JPH0739514A - Electronic endoscope equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To make the signal processing possible with a processor responding to the kinds of electronic scope based on the ID information from the ID means displaying the kind of the electronic scope (if CCD operable by an electronic shutter is used or not.) on ID means mounted on a connector. CONSTITUTION:An ID means to display if the CCD 14 of an electronic scope is operable by an electronic shutter, is set on a connector on the electronic scope side, and each circuit 30, etc., to operate the electronic shutter for CCD of the electronic scope and an ID circuit 26 to identify if the electronic scope connected to the processor 20 is operable by an electronic shutter, are to be set on the processor 20 side. And, only when the connected electronic scope is identified by an ID circuit 26 that the electronic scope has CCD operable by an electronic shutter, each circuit for the electronic shutter operation in the processor 20 is made possible to operate.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an electronic endoscope system,
In particular, the present invention relates to an electronic endoscope device that selectively connects various electronic scopes to a processor for use.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, an electronic scope is provided with an image pickup lens and a solid-state image pickup device (CCD) at the tip of an insertion portion, and an observation image is formed on the CCD through the image pickup lens and photoelectrically converted there. The electric signal showing the observed image that has been photoelectrically converted is subjected to appropriate signal processing by the processor, and then the monitor T
Output to V. Thereby, the observation image can be displayed on the monitor TV.

There are various types of electronic scopes of this kind, such as an electronic scope for upper digestive tract, an electronic scope for duodenum, an electronic scope for lower digestive tract, etc., depending on the application. . In addition, conventionally,
There is a photoelectric conversion module attached to the eyepiece of the fiberscope, and this photoelectric conversion module is also used by being connected to the processor. A fiberscope equipped with a photoelectric conversion module is also defined as an electronic scope in the present invention.

[0004]

By the way, in this type of electronic scope, there are a mixture of one that uses an electronic shutter operable CCD and one that uses an electronic shutter inoperable CCD. However, a processor corresponding to each electronic scope was required. The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an electronic scope using a solid-state image sensor capable of operating an electronic shutter and a solid-state image sensor not capable of operating an electronic shutter are used in a single processor. It is an object of the present invention to provide an electronic endoscope apparatus that can be used with an existing electronic scope.

[0005]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides an electronic scope having a solid-state image pickup device and a first connector connected to the solid-state image pickup device via a cable; A second connector that is connected to the first connector, and outputs a signal for driving the solid-state imaging device from the second connector through the first connector and also through the second connector. In an electronic endoscope apparatus including a processor that processes a signal input by a processor and outputs a video signal to a monitor television, an electronic endoscope is connected to the first connector of an electronic scope that is selectively connected to the processor. Identification means for indicating whether the electronic scope has a solid-state image pickup device capable of shutter operation is provided, and the processor causes the solid-state image pickup device of the electronic scope to perform electronic shutter operation. And a discriminating means for discriminating whether or not the electronic scope connected to the second connector from the discriminating means is an electronic scope having a solid-state image pickup device capable of electronic shutter operation. It is characterized in that the means for operating the electronic shutter can be operated only when it is determined that the electronic scope has a solid-state image sensor capable of operating the electronic shutter.

[0006]

According to the present invention, the first connector on the electronic scope side is provided with the identification means for indicating whether or not the solid-state image pickup device of the electronic scope can operate the electronic shutter, and the processor side is provided with the electronic scope A means for operating the solid-state imaging device with an electronic shutter and a determination means for determining whether or not the electronic scope connected to the processor has an electronic shutter-operable solid-state imaging element are provided. Only when it is determined that the electronic scope connected by the determination means is an electronic scope having a solid-state image pickup device capable of electronic shutter operation, the means for operating the electronic shutter in the processor is made operable.

[0007]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT A preferred embodiment of an electronic endoscope apparatus according to the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. 1 is an overall configuration diagram showing an embodiment of an electronic endoscope apparatus according to the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a block diagram of essential parts of the processor of FIG.

In these drawings, 10 is an electronic scope, 20 is a processor, and 21 is a monitor TV. At the tip of the insertion portion of the electronic scope 10, the imaging lens 12 and C
A CD 14 is provided, and the CCD 14 is a cable 16
It is connected to the connector 18 via. Reference numeral 19 denotes a light guide connector, and the illumination light incident on the light guide connector 19 is guided to the tip of the insertion portion via a light guide (not shown) in the electronic scope 10.

The connector 18 and the light guide connector 19 of the electronic scope 10 are respectively a processor 20.
It is connected to the side connector 22 and the light guide connector 24. The processor 20 has a built-in light source device, but it is omitted in FIG. Now, electronic scope 10
The CCD 18 of the electronic scope 10 is connected to the connector 18 of
4 is provided with a terminal pin for outputting ID information indicating whether or not the electronic shutter is operable, while the connector 22 on the processor 20 side is provided to the processor 20 from the ID information input via the terminal pin. A discriminating circuit 26 for discriminating whether or not the connected electronic scope is an electronic scope having a CCD capable of operating an electronic shutter is provided.

As the ID information, for example, when the terminal pin is grounded, it indicates an electronic scope having a CCD capable of operating an electronic shutter, and when the terminal pin is not grounded, If the terminal pin is not provided in the first place, the CC that cannot operate the electronic shutter
It may indicate an electronic scope with D.

Next, the determination circuit 26 causes the processor 2
A case where it is determined that the electronic scope connected to 0 is an electronic scope having a CCD that cannot operate the electronic shutter will be described. In this case, the switches SW1, SW2, and SW3 are all turned off by the output from the determination circuit 26, and the automatic light amount control circuit (ALC) is used.
28 is enabled. And the switch SW2 is O
By being FFed, various circuits related to the electronic shutter operation described later from the DC power supply circuit 29 (that is, the electronic shutter control circuit 30, the electronic shutter speed setting circuit 3).
2, 34 and the output control pulse generating circuit 36) are turned off.

The CCD drive circuit 38 controls the vertical synchronizing signal VD.
(FIG. 3A), transfer gate pulses P _1, P
₂ (FIGS. 3 (B) and 3 (C)) to output various drive pulses to the CCD 14, and the electronic shutter control circuit 3
When 0 etc. cannot operate, 1 synchronized with the vertical sync signal VD
The transfer gate pulse P ₁ (FIG. 3 (B)) and the like every 60 seconds are output to the CCD 14.

A light guide is attached to the light receiving portion of the CCD 14.
The subject image illuminated via the
Image, and the charge is stored in the photoelectric conversion element of this CCD 14.
The signal charge generated is 1/6 that is synchronized with the vertical synchronization signal VD.
Transfer gate pulse P every 0 seconds ₁To V-CCD
Will be sent. The photoelectric conversion element is reset by this transfer.
To be The signal charge transferred to the V-CCD is
It is transferred line by line to the H-CCD and used as a CCD output signal.
And output to the processor 20.

The CCD output signal input from the CCD 14 to the processor 20 is amplified by the amplifier 40 and then
It is added to the video signal processing circuit 42 and the ALC 28. The video signal processing circuit 42 processes the input CCD output signal to generate a video signal, and the video signal is monitored by the monitor TV 2
Output to 1. As a result, the image of the subject is displayed on the monitor TV 21.

Further, the ALC 28 is operable as described above, and controls the diaphragm (not shown) of the light source device so that the average level of the input CCD output signal becomes a desired level. Controls the amount of illumination light applied to the guide. Next, a case will be described in which the determination circuit 26 determines that the electronic scope connected to the processor 20 is an electronic scope having a CCD capable of electronic shutter operation.

In this case, all the switches SW1, SW2 and SW3 are turned on by the output from the discrimination circuit 26.
N and the ALC 28 is disabled. When the switch SW2 is turned on, the DC power supply circuit 2
9 to electronic shutter control circuit 30, electronic shutter speed setting circuits 32 and 34, and output control pulse generation circuit 36.
Power is applied to these circuits and these circuits become operable.

The electronic shutter control circuit 30 is the above ALC2.
8, which determines the electronic shutter speed so that the average level of the CCD output signal input from the amplifier 40 via the switch SW1 becomes a desired level, and outputs a signal indicating the shutter speed. Further, the electronic shutter speed setting circuit 32 can set a shutter speed for performing flash image pickup for preventing blurring of a moving object, and outputs a signal indicating the set shutter speed. Only one of the outputs from the electronic shutter control circuit 30 and the electronic shutter speed setting circuit 32 is applied to the CCD drive circuit 38 via the manually operated switch SW4.

On the other hand, the electronic shutter speed setting circuit 34
Sets a predetermined electronic shutter speed (period during which unnecessary charges are accumulated) to prevent noise that occurs when endoscopic treatment such as hemostasis / cutting is performed by a high frequency ablation power supply (not shown) Then, a signal indicating the set shutter speed is output to the gate circuit 35.
When the treatment command pulse e (FIG. 3 (E)) is applied from the foot switch 44, the gate circuit 35 outputs a signal indicating the shutter speed from the electronic shutter speed setting circuit 34 to the CCD drive circuit 38.

When the CCD drive circuit 38 inputs a signal indicating the electronic shutter speed via the switch SW4 or the gate circuit 35, the transfer gate pulse P ₁ corresponding to the electronic shutter speed is supplied as shown in FIG. 3C. _{, And} various drive pulses including P ₂ are output to the CCD 14. That is,
The signal charge accumulated in the photoelectric conversion element of the CCD 14 is transferred to the V-CCD by the transfer gate pulses P _{1 and} P ₂ , but the V-CCD is transferred by the transfer gate pulse P ₂ .
The signal charges (unnecessary charges) transferred to the H-CCD are transferred at a high speed in the opposite direction to the H-CCD, and are all discharged from the sweep drain.

Therefore, the period from the transfer gate pulse P ₂ to P ₁ becomes the charge accumulation time of the signal charge which becomes the CCD output signal, and the substantial exposure time is controlled by adjusting this time. When the CCD drive circuit 38 inputs a signal indicating two electronic shutter speeds via the switch SW4 and the gate circuit 35, it gives priority to a signal indicating the electronic shutter speed input via the gate circuit 35.

Further, the CCD drive circuit 38 outputs a pulse d to the output control pulse generation circuit 36, which is turned on only during the period when the unnecessary charges are accumulated (FIG. 3 (D)). The treatment command pulse e (FIG. 2 (E)) is applied to the other input of the output control pulse generation circuit 36 from the foot switch 44, and the output control pulse generation circuit 36 sets the unnecessary charge accumulation period. An output control pulse f (FIG. 3 (F)) is obtained by ANDing the indicated pulse d and the treatment command pulse e.
Is generated and is output to a high-frequency ablation power supply device (not shown) via the switch SW3.

The high-frequency cautery power supply device gate-controls the high-frequency current output during the hemostasis / cut operation by the output control pulse f, whereby the hemostasis operation signal shown in FIG. 3 (G) or shown in FIG. 3 (H). The cut operation signal is output to the high-frequency treatment instrument inserted into the treatment instrument insertion channel of the electronic scope. The high-frequency treatment instrument to which the hemostasis / cutting operation signal is added in this manner generates a noise signal from the lead wire portion or the like at its tip, and the noise signal is accumulated in the CCD 14, but this noise signal is accompanied by unnecessary charges. Since it is swept out, it is not included in the signal output from the CCD 14 to the processor 20. As a result, the image quality does not deteriorate even during the treatment using the high frequency current.

[0023]

As described above, according to the electronic endoscope apparatus of the present invention, the electronic scope using the solid-state image pickup device capable of operating the electronic shutter and the electronic shutter inoperable by one processor. It is possible to use together with an electronic scope in which such a solid-state image pickup element is used, and various electronic scopes can be efficiently operated in a wide range.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram showing an embodiment of an electronic endoscope apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a main part of the processor of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a timing chart used for explaining an electronic shutter operation and the like.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Electronic scope 12 ... Imaging lens 14 ... CCD 16 ... Cable 18, 22 ... Connector 19, 24 ... Light guide connector 20 ... Processor 21 ... Monitor TV 26 ... Discrimination circuit 28 ... ALC 29 ... DC power supply 30 ... Electronic shutter control circuit 32, 34 ... Electronic shutter speed setting circuit 35 ... Gate circuit 36 ... Output control pulse generating circuit 38 ... CCD driving circuit 42 ... Video signal processing circuit 44 ... Foot switch

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. An electronic scope having a solid-state imaging device and having a first connector connected to the solid-state imaging device via a cable; and a second connector connected to the first connector, A signal for driving the solid-state imaging device is output from the second connector through the first connector, and a signal input through the second connector is processed to output a video signal to a monitor television. In the electronic endoscope device including a processor for controlling whether the electronic scope has a solid-state image sensor capable of operating an electronic shutter in the first connector of the electronic scope that is selectively connected to the processor for use. The processor includes means for operating the solid-state image pickup device of the electronic scope to perform an electronic shutter operation, and the processor identifies the second unit. An electronic scope having a solid-state image sensor capable of electronic shutter operation, and an electronic scope having a solid-state image sensor capable of electronic shutter operation by the determination means. An electronic endoscope apparatus characterized in that the means for operating the electronic shutter is made operable only when it is determined. 2. The processor has a light source and an automatic light amount control means for automatically controlling the amount of light incident on the light guide of the electronic scope from the light source, and the second light source based on the identification means. The electronic endoscope apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the automatic light amount control means is disabled only when it is determined that the electronic scope connected to the connector is an electronic scope having a solid-state image pickup device capable of operating an electronic shutter. .