JPS63130042A - Eyeground image recording 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] [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a fundus image recording device used primarily in the medical field for the purpose of observing the condition of the fundus of a patient and recording cases. .

[Summary of the invention]

The present invention converts a fluorescent fundus image into a still image in the form of a TV signal.
[The purpose is to provide recording equipment.]

A flash lamp that emits light in synchronization with the vertical synchronization signal of the TV system is used as a measure to reduce the impact on the patient because it is small and easy to operate without using special sensitivity multipliers such as image intensifiers. The still image recording device is configured to record only one screen of the output signal of the TV camera formed by the flash lamp.

[Conventional technology]

FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram for explaining the functions and operations of the conventional fluorescent fundus camera device 1, and is
The state of the patient's fundus 2 illuminated by the observation fluorescent excitation light source 8 that emits only short wavelength light is determined by the objective lens system 3. Relay lens system 4. Excitation light blocking filter 5. Eyepiece system 6
It is now possible to observe → with the doctor's eyes 7 through the . The excitation light blocking filter 5 is used in combination to block short wavelength light from the observation fluorescent excitation light source 8 and to observe or record only the 500-600 nm fluorescent image of the fundus.

At this time, a certain kind of drug is administered to the patient so as to produce fluorescence in the arteries of the fundus under the illumination of the fluorescence excitation light source 8 for observation, and the pupil (iris) is further illuminated by the illumination of the excitation light source 8 for observation.
A class of drugs called mydriatics are also given to keep the pupils from closing. In addition, the fluorescence excitation light source 8 for observation is used at the minimum brightness that does not interfere with observation in order to reduce the effect on the patient's illness and to reduce glare, but when taking photographs, the light intensity is insufficient, so the film is A 450-500 nm fluorescence excitation flash lamp 10 linked to the shutter of the camera 9 is also used. When taking a photograph, the optical path is switched from the eyepiece system 6 to the film camera 9 by the optical path switching mirror 11.

Photography is a method that has been used since ancient times.

Since it requires development processing and lacks immediacy, it is expected that the fluorescent TV image of the fundus 2 will be used as a signal source for teaching, discussion, case recording, and image processing in medical universities and the like.

Conventionally, in order to obtain this fluorescent TV image, as shown in FIG. 3, a camera head 12a and a camera control unit 12b are used instead of the film camera 90 in FIG.
A monochrome TV camera 12 is installed, but as mentioned above, the fluorescence excitation light source 8 for observation is used at the minimum brightness that does not interfere with observation, so the camera head 12a is used to compensate for the lack of light intensity. It is necessary to combine an image intensifier 14 with the image pickup tube 13.

[Problem that the invention seeks to solve]

In the above-mentioned conventional technology, since it is necessary to use an image intensifier, the camera head 12a becomes large, which impairs operability, and the obtained TV image has a lot of noise, and the device is extremely expensive. there were. In particular, the most expensive image intensifier 14 is a consumable item, which is a factor that increases the running cost of the apparatus.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a fundus image recording device that is compact, has good operability, and can easily record high-quality images at a low cost, while eliminating the drawbacks of the prior art described above.

[Means for solving problems]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a flash lamp 10 that emits "C" light in synchronization with the vertical synchronization signal of the TV left camera 2.
This provides instantaneous illumination of the fundus of the eye.

This problem is solved by controlling each timing so that only one screen of the TV left camera 2 formed by the flash lamp 10 is reliably recorded on the still image recording device 20. .

[Effect]

By using the above-mentioned means, the present invention can record high-quality images with a small size, high operability, and low cost.

The purpose of the present invention is to record still images, whereas the method using an image intensifier in the above-mentioned prior art produces a moving image, leading to the misunderstanding that the present invention is inferior in operation and effect. However, in the above-mentioned conventional technology, the recorded images are still images and are sufficiently useful for practical use, as can be seen from the fact that photography has been practiced for a long time.

〔Example〕

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram for explaining the functions and operations of an embodiment of the fundus image recording device according to the present invention, in which the image pickup tube 13 of the camera head 12a does not use an image intensifier together, and the synchronous signal Generator 17. Recording command foot switch 18. Optical path switching mirror 11. The fluorescent excitation flash lamp 10° acts in conjunction with the controller 19 to record a fluorescent image of the fundus 2 on the video disk recorder 20. That is, the fundus 2 irradiated with light from the fluorescence excitation light source 8 for observation emits fluorescence in the arteries, and this state can be observed with the doctor's eyes 7 through the eyepiece system 6.

It is also possible to adjust the angle of view and focus prior to recording the fundus image.

FIG. 4 is a time chart for explaining the recording operation of the embodiment shown in FIG. The relative timing of the control signals for the flash lamp 9 and the video disc recorder 20 output from the control device 19 based on the signals is shown.

In FIG. 1, the output signal of the monochrome TV camera 12 is skipped and scanned by VD (vertical drive signal), HD (horizontal drive signal), etc. supplied from the synchronization signal generator 17, and the vertical synchronization signal vS is Vertical retrace period including VBL
Odd field 0 and even field E are output alternately with K in between.

The VD of the synchronizing signal generator 17 is also supplied to the control device 19 along with the recording command signal of the foot switch 18.

When recording an image, when the foot switch 18 is pressed, the optical path switching mirror 11 operates first.
The optical path is switched from to the monochrome TV camera 12, and the fluorescence excitation flash lamp 10 emits light during the first vertical retrace period VBLK, and the fundus 2 is momentarily irradiated with short wavelength light, and the artery is illuminated with fluorescence. It emits and its state is monochrome T
The vertical retrace period VBL captured by the V camera 12
A pair of image signals of odd field 0 and even field E following K are output.

Only one screen worth of image signals is recorded on the video disk recorder 20. At this time, if the TV camera is of a progressive scanning type, the first field corresponds to one screen.

When the fluorescence excitation flash lamp 10 emits light, the patient's pupils are about to close, but the response of the pupils is sufficiently large compared to the image signal period of one screen, so this does not interfere with image recording.

After the recording is completed, the optical path switching mirror 11 returns to its original position, allowing the doctor's eyes 7 to observe the image and adjust the angle of view and focus prior to recording the fundus image.

In the above embodiment, the method of supplying VD and HD from the synchronization signal generator 17 was explained, but VD is synchronously separated from the signal output of a TV camera with a built-in synchronization signal generation circuit.
Since the method used is also within the scope of the present invention, it can be said that the flood lamp 10 emits light in synchronization with the vertical synchronization signal of the TV camera. Also, in place of the image pickup tube 13 of the TV left camera 2.

When using a device that involves charge transfer, such as a CCD (charge-coupled solid-state image sensor), the output signal of the TV left camera 2 is delayed by the charge transfer time from the flash lamp 10 emission. Therefore, the control device 19
The recording control signal of the video disk recorder 20 outputted from the video disk recorder 20 is delayed by an amount equivalent to the charge transfer time. It is also within the scope of the present invention to output a recording control signal that is

The above explanation also applies to the TV left camera 2. Synchronization signal generator 17. Recording command foot switch 18. control device 19;
Although the video disc recorder 20 and the like have been described as separate items, a combination of some of them is also within the scope of the present invention.

FIG. 5 shows the configuration of the control device 19 in FIG. 1, in which the VD supplied from the synchronizing signal generator F and the output signal of the foot switch 18 are ANDed and a flash lamp for excitation of fluorescence is activated within the vertical retrace period VBLK. 10, a flash lamp control circuit 19a for emitting light, and a flash lamp 1 for excitation of fluorescence.
The video disc recorder control circuits 19b which put the video disc recorder 20 in the recording state only for one screen period following the emission of 0 are arranged to operate in conjunction with each other at the timing shown in FIG.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As explained above, according to the present invention, the TV camera is small and easy to operate without using an image intensifier, is inexpensive, and can easily record high-quality images, so it can be used for teaching at medical universities, etc. It has great utility as a signal source for case recording, discussion, and image processing, and its effects are immeasurable.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram for explaining an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a block diagram for explaining the functions and operations of a conventional fluorescent fundus camera device 1, and FIG. 3 is a block diagram for explaining the functions and operations of a conventional fluorescent fundus camera device 1. FIG. 4 is a block diagram for explaining the conventional technique for obtaining TV images.
FIG. 3 is a time chart for explaining the image recording operation of the embodiment, and FIG. 5 is a configuration diagram for explaining the control device 19 of FIG. 3. 1: Conventional fundus camera device, 2: Patient's fundus. 3: objective lens system, 4: relay lens system, 5: blocking filter, 6: eyepiece system, 7: doctor's eye. 8: Fluorescent excitation light source for observation, 9: Film camera. 10: Fluorescence excitation flash lamp, 11: Optical path switching mirror, 12: Monochrome TV camera, 12a: Camera head, 12b two-camera control unit, 1
3: Image pickup tube, 14: Image intensifier, 17
: Sync signal generator, 18:7 switch. 19: Control device, 20: Video disc recorder. O λ mouth

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. In a device for recording the condition of the fundus in the form of a TV image signal, the output signal of a TV camera arranged so that an optical image of the fundus is formed on an imaging surface is connected to a still image recording device, and the fundus is A flash lamp for instantaneous illumination is arranged, and the recording command signal of the switch is ANDed with the subsequent vertical synchronization signal of the TV camera, and the flash lamp is activated in synchronization with the vertical synchronization signal of the TV camera. A fundus image recording device characterized in that it is configured to emit light from the flash lamp and record one screen worth of output signals from a TV camera formed by light emission from the flash lamp on the still image recording device.