JPH0824219A - Endoscope apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide an endoscopic apparatus capable of preventing the thermal damage of an endoscope caused by the heat from the light of a lamp regardless of the capacity of the individual lamp. CONSTITUTION:An endoscopic apparatus is equipped with an endoscope 1 and an apparatus main body 2. The apparatus main body 2 is equipped with an image processing part 11, an image display part 12 and a light source part 13 supplying illumination light to the light guide 6 in the endoscope 1. The light source part 13 is equipped with a lamp power supply 14 and a lamp 15 and an infrared cutting filter 16, an iris 17 and a condensing lens 18 are arranged between the lamp 15 and the incident port 6a of the light guide 6. The light source part 13 is constituted so that a sensor 19 detecting the reflected light (b) removed by the filter 16, a light quantity control processor 20 comparing the reflected light (b) from the sensor 19 with preset lamp data (light quantity upper and lower limit values) and a control device 21 adjusting the current I of the lamp. on the basis of the current adjusting commands S1, S2 from the processor 20 are provided to a control system of the quantity of light of the lamp.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an endoscope apparatus, and more particularly to control of a light quantity of a light source for illumination in consideration of heat resistance of a light guide.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a lamp such as a xenon lamp or a halogen lamp having a high brightness characteristic is often used as a light source for illuminating an endoscope apparatus. The light generated by this lamp is adapted to illuminate a subject through a light guide inside the endoscope.

Here, as a measure against heat caused by the light from the lamp, an infrared cut filter is arranged between the light source and the light guide, and this infrared cut filter serves as a main heat source of the lamp light. Techniques for removing the infrared rays of the above are already known (for example, see SAIkai 63-7).
8912 publication).

On the other hand, as a method of knowing the replacement time of the lamp, a method of taking out a part of the lamp light quantity and notifying the lamp life based on the part of the lamp light quantity (for example, JP-A-1-223411) Or, the reflected light (infrared) from the infrared cut filter equivalent to the above is detected,
A method of notifying the lamp life based on the detected value (for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 6-109981) has been proposed.

[0005]

As described above, although measures against heat using an infrared cut filter are already known,
Even the endoscopic device using this heat countermeasure does not have a configuration in which the thermal characteristics such as the heat resistance of the light guide are particularly taken into consideration, and therefore the following disadvantages occur. .

For example, in a clinical setting, in order to secure the brightness inside the body cavity of a subject, the diaphragm may be opened and the maximum light amount of the lamp may be introduced into the light guide. Moreover, the maximum amount of light of this lamp is generally different for each lamp, and therefore, depending on the lamp, excessive light far exceeding the heat resistance capacity of the light guide may be supplied. As a result, for example, a CCD arranged at the tip of the endoscope
Precision electronic components such as the above may be damaged due to heat generation of the light guide, or the light guide itself may be thermally damaged.

On the other hand, as described above, a method for knowing the lamp replacement time is known, but even an endoscope apparatus using this method can be used from when the lamp replacement time is notified to when the lamp is actually replaced. Until then, the endoscope had to be used with insufficient light.

In addition to the above-mentioned problems, the conventional endoscope apparatus is not configured to manage information on the temporal change of the light quantity of the lamp, so that an abnormal situation such as a sudden change of the lamp or a fluctuation of the brightness and its cause are caused. I couldn't know exactly.

The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems of the prior art, and regardless of the performance of each lamp,
It is a first object of the present invention to provide an endoscope device capable of avoiding thermal damage to an endoscope due to heat from lamp light.

A second object of the present invention is to provide an endoscope apparatus capable of managing information on a change in the lamp light amount over time and accurately grasping an abnormal situation of the lamp.

[0011]

In order to achieve the above first object, an endoscope apparatus according to the invention of claim 1 is an endoscope scope and a light guide at the tip of the endoscope scope. A configuration including a light source that supplies light according to a command current via, and a detection unit that detects the light amount of the light source,
Comparison means for comparing the light quantity detected by the detection means with a preset light quantity upper limit value based on the heat resistance capacity of the light guide, and this comparison means determines that the light quantity is larger than the light quantity upper limit value. And a light amount control means for controlling the light amount state of the light source.

In the invention according to claim 2, the light amount control means is means for controlling the magnitude of the command current.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, the light quantity control means has a diaphragm arranged between the light source and the light guide, and means for controlling opening / closing of the diaphragm.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, the comparison means includes second comparison means for comparing the light quantity detected by the detection means with a light quantity lower limit value corresponding to the replacement time of the light source. The light quantity control means includes means for controlling a light quantity state of the light source while the second comparison means determines that the light quantity is smaller than the light quantity lower limit value.

Further, in the invention according to claim 5, the detecting means includes an infrared cut filter arranged between the light source and the light guide, and means for detecting the light quantity through the infrared cut filter. Have

On the other hand, in order to achieve the second object,
An endoscope apparatus according to a sixth aspect of the present invention is configured to include an endoscope scope and a light source that supplies light according to a command current via a light guide to a tip of the endoscope scope, Detecting means for detecting the light amount of the light source, storage means for storing the time-dependent change information of the light amount detected by the detecting means, and information management for making the time-dependent change information stored by the storage means accessible. And means.

According to a seventh aspect of the invention, there is provided a judging means for judging whether or not the optical performance of the light source is normal, based on the temporal change information of the light quantity stored by the storing means, and the judging means. When the judging means judges that the optical performance of the light source is not normal, it has means for outputting the lamp abnormality information including at least the fact that it is not normal.

[0018]

The endoscope apparatus according to the invention described in claims 1 to 5,
The light quantity of the light source is detected by the detecting means, and the light quantity and the light quantity upper limit value set in advance based on the heat resistance capacity of the light guide are compared by the comparing means, and as a result of the comparison, the light quantity is larger than the light quantity upper limit value. During the determination, the control means controls the light quantity state of the light source.

Further, in the endoscope apparatus according to the present invention as defined in claims 6 and 7, the light quantity of the light source is detected by the detection means, and the change information of the light quantity with time is stored in the storage means and the information management means is used. Managed to be accessible.

[0020]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A first embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS.

The endoscope apparatus shown in FIG. 1 comprises an endoscope scope 1 and an apparatus body 2 to which the endoscope scope 1 is connected.

The endoscope scope 1 is provided with a small-diameter cylindrical insertion portion 3 that can be inserted into a body cavity, and an operation portion 4 to which the insertion portion 3 is connected. The operation section 4 is a universal code 5
It is connected to the apparatus main body 2 via.

A light guide 6 for optical transmission is inserted into the endoscope scope 1. The diameter of this light guide 6 is set to, for example, 2 (mm), and light from an entrance 6a provided on the apparatus main body 2 side is irradiated through an irradiation opening (such as an illumination lens) provided on the distal end side of the insertion portion 3. 6b). Here, the light emitted from the irradiation port 6b illuminates the surface of the inner wall of the body cavity of the subject P, and the light reflected from the surface and the like is provided in the imaging optical system (objective lens) provided on the distal end side of the insertion portion 3. Is incident on the image pickup surface of a CCD (solid-state image pickup device) 6d via
It is designed to be converted into a video signal.

Further, a signal line (coaxial cable) 7 is inserted into the endoscope scope 1. This signal line 7
Is connected to the CCD 6d at one end (the tip side of the insertion portion 3) and the other end is connected to the apparatus main body 2,
The video signal from 6d is supplied to the apparatus main body 2.

The apparatus main body 2 includes an image processing section 11 for performing image processing based on a video signal from the CCD 6d, an image display section 12 for displaying an image processed by the image processing section 11 on a monitor, and a light guide. 6 and a light source unit 13 for supplying light.

Of these, the light source unit 13 includes a lamp power source 14
And a lamp (a lamp light source having a high brightness characteristic such as a xenon lamp or a halogen lamp) 15 that generates light according to a lamp current I from the lamp power source 14, and the lamp 15 and the light guide 6 are incident. An infrared cut filter 16, a diaphragm 17, and a condenser lens 18 are provided between the mouth 6a and
Is arranged.

Of these, the infrared cut filter 16 reflects infrared rays of a predetermined wavelength of the incident light a from the lamp 15 toward the outside of the optical path, for example, the outside in the direction substantially perpendicular to the optical axis (hereinafter, "reflected light"). “B”), and the light excluding the infrared rays is transmitted as it is (hereinafter, referred to as “transmitted light” c) (see the arrow in FIG. 1). Transmitted light c
Passes through the aperture of the diaphragm 17 and is focused on the entrance 6a of the light guide 6 via the condenser lens 18, while the reflected light b is incident on the sensor (described later).

Here, the ratio of the light quantity values of the reflected light b and the transmitted light c is always constant regardless of the magnitude of the light quantity value of the incident light a. Therefore, since the incident light a, that is, the light amount of the lamp 15 is uniquely obtained by the light amount of the reflected light b,
The first embodiment employs a control system that determines the lamp light quantity based on the light quantity of the reflected light b and controls the lamp current according to the magnitude of the lamp light quantity.

As this control system, the light source section 13 comprises a sensor 19 for detecting the light quantity of the reflected light b, a light quantity management processor 20 for managing the lamp light quantity, and a control device 21 for controlling the lamp current I. .

The sensor 19 is composed of a photoelectric conversion element or the like,
The intensity of the reflected light b from the infrared cut filter 16 is constantly detected, and an electric signal (hereinafter, detection signal Si) corresponding to the detected value is output to the light quantity management processor 20.

The light quantity management processor 20 is constructed by mounting, for example, a microcomputer, and the microcomputer shown in FIG. 2 is based on the detection signal Si from the sensor 19 and the lamp information M1 stored in advance in a memory or the like. The processing shown is performed. The above lamp information M1
Is the sensor upper limit value Sa corresponding to the light amount upper limit value La set according to the thermal characteristics such as the heat resistance of the light guide 6.
And a sensor lower limit value Sb corresponding to the light amount lower limit value Lb set according to the use limit light amount.

The processing of the light quantity management processor 20 will be described with reference to FIG.

First, when the detection signal Si from the sensor 19 is input in step 1, in step 2, whether or not the detection signal Si is larger than the sensor upper limit value Sa (Si
> Sa) is determined. YES in step 2 (Si
> Sa), the process proceeds to step 3,
In step 3, the current adjustment command S1 is output to the control device 21.

If NO is determined in step 2, the process proceeds to step 4, and in step 4, whether the detection signal Si is smaller than the sensor lower limit value Sb (Si <
Sb) is determined. YES in this step 4 (Si <
If it is determined to be Sb), the process proceeds to step 5, and in step 5, the current adjustment command S2 is output to the control device 21 and the lamp replacement command S3 is sent to the image processing unit 11.
It is designed to be output to. This lamp replacement command S
3, the image processing unit 11 writes text data as image supplementary information corresponding to “lamp replacement” or the like that can be easily recognized by the operator to, for example, a predetermined address in the image memory, and the text data is imaged together with the image data. It is adapted to output to the display unit 12.

The control device 21 controls the lamp current I, which is set to the reference current value In during normal use, according to the current adjustment commands S1 and S2 from the light quantity management processor 20.
The current upper limit value Ia and the current lower limit value Ib are appropriately adjusted. Current upper limit value Ia and current lower limit value I
b is preset based on the performance of the lamp 15 and the like (see FIG. 4).

Here, the controller 21 controls the current adjustment command S
At 1 o'clock (usually in the initial state of using the lamp), the lamp current I is within a predetermined range (Ib ≦ I <I so that the lamp light amount L that exceeds the light amount upper limit La is maintained near the light amount upper limit La.
n), the lamp light quantity L lower than the light quantity lower limit value La is adjusted to the light quantity lower limit value L at the time of the current adjustment command S2 (normally, the final state of the lamp use, that is, the lamp replacement time).
The lamp current I is kept within a predetermined range (I
The adjustment is made by n <I ≦ Ia). The lamp current I adjusted by the controller 21 is output to the lamp 15.

Next, the operation of the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.
It will be explained based on.

Now, it is assumed that the endoscope apparatus is started using the lamp having the lamp performance shown in FIG. 3 at the integrated use time (hereinafter, simply referred to as “time”) T1 shown in FIG.
At the time of starting, the lamp light amount L exceeds the light amount upper limit value La. The reflected light b from the infrared cut filter 16 corresponding to the lamp light amount L is detected by the sensor 19 in real time. The detected detection signal Si is determined by the light amount management processor 20 to be larger than the sensor upper limit value Sa, and the current adjustment command S1 is output to the control device 21. As a result, the lamp current I is adjusted by the control device 21, and the lamp light amount L is maintained near the light amount upper limit value La.

The maintaining state of the light amount upper limit value La is continuously maintained until the time T2 while the endoscope apparatus is operating. That is, while it is determined that the lamp light amount L exceeds the light amount upper limit value La when the lamp current I is set to the reference current value In, the lamp current I is set so as to maintain the lamp light amount L near the light amount upper limit value La. It is appropriately adjusted between the lower limit current value Ia and the reference current value In (in FIG. 4, the lamp current I is increased from near the lower limit current value Ia at a constant rate). Therefore, the lamp light amount L that exceeds the heat resistance capacity of the light guide 6 does not enter the entrance 6a.

Next, it is assumed that the lamp current I reaches the reference current value In during normal use as shown at time T2 after passing through the above-described state of maintaining the light amount upper limit value La. In this case, the detection signal Si detected by the sensor 19 is the light amount management processor 2
When it is 0, it is determined that it is smaller than the sensor upper limit value Sa. As a result, the lamp current I is maintained at the reference current value In, and the lamp light amount L is lowered from the light amount upper limit value La.

The reduced state of the lamp light amount L progresses until time T3 while the endoscope apparatus is operating. That is, while the reference current value In is maintained, the lamp light amount L gradually decreases due to deterioration or the like.

Next, it is assumed that the lamp light quantity L has decreased below the light quantity lower limit value Lb as shown at time T3 after the lamp light quantity L has decreased. In this case, it is determined that the detection signal Si is smaller than the sensor lower limit value Sb, the current adjustment command S2 is output to the control device 21, and the lamp replacement command S3 is output to the image processing unit 11. This allows
The lamp current I is adjusted by the controller 21, and the lamp light amount L
Is maintained near the light amount lower limit value La.

The maintaining state of the light amount lower limit value La is continuously maintained until the time T4 while the endoscope apparatus is operating. That is, the lamp current I is appropriately adjusted between the reference current value In and the upper limit current value Ia (in FIG. 4, the lamp current I is increased at a constant rate).

When the light quantity lower limit value La is maintained, the operator may newly replace the lamp. In other words, in the prior art, from the time of notification of the time to replace the lamp to the time of actual replacement, it was necessary to use even in a state where the illumination light intensity was insufficient. Since the value La is maintained, the amount of illumination light required for inspection can be secured until the lamp is replaced.

After that, the lamp cannot be replaced in time and the time T
As shown in FIG. 4, it is assumed that the lamp current I has reached the upper limit current value Ia. In this case, the lamp current I is maintained at the upper limit current value Ia, and the lamp light amount L becomes lower than the light amount lower limit value La. However, in most cases, as described above, the lamp replacement has already been completed before such a situation occurs, so that the situation does not hinder the endoscopic examination.

As described above, in the present embodiment, since the lamp light quantity is controlled in consideration of the thermal characteristics such as the heat resistance capacity of the light guide, it is necessary to supply the lamp light exceeding the heat resistance capacity of the light guide. As a result, thermal damage to the light guide can be prevented, and the reliability of the device can be greatly improved.

Although the lamp light amount is detected through the infrared cut filter in the first embodiment,
The present invention is not necessarily limited to this configuration,
For example, a half mirror may be arranged between the diaphragm and the light guide, and the reflected light from the half mirror may be detected by the sensor.

Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

In this embodiment, a part of the control system of the light source section of the first embodiment is modified and applied. Here, constituent elements that are the same as or equivalent to those in the above-described embodiment are assigned the same or equivalent reference numerals, and description thereof will be simplified or omitted.

The endoscope apparatus shown in FIG. 5 has a sensor 19 and a light quantity management processor 20a, which are equivalent to those in the above-described embodiment, in the control system of the light source section 13a.
An auto light control device (hereinafter, referred to as “ALC device”) 20 is provided on the output side of a.

Among these, the light quantity management processor 20a outputs the detection signal Si from the sensor 19 and the sensor detection value Sa corresponding to the same light quantity upper limit value La as the above among the lamp information M2 stored in the memory or the like in advance. The aperture adjustment command S4 is output to the ALC device 20 after the comparison is made.

The ALC device 20 is adapted to receive the video signal from the endoscope 1 via the electrical connector 20a, and based on the information regarding the brightness of the subject P in the video signal, The aperture opening H1 corresponding to the light amount most suitable for observation is determined, and the determined aperture opening H1 is determined.
1 is output to the diaphragm 17.

Further, the ALC device 20 determines the aperture opening H2 having a higher priority than the aperture opening H1 in accordance with the aperture adjustment command S4 from the light quantity management processor 20a, and the determined aperture opening H2. The H2 is output to the diaphragm 17. The aperture opening H2 is adjusted so as to maintain the amount of lamp light entering the entrance 6a of the light guide 6 beyond the light amount upper limit value La in the vicinity of the light amount upper limit value La. The other structure is the same as that of the first embodiment.

With the above structure, the same effect as that of the above embodiment can be obtained.

The diaphragm of the above-described embodiment may be configured to use an electronic shutter or the like that does not open the diaphragm more than a predetermined opening even if the brightness of the subject P is dark.

Next, a modified example of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

This modification is applied to the control system of the light source section of the first or second embodiment with a mechanism for managing the temporal change state of the lamp light quantity. Here, constituent elements that are the same as or equivalent to those in the above-described embodiment are assigned the same or equivalent reference numerals, and description thereof will be simplified or omitted.

In the endoscope apparatus shown in FIG. 6, in the light quantity management processor 20b of the above embodiment, a storage unit (memory) for functionally storing the temporal change information of the lamp light quantity corresponding to the detection signal Si from the sensor 19. Etc.) 25, an information management unit 26 that manages the temporal change information stored in the storage unit 25 so that it can be accessed, and the optical change of the lamp 15 based on the temporal change information of the lamp light amount stored in the storage unit 25. When the determination unit 27 determines whether or not the performance is abnormal, and the determination unit 27 determines that the lamp 15 is abnormal, lamp abnormality information such as the fact that the lamp 15 is abnormal and details of the abnormality is image-processed. The output unit 28 capable of outputting to the unit 11 is provided.

Of these, the judging section 27 has a built-in arithmetic unit (not shown) for performing processing according to an arithmetic algorithm (or an arithmetic circuit having an arithmetic function equivalent to this arithmetic algorithm) preset in a memory or the like. There is. The calculation algorithm, based on the temporal change information of the lamp light amount from the storage unit 25, detects an abnormal situation of the lamp 15, for example, a change state such as a rapid increase or decrease of the lamp light amount, or a continuous unstable state of the lamp light amount. Computable. By the processing of this arithmetic unit, the determination unit 27 outputs the lamp abnormality information to the image processing unit 11 via the output unit 28. Other configurations are the same as those of the first or second embodiment.

With this configuration, in the present modification, the first
Alternatively, in addition to the effects similar to those of the second embodiment, it is possible to manage the information regarding the change over time of the lamp light amount and to appropriately take measures against an abnormal situation of the lamp.

It is also possible to add a spare emergency light source to the above modification. The emergency light source only needs to have a light amount capable of taking out the endoscope scope inserted into the body cavity, for example, when the lamp is in an abnormal state.

[0062]

As described above, the endoscope apparatus according to the present invention is configured to control the light quantity state of the light source in consideration of the heat resistance of the light guide. It is possible to avoid a situation in which the endoscope scope is thermally damaged due to the heat generation, and the reliability of the device is significantly improved.

Also, since the endoscope apparatus according to the inventions of claims 6 and 7 is configured to manage the change information of the light quantity of the light source over time, the performance of the light source can be easily managed and the light source has an abnormality. Even when a failure occurs, appropriate measures can be taken according to the content of the abnormality.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram showing the overall configuration of an endoscope apparatus according to a first embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a schematic flowchart showing processing of a light quantity management processor.

FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining the change over time in the lamp performance of the first embodiment.

FIG. 4 is an operation explanatory diagram of the first embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a schematic block diagram showing the overall configuration of an endoscope apparatus according to a second embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a schematic block diagram showing a main configuration of an endoscope apparatus according to a modification.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Endoscope 2 Device main body 3 Insertion part 4 Operation part 5 Universal code 6 Light guide 6a Entrance 6b Irradiation (illumination lens etc.) 6c Imaging optical system 6d CCD 7 Signal line 13 Light source 15 Lamp 16 Infrared cut filter 17 Aperture 18 Condenser lens 19 Sensor

Claims (7)

[Claims] 1. An endoscope apparatus including an endoscope and a light source that supplies light according to a command current to a tip of the endoscope by a light guide, and detects the light amount of the light source. Detecting means, comparing means for comparing the light amount detected by the detecting means and a light amount upper limit value preset based on thermal characteristics including at least the heat resistance capacity of the light guide, and the comparing means An endoscope apparatus comprising: a light amount control means for controlling a light amount state of the light source while it is determined that the light amount is larger than the light amount upper limit value. 2. The endoscope apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the light amount control means is means for controlling the magnitude of the command current. 3. The endoscope apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the light amount control means includes a diaphragm arranged between the light source and the light guide, and means for controlling an open / closed state of the diaphragm. 4. The comparing means includes second comparing means for comparing the light quantity detected by the detecting means with a light quantity lower limit value corresponding to the replacement time of the light source, and the light quantity controlling means is provided with the above-mentioned. The endoscope apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising means for controlling a light quantity state of the light source while the second comparing means determines that the light quantity is smaller than the light quantity lower limit value. 5. The infrared detecting filter arranged between the light source and the light guide, and the detecting means having a means for detecting the amount of light through the infrared cutting filter. Endoscope device. 6. An endoscope apparatus including an endoscope and a light source that supplies light according to a command current to a tip of the endoscope by a light guide, and detects a light amount of the light source. Detection means, storage means for storing the temporal change information of the light amount detected by the detecting means, and information management means for accessiblely managing the temporal change information stored by the storage means. An endoscopic device characterized by: 7. A judgment means for judging whether or not the optical performance of the light source is normal based on the temporal change information stored by the storage means, and the judgment means for judging the optical performance of the light source. 7. The endoscope apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising means capable of outputting lamp abnormality information including at least the fact that the lamp abnormality information is not normal when it is determined that the lamp abnormality information is not normal.