JP3467130B2 - Electronic endoscope device for fluorescence diagnosis - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a fluorescent diagnostic electronic for detecting early cancer by irradiating living tissue with excitation light having a specific wavelength and observing fluorescence emitted from the living tissue itself. The present invention relates to an endoscope device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art When living tissue is irradiated with light (excitation light) having a wavelength of 400 nm to 480 nm, normal tissue emits fluorescence in the range of about 480 nm to 600 nm, and cancer cells do not emit fluorescence. It is known that it is possible to detect an early cancer that is not well understood by endoscopic observation.

Therefore, in the conventional electronic endoscope apparatus for fluorescence diagnosis, as described in, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 4-150845, an excitation filter that transmits only excitation light is arranged in the illumination optical path. At the same time, a fluorescence transmitting filter that transmits only the light of the fluorescence wavelength is arranged between the objective optical system and the solid-state image sensor.

[0004]

However, in the configuration of the electronic endoscope apparatus for fluorescence diagnosis as described above, the illumination light is only the excitation light, and the light rays incident on the solid-state image sensor are only the fluorescence. Normal endoscopic observation cannot be performed on the subject.

Therefore, conventionally, when a normal endoscopic observation is performed to visually observe the position and state of the affected area,
It is necessary to replace the endoscope for fluorescence diagnosis with the endoscope for normal observation for the patient, which is a heavy burden on both the patient and the doctor.

[0006] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an electronic endoscope apparatus for fluorescence diagnosis, which can easily perform normal endoscope observation and fluorescence diagnosis.

[0007]

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, an electronic endoscope apparatus for fluorescence diagnosis of the present invention is provided with two solid-state image pickup devices at the tip of an insertion part, and An objective optical system for observing substantially the same direction is arranged in front, and in front of one of the solid-state image pickup devices, a transmission region is provided on the longer wavelength side than the wavelength of excitation light for exciting fluorescence from living tissue, and A fluorescence transmitting filter having a characteristic of not transmitting the excitation light is arranged.

The fluorescence transmitting filter is approximately 480.
Only light having a wavelength in the range of nm to 600 nm may be transmitted. Further, it is preferable to connect the signal lines for transmitting the signals input / output to / from each of the solid-state image pickup devices to separate connectors provided independently of each other.

Further, an illuminating means is provided for irradiating the observation range of the both objective optical systems with illumination light of three colors of red, green and blue in order, and a fluorescence transmitting filter is arranged in front of the illuminating means. It is preferable to provide a fluorescent image reproducing means for reproducing, as an image, only a signal during the illumination by the blue illumination light among the output signals from the image pickup device.

[0010]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 2 shows the external appearance of the overall configuration of the embodiment apparatus, and FIG. 1 shows the outline of the internal structure.

At the distal end of the insertion portion 1 of the flexible endoscope, as shown in an enlarged view in FIG. 3, two first and second solid-state image pickup devices 2 and 3 are both directed forward. They are arranged side by side. As the solid-state image pickup devices 2 and 3, for example, monochrome charge-coupled devices (CCD) are used.

Objective optical systems 4 and 5 are arranged in front of the solid-state image pickup devices 2 and 3, respectively, and an image of a subject in front is formed on the solid-state image pickup devices 2 and 3.

Between the first solid-state image pickup device 2 and the objective optical system 4, there is arranged a fluorescence transmitting filter 6 which transmits only light having a wavelength of 520 nm to 600 nm. Second
No such filter is arranged in front of the solid-state image sensor 3 of FIG.

The exit end of the illumination light guide fiber bundle 8 for irradiating the illumination light toward the observation range of both objective optical systems 4 and 5 is arranged side by side with both objective optical systems 4 and 5.

FIG. 4 is a front view of the distal end surface of the insertion portion 1. 4a and 5a are observation windows in which the objective optical systems 4 and 5 are arranged, and 8a is the exit end of the illumination light guide fiber bundle 8. The arranged illumination window 9 is a projecting opening of the treatment instrument.

1 and 2, the proximal end of the insertion portion 1 is connected to the operating portion 11, and the main connector 13 is attached to the distal end of the connecting flexible tube 12 connected to the operating portion 11. It is installed.

The main connector 13 has first and second signal cables 15 and 16 for transmitting signals input to and output from the first and second solid-state image pickup devices 2 and 3, and a light guide for illumination. The incidence end of the fiber bundle 8 reaches from the tip end side of the insertion portion, and the fiber bundle 8 can be detachably connected to a general-purpose electronic endoscope video processor 20.

The video processor 20 for electronic endoscope includes:
A light source lamp 2 such as a xenon lamp for supplying illumination light to the light guide fiber bundle 8 for illumination.
1 is arranged in the illumination optical path between the light source lamp 21 and the incident end of the illumination light guide fiber bundle 8,
An RGB rotary filter 22 is arranged.

As shown in FIG. 5, the RGB rotary filter 22 includes three color filters of red (R), green (G), and blue (B), with a light-shielding portion interposed therebetween. They are arranged in a fan shape and are rotated at a constant speed by the motor 23.

The wavelength range of the light transmitted by each color filter is as follows. Red (R): 580nm-650n
m. Green (G): 500 nm to 580 nm. Blue (B): 4
00 nm-500 nm.

As a result, the subject in front of the tip of the insertion portion 1 is repeatedly illuminated in sequence from the main connector 13 through the illumination light guide fiber bundle 8 by the illumination light of three colors of red, green and blue. It

Second signal transmission to the second solid-state image pickup device 3 which is not provided with the fluorescence transmission filter 6
The signal cable 16 is connected to the normal image video circuit 24 in the electronic endoscope video processor 20 by the main connector 13.

Then, driving of the second solid-state image pickup device 3 and R
The rotation of the motor 23 that rotates the GB rotation filter 22 is controlled in synchronization with the output signal from the timing circuit 25.

As a result, the second solid-state image pickup device 3 picks up an image by the so-called RGB frame sequential method, and the normal image video circuit 24 obtains a normal color image signal of the subject. Reference numeral 27 shown in FIG. 2 is a keyboard for inputting control commands and the like to the electronic endoscope video processor 20.

The first signal cable 15 for signal transmission to the first solid-state image pickup device 2 provided with the filter 6 for fluorescence transmission is the video processor 2 for the electronic endoscope.
0 is not connected, but is passed through a connecting flexible tube 17 that extends further from the main connector 13 and reaches the sub connector 18 at the tip thereof.

Further, the incident end of the synchronizing light guide 19 inserted into the connecting flexible tube 17 is arranged side by side with the incident end of the illumination light guide fiber bundle 8, and the synchronizing light guide 19 is arranged. The ejection end of is disposed in the sub connector 18.

The sub-connector 18 is detachably connected to the fluorescent image control unit 30. The fluorescence image control unit 30 is provided with a beam splitter 31 facing the exit end of the synchronization light guide 19.

The light is emitted from the synchronizing light guide 19,
One of the lights split by the beam splitter 31 into two directions passes through the blue filter 32 and enters the first light receiver 33, and the other light enters the second light receiver 34 as it is.

Then, the output signals from both the light receivers 33 and 34 are sent to the timing circuit 35 to detect the blue detection timing. This timing completely coincides with the timing at which the subject is irradiated with blue illumination light through the illumination light guide fiber bundle 8.

The first signal cable 15 for transmitting a signal to the first solid-state image pickup device 2 is provided with a fluorescent image video circuit 36 in the fluorescent image control unit 30.
It is connected to the.

A timing signal is inputted from the timing circuit 35 to the fluorescent image video circuit 36,
Only a video signal when a subject is illuminated with blue illumination light (wavelength 400 nm to 500 nm) is extracted.

Since the image obtained there is only an image of light having a wavelength that can pass through the fluorescence transmitting filter 6, it is excited from the subject by the excitation light having a wavelength of 400 nm to 500 nm contained in the blue illumination light. The fluorescent image will be extracted by the fluorescent image video circuit 36.

The signal of the fluorescent image obtained by the fluorescent image video circuit 36 is sent to an image signal integrating circuit 37, where a plurality of image signals are superposed on one another and converted into a bright image signal. , To the screen compositing circuit 38. It should be noted that the total number of times of superimposing the image signals can be set either automatically or manually.

The screen image synthesizing circuit 38 receives the fluorescent image signal output from the image signal integrating circuit 37 and the color image signal output from the normal image video circuit 24 of the electronic endoscope video processor 20, One or both of the fluorescent image and the normal image can be arbitrarily displayed on the monitor television 40 by the display screen changeover switch. Fifty
Is a recording device for magnetically recording them.

In the embodiment described above, light having a wavelength of 400 nm to 500 nm that is transmitted by the blue color filter is used as excitation light, and the wavelength of light transmitted by the fluorescence transmitting filter 6 is 520 nm to 60 nm.
Although the wavelength of fluorescence excited from living tissue is approximately 480 nm to 600 nm, the maximum wavelength of the transmission region of the excitation light transmitting color filter is 480 n.
The wavelength of the light transmitted by the fluorescence transmitting filter 6 may be set to be less than m and set to about 480 nm to 600 nm. By making the characteristics of each filter close to that,
The light amount loss of the observed fluorescence image is reduced.

[0036]

According to the present invention, two solid-state image pickup devices are provided at the tip of the insertion portion of the endoscope so that observation images in the same direction can be picked up, and one of the solid-state image pickup devices forms a fluorescence image. Therefore, it is possible to obtain a normal color image and a fluorescent image of a subject with one electronic endoscope without replacing the endoscope with respect to the patient. Therefore, it is possible to accurately diagnose early cancer and the like from the normal color image and the fluorescent image of the affected area without imposing an extra burden on both the patient and the doctor.

Then, by connecting the signal lines for transmitting the signals input / output to and from the two solid-state image pickup devices for the normal color image and the fluorescent image to separate connectors, the general-purpose image pickup device used so far is used. Normal endoscopic observation can be performed using a video processor for electronic endoscopes, which is very economical.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an internal structure of an overall configuration of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the external appearance of the overall configuration of the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a side sectional view of the tip of the insertion portion of the electronic endoscope according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a front view of the distal end surface of the insertion portion of the electronic endoscope according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a front view of the RGB rotary filter according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Insert 2,3 Solid-state image sensor 4,5 Objective optical system 6 Fluorescent transmission filter 20 Video processor for electronic endoscope

Continuation of front page (56) Reference JP-A-2-299633 (JP, A) JP-A-2-299634 (JP, A) JP-A-3-97441 (JP, A) JP-A-4-150845 (JP , A) JP-A-5-56918 (JP, A) US Pat. No. 4821117 (US, A) (58) Fields investigated (Int. Cl. ⁷ , DB name) A61B 1/00

Claims (3)

(57) [Claims] 1. A pair of objective optical systems for observing substantially the same direction are arranged in parallel at the tip of an insertion section, and solid-state image pickup devices are arranged at the image forming positions of the object by the objective optical systems. In front of one of the solid-state image pickup devices, a fluorescence transmitting filter having a transmission region having a transmission region on the longer wavelength side than the wavelength of excitation light for exciting fluorescence from living tissue and having the property of not transmitting the excitation light is disposed . For electronic endoscope system for diagnosis
In addition, the observation range by both objective optical systems is set to three colors of red, green and blue.
Means for repeatedly irradiating in sequence with the illumination light of
And a solid-state image sensor with the above-mentioned fluorescence transmission filter placed in front of it.
Of the output signals from the image element, the subject is the blue illumination.
Only the signal of the period illuminated by bright light is imaged
A fluorescence image reproducing means for reproducing Te provided, in the fluorescent image reproduction means, release from the illuminating means
After passing a part of the emitted light through the blue filter,
By making it incident, the blue illumination light will enter the subject.
The electronic endoscope apparatus for fluorescence diagnosis is characterized in that the timing of irradiation is detected . 2. The electronic endoscope apparatus for fluorescence diagnosis according to claim 1, wherein the fluorescence transmitting filter transmits only light having a wavelength in the range of approximately 480 nm to 600 nm. 3. The fluorescent diagnostic according to claim 1 or 2, wherein signal lines for transmitting signals input to and output from each of the solid-state image pickup devices are connected to separate connectors provided independently of each other. Electronic endoscope device.