JPH11234661A - Diagnostic device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To digitize image data triggered by an event by allowing a control circuit to store image data to a digital memory device connecting to an image pickup device when a position transducer is moving. SOLUTION: A position transducer 11 is fitted to a tip of an endoscope to the utmost, e.g. in the vicinity of an objective lens 3 of the endoscope. The position transducer 11 connects to a control circuit 12 that produces a trigger pulse to a frame grabber 8 on the occurrence of a motion of the endoscope, that is, one event of an endoscope tube 2. The control circuit 12 includes a threshold circuit that generates a trigger pulse only when the position transducer 11 has a sufficiently large motion. Thus, storage of image data is warranted only when the glass fiber tube 2 is moved consciously. A changeover switch 13 placed in the control circuit 12 switches the control circuit 12 from an automatic operation to a continuous operation so that each scene is completely digitized and stored.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention comprises an image pickup device for generating an analog video signal and a monitor for reproducing the video signal, and an endoscope television camera is mounted on an end of a glass fiber tube. Diagnostic device having an endoscope objective lens.

[0002]

2. Description of the Prior Art Endoscopy with fiber endoscopes is a medical standard application whereby an image of the interior of a luminal organ or blood vessel can be observed. Such an endoscope is described in, for example, US Pat. No. 4,651,201, and an endoscope image can be displayed on a monitor by a camera attached to the endoscope. These video signals of a television camera can be recorded by a video recorder. That is, an analog image is detected at a fixed frequency through endoscopy, and recorded on a video tape as needed. Automatic electronic archiving and documentation of image data obtained by the endoscope and digital post-processing are not possible in this manner. Digitization of all analogously obtained endoscopic video data during or after the examination is not significant. This is because, in this way, a very large and unsightly amount of digital data is generated, which is not organized, i.e., only corresponds to the excess during endoscopy.

[0003]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The object of the present invention is described at the outset such that the image data obtained by the endoscope is appropriately digitized for computer archiving, documentation and post-processing. The purpose of the present invention is to provide a diagnostic device of a different type.

[0004]

According to the present invention, there is provided, in accordance with the present invention, a position transmitter connected to a control circuit near an objective lens, wherein the control circuit is adapted to move the position transmitter. The problem is solved by causing the data to be stored in a digital memory device connected to the imaging device. Thereby, the digitization of the image data triggered by the event takes place, wherein the event corresponds to a movement of the imaging device.

[0005] Digitization takes place only when necessary, provided that the digital memory device has an analog-to-digital converter connected to the control circuit.

[0006] It has proven advantageous to have a workstation connected to the digital memory device.

It has proven advantageous for the digital memory device to be a so-called Framegrabber.

[0008] Complete digitization of the video signal can be achieved if the digital memory device can be switched to continuous operation.

According to the invention, the imaging device may be an ultrasonic sensor. Thereby, digital ultrasound image data triggered by the event is obtained, where the event corresponds to the movement of the ultrasound sensor of the physician.

[0010]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described below in more detail with reference to embodiments shown in the drawings.

The drawing has a television camera 1,
An endoscope-based diagnostic device is shown in which a glass fiber tube 2 is attached thereto and an endoscope objective lens 3 is arranged at the other end. The endoscope is used for examination, for example through the esophagus 4, through a luminal organ, eg the stomach
It is inserted inside. Therefore, in a known manner, the objective lens 3
And an image is transmitted to the television camera 1 via the glass fiber tube 2. A monitor 6 is connected to the television camera 1 for reproducing an endoscope image. By means of the video recorder 7, which is also supplied with the video signal of the television camera 1, all inspection scenes can be recorded for subsequent observations.

According to the present invention, the television camera 1
A digital memory device 8, which may be connected to an operating interface (for example a foot switch 9), for example a so-called framegrabber, is connected. By operating the foot switch 9, the analog video signal of the television camera 1 is digitized by the memory device 8 and can be securely held. This stored image may then be provided to a controlling computer or workstation 10, for example, for archiving and post-processing the digital image data. Thus, based on one event (for example, operation of foot switch 9 by a doctor),
A digital image is generated that can be post-processed and stored.

Further, according to the present invention, the diagnostic apparatus using an endoscope is mounted as close to the end of the endoscope as possible, for example, near the objective lens 3 of the endoscope in the glass fubba tube 2 of the endoscope. The position transmitter 11 is provided. The position transmitter 11 is connected to a control circuit 12 that generates a trigger pulse for the frame grabber 8 when a movement, ie, one event of the endoscope tube 2 occurs. The control circuit 12 includes a position transmitter 11
An open value circuit that generates a trigger pulse only when a sufficiently large movement of the trigger occurs can be included. This ensures that the storage takes place only when the glass fiber tube 2 is consciously moved. The change-over switch 13 arranged in the control circuit 12 controls the control circuit 12 so that, for example, individual scenes can be completely digitized and stored.
Can be switched from automatic operation to continuous operation.

The footswitch 9 may also be connected directly to the control circuit 12 so that a digital image can be stored when needed, independent of movement. The change-over switch 13 can then have many switching positions. In the first position, for example, only the input of the foot switch 9 is permitted. In the second position, an additional, automatic, motion-related digitization takes place. In the third position of the changeover switch 13, continuous operation is enabled.

The on-line generation of digital endoscopic image data in accordance with the present invention is such that analog image data, which is conventionally received as a video signal, is transmitted during an endoscopic examination during the endoscope tip (eg, the endoscope objective). It is to be accurately digitized when the position of the lens 3) has moved over a certain pre-determinable distance and / or its orientation has changed by a certain pre-determined angle. That is,
If the endoscope is shifted and / or the spatial angle of the endoscope objective lens is changed, the image provided by the endoscope can be accurately digitized.

The digitization according to the invention during the endoscopy can also take place when the examining physician initiates the digitization using the operating interface or footswitch 9.

The digitization of the image data is thus triggered by events. Here, the event means any movement or release of the endoscope by a physician performing the examination.

The digitization of the analog endoscope image data is performed using, for example, a known frame grabber card. This digitizing card is provided by means of a very small position transmitter 11, which is mounted as close as possible to the endoscope tip or at a fixed, known distance to the endoscope tip, for example, with the endoscope tip. Accurately triggered when the physician has displaced the predetermined stroke, and / or when the position of the endoscope tip in space has changed by a predetermined angle. Position transmitter 11
Supplies the spatial position coordinates and spatial orientation of the endoscope tip at this time continuously. Position transmitter 1 of this type
1 is available as a commercial product. Thus, for example, the Biosense position transmitter system "Cart based on electromagnetic transmission used in the field of intracardiac catheters.
o "can be used.

Initialization by the physician using the footswitch 9 can be performed temporally before and / or after a medical procedure, such as a surgical procedure. Thus, the digitized image data before and after the medical procedure can be compared very easily, for example by visualizing both digitized images simultaneously. Furthermore, both generated images can be subtracted from each other by digital image processing methods. Since the difference image can be displayed after the subtraction has been performed, the effect of the medical operation becomes visible in the difference image.

In order to observe, for example, blood flow after an operation performed during an endoscopy, the physician may convert the endoscopic image during the endoscopy digitally without endoscope movement or individual release. Because of this, the acquisition mode of the frame grabber digitizing card must be switchable between position-triggered digitization and continuous digitization during inspection. This can be, for example, a push button or changeover switch 13 on the endoscope holder.
Can be performed.

Since the position of the endoscope and the position transmitter 11 attached thereto may change during the examination due to the patient's respiratory activity, the need arises to correct the received position data by respiratory artifacts. obtain. The information required for this can be obtained during the learning phase in which the endoscope and the associated position transmitter 11 are not moved by the doctor. In this learning stage, a change in the position of the position transmitter 11 caused solely by respiratory activity is detected. With the help of this location data,
The position of the endoscope objective lens 3 detected during the examination can be corrected.

With the arrangement according to the invention of a diagnostic device with an endoscope, the data volume of the digitized endoscope image data which occurs during the course of a single examination depends on a so-called event (endoscope movement or manual trigger). A memory device which is determined and not determined by the duration of the endoscopy, so that the data volume is very clearly reduced, is obtained.

Such endoscopic image data digitized by the method according to the invention can be documented and archived with the aid of a computer on an electronic archiving medium and can be managed by applying a data bank. . They are also displayed on medical workstations,
It can also be transferred without any problems via a computer-network connection. Furthermore, these digital image data are
It can be post-processed independent of the manufacturer using the OM standard. Similarly, viewing, superimposing of graphic and text elements, marking, ROI evaluation, movie mode, windowing, filtering,
All post-processing steps currently performed in medical image processing, such as pattern recognition and segmentation, can be applied after the digitization of the image data has taken place.

If the computer performance is high enough, the digitized data online can be displayed, processed and evaluated with the aid of a computer online, ie during inspection.

The method described above can be applied to all medical acquisition schemes where the sensor is interactively moved for the acquisition of analog video data, as well as to non-medical acquisition schemes. This is because, for example, the ultrasonic sensor is
It may be an ultrasound examination of the blood vessels by an endoscope connected to it, or it may be a surgical procedure that is minimally invasive. However, this method can also be used for X-ray technology.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an outline of a configuration of a diagnostic device using an endoscope according to the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 television camera 2 glass fiber tube 3 endoscope objective lens 4 esophagus 5 stomach 6 monitor 7 video recorder 8 digital memory device 9 foot switch 10 workstation 11 position transmitter 12 control circuit 13 switch

Claims (5)

[Claims] An endoscope television camera (1 to 3) including an imaging device (1 to 3) for generating an analog video signal and a monitor (6) for reproducing a video signal. In a diagnostic device having an endoscope objective lens (3) mounted at the end of a glass fiber tube (2), a position transmitter connected to a control circuit (12) near the objective lens (3). (11) is attached, and the control circuit causes the digital signal to be stored in the digital memory device (8) connected to the imaging device (1 to 3) when the position transmitter (11) moves. Characteristic diagnostic device. 2. The diagnostic device according to claim 1, wherein the digital memory device has an analog-to-digital converter connected to the control circuit. 3. The diagnostic device according to claim 1, wherein a workstation is connected to the digital memory device. 4. The diagnostic device according to claim 1, wherein the digital memory device is a so-called frame grabber. 5. The digital memory device (8) is switchable to continuous operation.
A diagnostic device according to one of the preceding claims.