JP7521584B2 - Treatment Support System - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a treatment support system .

Conventionally, a treatment support system that provides treatment support for cancer treatment using photoimmunotherapy is known. Such a treatment support system is disclosed, for example, in International Publication No. WO 2019/215905.

In photoimmunotherapy, a drug containing a fluorescent substance that undergoes a photochemical reaction and an antibody that selectively binds to cancer cells is first administered to the cancer patient. The administered drug circulates throughout the cancer patient's body and selectively binds to antigens in the cancer cells. Next, the drug is irradiated with light of a specific wavelength range corresponding to the fluorescent substance, causing the fluorescent substance in the drug that has bound to the cancer cells to emit fluorescence and undergo a photochemical reaction, changing the chemical structure of the fluorescent substance. This change in the chemical structure of the fluorescent substance causes a change in the three-dimensional structure of the antibody. This change in the three-dimensional structure of the antibody that has bound to the cancer cells then damages the cell membrane of the cancer cells to which it is bound, destroying (killing) the cancer cells.

The above-mentioned WO 2019/215905 discloses a treatment support system including an imaging device (imaging unit) for imaging a subject and a main body unit having a built-in control unit and the like. The treatment support system also includes a fluorescence detection unit that detects fluorescence and a fluorescence image generation unit that generates a fluorescence image based on a signal output by the fluorescence detection unit. The treatment support system is also configured to output a pre-treatment fluorescence image and a post-treatment fluorescence image generated by the fluorescence image generation unit. In the treatment support system described in the above-mentioned WO 2019/215905, a user such as a doctor can confirm the treatment effect on cancer cells by comparing the pre-treatment fluorescence image and the post-treatment fluorescence image.

International Publication No. 2019/215905

The imaging device of International Publication No. 2019/215905 includes a plurality of LEDs as excitation light sources inside the imaging device body. The plurality of LEDs are arranged in a ring shape so as to surround the periphery of the lens unit. Since excitation light is irradiated from each of the plurality of LEDs arranged in a ring shape, the excitation light may not be uniformly irradiated onto the affected area of the subject. If the excitation light is not uniformly irradiated onto the affected area of the subject, it becomes difficult to obtain an accurate fluorescent image for confirming the therapeutic effect on the cancer cells. In addition, due to the uneven irradiation of the excitation light, the desired therapeutic effect may not be obtained. Therefore, there is a demand for a treatment support imaging device that can uniformly irradiate the affected area of the subject with excitation light, thereby obtaining an accurate fluorescent image for confirming the therapeutic effect, and suppressing the adverse effects on treatment caused by the uneven irradiation of the excitation light.

The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and one object of the present invention is to provide a treatment support system that can uniformly irradiate the affected area of a subject with excitation light, thereby making it possible to obtain accurate fluorescence images for confirming the effectiveness of treatment, and that can suppress adverse effects on treatment caused by non-uniform irradiation of the excitation light.

According to one aspect of the present invention, a treatment support system includes an imaging device for treatment support and an excitation light source. The imaging device includes an imaging device main body, an optical fiber cable having one end disposed inside the imaging device main body and transmitting excitation light from the excitation light source for exciting a fluorescent substance contained in a drug administered to an affected area of a subject, an optical member provided inside the imaging device main body and including a diffusion element for diffusing the excitation light from the optical fiber cable, and an optical element for reflecting the excitation light diffused by the diffusion element and emitting it to the subject and allowing fluorescence emitted by the fluorescent substance to pass through, a fluorescence detection unit provided inside the imaging device main body and detecting the fluorescence , and a distance measurement unit provided inside the imaging device main body and measuring a distance from the affected area of the subject, and further includes a control unit for controlling the irradiation of the excitation light by the excitation light source and acquiring an irradiation light amount per unit area of the excitation light irradiated to the affected area of the subject through the optical fiber cable based on a measurement value of the distance measurement unit.

As described above, the treatment support system according to one aspect of the present invention includes an imaging device including an optical member including a diffusion element provided inside an imaging device main body for diffusing excitation light from an optical fiber cable, and an optical element for reflecting the excitation light diffused by the diffusion element and emitting the reflected excitation light to a subject and for transmitting fluorescence emitted by a fluorescent substance. This allows the excitation light to be uniformly irradiated onto the affected area of the subject, thereby making it possible to obtain an accurate fluorescence image for confirming the effect of treatment and to suppress adverse effects on treatment caused by non-uniform irradiation of the excitation light.

1 is a perspective view showing an outline of a medical treatment support system including an imaging device for medical treatment support according to a first embodiment. 1 is a block diagram showing an outline of a medical treatment support system including an imaging device for medical treatment support according to a first embodiment. 1 is a schematic diagram of an imaging device for medical support according to a first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a main body of the imaging device for medical support according to the first embodiment, viewed from the light receiving side. FIG. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an outline of a control unit according to the first embodiment. FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing an outline of a control unit according to a second embodiment. 13 is a schematic diagram showing information relating to the remaining amount of available imaging time displayed on the display device according to the second embodiment; FIG. FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram showing information regarding the remaining number of possible imaging attempts displayed on the display device according to the second embodiment. 10 is a flowchart for explaining information acquisition processing and information display processing by a control unit according to a second embodiment.

Below, an embodiment of the present invention is described with reference to the drawings.

[First embodiment]
(Configuration of treatment support system)
The configuration of a medical treatment support system 100 including an imaging device 300 for medical treatment support according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. FIG.

The treatment support system 100 equipped with a treatment support imaging device 300 according to the first embodiment comprises a treatment support device 200 including the treatment support imaging device 300, and a display device 400, as shown in FIG. 1.

The treatment support device 200 according to the first embodiment is a device that supports treatment in photoimmunotherapy. As shown in FIG. 1, the treatment support device 200 is configured to irradiate excitation light onto a subject 10 (see FIG. 2) who is a cancer patient, and detect fluorescence emitted by a fluorescent substance of a drug 20 (see FIG. 2) administered into the body of the subject 10. The detailed configuration of the treatment support device 200 will be described later.

The display device 400 is configured to display an image of the subject 10 output from the treatment support device 200. The display device 400 is configured, for example, by a liquid crystal display or an organic EL display. The display device 400 is connected to the treatment support device 200 by a video interface such as HDMI (registered trademark).

(Configuration of treatment support device)
The configuration of a treatment support device 200 according to a first embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 1 and Fig. 2. The treatment support device 200 includes a treatment support imaging device 300, a treatment support device main body 220, an arm 230, and an excitation light source 240 (see Fig. 2).

The imaging device 300 for medical support includes a portable imaging device body 310 and an optical fiber cable 320, one end of which is disposed inside the imaging device body 310 and the other end of which is connected to the excitation light source 240. The imaging device body 310 includes a cylindrical body section 311, a grip section 312 connected to the outer circumferential surface of the body section 311, and an imaging device operation section 313 provided on the grip section 312. One end of the optical fiber cable 320 is disposed inside the body section 311. The grip section 312 is configured to be held by a user such as a doctor. The imaging device operation section 313 is configured to accept operations such as starting and ending imaging and adjusting the angle of view. The imaging device 300 for medical support is configured as a handy type and gun type imaging device. The imaging device 300 for medical support is configured to be detachable from the arm section 230. The main body 311 or the gripping part 312 is formed with a detachable part (not shown) that is detachable from the arm 230. The detailed configuration of the imaging device 300 for medical treatment support will be described later.

The arm unit 230 is configured to be connectable to the treatment support imaging device 300. The treatment support device main body 220 is connected to one end of the arm unit 230. A connection part 231 that can be connected to a detachable part of the imaging device main body 310 is formed at the other end of the arm unit 230. The treatment support imaging device 300 is configured as a handy type imaging device, but can also be connected and fixed to the arm unit 230 for use. The arm unit 230 has a multi-joint structure and is configured to be extendable and rotatable. This allows a user such as a doctor to adjust the imaging direction and imaging position of the treatment support imaging device 300 connected and fixed to the arm unit 230.

The treatment support device main body 220 has a box shape. The treatment support device main body 220 houses an excitation light source 240 (see FIG. 2), a control unit 210 (see FIG. 2), and the like, which will be described later. The treatment support device main body 220 includes a plurality of wheels 221, a handle unit 222, and an operation unit 223. The plurality of wheels 221 can move the treatment support device 200 by rotating. The handle unit 222 is for the user to grasp when moving the treatment support device 200.

The operation unit 223 is a user interface for operating the treatment support device 200 including the treatment support imaging device 300. The operation unit 223 is configured to accept operations for controlling the start and end of imaging by the treatment support imaging device 300, the irradiation of excitation light from the excitation light source 240, adjustment of the angle of view, and the display of images displayed on the display device 400. The operation unit 223 includes, for example, a touch panel, a keyboard, a mouse, etc.

In this embodiment, the excitation light source 240 (see FIG. 2) is provided in the treatment support device main body 220. The excitation light source 240 is configured to irradiate excitation light of a specific wavelength band that excites the fluorescent substance contained in the drug 20. The excitation light source 240 is connected to the optical fiber cable 320 and is one of multiple laser elements provided. The laser elements other than the laser element used as the excitation light source 240 are used as treatment light sources.

Here, in photoimmunotherapy, a drug 20 is administered into the body of the subject 10 before irradiation with excitation light (therapeutic light). The drug 20 includes a fluorescent substance that emits fluorescence and an antibody. The fluorescent substance of the drug 20 is a substance that is excited to emit fluorescence when irradiated with excitation light (therapeutic light) and is a substance that undergoes a photochemical reaction when continuously irradiated with excitation light (therapeutic light). The fluorescent substance is, for example, a chemical substance such as IRDye (registered trademark) 700DX.

During photoimmunotherapy treatment, the treatment site (cancer cells) of the subject 10 is irradiated with therapeutic light from a therapeutic light source according to the type of fluorescent substance of the drug 20 administered to the subject 10. In addition, before and after photoimmunotherapy treatment, one of the therapeutic light sources is used as an excitation light source, and excitation light is irradiated from this excitation light source to the treatment site (cancer cells) of the subject 10. The fluorescence emitted by the fluorescent substance excited by the irradiated excitation light is detected by the fluorescence detection unit 360 (see FIG. 2), which will be described later, and the effect of treatment on the cancer cells can be confirmed by comparing the fluorescence image before treatment and the fluorescence image after treatment, which are generated based on the detected fluorescence.

(Configuration of imaging device for medical treatment support)
2 to 4, the configuration of the medical treatment support imaging device 300 according to the first embodiment will be further described. The medical treatment support imaging device 300 includes a lens unit 330, an optical fiber cable 320, an optical member 340, a white light source 500, a beam splitter 350, a fluorescence detection unit 360, a visible light detection unit 370, a distance measurement unit 380, a temperature detection unit 390, and a window unit 600. The medical treatment support imaging device 300 is used to capture images based on the fluorescence emitted by the fluorescent substance of the drug 20 during treatment, including before and after treatment.

As shown in Fig. 3, the lens section 330 is a lens unit consisting of a group of lenses that collects fluorescence emitted from a fluorescent substance contained in the drug 20 administered to the affected area of the subject 10. The lens section 330 includes at least one liquid lens 331 (see Fig. 3) whose focal length is adjustable. The lens section 330 is provided inside the main body section 311 of the imaging device main body 310.

Liquid lens 331 has electrodes on the side of a holder that contains an aqueous solution and oil. The focal length of liquid lens 331 can be changed by applying a voltage to the electrodes to change the shape of the interface between the aqueous solution and the oil. A voltage is applied to liquid lens 331 by a mechanism (not shown) that applies a voltage to the electrodes, and the focal length can be changed by changing the voltage value. For this reason, lens unit 330 does not have a lens movement mechanism for autofocus or a drive motor.

One end of the optical fiber cable 320 is disposed inside the main body 311 (see FIG. 1) of the imaging device main body 310, and the other end is connected to the excitation light source 240. The optical fiber cable 320 transmits excitation light for exciting the fluorescent substance from the excitation light source 240, and irradiates the transmitted excitation light toward the subject 10. The optical fiber cable 320 is composed of a single cable. The optical fiber cable 320 may be a single optical fiber, or may be a bundle fiber in which multiple optical fibers are bundled together, or a multi-core fiber.

The optical member 340 includes a first optical element 341, a diffusion element 342, and a second optical element 343. The optical member 340 is provided inside the main body portion 311 of the imaging device main body 310. The second optical element 343 is an example of an "optical element" as defined in the claims.

The first optical element 341 is configured to reflect the excitation light from the optical fiber cable 320 and emit it to the diffusion element 342. The first optical element 341 is, for example, a mirror. The diffusion element 342 is configured to diffuse the excitation light reflected by the first optical element 341. The diffusion element 342 is, for example, a microlens array in which microlenses are arranged in an array. The second optical element 343 is configured to reflect the excitation light diffused by the diffusion element 342 and emit it to the subject 10, and to transmit the fluorescence emitted by the fluorescent substance due to excitation by the excitation light and the visible light reflected from the subject 10. The second optical element 343 is, for example, a half mirror or a dichroic mirror. In this way, the excitation light emitted from the optical fiber cable 320 is reflected by the first optical element 341 and enters the diffusion element 342, the excitation light incident on the diffusion element 342 is diffused by the diffusion element 342, and the diffused excitation light is reflected by the second optical element 343 and emitted to the subject 10. In addition, the fluorescence emitted by the fluorescent substance of the drug 20 excited by the excitation light emitted by the second optical element 343 passes through the second optical element 343 and enters the lens unit 330 including the liquid lens 331. Since the excitation light source 240 is provided outside the medical treatment support imaging device 300, no heat dissipation member for dissipating heat generated from the excitation light source 240 is provided inside the medical treatment support imaging device 300.

The white light source 500 is a light source that emits visible light and is configured to irradiate white light. The white light source 500 is, for example, a light-emitting diode or a fluorescent lamp. In order to detect visible light (reflected light) reflected from the subject 10, the white light irradiated from the white light source 500 is irradiated toward the affected area of the subject 10. The white light source 500 is provided inside the main body 311 of the imaging device main body 310. As shown in FIG. 4, in this embodiment, four white light sources 500 are provided and are arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction on the radial outside of the window portion 600.

The beam splitter 350 is configured to receive the fluorescence emitted by the fluorescent substance and the visible light reflected from the subject 10 that are incident on and converged by the lens unit 330, and to separate the incident fluorescence and visible light. The fluorescence separated by the beam splitter 350 is configured to form an image in the fluorescence detection unit 360. The visible light separated by the beam splitter 350 is configured to form an image in the visible light detection unit 370. The beam splitter 350 is, for example, a dichroic mirror. The beam splitter 350 is provided inside the main body unit 311 of the imaging device main body 310.

The fluorescence detection unit 360 is configured to detect fluorescence. The fluorescence detection unit 360 is configured to selectively capture light in a region including the wavelength band of the fluorescence emitted by the fluorescent substance of the drug 20 due to the wavelength selectivity of the optical filter. The fluorescence detection unit 360 includes an imaging element that captures an image based on the fluorescence emitted by the fluorescent substance of the drug 20 separated by the beam splitter 350. The imaging element is, for example, a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) image sensor or a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) image sensor. The fluorescence detection unit 360 is provided inside the main body 311 of the imaging device main body 310. In addition, a long-pass filter that blocks visible light and transmits fluorescence in a longer wavelength range than visible light may be provided between the fluorescence detection unit 360 and the beam splitter 350. By providing a long-pass filter, it is possible to remove unnecessary light that could not be separated by the beam splitter 350, thereby improving the quality of the image pickup.

The visible light detection unit 370 is configured to detect visible light. The visible light detection unit 370 is configured to selectively capture light in a region including the wavelength band of visible light due to the wavelength selectivity of the optical filter. The visible light detection unit 370 includes an imaging element that detects visible light (reflected light) reflected by the subject 10, which is separated by the beam splitter 350. The imaging element is, for example, a CMOS image sensor or a CCD image sensor. The visible light detection unit 370 is provided inside the main body 311 of the imaging device main body 310. In addition, a short-pass filter that transmits visible light and blocks fluorescence in a wavelength range longer than visible light may be provided between the visible light detection unit 370 and the beam splitter 350. By providing a short-pass filter, unnecessary light that could not be separated by the beam splitter 350 can be removed, thereby improving the quality of the imaging.

The distance measuring unit 380 is configured to measure the distance from the distance measuring unit 380 to the affected area of the subject 10. The distance measuring unit 380 outputs the measured distance to the affected area of the subject 10 as a distance signal to the control unit (see FIG. 2). The distance measuring unit 380 is, for example, an optical distance sensor. Since the liquid lens 331 does not move, the distance between the installed distance measuring unit 380 and the liquid lens 331 does not change. Therefore, the position of the distance measuring unit 380 is not particularly limited as long as it is inside the main body unit 311 of the imaging device main body 310.

The temperature detection unit 390 is configured to detect the temperature near the lens unit 330 including the liquid lens 331. The temperature detection unit 390 outputs the detected temperature near the lens unit 330 as a temperature signal to the control unit (see FIG. 2). The temperature detection unit 390 is, for example, a thermistor. The temperature detection unit 390 is provided near the lens unit 330 inside the main body unit 311 of the imaging device main body 310.

As shown in FIG. 4, the window portion 600 is configured in the imaging device body 310 to be an exit port through which excitation light diffused by the diffusion element is emitted, and also to be an entrance port through which fluorescence emitted by the fluorescent substance is incident.

(Configuration of the treatment support device main body)
The configuration of the medical support device main body 220 (see FIG. 1) according to the first embodiment will be further described with reference to FIG. 2 and FIG. 5. As shown in FIG. 2, the medical support device main body 220 includes an image generating section 250, an image synthesizing section 260, a storage section 270, and a control section 210.

The image generating unit 250 is configured to receive as input a signal output by the fluorescence detecting unit 360 based on the detected fluorescence and a signal output by the visible light detecting unit 370 based on the detected visible light. The image generating unit 250 is configured to generate an image based on the input signals. The image generating unit 250 is configured to generate a fluorescence image, which is an image representing the intensity distribution of the fluorescence emitted by the fluorescent substance, based on the fluorescence from the fluorescent substance detected by the fluorescence detecting unit 360. The image generating unit 250 is also configured to generate a visible light image based on the visible light detected by the visible light detecting unit 370.

The image synthesis unit 260 is configured to generate a synthetic image by superimposing the fluorescent image and the visible light image generated by the image generation unit 250.

The image generation unit 250 and the image synthesis unit 260 include a processor such as a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit). The image generation unit 250 and the image synthesis unit 260 may be separate processors or the same processor.

The storage unit 270 is configured to store a fluorescent image, a visible light image, a composite image, and the like. The storage unit 270 is also configured to store a program executed by the control unit 210 to control the irradiation of the excitation light when generating a fluorescent image before or after treatment, data necessary for controlling the irradiation of the excitation light, and the like. The storage unit 270 is also configured to store a program executed by the control unit 210 to control the adjustment of the focal length of the liquid lens 331 based on the measured value measured by the distance measurement unit 380, a program executed by the control unit 210 to control the adjustment of the focal length of the liquid lens 331 based on the temperature detected by the temperature detection unit 390, and data necessary for controlling the focal length of the liquid lens 331. The storage unit 270 includes, for example, a non-volatile memory, a hard disk drive (HDD: Hard Disk Drive), or an SSD (Solid State Drive).

The control unit 210 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a ROM (Read Only Memory), and a RAM (Random Access Memory), and is configured to control the entire treatment support system 100.

The control unit 210 is configured to control the display of the composite image on the display device 400. The control unit 210 is also configured to control the irradiation of excitation light from the excitation light source 240 and the irradiation of visible light from the white light source 500. That is, the control unit 210, which is composed of a CPU or the like as hardware shown in FIG. 5, includes, as functional blocks of software (programs), a display control unit 211 that displays the composite image on the display device, and a light source control unit 212 that irradiates excitation light from the excitation light source 240 and irradiates visible light from the white light source 500.

The control unit 210 is configured to control the voltage applied to the electrode of the liquid lens 331 based on the measurement value measured by the distance measurement unit 380. The control unit 210, for example, refers to a table stored in the memory unit 270 that associates the measurement value of the distance to the affected area of the subject 10 measured by the distance measurement unit 380 with the voltage value applied to the electrode of the liquid lens 331, acquires the voltage value applied to the electrode of the liquid lens 331, and controls the application of the voltage based on the acquired voltage value. That is, the control unit 210, which is composed of a CPU as hardware, includes, as functional blocks of software (program), an acquisition unit 213 that acquires the measurement value measured by the distance measurement unit 380, and a focal length control unit 214 that adjusts the voltage applied to the electrode of the liquid lens 331 based on the measurement value measured by the distance measurement unit 380.

The control unit 210 is configured to control the voltage applied to the electrode of the liquid lens 331, which is adjusted based on the measured value measured by the distance measurement unit 380, to be further adjusted based on the temperature detected by the temperature detection unit 390. The control unit 210, for example, refers to a table stored in the storage unit 270 that associates the temperature near the lens unit 330 including the liquid lens 331 detected by the temperature detection unit 390 with a correction value for correcting the voltage value applied to the electrode of the liquid lens 331, acquires a correction value for correcting the voltage value applied to the electrode of the liquid lens 331, and performs control to apply the corrected voltage based on the acquired correction value. That is, the control unit 210, which is composed of a CPU as hardware, includes, as functional blocks of software (program), an acquisition unit 213 that acquires the temperature detected by the temperature detection unit 390, and a focal length control unit 214 that further adjusts the voltage applied to the electrode of the liquid lens 331 based on the measured value based on the temperature detected by the temperature detection unit 390.

That is, the control unit 210, which consists of hardware such as a CPU, includes a display control unit 211, a light source control unit 212, an acquisition unit 213, and a focal length control unit 214 as functional blocks of software (program).

(Effects of the First Embodiment)
In the first embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.

In the first embodiment, as described above, the treatment support system 100 includes a treatment support imaging device 300 including an optical member 340 including a diffusion element 342 that is provided inside the imaging device main body 310 and diffuses the excitation light from the optical fiber cable 320, and a second optical element 343 that reflects the excitation light diffused by the diffusion element 342 and emits it to the subject 10, and transmits the fluorescence emitted by the fluorescent substance. The excitation light from the optical fiber cable 320 is diffused by the diffusion element 342, reflected by the second optical element 343, and emitted toward the subject 10, so that it spreads uniformly over the entire field of view of the treatment support imaging device 300. As a result, compared to an imaging device in which excitation light is directly irradiated toward the subject from multiple LEDs arranged in a ring, the excitation light can be irradiated uniformly to the affected area of the subject 10, so that an accurate fluorescent image for confirming the treatment effect can be obtained, and the treatment support imaging device 300 can be made smaller and less expensive. Furthermore, if the excitation light is non-uniformly irradiated to the affected area of the subject 10, there is a risk that the treatment of the affected area will progress more than necessary, and as a result, the desired therapeutic effect may not be obtained. In the first embodiment, the excitation light can be uniformly irradiated to the affected area of the subject 10, so that it is possible to prevent the occurrence of a portion that will cause the treatment of the affected area to progress more than necessary. As a result, it is possible to prevent adverse effects on the treatment caused by non-uniform irradiation of the excitation light.

In addition, in the first embodiment, as described above, the medical treatment support imaging device 300 further includes a lens section 330 that is provided between the second optical element 343 and the fluorescence detection section 360 inside the imaging device main body 310, and includes at least one liquid lens 331 that collects fluorescence emitted from the fluorescent substance and has an adjustable focal length. As a result, components such as a motor or gears for driving the lens are not provided in the imaging device main body 310. Therefore, the medical treatment support imaging device 300 can be made smaller and lighter, and as a result, the burden on users such as doctors can be reduced.

In the first embodiment, as described above, the medical treatment support imaging device 300 further includes a distance measurement unit 380 that is provided inside the imaging device main body 310 and measures the distance from the affected area of the subject 10, and the medical treatment support system 100 further includes a control unit 210 that adjusts the focal length of the liquid lens 331 based on the measurement value of the distance measurement unit 380. This allows the focal length of the liquid lens 331 to be appropriately adjusted.

In addition, in the first embodiment, as described above, the medical treatment support imaging device 300 further includes a temperature detection unit 390 provided near the lens unit 330, and the control unit 210 is configured to further adjust the focal length of the liquid lens 331 adjusted based on the measured value based on the temperature detected by the temperature detection unit 390. This allows the focal length of the liquid lens 331 adjusted based on the measured value to be further appropriately fine-tuned.

In addition, in the first embodiment, as described above, the medical treatment support imaging device 300 further includes a window portion 600 in the imaging device body 310, which is an exit port through which the excitation light diffused by the diffusion element 342 is emitted and an entrance port through which the fluorescence emitted by the fluorescent substance is incident. This makes it possible to align the optical axis of the excitation light diffused by the diffusion element 342 with the optical axis of the fluorescence emitted by the fluorescent substance.

In the first embodiment, as described above, the optical fiber cable 320 is composed of a single optical fiber cable. This allows the excitation light to be more uniformly irradiated onto the affected area of the subject 10, making it possible to obtain more accurate fluorescence images for confirming the effectiveness of treatment and to further reduce adverse effects on treatment caused by non-uniform irradiation of the excitation light.

In addition, in the first embodiment, as described above, the excitation light source 240 is configured to be provided outside the medical treatment support imaging device 300. As a result, components such as a heat sink that dissipates heat generated from the excitation light source 240 are not provided in the imaging device main body 310. This makes it possible to reduce the size and weight of the medical treatment support imaging device 300, thereby further reducing the burden on users such as doctors.

[Second embodiment]
Next, a configuration of a medical treatment support system 100 including a medical treatment support imaging device 300 according to a second embodiment will be described. In the second embodiment, unlike the first embodiment, the calculation unit 215 (control unit 210) is configured to acquire the irradiation light amount per unit area of the excitation light irradiated to the affected area of the subject 10 by the optical fiber cable 320 based on a measurement value measured by the distance measurement unit 380 in order to control the focal length of the liquid lens 331. Note that the same components as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof will be omitted.

The imaging device 300 for treatment support according to the second embodiment is also used to capture images based on the fluorescence emitted by the fluorescent substance of the drug 20 during treatment, including before and after treatment, in the same manner as the imaging device 300 for treatment support according to the first embodiment. Here, the imaging device 300 for treatment support according to the second embodiment also uses one of the multiple laser elements provided as a therapeutic light source as the excitation light source 240. The total irradiation light amount per unit area of the excitation light that can be irradiated to the subject 10, which is used to observe the treatment state, and the therapeutic light amount per unit area of the therapeutic light that can be irradiated to the subject 10, which is used for treatment, are set separately in advance and stored in the storage unit 270. As described above, since the excitation light and the therapeutic light are the same light source, the irradiation of the excitation light also changes the chemical structure of the fluorescent substance, causing a change in the three-dimensional structure of the antibody, thereby damaging the cell membrane of the bound cancer cell. If the excitation light exceeds the total irradiation light amount per unit area of the excitation light set for the affected part of the subject 10, the treatment of the affected part may proceed more than necessary, and the desired therapeutic effect may not be obtained. For this reason, it is necessary to suppress adverse effects on treatment caused by excessive irradiation with excitation light.

(Configuration of treatment support system)
The configuration of a medical treatment support system 100 including an imaging device 300 for medical treatment support according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

The control unit 210 in the treatment support system 100 according to the second embodiment includes a calculation unit 215 that acquires information regarding the irradiation light intensity of the excitation light based on the measurement value of the distance measurement unit 380 acquired by the acquisition unit 213 (control unit 210). That is, the control unit 210 consisting of a CPU or the like as hardware shown in FIG. 6 includes, as a functional block of software (program), a calculation unit 215 that acquires information regarding the irradiation light intensity of the excitation light based on the measurement value of the distance measurement unit 380 acquired by the acquisition unit 213 (control unit 210).

In addition, the memory unit 270 in the second embodiment is configured to store information such as the optical characteristics of each of the optical elements 340 including the diffusion element 342, the first optical element 341 and the second optical element 343.

In addition, the acquisition unit 213 (control unit 210) in the second embodiment is configured to acquire the irradiation time and intensity of the excitation light irradiated from the excitation light source 240 by the light source control unit 212 (control unit 210), and to acquire information such as the optical characteristics of the optical element 340 from the memory unit 270.

The calculation unit 215 (control unit 210) is configured to acquire the amount of irradiation light per unit area of the excitation light irradiated to the affected area of the subject 10 by the optical fiber cable 320 based on the measurement value acquired by the acquisition unit 213 (control unit 210). Specifically, the calculation unit 215 (control unit 210) is configured to acquire the integrated amount of irradiation light per unit area of the excitation light irradiated to the subject 10 based on the measurement value of the distance measurement unit 380, the irradiation time of the excitation light, the intensity of the excitation light, and information on the optical member 340 acquired by the acquisition unit 213 (control unit 210). For example, in an image captured by the imaging device for medical treatment 300, when the acquisition unit 213 (control unit 210) acquires information that the measured value of the distance to the affected area of the subject 10 measured by the distance measurement unit 380 is 10 cm, the irradiation time of the excitation light from the excitation light source 240 is 1.0 second, the intensity of the excitation light from the excitation light source 240 is 1.0 W, the second optical element 343 is a half mirror (which reflects half of the incident light and emits it to the subject 10), and the diffusion element 342 is designed to diffuse light over ¹⁰⁰ cm2 at a distance of 10 cm from the half mirror, the calculation unit 215 (control unit 210) acquires the integrated irradiation light amount per unit area of the excitation light irradiated to the subject 10 in one image captured by the imaging device for medical treatment 300 as 1 w (intensity) × 0.5 (half mirror) × 1.0 second (irradiation time)/100 ^cm2 = 0.005 J/ ^cm2 . The accumulated amount of irradiation light per unit area of the excitation light acquired by the calculation unit 215 (control unit 210) and the imaging conditions (measurement value of the distance measurement unit 380, irradiation time of the excitation light, intensity of the excitation light, etc.) are stored in the memory unit 270.

In addition, the calculation unit 215 (control unit 210) is configured to further acquire the cumulative total of the integrated irradiation light amount from multiple imaging in the treatment of the subject 10. For example, the calculation unit 215 (control unit 210) acquires the cumulative total of the integrated irradiation light amount by adding up the integrated irradiation light amount from multiple imaging using the same method as the integrated irradiation light amount per unit area of the excitation light described above. The cumulative total of the integrated irradiation light amount per unit area of the excitation light acquired by the calculation unit 215 (control unit 210) is stored in the memory unit 270.

In addition, the acquisition unit 213 (control unit 210) acquires the total irradiation light amount per unit area of the excitation light that can be irradiated to the subject 10, which is set in advance and stored in the memory unit 270, and the calculation unit 215 (control unit 210) is configured to further acquire the remaining irradiation light amount per unit area of the excitation light that can be irradiated to the subject 10 based on the accumulated total irradiation light amount acquired and the acquired total irradiation light amount per unit area of the excitation light that can be irradiated to the subject 10. For example, the calculation unit 215 (control unit 210) acquires the remaining irradiation light amount per unit area of the excitation light by subtracting the accumulated total irradiation light amount from the total irradiation light amount per unit area of the excitation light. The remaining irradiation light amount per unit area of the excitation light acquired by the calculation unit 215 (control unit 210) is stored in the memory unit 270.

The calculation unit 215 (control unit 210) is further configured to acquire the remaining amount of imaging time or the remaining number of times imaging can be performed by the imaging device for medical support 300 based on the remaining amount of irradiation light per unit area of the acquired excitation light. For example, the calculation unit 215 (control unit 210) acquires the remaining amount of imaging time or the remaining number of times imaging can be performed by the imaging device for medical support 300 from the remaining amount of irradiation light per unit area of the excitation light when the last imaging conditions (measurement value of the distance measurement unit 380, irradiation time of the excitation light, intensity of the excitation light, etc.) in multiple imaging operations are the same as the next imaging conditions. The remaining amount of imaging time or the remaining number of times imaging can be performed acquired by the calculation unit 215 (control unit 210) is stored in the storage unit 270.

Also, as shown in FIG. 7, the display control unit 211 (control unit) is configured to cause the display device 400 to display information relating to the remaining amount of imaging time available for the medical treatment support imaging device 300 as information relating to the irradiation light intensity of the excitation light. The display control unit 211 (control unit) is configured to cause the display device 400 to display information 420 relating to the remaining amount of imaging time at the left end of the lower part of the composite image 410 displayed on the display device 400. The information 420 relating to the remaining amount of imaging time is configured so that the solid portion represents the time when imaging was performed and the white portion represents the remaining amount of imaging time.

Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 8, the display control unit 211 (control unit) is configured to cause the display device 400 to display information on the remaining number of times imaging can be performed by the treatment support imaging device 300 as information on the irradiation light amount of excitation light. The display control unit 211 (control unit) is configured to cause the display device 400 to display information 430 on the remaining number of times imaging can be performed at the left end of the upper part of the composite image 410 displayed on the display device 400.

The other configurations of the second embodiment are similar to those of the first embodiment described above.

(Information acquisition processing and information display processing)
9, a process of acquiring information related to the irradiation amount of excitation light by the control unit 210 and a process of displaying information to be displayed on the display device 400 will be described. Note that the information acquisition process and information display process described below are executed by the control unit 210 consisting of a CPU or the like as hardware, which includes a display control unit 211, a light source control unit 212, an acquisition unit 213, and a calculation unit 215 as software functional blocks.

In step S101, the light source control unit 212 (control unit 210) causes the excitation light source 240 to irradiate excitation light. The image generation unit 250 generates a fluorescent image and a visible light image, and the image synthesis unit 260 generates a synthetic image by superimposing the fluorescent distribution image and the visible light image generated by the image generation unit 250. The storage unit 270 also stores the imaging conditions (measurement value of the distance measurement unit 380, irradiation time of the excitation light, intensity of the excitation light, etc.) used in the current image capture. Then, the process proceeds to step S102.

In step S102, the acquisition unit 213 (control unit 210) acquires information on the imaging conditions under which the image was captured this time from the storage unit 270. The calculation unit 215 (control unit 210) acquires the integrated irradiation light amount per unit area of the excitation light irradiated to the subject 10 based on the information acquired by the acquisition unit 213 (control unit 210). The storage unit 270 stores the integrated irradiation light amount per unit area of the excitation light acquired by the calculation unit 215 (control unit 210). The process then proceeds to step S103.

In step S103, the acquisition unit 213 (control unit 210) acquires from the memory unit 270 the accumulated irradiation light amount per unit area of the excitation light for each of the multiple imaging operations. The calculation unit 215 (control unit 210) adds up the accumulated irradiation light amounts from the multiple imaging operations acquired by the acquisition unit 213 (control unit 210) to acquire the cumulative total of the accumulated irradiation light amount per unit area of the excitation light irradiated to the subject 10. The memory unit 270 stores the cumulative total of the accumulated irradiation light amount per unit area of the excitation light acquired by the calculation unit 215 (control unit 210). The process then proceeds to step S104.

In step S104, the acquisition unit 213 (control unit 210) acquires from the memory unit 270 the cumulative total of the integrated irradiation light amount per unit area of the excitation light, and the total irradiation light amount per unit area of the excitation light that can be irradiated to the subject 10. The calculation unit 215 (control unit 210) acquires the remaining irradiation light amount per unit area of the excitation light that can be irradiated to the subject 10 based on the cumulative total of the integrated irradiation light amount acquired by the acquisition unit 213 (control unit 210) and the total irradiation light amount that can be irradiated. The memory unit 270 stores the remaining irradiation light amount per unit area of the excitation light acquired by the calculation unit 215 (control unit 210). The process then proceeds to step S105.

In step S105, the acquisition unit 213 (control unit 210) acquires the remaining amount of irradiation light per unit area of excitation light from the memory unit 270. The calculation unit 215 (control unit 210) acquires the remaining amount of imaging time or the remaining number of times imaging can be performed by the treatment support imaging device 300 based on the remaining amount of irradiation light per unit area of excitation light acquired by the acquisition unit 213 (control unit 210). The memory unit 270 stores the remaining amount of imaging time or the remaining number of times imaging can be performed acquired by the calculation unit 215 (control unit 210). The process then proceeds to step S106.

In step S106, the acquisition unit 213 (control unit 210) acquires the remaining imaging time or the remaining number of times imaging can be performed from the memory unit 270. The display control unit 211 (control unit) displays information on the remaining imaging time or the remaining number of times imaging can be performed by the treatment support imaging device 300 on the display device 400 as information on the irradiation light amount of the excitation light. This ends the information acquisition process and information display process by the control unit 210.

(Effects of the Second Embodiment)
In the second embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.

As described above, if the affected area of the subject 10 is irradiated with excitation light exceeding the total irradiation light amount per unit area of the set excitation light, the treatment of the affected area may proceed more than necessary, and the desired treatment effect may not be obtained. Therefore, in the second embodiment, as described above, the calculation unit 215 (control unit 210) is configured to acquire the irradiation light amount per unit area of the excitation light irradiated by the optical fiber cable 320 to the affected area of the subject 10 based on the measurement value measured by the distance measurement unit 380. This makes it possible to easily acquire the irradiation light amount per unit area of the excitation light, and as a result, it is possible to suppress adverse effects on the treatment caused by excessive irradiation of the excitation light. In addition, the calculation unit 215 (control unit 210) uses the measurement value acquired by the acquisition unit 213 (control unit 210) to control the focal length of the liquid lens 331, and also uses it to acquire the irradiation light amount per unit area of the excitation light irradiated by the optical fiber cable 320 to the affected area of the subject 10. This eliminates the need to provide a separate component for obtaining the amount of irradiation light per unit area of excitation light, thereby reducing the number of components.

In addition, the second embodiment further includes a display device 400 that displays information about the amount of irradiation of the excitation light, as described above. This allows a user such as a doctor to visually recognize information about the amount of irradiation of the excitation light, thereby further suppressing adverse effects on treatment caused by excessive irradiation of the excitation light.

In addition, in the second embodiment, as described above, the calculation unit 215 (control unit 210) is configured to further acquire the integrated irradiation amount of the excitation light per unit area at the affected area of the subject 10 based on the measurement value of the distance measurement unit 380, the irradiation time of the excitation light, the intensity of the excitation light, and information on the optical member 340. This makes it possible to easily acquire the integrated irradiation amount of the excitation light per unit area, and as a result, it is possible to further suppress adverse effects on treatment caused by excessive irradiation of the excitation light.

In addition, in the second embodiment, as described above, the calculation unit 215 (control unit 210) is configured to further acquire the cumulative total of the integrated irradiation light amount from multiple imaging operations in the treatment of the subject 10. This makes it possible to easily acquire the cumulative total of the integrated irradiation light amount from multiple imaging operations, and as a result, it is possible to further suppress the adverse effects on the treatment caused by excessive irradiation of the excitation light.

In addition, in the second embodiment, as described above, the calculation unit 215 (control unit 210) is configured to further acquire the remaining amount of irradiation light per unit area of excitation light that can be irradiated to the subject 10 based on the total of the acquired integrated irradiation light amounts and the preset total irradiation light amount per unit area of excitation light that can be irradiated to the subject 10. This makes it possible to easily acquire the remaining amount of irradiation light per unit area of excitation light that can be irradiated to the subject 10, and as a result, it is possible to further suppress adverse effects on treatment caused by excessive irradiation of excitation light.

In the second embodiment, as described above, the calculation unit 215 (control unit 210) further acquires the remaining amount of imaging time or the remaining number of times imaging can be performed by the imaging device for treatment support 300 based on the remaining amount of irradiation light per unit area of the excitation light that can be irradiated to the subject 10 acquired, and the display control unit 211 (control unit 210) is configured to display information on the remaining amount of imaging time or the remaining number of times imaging can be performed by the imaging device for treatment support 300 as information on the amount of irradiation light on the display device 400. This allows a user such as a doctor to visually recognize information on the remaining amount of imaging time or information on the remaining number of times imaging can be performed. Therefore, a user such as a doctor can use the imaging device for treatment support 300 so as not to exceed the previously set amount of therapeutic light per unit area of the excitation light that can be irradiated to the subject 10. As a result, adverse effects on treatment caused by excessive irradiation of excitation light can be further suppressed.

[Modification]
It should be noted that the embodiments disclosed herein are illustrative and not restrictive in all respects. The scope of the present invention is indicated by the claims, not by the description of the embodiments above, and further includes all modifications (variations) within the meaning and scope of the claims.

For example, in the above embodiment, the treatment support system 100 is shown to have an excitation light source 240, but the present invention is not limited to this. The excitation light source 240 may be provided outside the treatment support system 100. In addition, the excitation light source 240 may be provided inside the imaging device main body 310.

In addition, in the above embodiment, an example in which the number of optical fiber cables 320 that transmit the excitation light from the excitation light source 240 is one is shown, but the present invention is not limited to this. The number of optical fiber cables 320 may be multiple.

In the above embodiment, the distance measurement unit 380 outputs a distance signal to the control unit 210 provided outside the imaging device body 310, and the temperature detection unit 390 outputs a temperature signal to the control unit 210 provided outside the imaging device body 310, so that the control unit 210 adjusts the focal length of the liquid lens 331. However, the present invention is not limited to this. The medical treatment support imaging device 300 may further include a focal length control unit inside the imaging device body 310 that controls the focal length of the liquid lens 331, and the distance measurement unit 380 may output a distance signal to the focal length control unit, and the temperature detection unit 390 may output a temperature signal to the focal length control unit, so that the focal length control unit adjusts the focal length of the liquid lens 331.

In the above embodiment, the control unit 210 adjusts the focal length of the liquid lens 331 by referring to a table that associates the measured value with the voltage value applied to the electrode of the liquid lens 331, but the present invention is not limited to this. The control unit 210 may be configured to adjust the focal length of the liquid lens 331 using an arithmetic expression or other known method instead of using a table.

In addition, in the above embodiment, an example was shown in which the temperature detection unit 390 is provided near the lens unit 330, but the present invention is not limited to this. As long as the temperature detection unit 390 can detect a temperature that is close to the temperature of the liquid lens 331, the position of the temperature detection unit 390 is not particularly limited.

In the above embodiment, the control unit 210 adjusts the focal length of the liquid lens 331 by referring to a table that associates the temperature near the lens unit 330 with a correction value for correcting the voltage value applied to the electrode of the liquid lens 331, but the present invention is not limited to this. The control unit 210 may be configured to adjust the focal length of the liquid lens 331 using an arithmetic expression or other known method instead of using a table.

In the above embodiment, the display control unit 211 (control unit 210) is configured to display, on the display device 400, information on the remaining amount of imaging time by the imaging device for medical support 300 or information on the remaining number of times imaging can be performed as information on the amount of irradiation light, but the present invention is not limited to this. The control unit 210 may end the information acquisition process at any step shown in FIG. 9, and the display control unit 211 (control unit 210) may be configured to display, on the display device 400, information on the integrated irradiation light amount per unit area of the excitation light acquired by the calculation unit 215 (control unit 210), information on the cumulative integrated irradiation light amount by multiple imaging, information on the remaining amount of irradiation light amount per unit area of the excitation light that can be irradiated to the subject 10, etc. In addition, the image and its position regarding the information on the remaining amount of imaging time and the information on the remaining number of times imaging can be performed are not particularly limited as long as the image and its position can be easily visually recognized by a user such as a doctor.

In the above embodiment, the imaging device for medical support 300 is an example of a gun type including a gripping portion 312 connected to the outer circumferential surface of the cylindrical main body portion 311, but the present invention is not limited to this. The imaging device for medical support 300 may be configured to directly grip the cylindrical main body portion 311 including the imaging device operation portion 313. Furthermore, the main body portion 311 of the imaging device for medical support 300 does not have to be cylindrical.

[Aspects]
(First aspect)
It will be understood by those skilled in the art that the above exemplary embodiment is a specific example of the first aspect below.

(Item 1)
An imaging device for medical treatment support;
an excitation light source;
The imaging device includes:
An imaging device body;
an optical fiber cable, one end of which is disposed inside the imaging device body, for transmitting excitation light from the excitation light source for exciting a fluorescent substance contained in a drug administered to an affected area of a subject;
an optical member provided inside the imaging device body, the optical member including: a diffusion element that diffuses the excitation light from the optical fiber cable; and an optical element that reflects the excitation light diffused by the diffusion element, emits the reflected excitation light to the subject, and transmits fluorescence emitted by the fluorescent substance;
a fluorescence detection unit provided inside the imaging device body and configured to detect the fluorescence.

(Item 2)
2. The therapeutic support system of claim 1, wherein the imaging device further includes a lens unit that is provided between the optical element and the fluorescence detection unit inside the imaging device body, and that includes at least one liquid lens that collects fluorescence emitted from the fluorescent substance and has an adjustable focal length.

(Item 3)
the imaging device further includes a distance measurement unit provided inside the imaging device body and configured to measure a distance from an affected area of the subject;
2. The therapeutic support system according to claim 1, further comprising a control unit that adjusts a focal length of the liquid lens based on the measurement value of the distance measurement unit.

(Item 4)
The imaging device further includes a temperature detection unit provided near the lens unit,
4. The therapeutic support system of claim 3, wherein the control unit is configured to further adjust the focal length of the liquid lens, which has been adjusted based on the measurement value, based on the temperature detected by the temperature detection unit.

(Item 5)
2. The therapeutic support system according to claim 1, wherein the imaging device further includes a window portion in the imaging device body, the window portion being an exit port through which the excitation light diffused by the diffusion element is emitted and an entrance port through which fluorescence emitted by the fluorescent substance is incident.

(Item 6)
2. The therapeutic support system according to claim 1, wherein the optical fiber cable is constituted by a single optical fiber cable.

(Item 7)
2. The therapeutic support system according to claim 1, wherein the excitation light source is configured to be provided outside the imaging device.

(Item 8)
4. The treatment support system according to claim 3, wherein the control unit is configured to control the irradiation of the excitation light by the excitation light source, and to acquire an irradiation light amount per unit area of the excitation light irradiated to the affected area of the subject through the optical fiber cable based on the measurement value.

(Item 9)
an image generating unit that generates a fluorescent image based on a detection signal from the fluorescent detection unit;
9. The therapeutic support system according to item 8, further comprising a display device that displays the fluorescent image generated by the image generating unit and information regarding the irradiation light amount of the excitation light.

(Item 10)
9. The treatment support system according to item 8, wherein the control unit is configured to further acquire an integrated irradiation light amount per unit area of the excitation light in the affected area of the subject based on the measurement value of the distance measurement unit, an irradiation time of the excitation light, an intensity of the excitation light, and information of the optical member.

(Item 11)
Item 11. The treatment support system according to item 10, wherein the control unit is configured to further acquire a cumulative total of the integrated irradiation light amount by multiple imaging sessions during treatment of the subject.

(Item 12)
Item 12. The treatment support system according to item 11, wherein the control unit is configured to further acquire a remaining amount of irradiation light per unit area of the excitation light that can be irradiated to the subject, based on a cumulative total of the acquired integrated irradiation light amounts and a preset total irradiation light amount per unit area of the excitation light that can be irradiated to the subject.

(Item 13)
Item 13. The medical treatment support system according to item 12, wherein the control unit is configured to further acquire a remaining amount of imaging time or a remaining number of times imaging can be performed by the imaging device based on the acquired remaining amount, and to cause the display device to display information regarding the remaining amount of imaging time or information regarding the remaining number of times imaging can be performed by the imaging device as information regarding the irradiation light amount.

(Item 14)
An imaging device body;
an optical fiber cable, one end of which is disposed inside the imaging device body, for transmitting excitation light from an excitation light source for exciting a fluorescent substance contained in a drug administered to an affected area of a subject during treatment;
an optical member provided inside the imaging device body, the optical member including: a diffusion element that diffuses the excitation light from the optical fiber cable; and an optical element that reflects the excitation light diffused by the diffusion element, emits the reflected excitation light to the subject, and transmits fluorescence emitted by the fluorescent substance;
A medical treatment support imaging device comprising: a fluorescence detection unit provided inside the imaging device body and configured to detect the fluorescence.

(Item 15)
Item 15. The imaging device for medical support according to item 14, further comprising a lens unit provided between the optical element and the fluorescence detection unit inside the imaging device body, the lens unit including at least one liquid lens that collects the fluorescence and has an adjustable focal length.

(Second Aspect)
It will be understood by those skilled in the art that the above-described exemplary embodiment is a specific example of the following second aspect. In the second aspect, unlike the first aspect, the optical fiber cable and the optical member are not essential components. Also, the excitation light source may be installed either outside or inside the imaging device.

(Item 1)
An imaging device for medical treatment support;
A control unit that controls the imaging of the subject by the imaging device,
The imaging device includes:
a lens unit that collects fluorescence emitted from a fluorescent substance contained in a drug administered to an affected area of the subject and includes at least one liquid lens that is adjustable in focal length;
An excitation light irradiating unit that irradiates excitation light;
a distance measuring unit for measuring a distance from an affected area of the subject;
a fluorescence detection unit that detects the fluorescence collected by the lens unit,
The control unit is configured to adjust the focal length of the liquid lens based on the measurement value of the distance measuring unit, and to acquire the irradiation light amount per unit area of the excitation light irradiated from the excitation light irradiation unit to the affected area of the subject based on the measurement value.

(Item 2)
an image generating unit that generates a fluorescent image based on a detection signal from the fluorescent detection unit;
2. The therapeutic support system according to claim 1, further comprising a display device that displays the fluorescent image generated by the image generating unit and information regarding an irradiation amount of the excitation light.

(Item 3)
The imaging device further includes an optical member.
2. The treatment support system according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to further acquire an integrated irradiation light amount per unit area of the excitation light in the affected area of the subject based on the measurement value of the distance measurement unit, an irradiation time of the excitation light, an intensity of the excitation light, and information about the optical member.

(Item 4)
4. The treatment support system according to claim 3, wherein the control unit is configured to further acquire a cumulative total of the integrated irradiation light amount obtained by imaging the subject multiple times during treatment.

(Item 5)
5. The treatment support system according to claim 4, wherein the control unit is configured to further acquire a remaining amount of irradiation light amount per unit area of the excitation light that can be irradiated to the subject, based on a cumulative total of the acquired integrated irradiation light amount and a preset total irradiation light amount per unit area of the excitation light that can be irradiated to the subject.

(Item 6)
6. The medical treatment support system according to item 5, wherein the control unit is configured to further acquire a remaining amount of imaging time or a remaining number of times imaging can be performed by the imaging device based on the acquired remaining amount, and to cause the display device to display information related to the remaining amount of imaging time or information related to the remaining number of times imaging can be performed by the imaging device as information related to the irradiation light amount.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 100 Treatment support system 210 Control unit 240 Excitation light source 250 Image generation unit 300 Treatment support imaging device 310 Imaging device body 320 Optical fiber cable 330 Lens unit 331 Liquid lens 340 Optical member 342 Diffusion element 343 Second optical element (optical element)
360 Fluorescence detection unit 380 Distance measurement unit 390 Temperature detection unit 400 Display device 420 Information regarding remaining image capturing time 430 Information regarding remaining number of images capturing possible 600 Window unit 10 Subject 20 Drug

Claims (12)

An imaging device for medical treatment support;
an excitation light source;
The imaging device includes:
An imaging device body;
an optical fiber cable, one end of which is disposed inside the imaging device body, for transmitting excitation light from the excitation light source for exciting a fluorescent substance contained in a drug administered to an affected area of a subject;
an optical member provided inside the imaging device body, the optical member including: a diffusion element that diffuses the excitation light from the optical fiber cable; and an optical element that reflects the excitation light diffused by the diffusion element, emits the reflected excitation light to the subject, and transmits fluorescence emitted by the fluorescent substance;
a fluorescence detection unit provided inside the imaging device body and detecting the fluorescence;
a distance measuring unit provided inside the imaging device body and configured to measure a distance from an affected area of the subject;
a control unit that controls the irradiation of the excitation light by the excitation light source and acquires an irradiation light amount per unit area of the excitation light irradiated to the affected area of the subject through the optical fiber cable based on a measurement value of the distance measurement unit . The therapeutic support system according to claim 1, wherein the imaging device further includes a lens unit provided between the optical element and the fluorescence detection unit inside the imaging device body, the lens unit including at least one liquid lens that collects the fluorescence emitted from the fluorescent material and has an adjustable focal length. The therapeutic support system according to claim 2 , wherein the control unit is configured to adjust a focal length of the liquid lens based on the measurement value of the distance measurement unit. The imaging device further includes a temperature detection unit provided near the lens unit,
The therapeutic support system according to claim 3 , wherein the control unit is configured to further adjust the focal length of the liquid lens, which has been adjusted based on the measurement value, based on the temperature detected by the temperature detection unit. The therapeutic support system according to claim 1, wherein the imaging device further includes a window portion in the imaging device body, the window portion being an exit port through which the excitation light diffused by the diffusion element is emitted and an entrance port through which the fluorescence emitted by the fluorescent substance is incident. The treatment support system according to claim 1, wherein the optical fiber cable is composed of a single optical fiber cable. The treatment support system according to claim 1, wherein the excitation light source is configured to be provided outside the imaging device. an image generating unit that generates a fluorescent image based on a detection signal from the fluorescent detection unit;
The treatment support system according to claim 1 , further comprising a display device that displays the fluorescence image generated by the image generating section and information regarding an irradiation amount of the excitation light. 2. The treatment support system according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to further acquire an integrated irradiation light amount per unit area of the excitation light in the affected area of the subject based on the measurement value of the distance measurement unit, an irradiation time of the excitation light, an intensity of the excitation light, and information of the optical member. The treatment support system according to claim 9 , wherein the control unit is further configured to acquire a cumulative total of the integrated irradiation light amount obtained by imaging the subject multiple times during treatment. 11. The treatment support system according to claim 10, wherein the control unit is configured to further acquire a remaining amount of irradiation light per unit area of the excitation light that can be irradiated to the subject, based on a cumulative total of the acquired integrated irradiation light amounts and a preset total irradiation light amount per unit area of the excitation light that can be irradiated to the subject. an image generating unit that generates a fluorescent image based on a detection signal from the fluorescent detection unit;
a display device that displays the fluorescent light image generated by the image generating unit and information regarding the irradiation amount of the excitation light,
12. The medical treatment support system according to claim 11, wherein the control unit is configured to further acquire a remaining amount of imaging time or a remaining number of times imaging can be performed by the imaging device based on the acquired remaining amount, and to cause the display device to display information related to the remaining amount of imaging time or information related to the remaining number of times imaging can be performed by the imaging device as information related to the irradiation light amount.

Images