JPS5969043A - Endoscope apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] This bulletin contains application data before electronic filing, so abstract data is not recorded.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an endoscope device configured to transmit signals to a separate external component such as a monitor device or an image information recording device.

For example, in an endoscope device that is used with an electric scalpel device that generates high-frequency signals to perform ablation treatment on affected tissue deep inside the body of a patient, etc., it is used to monitor images inside the body cavity used for scalpel treatment. A separate monitoring device is provided.

The monitor device is installed in an endoscope light source device 1, and includes an endoscope photographing device that is attached to the eyepiece of the endoscope and has a built-in solid-state image sensor, and a universal cord into which a light guide and the like are inserted. Connected via an extending signal cable.

When the endoscope insertion section is inserted into a body cavity, the intrabody cavity image light incident through the image guide in the insertion section is converted into an electrical image signal by the solid-state image sensor of the endoscope imaging device, and then converted into an electrical image signal. The signal is transmitted via the signal cable and displayed on the CRT screen of an external monitor device. Therefore, in this case, an operator such as a doctor can discover the affected area in the body cavity and perform scalpel treatment while monitoring the intrabody cavity image displayed on the CRT screen.

However, such a configuration has the following problems. That is, when the electric scalpel device is operated for ablation treatment of the affected tissue in the above-mentioned monitoring state, 575
4 to 5 included in this together with high frequency signals of about kHz.
Harmonic components on the order of MHz are undesirably generated, and as a result, the image signals transmitted through the signal cable that interpolates the universal code are adversely affected, such as the generation of noise. As a result, the S/N ratio of the images to be monitored is significantly reduced, making it extremely difficult to monitor images within the body cavity. In such a state, it is impossible to expect appropriate scalpel treatment.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned circumstances, and its purpose is to provide a high-quality intra-body cavity image using an endoscope even when a high-frequency signal is generated from a high-frequency signal generator including an electric scalpel device or the like. An object of the present invention is to provide an endoscope device that can transmit data to an external component such as a separate monitor device or image information recording device.

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows a case in which a scalpel is used with an electric scalpel device that generates a high-frequency signal and a separate image monitor device to treat tissue in a body cavity with a scalpel and to monitor images inside the body cavity related to the scalpel treatment. A viewing device is shown. In the figure, reference numeral 2 is a signal generation circuit that selectively generates various high frequency currents for cutting, coagulation, mixing, etc. The signal generation circuit 2
selectively generates a desired high frequency current according to the operation of a mode selection switch (not shown). The signal generation circuit 2 is connected to a high frequency amplification circuit 6 via a dart circuit 4.

A switch 8 such as a foot switch that commands the generation of high-frequency current is connected to the gate circuit 4. By operating this switch 8, the dart circuit 4 converts the high-frequency current from the signal generation circuit 2 into a high-frequency amplification circuit 6. iii control the supply to. The high frequency amplifier circuit 6 also includes a transformer 1 for boosting the output voltage of the amplifier circuit 6 to a predetermined potential level.
0 are connected in series. Both output ends of the secondary winding of the transformer 100 are connected to the active output terminal 16 and the patient output terminal 18, respectively, via capacitors 12.14 for blocking low frequency current. The active output terminal 16 is connected to the active line 2 as shown in the figure.
An active electrode 22 is connected to the active electrode 22 through the endoscope L'-. The forceps extend through the forceps channel and are inserted into a body cavity of a human body such as a patient. On the other hand, the patient output terminal 18 is connected via a patient line 29 to a return electrode plate 30 attached to a human body such as a patient.

The endoscope eyepiece 31 includes a solid-state image sensor (for example, a CCD).
) 32 is detachably attached. Intrabody cavity image light that enters the solid-state image sensor 32 via an image guide (not shown) 7 is converted into an electrical image signal 36 by the solid-state image sensor 32 . An optical signal generating section 38 functioning as a first signal converting section is provided in the endoscope imaging device 34, and this optical signal generating section 38 converts the electrical image signal 36 into an optical image signal. It is configured such that it is converted into a light beam and supplied to the light incident end 42a of the optical fiber 42 that passes through the unilateral cord 40. The universal cord 40 is connected to an endoscope light source device 46 via a connector 44, and the light source device I
A monitor device 48 including a CRT (not shown) is disposed at t46. The optical signal representing the intra-body cavity image emitted from the light emitting end 42b of the optical fiber 42 inserted through the universal cord 40 connected to the endoscope light source device 46 is a light signal that functions as a second signal converter. Signal receiving section 50
and converted into an electrical image signal 52. The intra-body cavity image represented by the electrical image signal 52 output from the optical signal receiving section 50 is displayed on a CRT (not shown) of the monitor device 48 according to a known method.

According to the embodiment of the present invention configured in this way, an image between the endoscope photographing device 34 attached to the eyepiece section 31 and the monitor device 48 provided in the endoscope light source device 46 is obtained. Signal transmission (is carried out optically according to the optical communication system.

Therefore, a high-quality image signal can be reliably transmitted to an external monitoring device without being affected by harmonic components contained in the high-frequency signal (e.g., noise applied) generated during scalpel treatment of the infected part of the body cavity. can do. Therefore, even when using a scalpel, the operator can monitor images of the body cavity surrounding the affected tissue related to scalpel treatment with good image quality with a high S/N ratio, improving safety for the human body and Treatment can be carried out effectively.

Next, another embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 2 will be described.

FIG. 2 shows an example in which an electric scalpel device that generates a high-frequency signal and a separate image recording device are used to treat an affected tissue in a body cavity with a scalpel, and record still images of the inside of the body cavity related to the scalpel treatment on the image recording device. An endoscopic device is shown for use in this case. In the figure, the same parts as those in the above-described embodiment of FIG.

In FIG. 2, a still image photographing bag 6, (still camera) 60, which is freely attached to the vestibule 31 of the endoscope 1, is as follows:
It has a solid-state image sensor 62 such as a CCD and an optical signal generating section 64 which is a first signal converting section.

The electrical still image signal 66 from the solid-state image sensor 62 is
The optical signal generator 64 converts the signal into a corresponding optical still image signal in the same manner as described above.

On the other hand, the endoscope light source device 68 is provided with an image information recording section 70 which is a separate external component including a recording medium (not shown) such as an optical disk, and the optical still image signal is After being transmitted via the optical fiber 42, the signal is converted into an electrical still image signal 74 by an optical signal receiving section 72 and supplied to the image information recording section 70 (414).

According to another embodiment of the present invention thus developed,
Similarly to the above, when using an electric scalpel, it is possible to capture and record a still image of a patient's body cavity with good image quality without being adversely affected by harmonic components.

It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to any of the embodiments described above, and can be modified by those skilled in the art within the scope of the present invention.
k May be deformed. For example, according to the above embodiment, the signal cable 42 for optically transmitting the image signal
Although the cable is inserted into the universal cord 40 that connects the endoscope and the light source device, the signal cable 42 is not limited to this, and the signal cable 42 can be made independent from the universal cord 40 and used as a dedicated cord for the monitor device. It may be configured so that it is connected to 48. Further, the monitor device 48 may be configured separately from the light source device 46.

As described above, according to the present invention, image signals between an imaging device having a solid-state image sensor attached to an endoscope and an external component such as a monitoring device section or an image information recording device separated from the imaging device are provided. It is configured so that transmission is carried out optically according to the optical communication method, and it is therefore possible to prevent the adverse effects of harmonic components generated from high-frequency signal generators including electric scalpel devices, etc. An endoscope device capable of monitoring or recording image signals can be provided.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram of an endoscope apparatus that is an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is an overall configuration diagram of a wedding ceremony removal device that is another embodiment of the invention. 2... Signal generation circuit, 6... High frequency amplification circuit, 10
...Transformer, 22...Active electrode, 24...Endoscope, 30...Return electrode plate, 34...Endoscope imaging device, 3
2゜62... Solid-state image sensor, 38.64... Optical signal generation section (first signal conversion section), 42... Optical fiber,
46.68 ... Endoscope light source device, 48 ... Monitor device , 60 . . . still image photographing device for wedding ceremony, 70 . . . image information recording bag @ (external component).

Claims (2)

[Claims] (1) An endoscope imaging device having a solid-state image sensor,
a high-frequency signal generating means, a high-frequency signal transmitting means for guiding a high-frequency signal generated from the high-frequency signal generating means to a distal end of an endoscope insertion section, and a solid state when the endoscope insertion section is inserted into a body cavity of a living body. a first signal converting means for converting an electrical image signal corresponding to the intra-body cavity image incident on the imaging device into an optical image signal; and a first signal converting means optically coupled to the first signal converting means to internally view the optical image signal. an optical image signal transmission means for transmitting the optical image signal to an external component separate from the mirror; and an optical image signal transmission means provided in the external component and optically coupled to a light output end of the optical image signal transmission means to transmit the optical image signal to the electrical image. the second to convert into a signal
and a signal converting means, wherein image signal transmission between the endoscope imaging device and the external component is performed according to an optical communication method that is not affected by the high frequency signal. Mirror device. (2) The endoscope apparatus according to item 1 of the scope of Patent No. 7+, wherein the signal transmission means includes an optical image signal cable made of an optical fiber.