JPS62266031A - 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] [Purpose of the invention] (Industrial application field) TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to an endoscope apparatus, and particularly to image processing technology thereof.

(Prior Art) In recent years, endoscopes have been developed in which a solid-state imaging device such as a COD is disposed at the tip of an endoscope.

This allows, for example, to directly display the state of the stomach lining as a color TV image on a color cathode ray tube and observe it.
It has been recognized that it is useful in that it makes endoscopy easier and provides clearer images. By processing and displaying images obtained by this endoscope, it is expected that new diagnostic functions will be improved.

(Problems to be solved by the invention) Conventionally, in image diagnosis using an endoscope, changes in lesions are detected based on the structure and color changes (color development, discoloration, etc.) of organ mucous membranes. In some cases, only subtle changes in the properties of the folds are observed, and structural changes cannot be recognized by observing only the endopA mirror color image, and lesions are often overlooked.

In this case, it would be easier to detect abnormalities if the fine structure of the folds could be highlighted and displayed, but endoscopic images are usually represented by image information consisting of R, G, and B components obtained from a color camera. Tame, R,G.

For example, if an attempt is made to perform structural enhancement on an image consisting of B, there is a problem in that the colors will also change.

As described above, with the conventional device, it has not been possible to independently perform enhancement processing only on the structure of the organ mucous membrane.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an endoscopic device that can emphasize and display structures, thereby making it possible to observe subtle changes in the properties of the structures, thereby contributing to the early detection of lesions. It is about providing.

[Structure of the Invention] (Means for Solving the Problems) The present invention provides a brightness image forming means for forming a brightness image from color R image information obtained from a solid-state image sensor of an endoscope scope; An endoscope apparatus is configured by providing an image enhancement processing means for emphasizing this brightness image and a display means for displaying the emphasized brightness image.

(Function) In the present invention, a brightness image is formed based on color imaging information obtained from a solid-state imaging device. This brightness image is a black-and-white grayscale image that well reflects the structure of the image carrying region, and by emphasizing this brightness image, it is possible to form an image in which only structural changes are emphasized. Therefore, by displaying this enhanced brightness image, subtle changes in the properties of the structure can be observed, which can greatly contribute to early detection of lesions.

(Example) Hereinafter, the present invention will be explained based on illustrated embodiments.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an endoscope apparatus according to the present invention. In the same figure, 1 is a solid S element C0 at the tip.
3 is an endoscope in which D2 is arranged, and 3 is the above-mentioned C0D.
This is a TV circuit section that forms the signal output from 2 into a color video signal. In addition, when generating a color video signal,
Either the so-called field-sequential method, in which R, G, and B lights of different wavelengths are sequentially imaged on C0D2, or the so-called point-sequential method, in which a mosaic filter is formed on C0D2 and R, G, and B information is simultaneously obtained. May be adopted.

4 is an encoder for converting the color video signal into R, G, and B signals; 5 is an A/D converter for A/D converting the R, G, and B signals from the encoder 4; 6R, 6G;
, 6B are image memories for R, G, and R, respectively. 7 is R, G from each image memory 6R, 6G, 6B
, B is a D/A converter that performs D/A conversion of the digital signals from the D/A converter 7, and 8 is a display that displays an image based on the signal from the D/A converter 7.

The above configuration is a conventional original image display unit that converts an original image obtained by an endoscope into RlG and B and displays it on the display 8. In this example, by connecting a processed image display unit with the following configuration to this original image display unit, a brightness image (black and white image) that emphasizes only the structure of the diagnosis site is created.
is displayed.

Reference numeral 10 denotes an image processing unit, which includes an image conversion unit 111 as a brightness image forming means, an image enhancement processing unit 12 as an image enhancement processing means, and a control console 1.
It consists of 3.

The image conversion unit 11 includes the image memories 6R, 6
This is a unit that inputs R, G, and B information from G and 6B and converts it into a lightness (1) image, which is one of the three attributes of color, based on this information. Here, brightness (1) is black and white information (quantitatively corresponding to brightness information) of the original image, and is an image that well represents the structure of the wall. Also, an example of a method for forming brightness (I) from R, G, and B information is I = 0.2988 R10. 5868 G+0.11
44 B...Execute the arithmetic expression (1). The control console 13 is provided, for example, in a grip of an endoscope, and outputs a conversion command to the image conversion unit 11 based on input from an operator, and also outputs a command for image enhancement processing to the image enhancement processing unit 12. This is what is output to. Incidentally, each of the above commands may be executed after pressing an image freeze switch (not shown) provided on the control console 13-L to stop the color image displayed on the display 8. The image enhancement processing unit 12 includes a control console 1
Based on the command from 3, the brightness (1) image from the image conversion unit 11 is subjected to an enhancement process, for example, a process of applying a band pass filter.

The image memory 14° D/A converter 1 serves as a display means for displaying this enhanced brightness (I) image.
5 and a display 16 are provided.

The operation of the device configured as above will be explained.

First, the endoscope 1 is inserted into a patient's body cavity, and illumination light is irradiated onto the inner wall of the stomach, for example, and the reflected light is detected by the C0D 2 and converted into an electrical signal. The TV circuit section 3 forms this into a standard video signal, for example, an NTSC signal. This N
The TSC signal is converted into R, G, and B signals by the encoder 4, and converted into digital signals by the A/D converter 5, and then stored in each image memory 6R, 6G, and 6B. R stored in this image memory 6R, 6G, 6B,
The G and B signals are converted into analog signals by the D/A converter 7, and the original image is displayed in color on the display 8. This makes it possible to perform image diagnosis of the inner wall of the stomach.

Here, if it is desired to diagnose the fine fold structure of the stomach inner wall more accurately, the following image processing is performed.

First, the operator presses the freeze switch on the control console 13 to freeze the image displayed on the display 8, and specifies the processed image. Subsequently, an image processing execution command is output from the control console 13 to the image conversion unit 11 based on the operator's operation input. Then, this image conversion unit 1
1 inputs R, G, and B signals from the image memories 6R, 6G, and 6B, and converts the R, G, and 8 images into brightness (1) images by executing the calculation of equation (1).

Roughly speaking, a structure enhancement command is output from the control console 13 to the image enhancement processing unit 12 based on the operator's operation input. Then, the image enhancement processing unit 12 applies a bandpass filter shown in FIG. 2, for example, to the brightness (I) image from the image conversion unit 11.

After the filtered brightness image is stored in the image memory 14, it is converted into an analog signal by the D/A converter 15 and displayed on the display 16 as a black and white grayscale image.

Here, when comparing the black and white shading image displayed on the display 16 with the color image of the original picture displayed on the display 8, it is found that since the image on the display 16 is a black and white shading image, The structure of the folds is reflected well, making it possible to observe subtle changes in the properties of folds, such as those caused by early cancer, without missing them. Furthermore, since this black-and-white grayscale image is an enhanced image that has been subjected to a band-pass filter in the image enhancement processing unit 12, it becomes possible to diagnose the above-mentioned lesion more accurately.

Note that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the gist of the present invention.

The brightness image forming means is not limited to those of the above embodiments,
Various means for forming a brightness image based on at least color imaging information from the solid-state image carrier 2 can be employed. In the image conversion unit 11 in the above embodiment, R,
Equation (1) is executed from the G and B signals to form a brightness image. For example, in the case of a system that displays an endoscope color image based on a TV signal from the TV circuit 3, such as an NTSC signal,
The brightness image forming means converts it into R, G, and B signals, and the schematic diagram (
1) may be configured to form a brightness image.

In general, as another method of forming a brightness image, the configuration shown in FIG. 3 may be adopted. The conversion unit 21 shown in FIG. 3 converts the R, G, and B signals into brightness (■).

It is a unit that converts into saturation (S) and hue (H),
If the input signal is an NTSC signal, it is sufficient to first perform R, G, and B conversion, and then perform the above-mentioned 17S and I conversion.

The method of converting R, G, B information into the above-mentioned I, S, I-1 images is well known in the field of color granoics.
tion for Computer Machine
ry) -8I GG RAPH (Special
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There is an ISI conversion model proposed in 1979 by Puter Graphics.

The above H, S, and I images are stored in the image memory 22°23.2, respectively.
4, and then only for brightness (1) images.
The image enhancement processing unit 25 may perform enhancement processing based on commands from the control console 26. At this time, if the S image is input as -0, the color information is not taken into consideration, so that the emphasis processing for the brightness (i) image becomes possible.

Further, in the above embodiment, the endoscope color image display means 6
．． 7.8 and brightness image display means 14, 15.16 are provided separately, but as shown in FIG. It is also possible to switch between the two images and display them on the display 36, or to display them separately on one screen.

For this purpose, for example, an NTSC signal as color eye image information from the endoscope is digitally converted by an A/D converter 31, and the original image is stored in an image memory 32. When displaying this original image, the selector 34 is switched to the A terminal side and displayed.

On the other hand, the brightness image is formed by the image processing unit 10,
When displaying only this brightness image, it is once stored in the memory 33 and then displayed via the B terminal of the selector 34.

When displaying both images separately on one screen of the display 36, the original image and the brightness image are written in the memory 33.

At this time, since it is necessary to reduce both images as data, the data may be thinned out by the address controller 37, read out, and written into two areas on the memory 33 corresponding to, for example, the left and right halves of the display 36. Then, by selecting the B terminal with the selector 34, both images can be displayed separately on the display 36. Note that the above address control and switching of the selector 36 can be performed based on commands from the system control 38.

[Advantageous Effects of the Invention 1] As detailed above, according to the present invention, a brightness image is formed from color image information from a solid-state image sensor, and by emphasizing and displaying this, only the structure can be emphasized. images can be displayed. Therefore, it becomes possible to observe subtle changes in the properties of the structure, which greatly contributes to early detection of lesions.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a characteristic diagram showing bandpass filter characteristics as an example of emphasis processing, FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a modification of the image processing unit, and FIG. FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a modified example in which the display means is shared. 1... Endoscope scope, 2... Solid-state m-image element, 11
．． 21... Brightness image forming means, 12.13... Image enhancement processing means, 14-16... Display means, 25.26... Image enhancement processing means, 34-36... Display means.

Claims (3)

[Claims] (1) Based on color imaging information obtained by a solid-state image sensor placed at the insertion tip of an endoscope, an endoscope device that displays an endoscope color image forms a brightness image from the color imaging information. What is claimed is: 1. An endoscope apparatus comprising: a brightness image forming means for emphasizing the brightness image; an image enhancement processing means for emphasizing the brightness image; and a display means for displaying the emphasized brightness image. (2) The endoscope apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the display means selectively switches and displays the endoscope color image and brightness image. (3) The endoscope apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the display means displays the endoscope color image and the brightness image on one screen in a divided manner.