JPH0238218B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an endoscopic laser scalpel device that cauterizes an affected area by emitting laser light from the objective end of an endoscope.

In recent years, laser probes have been incorporated into endoscopes to perform treatments such as cutting of affected areas within body cavities using laser light. Here, the laser output needs to be adjusted according to the distance between the objective end of the endoscope and the affected area.
In conventional devices, the observer visually measures the distance between the objective end and the affected area based on the size of the image at the eyepiece. For this reason, accurate distance measurement could not be performed.
If the visual estimation is incorrect and the laser output is too strong, there is a risk that healthy areas other than the affected area will be cauterized.

The present invention was made in order to cope with the above-mentioned circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide an endoscopic laser scalpel device that automatically outputs an appropriate laser according to the distance to the affected area.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of an endoscopic laser scalpel device according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is its block diagram. A television camera 16 is attached to an eyepiece of an endoscope 14 that includes an image guide 10 and a light guide 12. The output signal of the television camera 16 is transmitted to the distance measuring section 18 and the display section 20.
is supplied to

The output signal of the distance measuring section 18 is supplied to the display section 20 and the laser oscillation section 22. The output of the laser oscillation unit 22 is supplied to a probe 24 that is guided to the tip (objective end) of the endoscope 10. One end of the light guide 12 is guided to the tip of the endoscope, and the other end is guided to the light source unit 26. The light source unit 26 has a light source lamp 28 and a laser oscillator 30, and the light emitted from both passes through a half mirror 31 to the light guide 1.
2. That is, from the tip of the light guide 12, illumination light shown by a solid line in FIG. 1 and laser light as a distance measuring beam shown by a broken line are emitted.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of this embodiment. The television camera 16 uses a CCD 32 as an image sensor. The CCD 32 has pixels arranged in a two-dimensional matrix, is scanned by a scanning circuit 34, and outputs pixel information for each pixel. The output pixel signal of the CCD 32 is supplied to a comparator 36 and a process amplifier 38.
Comparator 36 compares the output signal of CCD 32 with reference level VR, and its output is supplied to CPU 40. A process amplifier 38 converts the output signal of the CCD 32 into an image signal conforming to the format of a television signal, and supplies the output to a video controller 42. The output clock signal of scanning circuit 34 is also supplied to CPU 42. A video controller 42, ROM 44, and CRT monitor 46 are connected to the CPU 40 via a system bus 48.

The operation of this embodiment will be explained. First, the principle of distance measurement in this invention will be explained with reference to FIG. As mentioned above, from the tip of the light guide 12, as shown by the broken line, at a predetermined angle (here,
(along the light guide 12) laser light is emitted. On the other hand, at the tip of the image guide 10,
A larger image is incident as the distance increases, as shown by the dashed line. Therefore, the irradiation position of the laser beam in the image differs depending on the distance. That is, the present invention utilizes the fact that the distances a and a' between one end of the diameter of the image (the image is usually circular because the image guide has a circular cross section) and the irradiation position correspond to the distance. Specifically, the distance can be measured depending on which pixel of the CCD 32 receives the laser beam. That is, since the CCD 32 has pixels arranged in a two-dimensional matrix, distance measurement is performed depending on the timing during the output period from one row of pixels when laser light is detected. first,
The distance to this pixel position is determined in advance, taking into account various conditions of the optical system, and this is stored in the ROM 44. That is, the ROM 44 stores distance information at an address corresponding to this pixel position. CCD
The output signal of 32 is supplied to a video controller 42, and the endoscope image is displayed on a CRT monitor 46.
On the other hand, the output signal of the CCD 32 is sent to the comparator 36.
is compared with the reference level VR. This reference level is set so that a signal is output from the comparator 36 only when the signal of the pixel corresponding to the irradiation position of the laser beam is supplied to the comparator 36. The CPU 40 detects a synchronizing signal from the output signal of the scanning circuit 34, which serves as a clock signal for scanning the CCD 32, and determines which pixel position in the row the timing of the signal from the comparator 36 corresponds to. When the CPU 40 detects this pixel position, distance information is read out from the ROM 44 and supplied to the video controller 42, and as shown in FIG. 4, a numerical value representing the distance is displayed together with the endoscopic image. In the figure, dots indicate the irradiation position of the laser beam.

Here, the distance information is also supplied to the laser oscillation unit 22, and laser light irradiation is determined according to the distance. In the case of continuous irradiation, the irradiation time is determined according to the distance, and in the case of pulse irradiation, the irradiation interval is determined according to the distance. When a switch (not shown) is closed, the laser oscillation section 22 emits a laser beam determined according to this distance from the laser probe 24.

As described above, according to this embodiment, the amount of laser irradiation is automatically controlled according to the distance, so that only the affected area can be treated quickly and safely.

Next, another embodiment of the invention will be described. In the above description, the output of the laser oscillation unit 22 is made variable, but it may be constant. That is, the laser oscillation unit 22 is configured to output a constant laser beam when the distance between the endoscope and the affected area matches the distance at which the optimum irradiation amount is obtained for this constant laser output. The operator operates the endoscope while observing the distance on the CRT monitor 46, and moves the objective end away from the affected area by a preset distance. CPU42
When the distance information from the laser oscillator 22 matches the set value, the laser oscillation unit 22 operates.

Even in this embodiment, an optimum amount of laser irradiation is performed.

In addition, it goes without saying that in these Examples, the determination of the optimum irradiation amount of laser light also depends on the condition of the affected area.

This invention is not limited to the embodiments described above and can be modified in various ways.

In the above description, the distance measuring beam light is a visible laser light, but an invisible laser light such as an Nd-YAG laser light or an infrared light may also be used. When using infrared light, the image guide 10 and
A four-color separation optical system is installed between the CCD 32 to separate the incident light into RGB components and infrared components for images.
CCD32 is also provided for four colors. Also, the television camera 16 is not all installed in the eyepiece,
An imaging device such as a CCD may be provided at the objective end. Alternatively, a distance measuring laser diode may be provided at the tip of the endoscope. Furthermore, a line sensor different from that for imaging may be used for distance measurement.

As described above, according to the present invention, there is provided an endoscopic laser scalpel device that can automatically determine the optimal irradiation dose and perform prompt and safe treatment.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an embodiment of the endoscopic laser scalpel device according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing its electric circuit, and FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the principle of distance measurement.
FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the display. 32...CCD, 34...scanning circuit, 36...
Comparator, 38...Process amplifier, 40...
...CPU, 44...ROM, 46...CRT monitor.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A means for capturing an optical image obtained by an endoscope, a means for emitting a beam of light from an objective section of the endoscope, and a detection of the irradiation position of the beam of light on a photographing screen based on an output signal of the image capturing means. and the means to
a conversion means for outputting distance information between the objective section of the endoscope and the subject based on the output signal of the detection means;
An endoscopic laser scalpel device comprising: a laser ablation means driven in accordance with an output signal of the conversion means.