from the LED 13a of the dermoscopy camera 1 will be described. 8A and 8B are schematic views showing the state of the illuminance distribution of the light emitted from the LED, FIG. 8A is a distribution diagram on the irradiation surface shown in FIG. 5, and FIG. 8B is an irradiation shown in FIG. It is a distribution map in a plane. Here, the irradiation surface 51 shown in FIG. 5 corresponds to the surface position of the skin disease portion at the time of dermoscopy imaging. Further, the irradiation surface 52 shown in FIG. 7 corresponds to the surface position of the skin diseased portion at the time of clinical imaging. The irradiation surface 52 is located, for example, at a position 1 meter away from the dermoscopy camera 1. In each figure of FIG. 8, the area with higher illuminance is filled with a color closer to white.

As described above, at the time of dermoscopy photography, the light emitted from the LED 13a is guided toward the center of the cover body 40 toward the tip end. Therefore, the light emitted from the cover lens 24 is a strong light focused on the light from the LED 13a. Further, at the time of dermoscopy photography, the cover lens 24 is in contact with the skin disease portion. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 8A, an irradiation region 51a in which light is strongly irradiated is formed on the irradiation surface 51 corresponding to the surface of the skin disease portion, and a non-irradiation region 51b in which light is not irradiated is formed on the outside thereof. Will be done. The size of the irradiation region 51a is approximately the same as the size of the cover lens 24 (see FIG. 5). In this way, during dermoscopy photography, the strong light focused by the light guide plate 22 can be applied to the skin disease portion. Therefore, the substance under the skin can be irradiated with light and reflected, and a dermoscopy image can be taken.

On the other hand, at the time of clinical imaging, as shown in FIG. 7, the light from the LEDs 13a provided at equal intervals on the concentric circles is diffused by the light diffusing plate 14 and emitted forward. As a result, the irradiation range of the light reaching the irradiation surface 52 is wider than that at the time of dermoscopy photography, but the intensity of the irradiation light is weakened. For example, at the time of clinical imaging, as shown in FIG. 8B, the irradiation surface 52 has an irradiation region 52a having a larger area than the irradiation region 51a but a lower illuminance, and an irradiation region 52a having a larger area than the irradiation region 52a and having an illuminance. A low irradiation region 52b, an irradiation region 52c having a larger area and lower illuminance than the irradiation region 52b, and a non-irradiation region 52d to which light is not irradiated are formed on the outside thereof. Therefore, at the time of clinical imaging, it is possible to irradiate a wide range of light centering on the skin diseased part. In addition, since it is possible to take a picture with a lower illuminance than when taking a dermoscopy, it is possible to take a wide range of clinical pictures including a skin disease part.

(Example of using Dermoscopy camera 1)
When performing dermoscopy photography using the dermoscopy camera 1, the photographer rotates the first lens unit 20 in the downward direction D10 in the drawing, and attaches the first lens unit 20 to the camera body 10 as shown in FIG. Move to the first position where it is in contact. At that time, the engaging convex portion 15 (see FIG. 2) formed in the camera body 10 is inserted into the engaging concave portion 20a formed in the first lens unit 20, and the magnetic body 16 of the camera body 10 and the first lens are inserted. The magnetic body 26 of the unit 20 is magnetized. As a result, it is possible to maintain the dermoscopy shooting state in which the front of the camera body 10 is covered with the first lens unit 20. At this time, the second lens unit 60 is rotated in the downward direction D60 in the figure.

Then, the photographer presses the power button 17 to turn on the power, and for example, half-presses the shutter button 18 to cause the LED 13a to emit light. Then, the cover lens 24 is brought into contact with the skin disease portion. As a result, the light polarized by the polarizing filter 23 and emitted from the cover lens 24 reaches under the skin while suppressing diffuse reflection on the surface of the skin disease portion, and is reflected by the substance under the skin. This reflected light is taken into the dermoscopy camera 1 via the cover lens 24 and the polarizing filter 23. The captured light is magnified 10 to 30 times through the first conversion lens 21 and the zoom lens 12, and is imaged on the image sensor 31 of the camera body 10. When the shutter button 18 of the camera body 10 is fully pressed at an arbitrary timing, the captured image read by the image sensor 31 is stored in the storage unit of the camera body 10. The captured image stored in this way can be used for examination and diagnosis of, for example, melanocytic nevus, malignant melanoma, seborrheic keratosis, basal cell carcinoma, vascular lesion and Bowen's disease.

Subsequently, when clinical imaging is performed using the dermoscopy camera 1, the photographer rotates the first lens unit 20 in the upward direction U10 in the drawing as shown in FIG. 3, and the first lens unit 20 is rotated from the front of the camera body 10. The lens unit 20 is moved to open the front of the camera body 10. Then, the photographer rotates the second lens unit 60 in the upward direction U60 in the drawing to arrange the second lens unit 60 at the second position, separates the second lens unit 60 from the skin disease portion by a predetermined distance, and directs the zoom lens 12 toward the skin disease portion. Subsequently, the photographer causes the LED 13a to emit light by, for example, pressing the shutter button 18 halfway. The light emitted from the LED 13a becomes diffused light and irradiates a wide range centering on the skin disease portion. The irradiated light is reflected on the surface of the skin disease portion, is taken into the zoom lens 12, and is imaged on the image sensor 31 of the camera body 10. When the shutter button 18 of the camera body 10 is fully pressed at an arbitrary timing, the captured image read by the image sensor 31 is stored in the storage unit of the camera body 10.

(About the effect of the embodiment)
As described above, in the dermoscopy camera 1 according to the present embodiment, dermoscopy photography can be performed with the front surface of the camera body 10 covered with the first lens unit 20, and clinical practice is possible with the front surface of the camera body 10 covered with the second lens unit 60. You can shoot. Then, switching between dermoscopy imaging and clinical imaging can be realized only by rotating the first lens unit 20 and the second lens unit 60 rotatably attached to the camera body 10. This makes it possible to easily switch between dermoscopy imaging and clinical imaging in one dermoscopy camera 1.

A light guide plate 22 that guides and collects the light emitted from the LED 13a during dermoscopy photography is provided inside the first lens unit 20. The light guide plate 22 can collect and emit light emitted from the dermoscopy camera 1 without weakening the light emitted from the LED 13a. This makes it possible to obtain a clear dermoscopy image.

By arranging the LEDs 13a on the outer circumference of the zoom lens 12 at equal intervals, it is possible to linearly irradiate a wide range of light centering on the skin disease portion at the time of clinical imaging. Further, by installing the light diffusing plate 14 in front of the LED 13a, it is possible to irradiate a wide range of light during clinical imaging. As a result, it is possible to take a wide range of images including the skin diseased part and its surroundings at the time of clinical photography.

By providing the light guide plate 22 in the first lens unit 20, irradiation of light during dermoscopy imaging and clinical imaging can be realized by a common LED 13a. As a result, it is not necessary to provide a plurality of types of light sources for different shootings, and the configuration of the dermoscopy camera 1 can be simplified. Further, since dermoscopy imaging and clinical imaging can be realized by one dermoscopy camera 1, the imaging medium is also integrated into one medium, and it is not necessary to change the camera by imaging, so that the medical treatment time can be shortened.

(About the modification of the embodiment)
The present embodiment is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications and applications are possible. In the above-described embodiment, the mode of switching between dermoscopy imaging and clinical imaging by rotating the first lens unit 20 and the second lens unit 60 with respect to the camera body 10 has been described. The movement mode of the second lens unit 60 may be not only such rotation but also a mode of sliding with respect to the camera body 10, for example. For dermoscopy photography, the front of the zoom lens 12 may be arranged so as to be covered by the first lens unit 20, and for clinical photography, the second lens unit 60 may be slid to cover the front of the zoom lens 12. good. The zoom lens 12 as a master lens may be configured as a fixed focus lens in consideration of the use of the dermoscopy camera 1 and the like. Further, in the first lens unit 20 and the second lens unit 60, the camera body 10 is provided so that the first conversion lens 21 of the first lens unit 20 and the second conversion lens 62 of the second lens unit 60 do not interfere with each other on the optical axis. As long as they can be moved to each other, the first lens unit 20 and the second lens unit 60 may be arranged so as to be structurally layered.

Further, in the case of applying a gel having a polarizing action to a skin disease portion for dermoscopy photography, the polarizing filter 23 provided on the tip cover body 41 can be omitted. By preparing the tip cover body 41 having the polarizing filter 23 and the tip cover body 41 not having the polarizing filter 23, it is possible to select the shooting correspondence at the time of dermoscopy shooting according to the situation.

Further, in the above embodiment, the light source is the LED 13a arranged on the circumference, but other light sources may be adopted. For example, a high-brightness light such as a halogen lamp, a semiconductor light emitting device, and a light emitting element such as an organic electroluminescence can be used. Further, when the sensitivity of the image sensor 31 is good and the image can be taken without illumination, it is possible not to provide the LED 13a as a light source.

Further, although it has been explained that the LED 13a is composed of an LED that emits white light, for example, an ultraviolet light source, a blue light source, or a green light light source may be adopted. Further, the light sources having different colors may be provided so that the light sources of different colors can emit light independently. In this way, different images can be obtained by irradiating light of different colors to obtain captured images, and by comparing different images and superimposing the images, the examination and diagnosis of the skin disease part can be obtained. Can be made easy.

Further, in the above embodiment, the light diffusing plate 14 is installed in front of the LED 13a, but a light source capable of irradiating the irradiation surface 52 (see FIG. 7) with light over a wide range during clinical imaging is adopted, and the light diffusing plate 14 is used. May be omitted. Further, instead of the light diffusing plate 14, a transparent plate that transmits the incident light as it is may be installed.

Further, it was explained that the cover lens 24 is in contact with the skin diseased portion at the time of dermoscopy photography. However, if it is possible to irradiate light with sufficient illuminance, dermoscopy photography is possible by bringing the cover lens 24 closer to the skin disease portion. In this case, the cleaning work after dermoscopy photography becomes unnecessary, and the medical treatment time can be shortened.

Further, although it has been described that the first conversion lens 21 and the second conversion lens 62 are one double-sided convex lens, other forms can also be adopted. For example, the first conversion lens 21 and the second conversion lens 62 may be a lens in which two or a plurality of convex lenses are combined, one achromatic lens, or a combination of two or a plurality of achromatic lenses. Further, the first conversion lens 21 and the second conversion lens 62 may be an aberration-free lens or may be a spherical lens incorporating an aspherical lens. Further, these lenses may include an antireflection film and a color filter.

Further, although the light guide plate 22 as a light guide member that collects the light from the LED 13a toward the tip is installed in the first lens unit 20, another known light guide member is provided instead of the light guide plate 22. You may do it. For example, an optical fiber that guides light toward the tip may be provided.

Further, the imaging device according to the present embodiment is not limited to the imaging device capable of switching between the dermoscopy imaging state and the clinical imaging state, such as the dermoscopy camera 1 described in the above embodiment. Further, the subject is not limited to the skin disease part. For example, a shooting state (the first lens unit 20 is positioned in front of the camera body 10) in which the inside of a hole formed in a structure or the like is irradiated with light to enlarge the inside of the hole irradiated with light and photographed. (State) and a shooting state in which a range including the periphery of the hole is photographed from a position away from the hole (a state in which the first lens unit 20 is opened from the front of the camera body 10 and the second lens unit 60 is positioned in the front). The present invention can also be applied to an image pickup device or the like capable of switching between) and the like.

Further, it has been explained that in the above-mentioned dermoscopy camera 1, the camera body 10 is provided with a shutter button 18 and a touch panel type screen (not shown) for executing various settings of the dermoscopy camera 1. However, an operation receiving unit such as a shutter button 18 or a touch panel type screen (not shown) may be provided in an operation unit physically separated from the camera body. The camera body and the operation unit can communicate in both directions using existing communication technology. By operating the operation unit, the photographer can perform various settings of the camera body, shutter operation, and the like. Further, in conjunction with the movement of the first lens unit 20 and the second lens unit 60, whether dermoscopy imaging or clinical imaging was performed may be recorded as a flag in the captured image.

The inventions described in the claims originally attached to the application of this application are described below. The claims described in the appendix are the scope of the claims originally attached to the application for this application.
[Claim 1]
An image pickup device having an image pickup element and photographing a subject on the optical axis incident on the image pickup element.
With the main body
A first lens unit that is provided on the main body so as to be movable between the position on the optical axis and the position outside the optical axis and includes a first conversion lens having a first angle of view.
A second image different from the first angle of view, which is provided on the main body so as to be movable between the position on the optical axis and the position outside the optical axis so as not to interfere with the first conversion lens on the optical axis. An image pickup apparatus comprising: a second lens unit including a second conversion lens having an angle.
[Claim 2]
The image pickup apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the main body has a master lens.
[Claim 3]
The first conversion lens is interposed between the master lens and the subject to increase the magnifying magnification of the image captured by the image sensor, and the second conversion lens is exclusively the master lens of the first conversion lens. The image pickup device according to claim 2, wherein the image sensor is interposed between the subject and the subject to widen the magnifying power of the master lens.
[Claim 4]
The image pickup apparatus according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the master lens is configured as a zoom lens or a fixed focus lens.
[Claim 5]
The main body has a light source
The first lens unit has a light guide member that collects and emits light from the light source.
The image pickup apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the second lens unit is configured to allow light from the light source to be emitted linearly.
[Claim 6]
The imaging device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the first lens unit corresponds to dermoscopy imaging, and the second lens unit corresponds to clinical imaging.
[Claim 7]
The image pickup apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the first lens unit further includes a cover member for being brought into close contact with a human body at a tip portion thereof, and a polarizing filter between the cover member and the first conversion lens. ..
[Claim 8]
The image pickup apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7, further comprising a prevention mechanism for preventing the first lens unit and the second lens unit from moving on the optical axis at the same time.

1 ... Dermos copy camera 10 ... Camera body, 11 ... Housing, 11a ... Board housing, 12 ... Zoom lens, 13 ... LED board, 13a ... LED, 14 ... Light diffuser, 15 ... Engagement convex part, 16 ... Magnetic Body, 17 ... Power button, 18 ... Shutter button, 191, 192 ... Rotating support 20 ... First lens unit, 20a ... Engagement recess, 21 ... Conversion lens, 22 ... Light guide plate, 22a, 22c ... Reflective film, 22b ... Light guide plate main body, 22d ... Light incident surface, 22e ... Light emitting surface, 23 ... Polarizing filter, 24 ... Cover lens, 25 ... Rotating part, 26 ... Magnetic material 30 ... Circuit wiring board, 31 ... Image pickup element 40 ... Cover body, 41 ... Tip cover body, 41a ... Hooking part, 41b ... Opening 51, 52 ... Irradiated surface, 51a, 52a, 52b, 52c ... Irradiated area, 51b, 52d ... Non-irradiated area 60 ... Second lens unit, 61 ... Support, 62 ... Conversion lens, 62a ... Opening, 63 ... Rotating part

The present invention relates to a lens unit .

The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and provides a lens unit capable of facilitating a series of imaging of a diseased portion in a contact state and clinical imaging with one imaging device. With the goal.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, one aspect of the present invention is provided with a light source that illuminates a subject on the optical axis of photography and an image pickup device that is movable between a position on the optical axis and a position outside the optical axis. A first lens unit including a light guide member that collects and emits light from a light source and a first conversion lens having a first angle of view, so as not to interfere with the first conversion lens on the optical axis. The image pickup apparatus includes a second conversion lens that is movably provided between the position on the optical axis and the position outside the optical axis and has a second angle of view different from the first field of view. It is characterized by comprising a second lens unit configured to allow light from the light to be emitted linearly .
Further, in another aspect of the present invention, the image pickup device is provided with a cover member that is movable between the position on the optical axis and the position outside the optical axis, and the tip portion thereof is in close contact with the human body, and the first angle of view. A first lens unit corresponding to dermos copy photography, which has a first conversion lens having a As described above, clinical imaging including a second conversion lens provided in the image pickup apparatus so as to be movable between the position on the optical axis and the position outside the optical axis and having a second angle of view different from the first field of view. It is characterized by including a second lens unit corresponding to the above.
Other features of the present invention will be clarified by the description of the present specification and the accompanying drawings.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a lens unit capable of facilitating a series of imaging of a diseased portion in a contact state and clinical imaging with one imaging device.

Claims (8)

An image pickup device having an image pickup element and photographing a subject on the optical axis incident on the image pickup element.
With the main body
A first lens unit that is provided on the main body so as to be movable between the position on the optical axis and the position outside the optical axis and includes a first conversion lens having a first angle of view.
A second image different from the first angle of view, which is provided on the main body so as to be movable between the position on the optical axis and the position outside the optical axis so as not to interfere with the first conversion lens on the optical axis. An image pickup apparatus comprising: a second lens unit including a second conversion lens having an angle. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the main body has a master lens. The first conversion lens is interposed between the master lens and the subject to increase the magnifying magnification of the image captured by the image pickup element, and the second conversion lens is exclusively the master lens of the first conversion lens. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the image pickup device is configured to be interposed between the subject and the subject so as to widen the magnifying power of the master lens. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the master lens is configured as a zoom lens or a fixed focus lens. The main body has a light source
The first lens unit has a light guide member that collects and emits light from the light source.
The image pickup apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the second lens unit is configured to allow light from the light source to be emitted linearly. The imaging device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the first lens unit corresponds to dermoscopy imaging, and the second lens unit corresponds to clinical imaging. The image pickup according to claim 6, wherein the first lens unit further has a cover member for being brought into close contact with a human body at a tip portion thereof, and a polarizing filter between the cover member and the first conversion lens. Device. The image pickup apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7, further comprising a prevention mechanism for preventing the first lens unit and the second lens unit from moving on the optical axis at the same time.

Images