JPS5970903A - Automatic measuring apparatus of endoscope - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To obtain an automatic measuring apparatus for an endoscope capable of measuring the actual length of a subject, by emitting laser beam from the objective part of the endoscope. CONSTITUTION:Laser beam is emitted to a subject as shown by a broken line from the light guide 12 contained in an endoscope 14 and, at the same time, illumination light is diffusedly emitted as shown by a solid line. In addition, a television camera 16 is mounted to the ocular part of a light guide 10 and a measuring part 26 calculates the distance between the objective part of the endoscope 14 and the subject from the illumination position of laser beam to be used in distance measurement. An actual length is calculated from this distance and the length between two arbitrary points of the endoscope image on a display part 28 and the numerical value showing the length measuring result is displayed along with the endoscope image.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an automatic endoscope measuring device that can measure the actual length of an affected area.

Generally, when observing the inside of a body cavity using an endoscope, the magnification of the acid obtained changes depending on the distance between the objective end and the body cavity wall.

Therefore, it is impossible to measure the actual length of the affected area using only the endoscopic image itself. To deal with this, traditionally, forceps are used to place a scale on the affected area to measure the length. Here, since the body cavity wall is constantly moving, it is difficult to place a scale, and there is a drawback that measurement takes time. Unfortunately, placing a scale may obstruct the field of view and interfere with observation.

An object of the present invention is to provide an endoscope automatic measuring device that can easily measure the actual length of a subject without interfering with observation.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An actual MM example of an endoscope automatic measuring device according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram thereof. A television camera 16 is attached to an eyepiece of an endoscope 14 having a light guide 10 and an image guide 12. One end of the light guide 12 is guided to a light source unit 18I/C. The light source unit 18 has an illumination lamp 20 and a laser oscillator 22, and is configured so that light from both is incident on one end of the light guide 12 via a half mirror 24.

From the tip (objective end) of the light guide I2, illumination light is emitted in a diffused manner as shown by the solid line in FIG. It is emitted at an angle (here along the light guide 12). The output signal of the television camera 16 is supplied to the measurement section 26 and the display section 28. The output signal of the measuring section 26 is also supplied to the display section 28 .

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of this implementation. The television camera 16 has C as an image sensor,
CD 32 is used. The CCD 32 has pixels arranged in a two-dimensional matrix, which are regularly arranged by a scanning circuit 34 and outputs pixel information for each pixel.The output signal of the CCD 32 is supplied to a comparator 36 and a process amplifier 38. The comparator 36 compares the output signal of the CCD 32 with the reference level VR, and its output is supplied to the CPU 40.The process amplifier 38 converts the output signal of the CCDJ 2 into a single-screen signal that matches the format of the television signal, and outputs the signal. The image signal is provided to a video controller 42.

Video controller 42, ROM 44, CRT monitor 4
8 is connected to the CPU 40 via the system bus 50. A light pen 52 is connected to CPU 40.

The operation of this embodiment will be explained. The present invention utilizes the fact that the actual size of the object shown on the screen displaying the output signal of the television camera 16 depends on the distance in the wave image. In other words, if you know the distance to the subject, you can find the actual length from the length on the screen. Therefore, first, the principle of distance measurement in this invention will be explained with reference to FIG. As described above, laser light is emitted from the tip of the light guide 12 along the light guide 12t/C as shown by the broken line.

On the other hand, a large image is incident on the tip of the image guide 10 as the distance increases, as shown by the dashed line. Therefore, the position of the laser beam in the image differs depending on the distance. In this invention, the diameter of the image (ntl, since the image guide has a circular cross section,
QAa, a' from one end to the irradiation position
The fact that is compared to the distance 1rtt= is utilized. Specifically, the distance is measured based on which pixel of the CCD 32 receives the laser beam. That is, since the C0D 32 has pixels arranged in a two-dimensional matrix, the distance 611] depends on at which timing during the output period the laser light is detected from the - column of pixels. First, the irradiation position with respect to the distance is determined in advance by taking into account various conditions of the optical system, and this is stored in the ROM 44 by 5%. R.O.
M44 stores the distance information at an address corresponding to the pixel position. The output signal of the CCD 32 is sent to the process amplifier 38.
The video is supplied to the video controller 42 via the CRT monitor 48, and the endoscope team is displayed on the CRT monitor 48. On the other hand, the output signal of the CCD 32 is compared with the 7i9 quasi-level VR by a comparator 36. This standard level is set so that the signal is output from the comparator 36 only when the signal from the pixel corresponding to the irradiation position of the laser beam is supplied to the comparator 36vc. The CPU 40 detects a synchronizing signal from the output signal of the first scanning circuit 34, which serves as a clock signal for scanning of the CCD 32, and determines which pixel in one row the output timing of the signal from the comparator 36 corresponds to. When the CPU 40 detects this single element location, ROk4
From the address corresponding to this position of 44, the information in 1 (μ) is outputted from Bfr. As a result, the distance between the objective lens and the body cavity wall is measured.

Next, the operator measures the length i! on the CRT monitor 48. i11
1) Indicate both ends of the diagonal line segment with the light pen 52. As a result, the technique on the CRT monitor 48 is input to the cpU 4o. The CPU 40 calculates the actual length based on the length of the lamp and the previously determined i (separation), supplies it to the video controller 42, and as shown in FIG. In the figure, dots indicate the irradiation position of the laser beam.

In this way, according to this Example 7/ai, the distance to the subject is determined simply by irradiating the subject with a beam of light and detecting the irradiation position, and using this distance and the length on the display screen,
m) An automatic endoscope measuring device is provided that can easily determine the actual length without interfering with observation.

In the above description, the distance measuring beam light is a visible laser light, but an invisible laser light such as a Nd-YAC (Nd-YAC) laser light or an infrared light may also be used. When using infrared light, the incident light is divided between the image guide 10 and the CCD 32 into R, G, B components and infrared components.
A color separation optical system is provided, and a CCD 32 is also provided for four colors.

However, instead of installing the television camera 16 entirely at the eyepiece, a camera device such as a CCD may be installed 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 distance measurement may be used for distance measurement. Further, the length may be entered on the C'RT monitor 48 using a keyboard, etc. As explained above, according to the present invention, the length can be input with a simple configuration and without interfering with observation. An automatic endoscope measuring device l is provided.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an embodiment of the automatic endoscope measurement device according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a block diagram of its configuration, and FIG. FIG. 4, which is a diagram for explaining the principle of distance, is a diagram showing an example of the display of this embodiment. 12...Light guide, 22...Laser generator, 3
2...CCD, 36...Comparator, 38...
Process amplifier, 40...CPU, 42...Video controller, 44...ROVl 4B...CRT
Monitor, 52...Light pen. Applicant's representative Patent attorney Nihiko Suzue Continued from page 1 0 Author Hiroyuki Furiyo 2-43-2 Hatagaya, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo Lymphus Optical Industry Co., Ltd. 0 Author Hiroharu Taniyo Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 2-43-2 Hatagaya 2-43-2 Lymphus Optical Co., Ltd. Inventor Kawaaki Nakamura 2-43-2 Hatagaya, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo Lymphus Optical Co., Ltd. 0 Inventor Kosho Ogawa Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 2-43-2 Hatagaya, Tokyo Inventor: Takehito Kawasaki, 2-43-2, Hatagaya, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, 2-43-2, Lymphus Optical Industry, Ltd. Showa, 1920, Director General of the Japan Patent Office Kazuo Wakasugi. 1. Indication of the case Japanese Patent Application No. 180818/1982 2. Name of the invention Endoscope automatic measuring device 3. Person making the correction Relationship to the case Patent applicant (037) Olin Zos Optical Industry Co., Ltd. 4. Agent Person 6, Specification to be amended 7, Contents of amendment ``10 stated in page 2, line 19 of the specification attached to the application.
and Image Guide 12” to “12 and Image Guide 10”
” he corrected. 9

Claims (1)

[Claims] (1) means for photographing the optical edge obtained by the endoscope;
Distance measurement that calculates the distance between the objective part of the endoscope and the subject based on the irradiation position of the beam light on the photographic screen determined from the output signal of the objective part of the endoscope and the output signal of the photographing means. means, a monitor means for displaying the output signal of the image capturing means, and a display means for displaying the output signal of the image capturing means on the screen of the monitor means;
sub-length means for determining the actual length between the two points according to the interval between the points and the output signal of the 1lllJ IB+j means;
Endoscope circumference measurement device. 12) The endoscope automatic measuring device according to claim 1, wherein the output signal of the sub-length means is displayed on the monitor means.