JP2774788B2 - Electronic endoscope device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an electronic endoscope apparatus having a processing function of imaging function information, and more particularly to an improvement of a control system for the processing function.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As is well known, in an electronic endoscope apparatus of this type, when trying to obtain a functional information image such as a hemoglobin distribution image, respective interference filters having different center transmission wavelengths are provided on a light source optical path. C inside the body cavity under each illumination inserted sequentially
Photographing is performed by an image pickup device such as a CD, and sequentially different monochromatic light images are obtained based on output signals from the image pickup device. Next, the difference in absorbance between the two monochromatic light images is obtained by calculation, and the functional information indicated by the calculation result For example, an image is displayed on a monitor.

[0003] When taking the above monochromatic light image,
The irradiation light amount was adjusted so that the luminance signal level of the output signal of the image sensor was controlled to fall within a specified level range.

[0004]

However, even if the control for adjusting the amount of illumination light is performed as described above, the luminance signal level of the output signal of the image sensor becomes higher than the saturation level or lower than the noise level. May be. On the other hand, in the system configuration of this type of conventional electronic endoscope apparatus, arithmetic processing for obtaining functional information is continuously executed regardless of a change in an output signal of an image sensor.

Accordingly, in the conventional case, there is a problem that the function information image displayed on the monitor may include error information.

The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and has as its object to improve the reliability of a function information image.

[0007]

According to the present invention, there is provided an illumination device for sequentially illuminating a plurality of wavelengths of light.
And means, by imaging a subject under illumination by the illuminating means
Imaging means for outputting the obtained video signal ;
An arithmetic processing unit for performing an arithmetic process for obtaining a functional information image including at least one of the hemoglobin amount of the subject and the oxygen saturation of the hemoglobin based on each image signal corresponding to the wavelength region light, and an image from the imaging unit a quantity determining means for determining whether or not the signal of <br/> brightness level is within a level range of prescribed period in which the level range and judged defined by the light amount determining means, said arithmetic processing Interrupt
And control means for performing control for displaying the indication on a monitor .

According to the present invention, the period in which it is determined that the out level range of more defined light amount determination unit, the function information image
By displaying on the monitor a message indicating that the arithmetic processing for obtaining the function information has been interrupted, a function information image can be obtained for the operator.
Since it can be notified that the arithmetic processing for the operation has been interrupted, the reliability of the function information image can be significantly improved.

[0009]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an electronic endoscope apparatus according to one embodiment to which the present invention is applied.

The electronic endoscope apparatus of this embodiment is provided with a CPU 1 as a control center of the entire system, and the CPU 1 controls a light amount controller 2, a camera controller unit (CCU) 3, and an A / D converter 4. ,
Switch 5, normal light frame memory 6, lambda ₁ frame memory 7, lambda ₂ frame memory 8, lambda ₃ frame memory 9,
The λ ₄ frame memory 10, the arithmetic circuit 11, the function image frame memory 12, the display memory 13, the D / A converter 14, the light amount determination circuit 15, the motor controller 16, and the like are controlled by a microprocessor.

When the middle part of the endoscope 17 is introduced into the body cavity of the subject and the body cavity is photographed, the xenon (Xe) lamp 18 and the aperture controller 19 are controlled by the light amount controller 2. The drive of the motor unit 20 is controlled by the motor controller 16.

A filter disk 22 is detachably mounted on the rotating shaft 21 of the motor unit 20. The filter disk 22 has functional information corresponding to the amount of hemoglobin and the oxygen saturation of hemoglobin. Is obtained, as shown in FIG. 2, a filter disk in which interference filters of λ ₁ , λ ₂ , λ ₃ , and λ ₄ and a light amount attenuation filter denoted by ND are arranged.

In each of these sections, the light quantity controller 2 controls the current flowing through the Xe lamp 18 in accordance with the judgment state of the light quantity judgment circuit 15, while controlling the aperture of the diaphragm 23 to adjust the light quantity emitted from the light source section 24. Is automatically adjusted. In the light source unit 24, 25 is a condenser lens, and 26 is a reflector.

The motor controller 16 removes the filter disk 22 from the optical path of the Xe lamp 18 at the time of normal light photographing. The filter disk 22 is arranged, the ND filter is switched _first , and then the interference filters λ _{1 to} λ ₄ are sequentially switched to the Xe lamp 18.
In this case, the motor unit 20 is driven to rotate the filter disk 22 in order to insert the filter disk 22 repeatedly on the optical path. When the filter disk 22 is rotated by such a motor controller 16, the light source 24 functions as a monochromatic light irradiation light source.

When a selection operation for obtaining a function information image is performed, the light amount determination circuit 15
During each insertion period in which each of the interference filters λ _{1 to} λ ₄ is sequentially inserted on the optical path of the Xe lamp 18, the light receiving state of a solid-state imaging device (not shown) mounted on the end of the endoscope 17 on the way changes. It is determined whether most of the luminance signal levels in the output signal of the CCU 3 are within a specified level range, and when it is determined that most of the luminance signal levels are out of the specified level range, this output is determined by the light amount controller. 2. Send to the arithmetic circuit 11 and CPU1. During normal image capturing, a signal indicating a change in the luminance signal level in the output signal of the CCU 3 is transmitted to the light amount controller 2.

The CPU 1 itself sets a period during which the light amount determination circuit 1 determines that the luminance signal level of the CCU 1 is out of the prescribed level range as a function stop period, and stops the operation of the calculation circuit 11. Control is performed to restart the light amount controller 2 during the period. Then, under the control, when a determination output indicating that the luminance signal level of the CCU 1 is within the specified level range is received from the light amount determination circuit 15, a control for permitting the arithmetic processing of the arithmetic circuit 11 is performed. Further, the display 2 is synchronized with the function suspension period of the arithmetic circuit 15.
8, a message area 28 as shown in FIG.
In FIG. 4A, reading control of the message memory 29 is performed in order to display that the processing for obtaining the function information image has been interrupted.
Control is performed to cause the ED 27b to display that processing for obtaining the function information has been interrupted. Note that in FIG.
Reference numeral 27a indicates that images are being collected in the memories 7 to 10 of λ ₁ to λ ₄ . 27c is a function image switch.

The operation of the above-described configuration will be described. During normal observation, the filter disk 22 is removed from the optical path of the Xe lamp 18 by the motor unit 20. In this case, the luminance signal in the output signal of the CCU 3 Since the signal indicating the level is applied from the light quantity determination circuit 15 to the light quantity controller 2, the light quantity controller 2 is kept in the ON state. An electric signal obtained by imaging the inside of the body cavity with the endoscope 17 is converted into analog image data by the CCU 3, digitized by the A / D converter 4, and passed through the switch 5 to the normal optical frame memory 6. Are sequentially stored. The image data sequentially stored in the normal optical frame memory 6 is sent to the display memory 13 under the reading control of the CPU 1, and the image data once stored in the display memory 13 is D / D.
The data is converted into analog image data by the A converter 14 and sent to the display 28. Therefore, display 2
The normal shooting content is displayed as an image on 8.

As described above, during normal imaging, it is necessary to measure the amount of hemoglobin and the oxygen saturation of hemoglobin. When an input operation is performed on the keyboard 27, the filter disk 22 shifts. It is arranged on the optical path of the Xe lamp 18, an ND filter is inserted first, and then λ ₁ → λ ₂ according to the rotational drive of the motor unit 20.
→ λ ₃ → λ ₄ → ND → λ ₁ ... Are sequentially inserted.

The switch 5 is lambda ₁ frame memory 7 under the control of the synchronization CPU1 thereto, lambda ₂ frame memory 8,
In order to sequentially select the λ ₃ frame memory 9, the λ ₄ frame memory 10, and the normal light image memory 6, monochromatic light images of λ ₁ to λ ₄ are photographed, and the monochromatic light images are λ ₁ to λ.
These are stored in the _four frame memories 7 to 10, respectively.

At this time, in the light amount determination circuit 15,
It is determined whether most luminance signal levels in the output signal of U3 are within a specified level range. Then, if the majority of the luminance signal level is within the level range of provisions, when the monochromatic light image stored in the frame memory 7-10 of _{λ 1 ~λ 4, λ 1,} λ 2, λ 3 The calculation of the oxygen saturation is executed for each pixel of each monochromatic light image stored in the frame memories 7, 8, and 9, and then λ ₃ , λ
_An operation for calculating the amount of hemoglobin for each pixel of each monochromatic light image stored in the frame memories 9 and 10 is executed.

The results of these calculations are sent to the display memory 13 via the functional image frame memory 12. Accordingly, a function information image indicating the oxygen saturation and the amount of hemoglobin is displayed on the display memory 27.

However, when most of the luminance signal levels in the output signal of the CCU 3 are out of the specified level range,
That is, when most of the luminance signal levels are higher than the saturation level or lower than the noise level, the CPU 1 functions as a processing condition setting unit.
The operation of the arithmetic circuit 11 is stopped. At the same time, the light amount controller 2 is restarted to adjust the light amount of the light source unit 24,
In addition, as shown in FIG. 3, the interruption display of the process for obtaining the function information image is displayed in the message area 28a of the display 28, and the interruption display of the keyboard 27 is made as shown in FIG.
Each of these operations is performed until the luminance signal level of the output signal of the CCU 3 falls within a prescribed level range, and the suspension of the operation of the arithmetic circuit 11 is released accordingly.

In this way, when most of the luminance signal levels in the output signal of the CCU 3 fall within the specified level range, the arithmetic processing of the arithmetic circuit 11 is restarted, and the oxygen saturation and the A function information image indicating the amount of hemoglobin is displayed.

As described above, in one embodiment of the present invention, when most of the luminance signal levels in the output signal of the CCU 3 are out of the specified level range, the monochromatic light image is λ ₁ to λ ₁ .
λ ₄ is written in each frame memory 10, but the arithmetic circuit 1
Since the function 1 is stopped, the function information image displayed on the display 28 does not include error information.

[0025]

As described above, according to the present invention, the reliability of a functional information image can be significantly improved.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an endoscope apparatus according to an embodiment to which the present invention has been applied.

FIG. 2 is a detailed explanatory view of a filter disk.

FIG. 3 is a state diagram showing a display mode on a display according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a detailed explanatory view of a keyboard.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 CPU 2 Light amount controller 3 CPU 4 A / D converter 5 Switching device 6 Light transmission frame memory 7 λ ₁ frame memory 8 λ ₂ frame memory 9 λ ₃ frame memory 10 λ ₄ frame memory 11 Arithmetic circuit 12 Functional image frame memory 13 Display memory 14 D / A converter 15 Light amount determination circuit 16 Motor controller 17 Endoscope 18 Xe lamp 19 Aperture controller 20 Motor unit 21 Rotating shaft 22 Filter disk 23 Aperture 24 Light source unit 25 Condenser lens 26 Reflector 27 Keyboard 28 Display

Claims (5)

(57) [Claims] An illumination device for sequentially illuminating light of a plurality of wavelength ranges.
The bright section, obtained by imaging a subject under illumination by the illuminating means
Imaging means for outputting a video signal; and
Come, and processing means for executing arithmetic processing for obtaining the function information image including at least one of hemoglobin and oxygen saturation of hemoglobin in the subject, the level range of the brightness level of the video signal is defined from said image pickup means a quantity determining means for determining whether the period that the level range and judged defined by the light amount determining means, on the monitor the effect indicating the interruption of the processing
An electronic endoscope apparatus comprising: a control unit that performs display control . 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to control the plurality of wavelength ranges.
Video corresponding to visible light in each video signal corresponding to light
The normal observation image and the function information image based on the signal are
The electronic endoscope apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein control for switching and displaying on the monitor is performed . Wherein said control means, said light amount determining means
The brightness level is out of the specified level range.
During the period, the arithmetic processing by the arithmetic processing means is stopped
The electronic endoscope apparatus according to claim 1, wherein control is performed . 4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to stop the arithmetic processing.
In the meantime, control for adjusting the light amount of the wavelength light is performed, and the light amount determination is performed.
The brightness level falls within the specified level range due to the disconnection means
And control for restarting arithmetic processing by the arithmetic processing means
The electronic endoscope apparatus according to claim 3, wherein: 5. The control means controls the switching display.
3. An electronic endoscope apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising an input unit for giving an instruction for the operation .