JP7052003B2 - Endoscope system - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an endoscope system that has a plurality of observation modes and can easily perform a transition to a different observation mode and a return to the original observation mode.

In the medical field, it is common to make a diagnosis using an endoscope system including a light source device, an endoscope, and a processor device. In recent years, not only the normal observation mode in which an observation target is imaged using white light as illumination light and an image in which the observation target can be observed in a natural hue is acquired and displayed, but also the wavelength of the illumination light irradiating the observation target is changed. By devising or applying signal processing such as spectroscopic estimation processing to the image signal obtained by imaging the observation target, minute changes in the surface layer of the mucous membrane or specific tissues and structures such as blood vessels and ducts are emphasized. An endoscopic system equipped with a special observation mode for obtaining an observed image or the like is used. By switching between these multiple observation modes to display and compare different types of images, the observer enables screening or diagnosis of lesions, making them more reliable. For example, by comparing images in a plurality of special observation modes with different color tones, it may be possible to distinguish between cancer and other parts by the color on the display screen in a lesion part such as the stomach.

Switching of the observation mode including the normal observation mode and the special observation mode is generally performed by a push button type automatic return type switch (momentary switch) attached to the endoscope. Each time the above push button is pressed by the observer, the observation mode shifts in a specific order, and the image displayed on the monitor shifts accordingly. In this way, the observer can switch the display images in the plurality of observation modes in a specific order even while the endoscope is being operated. This allows different types of images to be compared.

Patent Document 1 discloses an endoscope system or the like in which an appropriate observation mode is automatically selected. Specifically, the endoscope system of Patent Document 1 has a special observation mode as an observation mode, and further has two submodes, a special observation mode A and a special observation mode B, as a special observation mode. Of these two submodes, one of them is automatically selected according to the enlargement operation or the like. Therefore, by shifting to a more appropriate observation mode, a preferred type of image can be displayed quickly.

Further, Patent Document 2 is disclosed as an endoscope device capable of switching a display image to an image whose color tone is changed by an observer manually operating a switch. In this endoscope device, even if an endoscope having a different number of switches is used, the function can be flexibly assigned to each switch according to the number of switches, and the function of switching the display image can also be assigned to the desired switch. Therefore, the observer can switch to an image having a different color tone and compare the images by operating an appropriate switch.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2015-54062 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2001-70225

As described above, in an endoscope system having a plurality of special observation modes in addition to the normal observation mode, useful information for screening and diagnosis can be obtained by switching the observation modes and comparing the displayed images. In order to make a higher degree of identification, it may be preferable to compare the images of the above-mentioned plurality of special observation modes a plurality of times.

When the transition of the observation mode is performed by the operation of the observer, it is necessary that the operation method does not interfere with the operation of the endoscope of the observer. For example, in the past, each time the observer pressed the switch, the observation mode circulated and changed in a specific order. In this operation method, the observation mode can be changed by an easy method such as pressing a single switch by the observer. However, for example, in an endoscope system in which three types of observation modes are circulated and transitioned in a specific order by manual operation, if it is desired to return to the immediately preceding observation mode and check an image, two pressing operations are required. there were. Therefore, in order to perform screening or diagnosis quickly and highly, a simple method capable of quickly switching between desired observation modes and shifting to another observation mode is desired.

An object of the present invention is to provide an endoscope system capable of easily performing a transition to a different observation mode and a return to the original observation mode in an endoscope system having a plurality of observation modes. do.

The endoscope system of the present invention has an image acquisition unit, an image processing unit, a display unit, and an automatic return type switch. The image acquisition unit acquires a plurality of images obtained by irradiating a plurality of illumination lights having different wavelength bands to image the subject. The image processing unit performs image processing of the acquired image. The display unit displays the acquired image and / or the image processed. At least one auto-reset switch is provided in the endoscope. It has at least three types of observation modes: a first observation mode, a second observation mode, and a specific observation mode, in which images of different types are displayed on the display unit by illumination light and / or image processing. One of the switches is a mode changeover switch that changes the observation mode. When only the mode changeover switch is operated and the duration of the mode changeover switch on state is longer than the long press judgment time in the first observation mode, After the long press judgment time elapses and the on state continues, the mode shifts to the second observation mode, and when the mode changeover switch is turned off, the mode returns to the first observation mode, and the mode is set in the first observation mode. If the duration of the on state of the changeover switch is less than the long press judgment time, the mode shifts to the specific observation mode.

The endoscope system of the present invention has an image acquisition unit, an image processing unit, a display unit, and an automatic return type switch. The image acquisition unit acquires a plurality of images obtained by irradiating a plurality of illumination lights having different wavelength bands to image the subject. The image processing unit performs image processing of the acquired image. The display unit displays the acquired image and / or the image processed. At least one auto-reset switch is provided in the endoscope. It has at least three types of observation modes: a first observation mode, a second observation mode, and a specific observation mode, in which images of different types are displayed on the display unit by illumination light and / or image processing. One of the switches is a mode changeover switch that changes the observation mode. Only the mode changeover switch is operated, and in the first observation mode, a series of on / off of the mode changeover switch within a specific click judgment time. If the double-click is repeated two or more times, the mode shifts to the second observation mode after the second off, and if the mode changeover switch is double-clicked within the click judgment time, the second is performed. 2 Return to the first observation mode after the second off in the observation mode, and if an operation other than double-click is performed on the mode changeover switch within the click determination time in the first observation mode, the mode shifts to the specific observation mode. do.

The first observation mode is the first special observation mode in which the first special image obtained by photographing the subject illuminated by the first special light as the illumination light is displayed on the display unit, and the second observation mode is the illumination. The second special observation mode is to display the second special image obtained by imaging the subject illuminated with the second special light as light on the display unit, and the specific observation mode is the normal light illuminated as the illumination light. It is a normal observation mode in which a normal image obtained by photographing a subject is displayed on a display unit, and it is preferable that the normal light, the first special light, or the second special light have different spectra.

It has a still image control unit that acquires still images and a still image storage unit that stores still images. One of the switches is a still image acquisition switch that acquires still images, and is still in the first observation mode. It is preferable to acquire and store still images in the first observation mode and the second observation mode by operating the image acquisition switch or by operating the still image acquisition switch in the second observation mode.

After acquiring and saving the still image in the first observation mode by operating the still image acquisition switch in the first observation mode, and then shifting the observation mode to the second observation mode without operating the mode changeover switch, the second observation mode is performed. 2 It is preferable to acquire and save a still image in the observation mode, and then return to the first observation mode.

After acquiring and saving the still image in the first observation mode by operating the still image acquisition switch in the first observation mode, the still image in the second observation mode is acquired and saved by the image processing for generating the still image for the still image. Is preferable.

After acquiring and saving the still image in the second observation mode by operating the still image acquisition switch in the second observation mode, the still image in the first observation mode is acquired and saved by the image processing for generating the still image for the still image. Is preferable.

The normal light is light containing blue laser light and fluorescence emitted by irradiating the phosphor with blue laser light, and the first special light is blue-violet laser light, blue laser light, blue-purple laser light, and blue laser light. The second special light is blue-purple laser light and blue laser light. It is preferable that the light contains fluorescence emitted by irradiating the phosphor with blue-violet laser light and blue laser light, and the emission ratio of the blue laser light is larger than the emission ratio of the blue-violet laser light.

It is preferable that the normal light, the first special light, or the second special light includes purple light, blue light, green light, or red light, and each has a different light intensity ratio.

In the first special light, the light intensity of purple light is higher than the light intensity of blue light, green light, and red light, and in the second special light, the light intensity of purple light is blue light, green light, and red light. It is preferably smaller than the light intensity.

It is preferable that the first special light emphasizes the superficial blood vessels and the second special light emphasizes the deep blood vessels located deeper than the superficial blood vessels.

It is preferable that the first special light and the second special light have different visibility for the structure including the ductal structure.

It is preferable that the image processing unit performs image processing corresponding to the first observation mode, image processing corresponding to the second observation mode, or image processing corresponding to the specific observation mode. The endoscope system of the present invention includes an image acquisition unit, an image processing unit, a display unit, an automatic return type switch, a still image control unit for acquiring still images, and a still image storage unit for storing still images. And have. The image acquisition unit acquires a plurality of images obtained by irradiating a plurality of illumination lights having different wavelength bands to image the subject. The image processing unit performs image processing of the acquired image. The display unit displays the acquired image and / or the image processed. At least one auto-reset switch is provided in the endoscope. It has at least three types of observation modes: a first observation mode, a second observation mode, and a specific observation mode, in which images of different types are displayed on the display unit by illumination light and / or image processing. One of the switches is a mode changeover switch that changes the observation mode. In the first observation mode, when the mode changeover switch is turned on, a specific transition time from the time when the mode changeover switch is turned on, the second observation mode And after the transition time elapses, it returns to the first observation mode, and one of the switches is a still image acquisition switch for acquiring a still image, by operating the still image acquisition switch in the first observation mode, or by operating the first observation mode. 2 By operating the still image acquisition switch in the observation mode, the still images in the first observation mode and the second observation mode are acquired and saved. After acquiring and saving the still image in the first observation mode by operating the still image acquisition switch in the first observation mode, the still image in the second observation mode is acquired and saved by the image processing for generating the still image for the still image. .. Further, after the still image in the second observation mode is acquired and saved by operating the still image acquisition switch in the second observation mode, the still image in the first observation mode is acquired and saved by the image processing for generating the still image for the still image. save.

According to the endoscope system of the present invention, it is possible to easily shift to a different observation mode and return to the original observation mode.

It is an external view of an endoscope system. It is a block diagram which shows the function of the endoscope system of 1st Embodiment. It is a graph which shows the spectrum of normal light. It is a graph which shows the spectrum of the 1st special light. It is a graph which shows the spectrum of the 2nd special light. It is a block diagram which shows the function of an image processing part. It is a block diagram which shows the function of a central control part. It is explanatory drawing which shows the relationship between the changeover switch operation (long press) and the observation mode. It is explanatory drawing which shows the relationship between the changeover switch operation (press-open) and the observation mode. It is explanatory drawing which shows the relationship between the changeover switch operation (long press) and the observation mode return. It is explanatory drawing which shows the relationship between the conventional changeover switch operation and an observation mode. It is explanatory drawing which shows the relationship between the changeover switch operation (double-click) and the observation mode. It is explanatory drawing which shows the relationship between the changeover switch operation (press-open) and the observation mode. It is explanatory drawing which shows the relationship between the changeover switch operation (press-open) and the observation mode return. It is explanatory drawing which shows the relationship between the changeover switch operation (pressing-opening), and the observation mode automatic return. It is a block diagram which shows the function of the still image storage part. It is explanatory drawing which shows the relationship between the changeover switch operation (pressing-opening) and the still image switch operation (pressing-opening), and the still image temporary storage. It is explanatory drawing which shows the relationship between the changeover switch operation (double click) and the still image switch operation (press-release), and still image temporary storage. It is a block diagram which shows the function of an image processing part. It is explanatory drawing which shows the relationship between the changeover switch operation (pressing-opening) and the still image switch operation (pressing-opening), and still image generation. It is explanatory drawing explaining the display of a still image. It is a block diagram which shows the function of the endoscope system of 2nd Embodiment. It is a graph which shows the emission spectrum of purple light V, blue light B, green light G, and red light R. It is a graph which shows the emission spectrum of the 1st special light including purple light V, blue light B, green light G, and red light R. It is a graph which shows the emission spectrum of the 2nd special light including purple light V, blue light B, green light G, and red light R.

[First Embodiment]
As shown in FIG. 1, the endoscope system 10 of the first embodiment includes an endoscope 12, a light source device 14, a processor device 16, a monitor 18, and a console 19. The endoscope 12 is optically connected to the light source device 14 and electrically connected to the processor device 16. The endoscope 12 includes an insertion portion 12a to be inserted into the subject, an operation portion 12b provided at the base end portion of the insertion portion 12a, and a curved portion 12c and a tip portion 12d provided on the tip end side of the insertion portion 12a. have. By operating the angle knob 12e of the operating portion 12b, the curved portion 12c bends. With this bending motion, the tip portion 12d is directed in a desired direction. The console 19 includes a mouse and the like in addition to the illustrated keyboard.

Further, in addition to the angle knob 12e, the operation unit 12b is provided with a mode changeover switch (hereinafter referred to as a changeover SW) 13a used for the observation mode changeover operation. The endoscope system 10 has three observation modes: a normal observation mode, a first special observation mode, and a second special observation mode. In the normal observation mode, an image having a natural color (hereinafter referred to as a normal image) obtained by imaging an observation target using white light as an illumination light is displayed on the monitor 18. In the first special observation mode, the first special image in which the surface blood vessels are emphasized is displayed on the monitor 18. In the second special observation mode, the second special image in which the deep blood vessels are emphasized is displayed on the monitor 18. In addition to the mucous membrane, the visibility of structures such as ductal structures and irregularities differs between the first special observation mode and the second special observation mode. For example, in the first special image displayed in the first special observation mode, the visibility for the shallow ductal structure is high, and in the second special image displayed in the second special observation mode, the visibility for the deep ductal structure is high. Is different.

Further, the operation unit 12b is provided with a still image acquisition switch (hereinafter referred to as a still image acquisition SW) 13b for acquiring a still image. When the user detects a portion that is considered to be effective for diagnosis, the switching SW13a and the still image acquisition SW13b may be operated alternately.

The processor device 16 is electrically connected to the monitor 18 and the console 19. The monitor 18 is an example of a display unit that outputs and displays an image to be observed, information incidental to the image to be observed, and the like. The console 19 functions as a user interface that accepts input operations such as function settings. An external recording unit (not shown) for recording an image, image information, or the like may be connected to the processor device 16.

As shown in FIG. 2, the light source device 14 includes a blue laser light source 20a, a blue-violet laser light source 20b, and a light source control unit 21. The light source device 14 has a blue laser light source (denoted as “445LD (Laser Diode)” in FIG. 2) 20a that emits a blue laser light having a center wavelength of 445 ± 10 nm in order to emit light in a plurality of wavelength bands, and a center wavelength 405 ±. A blue-violet laser light source (denoted as "405LD" in FIG. 2) 20b that emits a blue-violet laser light of 10 nm is provided as a light emitting source. The light emitted from the semiconductor light emitting elements of each of the light sources 20a and 20b is individually controlled by the light source control unit 21, and the light intensity ratio between the emitted light of the blue laser light source 20a and the emitted light of the blue-violet laser light source 20b can be freely changed. It has become.

The light source control unit 21 drives the blue laser light source 20a in the normal observation mode. In the case of the first special observation mode, both the blue laser light source 20a and the blue-violet laser light source 20b are driven, and the emission ratio of the blue-violet laser light is controlled to be larger than the emission ratio of the blue laser light. .. In the case of the second special observation mode, both the blue laser light source 20a and the blue-purple laser light source 20b are driven, and the emission ratio of the blue laser light is controlled to be larger than the emission ratio of the blue-purple laser light. ..

The half-value width of the blue laser light or the blue-violet laser light is preferably about ± 10 nm. Further, as the blue laser light source 20a and the blue-purple laser light source 20b, a broad area type InGaN-based laser diode can be used, and an InGaN As-based laser diode or a GaN As-based laser diode can also be used. Further, as the light source, a light emitting body such as a light emitting diode may be used.

In addition to the illumination lens 28, the illumination optical system 24a is provided with a phosphor 30 to which the blue laser light or the blue-violet laser light from the light guide 26 is incident. When the phosphor 30 is irradiated with a blue laser beam, fluorescence is emitted from the phosphor 30. Further, some blue laser light passes through the phosphor 30 as it is. The bluish-purple laser beam passes through the phosphor 30 without exciting it. The light emitted from the phosphor 30 is irradiated into the sample through the illumination lens 28.

Here, in the normal observation mode, since the blue laser light is mainly incident on the phosphor 30, the blue laser light as shown in FIG. 3 and the fluorescence excited and emitted from the phosphor 30 by the blue laser light are combined. Normal light is applied to the observation target. In the first special observation mode, both the bluish purple laser light and the blue laser light are incident on the phosphor 30, so that the bluish purple laser light, the blue laser light, and the blue laser light as shown in FIG. 4 make the phosphor. The sample is irradiated with the first special light, which is a combination of fluorescence excited and emitted from 30. In this first special light, the light intensity of the blue-violet laser light is higher than the light intensity of the blue laser light.

Even in the second special observation mode, both the bluish purple laser light and the blue laser light are incident on the phosphor 30, so that the bluish purple laser light, the blue laser light, and the blue laser light as shown in FIG. 5 make the phosphor. The sample is irradiated with the second special light, which is a combination of fluorescence excited and emitted from 30. In this second special light, the light intensity of the blue laser light is higher than the light intensity of the blue-purple laser light.

The phosphor 30 is a plurality of types of phosphors that absorb a part of the blue laser light and excite and emit light from green to yellow (for example, a YAG-based fluorescent substance or a fluorescent substance such as BAM (BaMgAl ₁₀ O ₁₇ )). It is preferable to use one composed of. If a semiconductor light emitting element is used as an excitation light source for the phosphor 30 as in this configuration example, high-intensity white light can be obtained with high luminous efficiency, the intensity of white light can be easily adjusted, and the color of white light can be adjusted. Changes in temperature and chromaticity can be suppressed to a small extent.

As shown in FIG. 2, the light guide 26 is built in the endoscope 12 and the universal cord (the cord connecting the endoscope 12, the light source device 14 and the processor device 16), and is from the light source device 14. Light propagates to the tip portion 12d of the endoscope 12.

An illumination optical system 24a and an image pickup optical system 24b are provided at the tip end portion 12d of the endoscope 12. The illumination optical system 24a has an illumination lens 28, and the light from the light guide 26 is irradiated to the observation target through the illumination lens 28. The image pickup optical system 24b has an objective lens 32 and an image pickup sensor 34. The reflected light from the observation target is incident on the image pickup sensor 34 via the objective lens 32. As a result, a reflected image of the observation target is formed on the image pickup sensor 34.

The image pickup sensor 34 is a color image pickup sensor, which captures a reflected image of a subject and outputs an image signal. The image pickup sensor 34 is preferably a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) image pickup sensor, a CMOS (Complementary Metal-Oxide Semiconductor) image pickup sensor, or the like. The image pickup sensor 34 used in the present invention is a color image pickup sensor for obtaining RGB image signals of three colors of R (red), G (green) and B (blue), that is, an R pixel provided with an R filter. , A so-called RGB image pickup sensor including a G pixel provided with a G filter and a B pixel provided with a B filter.

The image sensor 34 is a so-called complementary color image sensor provided with complementary color filters of C (cyan), M (magenta), Y (yellow) and G (green) instead of the RGB color image sensor. May be. When using a complementary color image sensor, the image signal of four colors of CMYG is output, so it is necessary to convert the image signal of four colors of CMYG into the image signal of three colors of RGB by the complementary color-primary color conversion. ..

As shown in FIG. 2, the image signal output from the image pickup sensor 34 is transmitted to the CDS / AGC circuit 36. The CDS / AGC circuit 36 performs correlated double sampling (CDS (Correlated Double Sampling)) and automatic gain control (AGC (Auto Gain Control)) on an image signal which is an analog signal. The image signal that has passed through the CDS / AGC circuit 36 is converted into a digital image signal by the A / D converter (A / D (Analog / Digital) converter) 38. The A / D converted digital image signal is input to the processor device 16.

The processor device 16 corresponds to a medical image processing device that processes a medical image such as an image obtained by the endoscope 12. The processor device 16 includes an image acquisition unit 40, a DSP (Digital Signal Processor) 42, a noise removal unit 44, an image processing unit 46, a parameter switching unit 48, a still image storage unit 49, and a video signal generation unit. 50 and a central control unit 52 are provided. A digital color image signal from the endoscope 12 is input to the image acquisition unit 40. The color image signal is derived from an R image signal output from the R pixel of the image sensor 34, a G image signal output from the G pixel of the image sensor 34, and a B image signal output from the B pixel of the image sensor 34. It is a constituent RGB image signal.

The DSP 42 performs various signal processing such as defect correction processing, offset processing, gain processing, color adjustment processing, gamma conversion processing, and demosaic processing on the received image signal. In the defect correction process, the signal of the defective pixel of the image pickup sensor 34 is corrected. In the offset processing, the dark current component is removed from the RGB image signal subjected to the defect correction processing, and an accurate zero level is set.

In the gain processing, the signal level is adjusted by multiplying the RGB image signal after the offset processing by a specific gain parameter. The specific gain parameters are different for each observation mode. For example, in the case of the normal observation mode, a gain process for normal light is performed by multiplying the image signal obtained by illumination and imaging of normal light by a gain parameter for normal light as a specific gain parameter. Further, in the case of the first special observation mode, the gain parameter for the first special light is used as a specific gain parameter for the RGB image signal (first image) obtained by the illumination and imaging of the first special light. The gain processing for the first special light to be multiplied by is performed. Further, in the case of the second special observation mode, the gain parameter for the second special light is used as a specific gain parameter for the RGB image signal (second image) obtained by the illumination and imaging of the second special light. The gain processing for the second special light to be multiplied by is performed.

After that, the brightness and saturation are adjusted by the gamma conversion process. The RGB image signal after the linear matrix processing is subjected to demosaic processing (also referred to as isotropic processing and simultaneous processing), and a signal of a color lacking in each pixel is generated by interpolation. By this demosaic processing, all pixels have signals of each color of RGB.

The noise reduction unit 44 removes noise from the RGB image signal by performing noise reduction processing (for example, a moving average method, a median filter method, etc.) on the RGB image signal that has been gamma-corrected by the DSP 42. The RGB image signal from which noise has been removed is transmitted to the image processing unit 46.

As shown in FIG. 6, the image processing unit 46 includes a color adjustment processing unit 53, a structure enhancement processing unit 54, a general image processing unit 55, and a still image control unit 56. The image processing unit 46 performs various image processing on the RGB image signal. Various types of image processing include general image processing performed under the same conditions regardless of the observation mode, and image processing performed under different conditions for each observation mode. The general image processing unit 55 performs general image processing. The image processing performed under different conditions for each observation mode includes a color adjustment process for enhancing color reproducibility and a structure enhancement process for emphasizing various structures such as blood vessels and irregularities. The color adjustment processing unit 53 performs color adjustment processing, and the structure enhancement processing unit 54 performs structure enhancement processing. The color adjustment process and the structure enhancement process are processes using a two-dimensional LUT (Look Up Table), a three-dimensional LUT (Look Up Table), a matrix, or the like. In the image processing unit 46, when performing the color adjustment processing and the structure enhancement processing, the color adjustment processing parameters set for each observation mode and the structure enhancement processing parameters are used. Switching of these color adjustment processing parameters or structure enhancement processing parameters is performed by the parameter switching unit 48 according to the operation of the switching SW13a.

When the normal observation mode is set, the image processing unit 46 is switched between the normal light color adjustment processing parameter and the normal light structure enhancement processing parameter by the parameter switching unit 48. Then, the RGB image signal is subjected to the normal light color adjustment processing using the normal light color adjustment processing parameter, and the RGB image signal is used for the normal light using the normal light structure enhancement processing parameter. Perform structural enhancement processing. Then, the RGB image signal subjected to the image processing corresponding to the other normal observation modes is input to the video signal generation unit 50 as a normal image.

When set to the first special observation mode, the image processing unit 46 is switched between the first special light color adjustment processing parameter and the first special light structure enhancement processing parameter by the parameter switching unit 48. Then, the RGB image signal is subjected to the first special light color adjustment processing using the first special light color adjustment processing parameter, and the RGB image signal is subjected to the first special light structure enhancement processing parameter. Is subjected to the first special light structure enhancement treatment. Then, the RGB image signal subjected to the image processing corresponding to the other first special observation mode is input to the video signal generation unit 50 as the first special image.

When set to the second special observation mode, the image processing unit 46 is switched between the second special light color adjustment processing parameter and the second special light structure enhancement processing parameter by the parameter switching unit 48. Then, the RGB image signal is subjected to the second special light color adjustment processing using the second special light color adjustment processing parameter, and the RGB image signal is subjected to the second special light structure enhancement processing parameter. Is subjected to the second special light structure enhancement treatment. Then, the RGB image signal subjected to the image processing corresponding to the other second special observation mode is input to the video signal generation unit 50 as the second special image.

The still image control unit 56 controls the still image in each observation mode. The details of the still image control unit 56 will be described below.

The still image storage unit 49 stores the still image of each observation mode according to the instruction of the still image control unit 56. The saved still image is sent to the video signal generation unit 50 according to the instruction of the still image control unit 56. The still image sent to the video signal generation unit 50 for display on the monitor 18 is not limited to one, and may be, for example, a plurality of still images for each observation mode. In this case, the monitor 18 displays a plurality of still images at the same time or in a specific order.

The video signal generation unit 50 uses the normal image, the first special image, the second special image, or the still image input from the still image storage unit 49 input from the image processing unit 46 as an image that can be displayed on the monitor 18. Convert to a video signal for display. Based on this video signal, the monitor 18 displays a normal image, a first special image, or a second special image or a still image.

The central control unit 52 controls each unit of the processor device 16. Further, the central control unit 52 receives information from the endoscope 12 or the light source device 14, and based on the received information, controls each part of the processor device 16 and controls the endoscope 12 or the light source device 14. conduct.

As shown in FIG. 7, the central control unit 52 includes a mode switching SW detection unit 57, a determination unit 58, and a still image acquisition SW detection unit 59. The mode switching SW detection unit 57 detects an operation in the ON state or the OFF state of the switching SW 13a. The still image acquisition SW detection unit 59 detects the on operation of the still image acquisition SW13b. The determination unit 58 makes various determinations based on the result of the mode switching SW detection unit 57 under preset conditions. The result of the mode switching SW detection unit 57 is, for example, the duration of the ON state or the OFF state of the switching SW 13a, the number of times of switching, and the like. The central control unit 52, the mode switching SW detection unit 57, and the determination unit 58 function as described in (1) or (2) below.

(1) Sub-mode transition and return and main mode transition For example, when observing in the first special observation mode, the transition to the second special observation mode is performed only by operating the switching SW13a, and then the first special observation mode is performed. You can return to. Further, when observing in the first special observation mode, the transition to the normal observation mode can be performed only by operating the switching SW13a. Therefore, the transition and return between the special observation modes and the transition to the normal observation mode can be performed only by operating a single switch of the switching SW13a. When the first special observation mode and the normal observation mode are set as the main mode and the second special observation mode is set as the sub mode, the transition to and from the sub mode and the transition to the main mode are performed only by operating the single switch of the switching SW13a. It can be performed.

Specifically, in the first special observation mode, when the duration of the ON state of the switching SW13a is longer than the long press determination time t1, the central control unit 52 controls each part of the processor device 16 or performs endoscopy. As a control of the mirror 12 or the light source device 14, an instruction is given to shift the observation mode to the second observation mode. On the other hand, in the first special observation mode, when the duration of the ON state of the switching SW13a is less than the long press determination time t1, the central control unit 52 similarly instructs the observation mode to shift to the third observation mode. I do. In this embodiment, the changeover SW13a is an automatic return type switch called a momentary switch or a push switch.

Illustratively, in FIGS. 8 and 9, the upper part shows the off (off) and on (on) states of the switching SW13a (switching SW), and the lower part shows the type of observation mode on the time axis (t). There is. In the first special observation mode (FIGS. 8, 1), the mode switching SW detection unit 57 turns the switching SW13a into an ON state and continues the ON state, and then the ON state continues beyond the long press determination time t1. If it is detected, the determination unit 58 determines that the switching SW13a has been pressed and held. That is, the determination unit 58 compares the duration ton in the ON state with the long press determination time t1. When the determination unit 58 determines that the switching SW13a has been pressed for a long time, the central control unit 52 shifts the observation mode to the second observation mode as control of each unit of the processor device 16, the endoscope 12 or the light source device 14. Give instructions to do. As a result, the observation mode shifts from the first special observation mode to the second special observation mode (FIGS. 8, 2) when the duration ton of the switching SW13a in the ON state exceeds the long press determination time t1. .. Subsequently, when the mode switching SW detection unit 57 detects that the mode switching SW detection unit 57 has changed from the on state to the off state, the central control unit 52 gives an instruction to return the observation mode to the first special observation mode. As a result, the observation mode shifts from the second special observation mode to the first special observation mode when the switching SW13a is turned off. As described above, when the switching SW13a is temporarily held down for a period of time to temporarily shift to the submode and the switching SW13a is released from the long press, the original observation mode is restored, and the transition to the submode and the return can be easily performed. Will be done.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 9, in the first special observation mode (FIGS. 9, 1), the switching SW13a (FIG. 9, switching SW) is turned on by the mode switching SW detection unit 57, and is in the ON state. If it is detected that the button is turned off before the long press determination time t1 is reached, the determination unit 58 determines that the long press has not been performed. When the central control unit 52 determines that the switching SW 13a has not been pressed for a long time, the central control unit 52 gives an instruction to shift the observation mode to the normal observation mode as a control of each unit of the processor device 16, the endoscope 12 or the light source device 14. As a result, the observation mode shifts from the first special observation mode to the normal observation mode (FIG. 9, normal) when the switching SW13a is turned off. As described above, if the switching SW13a is not pressed for a long time, the main mode is changed.

FIG. 10 shows an example of the flow of the operation of the switching SW13a as described above and the transition and return of the observation mode. In the normal observation mode (FIG. 10, normal), the switching SW13a is once pressed so as to be in the ON state for a time shorter than the long press determination time t1, and then released (FIG. 10, pressed-open) for normal observation. The transition from the mode to the first special observation mode (FIG. 10, first special) is performed. That is, by clicking the switching SW13a once, the transition to the main mode is performed. After that, the switching SW13a is pressed to maintain the pressed state (FIG. 10, pressing (long pressing)), and when the pressing time is longer than the long pressing determination time t1, the second after the long pressing determination time t1 elapses. When the special observation mode (FIG. 10, 2nd special) is entered and then the switching SW13a is opened (FIG. 10, open), the first special observation mode (FIG. 10, 1st special) is entered, and the submode is changed. A return is made. Although not shown, it is possible to shift from the first special observation mode to the second special observation mode a plurality of times by further pressing and holding the switching SW13a in the first special observation mode. Further, in the first special observation mode, the main mode is switched and the normal observation mode is switched by clicking the switching SW13a so that the switch is turned on for a time shorter than the long press determination time t1.

FIG. 11 shows an example of the flow of the operation of the switching SW13a and the transition and return of the observation mode in the prior art. The switching SW13a is a so-called toggle type switch, and by pressing and releasing the switching SW13a once, the observation mode shifts according to the preset shift order of the observation mode. In the normal observation mode (FIG. 11, normal), the first special observation mode (FIG. 11, FIG. 11,) set to the next observation mode by clicking the switching SW13a once (FIG. 11, pressed-open 1). By shifting to the first special observation mode and clicking the switching SW13a once (FIG. 11, press-open / 2), the second special observation mode (FIG. 11, first) is set to the next observation mode. 2 Special), and by clicking the switching SW13a once (Fig. 11, press-open, 3), the normal observation mode (Fig. 11, normal) set to the next observation mode is set. do. After that, the operation and the subsequent operations are repeated in the same manner as described above (FIG. 11, press-open, 4). That is, by operating the switching SW13a, the normal observation mode, the first special observation mode, and the second special observation mode are circulated and transitioned. In this case, for example, when it is desired to shift from the second special observation mode to the first special observation mode, the operation of the switching SW13a needs to be performed twice (FIG. 11, pressing-opening / 3 and pressing-opening / 4). On the other hand, in the case of the present embodiment, the above transition can be performed only by opening the switching SW13a while the switching SW13a is pressed (see FIG. 10).

The central control unit 52 and / or the determination unit 58 can freely set how to shift the observation mode in advance. Therefore, for example, the type of observation mode to be set in the main mode and the sub mode, the method of shifting to which observation mode by pressing and holding the switching SW13a, and the like can be freely set. Further, in the determination unit 58, a specific numerical value of the long press determination time t1 can be set in advance or in real time. In this embodiment, the long press determination time t1 is set to, for example, 2 seconds.

Even by an operation different from the above, the observation mode can be similarly changed by the operation of the switching SW13a and the setting of the mode switching SW detection unit 57 and / or the determination unit 58. For example, a click and a double click can be adopted as the operation of the switching SW13a. By detecting the double click instead of the above-mentioned long press, it is possible to easily perform the transition to the sub mode, the return, and the transition to the main mode only by operating a single switch of the switching SW13a.

Specifically, in the first special observation mode, the mode switching SW detection unit 57 detects a series of operations of switching SW13a on and off at least twice, and the plurality of series of operations is the determination unit 58. When the determination unit 58 determines that the determination has been performed within a specific period (hereinafter referred to as a click determination time) preset in the central processing unit 52, the central control unit 52 controls each unit of the processor device 16 or controls the endoscope 12 or the endoscope 12. As a control of the light source device 14, an instruction is given to shift the observation mode to the second observation mode. In this embodiment, it is a double click that a series of operations of turning on and off the switching SW13a is performed at least twice. On the other hand, when the operation of the switching SW13a does not meet the above conditions, that is, in the first special observation mode, a series of operations of turning the switching SW13a on and off is performed at least twice within the click determination time. When the switching SW 13a is operated, the central control unit 52 gives an instruction to shift the observation mode to the normal observation mode as a control of each unit of the processor device 16 or a control of the endoscope 12 or the light source device 14. That is, the sub-mode is switched by double-clicking, and the main mode is switched by an operation other than double-clicking.

Illustratively, in FIGS. 12 and 13, the upper part shows the off (off) and on (on) states of the switching SW13a (switching SW), and the lower part shows the type of observation mode on the time axis (t). There is. In the first special observation mode (FIG. 12, 1), the mode switching SW detection unit 57 detects a series of operations of turning the switching SW 13a on and off at least twice, and the determination unit 58 detects the series of operations. If it is determined that the operation has been performed within the click determination time t2, the determination unit 58 determines that the switching SW13a has been double-clicked. In this case, the central control unit 52, as a control of each unit of the processor device 16, the endoscope 12 or the light source device 14, gives an instruction to shift the observation mode to the second observation mode after the second off in the double click. .. As a result, the observation mode shifts from the first special observation mode to the second special observation mode (FIG. 12, 2nd). The same applies to the second special observation mode as described above. The mode switching SW detection unit 57 detects a series of operations of turning the switching SW 13a on and off at least twice, and the determination unit 58 detects the series of operations. When it is determined that the operation is performed within the click determination time t2, the determination unit 58 determines that the switching SW13a has been double-clicked, and after the second off in the double-click, the observation mode is the second special observation mode. Returns to the first special observation mode. The click determination time t2 can be freely set in advance or in real time. In the present embodiment, the click determination time t2 is set to, for example, 0.5 seconds. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 13, in the first special observation mode (FIGS. 13, 1), the mode switching SW detection unit 57 detects a series of operations of turning the switching SW 13a on and off only once, and determines. When the unit 58 determines that this one operation has been performed within the click determination time t2, the determination unit 58 determines that the double click has not been performed by the switching SW13a. In this case, the central control unit 52 shifts from the first special observation mode to the normal observation mode.

It should be noted that the above-mentioned long press, double click, or other operations may be used in combination. For example, in the first special observation mode, while the switching SW13a is long-pressed, the mode shifts to the second observation mode, which is a sub-mode, and by releasing the long-press, the first special observation mode is restored and the first special observation is performed. In the mode, the main mode is switched by double-clicking, and the mode shifts to the normal observation mode. Further, the operation of the switching SW13a and its action can be made different for each observation mode. For example, in the normal mode, it is possible to shift to the first special observation mode while the switching SW13a is held down, and in the first special observation mode, it is possible to shift to the second special observation mode while the switching SW13a is held down. Even with such a combination, it is possible to easily perform transition to and from submode and transition to main mode only by operating a single switch of the switching SW13a.

As described above, it is possible to easily temporarily shift to and return to the sub mode only by pressing or opening the switching SW13a, and further, by simply pressing or opening the same switching SW13a, the main mode can be set. You can make a transition. Therefore, for example, two different types of images such as the first special observation mode and the second special observation mode can be easily switched and displayed in a short time, and the normal observation mode can be quickly shifted to the normal observation mode. Thereby, in the first special observation mode or the second special observation mode, the lesion can be observed quickly and highly while comparing different images, and further, the normal observation mode can be quickly shifted to the observation position. By displaying an image that is easy to grasp, the endoscope can be safely and quickly moved to another observation position. Therefore, advanced observation with an endoscope can be performed safely and quickly.

(2) Temporary transition to submode As another embodiment for temporary transition to submode, the following aspects can be mentioned. When the switching SW13a is an automatic return type switch and is turned on, the mode shifts to the second observation mode for a specific time (hereinafter referred to as the transition time), and returns to the first special observation mode after the transition period elapses.

Illustratively, in FIG. 14, the upper part shows the on (on) and off (off) states of the switching SW13a (switching SW), and the lower part shows the observation mode on the time axis (t). In the first special observation mode, when the mode switching SW detection unit 57 detects that the switching SW 13a is in the ON state, the determination unit 58 determines that the transition to the sub mode is to be performed temporarily. The central control unit 52 shifts the observation mode to the second observation mode during the transition period t3 as a control of each part of the processor device 16, the endoscope 12 or the light source device 14, and the first special observation mode after the transition period t3 elapses. Instruct to return to. As a result, the observation mode immediately shifts from the first special observation mode (FIG. 14, first) to the second special observation mode (FIG. 14, second). After that, the second special observation mode is continued during the transition period t3, and after the transition period t3 elapses, the mode returns to the first special observation mode. As described above, by pressing the switching SW13a once to the ON state, it temporarily shifts to another observation mode, and after the transition period, it automatically returns to the original observation mode, and it is easy to shift and return to the observation mode. It is done in.

In this case, after pressing the switching SW13a to turn it on, whether the switching SW13a is released or kept pressed without opening, the original is automatically automatically after the transition period t3 has elapsed. Return to observation mode. The transition to the main mode may be performed, for example, by double-clicking the switching SW13a. Further, the transition period t3 can be freely set in advance or in real time. In this embodiment, for example, the transition period t3 is set to 5 seconds.

FIG. 15 shows an example of the flow of the operation of the switching SW13a as described above and the transition and return of the observation mode. In FIG. 15, by operating the switching SW13a once to press and release (FIG. 15, pressing-opening 5), the normal observation mode (FIG. 15, normal) is changed to the first special observation mode (FIG. 15, 1st). The transition to (special) is done. That is, by clicking the switching SW13a once, the transition to the main mode is performed. After that, in the first special observation mode, when the switching SW13a is pressed and released so as to be turned on once (FIG. 15, pressing-opening 6), the mode shifts to the second special observation mode (FIG. 15, second special). Then, after the transition period t3 has elapsed, the mode returns to the first special observation mode. Although not shown, it is possible to shift from the first special observation mode to the second special observation mode a plurality of times by further pressing the switching SW13a in the first special observation mode.

In the above embodiment, the normal observation mode and the first special observation mode are set as the main mode, and the second special observation mode is set as the submode of the first special observation mode. In the first special observation mode, the first special image in which the surface blood vessels are emphasized is displayed on the monitor 18. In the second special observation mode, the second special image in which the deep blood vessels are emphasized is displayed on the monitor 18. In addition to the mucous membrane, the visibility of structures such as ductal structures and irregularities differs between the first special observation mode and the second special observation mode. For example, in the first special image displayed in the first special observation mode, the visibility for the shallow ductal structure is high, and in the second special image displayed in the second special observation mode, the visibility for the deep ductal structure is high. Is different. Therefore, by switching the submode, it is possible to grasp the three-dimensional structure of blood vessels, and to easily diagnose lesions that are difficult to diagnose only with superficial blood vessels, by grasping the unevenness and / or ductal structure. It becomes.

As described above, it is possible to easily temporarily shift to and return to the sub-mode only by pressing the switching SW13a once. Therefore, two different types of images can be easily switched and displayed. For example, the observation of the lesion can be performed by easily switching and displaying the images in the two types of special observation modes.

(3) Still image Next, the acquisition and storage of the still image are performed as follows. For example, when the still image acquisition SW13b (see FIG. 1) is operated in the first special observation mode, or when the still image acquisition SW13b is operated in the second special observation mode, the still image control unit 56 (see FIG. 6). However, according to the detection of the operation of the still image acquisition SW detection unit 59 (see FIG. 7), the still image in the first special observation mode (hereinafter referred to as the first still image) and the still image in the second special observation mode (hereinafter referred to as the still image). Controls the acquisition and storage of (referred to as the second still image). As shown in FIG. 16, the still image storage unit 49 has a temporary storage unit 60 and a storage unit 61, and the acquired still image is first stored in the temporary storage unit 60, and then an appropriate still image is stored. It is stored in the storage unit 61. As a method of acquiring and saving the first still image and the second still image, there are a case where the still image is acquired according to the switching of the observation mode and a case where the still image is acquired without switching the observation mode. ..

An example of acquiring a still image according to the switching of the observation mode will be described with reference to FIGS. 17 and 18. In FIGS. 17 and 18, in order from the upper part, the switching SW13a (switching SW) is turned on (on) and turned off (off), and below that, the still image acquisition SW13b (still image SW) is turned on (on). And the off state, the observation mode, the temporarily stored still image, and the saved still image are shown on the time axis (t). For example, by operating the switching SW13a (FIG. 17, switching SW), the observation mode becomes the first special observation mode (FIG. 17, observation mode). Here, by operating the still image acquisition SW13b (FIG. 17, still image SW), the central control unit 52 (see FIG. 2) and the still image control unit 56 are the first at the time when the still image acquisition SW13b is operated. Acquire and temporarily save a still image (Fig. 17, temporary save). After the first still image is temporarily saved, the observation mode is automatically switched to the second special observation mode (FIG. 17, observation mode), and the second still image is acquired and temporarily saved (FIG. 17, temporary storage). .. After the second still image is temporarily saved, the temporarily saved first still image and the above-mentioned second still image are saved in the storage unit 61, and the observation mode is automatically changed to the first special observation mode. Return (Fig. 17, observation mode). The first still image and the second still image stored in the storage unit 61 are sent to the video signal generation unit 50 for display on the monitor 18. The transition to the second special observation mode and the return to the first special observation mode are automatically performed by the central control unit 52. The transition and return periods may be any period as long as the second still image can be acquired and stored, and such various controls are performed by the central control unit 52.

As described above, the still images in the first special observation mode and the second special observation mode are saved by one operation of the still image acquisition SW13b, and these still images can be displayed at the same time. Therefore, two different types of still images can be better compared. In the above description, the case where the still image acquisition SW13b is operated in the first special observation mode to shift to the second special observation mode and acquire the still image without operating the switching SW13a has been described. Similarly, in the special observation mode, by operating the still image acquisition SW13b, the mode shifts to the first special observation mode and the still image is acquired without operating the switching SW13a.

FIG. 18 will be described as another example of acquiring a still image according to the switching of the observation mode. For example, when an instruction is given to shift the observation mode from the first special observation mode to the second special observation mode by operating the switching SW13a (FIG. 18, switching SW), after temporarily saving the first still image (FIG. 18, switching SW). FIG. 18, temporary storage), the observation mode is shifted to the second observation mode (FIG. 18, observation mode). By operating the still image acquisition SW13b (see FIG. 1) in the second observation mode (FIG. 18, still image SW), the second still image at the time when the still image acquisition SW13b is operated is acquired and temporarily saved. (Fig. 18, temporary storage). After the second still image is temporarily saved, the first still image temporarily saved when the observation mode is changed and the second still image described above are saved in the storage unit 61. The first still image and the second still image stored in the storage unit 61 are sent to the video signal generation unit 50 for display on the monitor 18.

Also by the above method, the still images in the first special observation mode and the second special observation mode can be saved by one operation of the still image acquisition SW13b, and these still images can be displayed at the same time. Therefore, two different types of still images can be better compared. In the above, the case of acquiring the first still image and the second still image by operating the still image acquisition SW13b in the second special observation mode has been described, but the same applies to the first special observation mode. By operating the image acquisition SW13b, the first still image and the second still image are acquired.

An example of acquiring a still image without switching the observation mode will be described with reference to FIGS. 19 and 20. As shown in FIG. 19, the image processing unit 46 has a still image generation unit 62. In FIG. 20, in order from the top, the on (on) and off (off) states of the switching SW13a (switching SW), the on (on) and off (off) states of the still image acquisition SW13b (still image SW), and observation. The mode, the temporarily saved still image (temporary save), the generated still image (still image generation), and the saved still image (save) are shown on the time axis (t). For example, by operating the switching SW13a (FIG. 20, switching SW), the observation mode is set to the first special observation mode (FIG. 20, observation mode). Here, by operating the still image acquisition SW13b (FIG. 20, still image SW), the first still image at the time when the still image acquisition SW13b is operated is acquired and temporarily saved (FIG. 20, temporary storage). The still image generation unit 62 generates a display still image (hereinafter, referred to as a second display still image) in the second special observation mode by performing image processing on the RGB image signal of the temporarily stored first still image. (Fig. 20, still image generation). The generated second display still image is saved together with the first still image (FIG. 20, save).

The RGB image signal of the first still image includes a B image signal, a G image signal, and an R image signal. As a method for generating a still image for display, there are luminance color difference signal conversion processing, luminance signal allocation processing, and color difference signal correction processing for the B image signal, G image signal, and R image signal of the first still image. And a method by image processing for still image generation which performs RGB conversion processing can be mentioned. In the still image generation image processing, four processes of luminance color difference signal conversion processing, luminance signal allocation processing, color difference signal correction processing, and RGB conversion processing are performed.

An example of a method of creating a second display still image from a first still image will be described below. First, the B image signal, the G image signal, and the R image signal in the first still image are subjected to luminance color difference signal conversion processing to convert them into luminance signals Y, color difference signals Cr, and Cb. Next, the luminance signal Y is converted into the luminance signal Ym by performing the luminance signal allocation process of assigning the luminance signal Y to the G image signal (green signal of the first still image). Since the G image signal contains information on the mesopelagic blood vessels, the still image for second display can be made into an image in which the mesopelagic blood vessels are emphasized. Next, a color difference signal correction process for correcting the deviation of the color difference signals Cr and Cb accompanying the conversion of the luminance signal Y into the luminance signal Ym is performed. Then, the luminance signal Ym, the color difference signal Cr × Ym / Y, and the color difference signal Cb × Ym / Y are converted into B2 image signals, G2 image signals, and R2 image signals by performing RGB conversion processing. These B2 image signals, G2 image signals, and R2 image signals serve as the second display still image.

Further, similarly to the above, as shown in FIG. 20, when the still image acquisition SW13b (see FIG. 1) is operated in the second special observation mode (FIG. 20, still image SW), the still image acquisition SW13b is operated. The second still image at that time is acquired and temporarily saved (FIG. 20, temporary save). The still image generation unit 62 generates a still image for display in the first special observation mode (hereinafter referred to as a still image for first display) by image processing the RGB image signal of the second still image temporarily stored. (Fig. 20, still image generation), temporarily save (Fig. 20, temporary save). As in the above, the RGB image signal of the second still image includes the B image signal, the G image signal, and the R image signal, and the method of generating the first display still image is the same as the above. (2) A still image for first display is generated by performing image processing for generating a still image on a still image. That is, after the luminance color difference signal conversion processing is performed on the B image signal, the G image signal, and the R image signal in the second still image, the luminance signal Y is converted into the Bs image signal (the first color signal (blue signal) of the observed image). )) The luminance signal Y is converted into the luminance signal Yn by performing the luminance signal allocation process. Since the Bs image signal contains information on the surface blood vessels, as will be described later, the first display observation image can be an image in which the surface blood vessels are emphasized. After that, in the same manner as described above, the color difference signal correction process is performed, and then the RGB conversion process is performed to convert the B1 image signal, the G1 image signal, and the R1 image signal. These B1 image signals, G1 image signals, and R1 image signals serve as the first display still image.

In the above still image acquisition method, as an example, the still image acquisition between the first special observation mode and the second special observation mode has been described, but in other observation modes as well, in a plurality of observation modes by the same method. It is possible to acquire a still image. For example, when the still image acquisition SW13b (see FIG. 1) is operated in the first special observation mode, the still image in the first special observation mode and the still image in the second special observation mode are acquired and saved as described above. In some cases, the still image in the first special observation mode and the still image in the normal observation mode may be acquired and saved.

Similarly, when the still image acquisition SW13b (see FIG. 1) is operated in the second special observation mode, the still image in the second special observation mode and the still image in the first special observation mode are acquired and saved. , The still image in the second special observation mode and the still image in the normal observation mode may be acquired and saved. Similarly, when the still image acquisition SW13b is operated in the normal observation mode, the still image in the normal observation mode and the still image in the first special observation mode are acquired and saved, and the still image in the normal observation mode and the first 2 There are cases where a still image in the special observation mode is acquired and saved.

Further, as described above, in addition to acquiring and storing the two types of still images, all the still images of the three types of observation modes may be acquired and stored by the same method as described above. The same applies when there are two or more types of observation modes, and it is possible to acquire and save two or three or more types of still images. Further, regardless of the number of types of observation modes, which observation mode of still images should be selected, acquired and saved can be specified by setting.

The display mode of the acquired and saved still images can be appropriately specified by setting. As an example, in the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 21, in the first observation mode, an animation-like display that automatically switches between the first still image 66 and the second still image 67 provided for display in order. It can be displayed on the monitor 18 in an embodiment. On the monitor 18, the first still image 66 in which the surface blood vessels are emphasized and the second still image 67 in which the deep blood vessels are emphasized are automatically switched at 1-second intervals after the color tone is adjusted, for example. , Displayed on the large main screen 64. While the still image is switched in this way, the moving image in the first special observation mode is continuously displayed on the small sub-screen 63 without being switched. Therefore, by looking at the main screen 64, it becomes easier to find different parts of the two still images, and because of the afterimage by animation, it is possible to obtain an image 65 that can grasp the blood vessels three-dimensionally.

As described above, the still images in the first special observation mode and the second special observation mode are saved by one operation of the still image acquisition SW13b (see FIG. 1), and these still images can be displayed at the same time. .. Therefore, two different types of still images can be better compared and the differences between the two still images can be easily found. Further, for example, the still image in the first special observation mode in which the surface blood vessels are emphasized and the still image in the second special observation mode in which the deep blood vessels are emphasized are switched at short intervals and displayed like an animation. .. Therefore, when a person sees it, it is possible to obtain an image 65 (see FIG. 21) in which the blood vessel can be grasped three-dimensionally by an afterimage, and there is a possibility that the diagnosis can be easily and surely performed. Various image processing of still images, switching intervals, animation details, etc. can be appropriately specified by setting. Further, the still images may be displayed in other display modes, and for example, by displaying the still images of the two types of observation modes side by side on one monitor, it is easy to compare these still images. You can also do it.

[Second Embodiment]
In the second embodiment, instead of the laser light source shown in the first embodiment, a four-color LED is used as a light source. Other than that, it is the same as that of the first embodiment, and in FIG. 22, the ones having the same reference numerals as those of FIGS. 1 to 21 are as described in the first embodiment, and thus the description thereof will be omitted.

As shown in FIG. 22, in the endoscope system 70, the light source device 71 includes a light source 73, a light source control unit 72, and an optical path coupling unit 74. The light source 73 emits light in a plurality of wavelength bands, and the emission intensity of the light in each wavelength band can be changed. In order to emit light in a plurality of wavelength bands, the light source 73 includes V-LED (Violet Light Emitting Diode) 73a, B-LED (Blue Light Emitting Diode) 73b, G-LED (Green Light Emitting Diode) 73c, and R-LED. It has (Red Light Emitting Diode) 73d. An LD (Laser Diode) may be used instead of the LED.

The light source control unit 72 controls the driving of the LEDs 73a to 73d. The optical path coupling portion 74 couples the optical paths of the four colors of light emitted from the four colors of LEDs 73a to 73d. The light coupled by the optical path coupling portion 74 is irradiated into the subject through the light guide 26 and the illumination lens 28 inserted into the insertion portion 12a.

As shown in FIG. 23, the V-LED73a generates purple light V having a center wavelength of 405 ± 10 nm and a wavelength range of 380 to 420 nm. The B-LED73b generates blue light B having a center wavelength of 460 ± 10 nm and a wavelength range of 420 to 500 nm. The G-LED73c generates green light G having a wavelength range of 480 to 600 nm. The R-LED73d generates red light R having a central wavelength of 620 to 630 nm and a wavelength range of 600 to 650 nm. Of the above four colors of light, purple light V is preferably narrowed to a wavelength range of 380 to 420 nm.

The light source control unit 72 controls to light the V-LED73a, the B-LED73b, the G-LED73c, and the R-LED73d in any of the observation modes. Further, in the normal observation mode, the light source control unit 72 has a normal light (see FIG. 23) in which the light intensity ratio between the purple light V, the blue light B, the green light G, and the red light R is Vc: Bc: Gc: Rc. ) Is controlled to emit light.

In the present specification, the light intensity ratio includes the case where the ratio of at least one semiconductor light source is 0 (zero). Therefore, this includes the case where any one or more of the semiconductor light sources are not lit. For example, as in the case where the light intensity ratio between purple light V, blue light B, green light G, and red light R is 1: 0: 0: 0, only one of the semiconductor light sources is turned on, and the other three. Even if one does not light up, it shall have a light intensity ratio.

Further, the light source control unit 72 emits the first special light having a light intensity ratio of Vs1: Bs1: Gs1: Rs1 for the purple light V, the blue light B, the green light G, and the red light R in the first special observation mode. Each LED 73a to 73d is controlled so as to emit light. The first special light preferably has a peak at 400 nm or more and 440 nm or less in order to emphasize the surface blood vessels. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 24, the first special light has Vs1: Bs1 so that the light intensity of the purple light V is larger than the light intensities of the other blue light B, the green light G, and the red light R. : Gs1: Rs1 is set (Vs1> Bs1, Gs1, Rs1). Further, since the first special light has a first red band such as red light R, the color of the mucous membrane can be accurately reproduced. Further, since the first special light has a first blue band and a first green band such as purple light V, blue light B, and green light G, in addition to the surface blood vessels as described above, in addition to the above-mentioned surface blood vessels, Various structures such as glandular structure and unevenness can be emphasized.

Further, the light source control unit 72 emits the second special light having a light intensity ratio of Vs2: Bs2: Gs2: Rs2 for the purple light V, the blue light B, the green light G, and the red light R in the second special observation mode. Each LED 73a to 73d is controlled so as to emit light. The second special light preferably has a large intensity ratio of 540 nm, 600 nm, and 630 nm with respect to the first special light in order to emphasize deep blood vessels.

Therefore, as shown in FIG. 25, the second special light is the blue light B, the green light G, and the red light as compared with the light amounts of the blue light B, the green light G, and the red light R in the first special light. Vs2: Bs2: Gs2: Rs2 is set so that the amount of light of R becomes large. Further, Vs2: Bs2: Gs2: Rs2 is set so that the light intensity of the purple light V is smaller than the light intensities of the blue light B, the green light G, and the red light R (Vs2 <Bs2, Gs2). , Rs2). Further, since the second special light has a second red band such as red light R, the color of the mucous membrane can be accurately reproduced. Further, since the second special light has a second blue band and a second green band such as purple light V, blue light B, and green light G, in addition to the deep blood vessels as described above, in addition to the above-mentioned deep blood vessels. Various structures such as glandular structure and unevenness can be emphasized.

In the above embodiment, the processor device 16 includes an image acquisition unit 40, a DSP 42, a noise removal unit 44, an image processing unit 46, a parameter switching unit 48, a still image storage unit 49, a video signal generation unit 50, a central control unit 52, and the like. The hardware structure of the processing unit is the following various processors. For various processors, the circuit configuration is changed after manufacturing the CPU (Central Processing Unit), FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), which is a general-purpose processor that executes software (program) and functions as various processing units. It includes a Programmable Logic Device (PLD), which is a possible processor, a dedicated electric circuit, which is a processor having a circuit configuration specially designed for performing various processes, and the like.

One processing unit may be composed of one of these various processors, or may be composed of a combination of two or more processors of the same type or different types (for example, a plurality of FPGAs or a combination of a CPU and an FPGA). May be done. Further, a plurality of processing units may be configured by one processor. As an example of configuring a plurality of processing units with one processor, first, as represented by a computer such as a client or a server, one processor is configured by a combination of one or more CPUs and software. There is a form in which this processor functions as a plurality of processing units. Secondly, as typified by System On Chip (SoC), there is a form of using a processor that realizes the functions of the entire system including a plurality of processing units with one IC (Integrated Circuit) chip. be. As described above, the various processing units are configured by using one or more of the above-mentioned various processors as a hardware-like structure.

Further, the hardware-like structure of these various processors is, more specifically, an electric circuit (circuitry) in which circuit elements such as semiconductor elements are combined.

10, 70 Endoscopic system 12 Endoscope 12a Insertion part 12b Operation part 12c Curved part 12d Tip part 12e Angle knob 13a Mode changeover switch 13b Still image acquisition switch 14, 71 Light source device 16 Processor device 18 Monitor 19 Console 20, 73 Light source 20a Blue laser light source 20b Blue-purple laser light source 21,72 Light source control unit 24a Illumination optical system 24b Imaging optical system 26 Light guide 28 Illumination lens 30 Phosphorus 32 Objective lens 34 Imaging sensor 36 CDS / AGC circuit 38 A / D converter 40 Image acquisition unit 42 DSP
44 Noise removal unit 46 Image processing unit 48 Parameter switching unit 49 Still image storage unit 50 Video signal generation unit 52 Central control unit 53 Color adjustment processing unit 54 Structure enhancement processing unit 55 General image processing unit 56 Still image control unit 57 Mode switching SW Detection unit 58 Judgment unit 59 Still image acquisition SW detection unit 60 Temporary storage unit 61 Storage unit 62 Still image generation unit 63 Sub screen 64 Main screen 65 Image 66 Surface blood vessel 67 Deep blood vessel 73a V-LED
73b B-LED
73c G-LED
73d R-LED
74 Optical path coupling part t1 Long press judgment time ton Duration of on state t2 Click judgment time t3 Transition time

Claims (15)

An image acquisition unit that acquires a plurality of images obtained by irradiating a plurality of illumination lights having different wavelength bands to image a subject, and an image acquisition unit.
An image processing unit that performs image processing on the acquired image, and
A display unit that displays the acquired image and / or the image processed.
At least one auto-return switch on the endoscope,
Have,
It has at least three types of observation modes, a first observation mode, a second observation mode, and a specific observation mode, in which the images of different types are displayed on the display unit by the illumination light and / or the image processing.
One of the switches is a mode changeover switch that changes the observation mode.
When only the mode changeover switch is operated and the duration of the on state of the mode changeover switch is longer than the long press determination time in the first observation mode, the on state is after the elapse of the long press determination time. While continuing, the mode shifts to the second observation mode, and when the mode changeover switch is turned off, the mode switching switch returns to the first observation mode.
In the first observation mode, if the duration of the ON state of the mode changeover switch is less than the long press determination time, the endoscope system shifts to the specific observation mode. An image acquisition unit that acquires a plurality of images obtained by irradiating a plurality of illumination lights having different wavelength bands to image a subject, and an image acquisition unit.
An image processing unit that performs image processing on the acquired image, and
A display unit that displays the acquired image and / or the image processed.
At least one auto-return switch on the endoscope,
Have,
It has at least three types of observation modes, a first observation mode, a second observation mode, and a specific observation mode, in which the images of different types are displayed on the display unit by the illumination light and / or the image processing.
One of the switches is a mode changeover switch that changes the observation mode.
When only the mode changeover switch is operated, and in the first observation mode, a double click is performed in which a series of operations of turning on and off the mode changeover switch is repeated two or more times within a specific click determination time. If the mode shifts to the second observation mode after the second off, and the double click of the mode changeover switch is subsequently performed within the click determination time, the second off in the second observation mode is performed. Later, it returned to the first observation mode and
An endoscope system that shifts to the specific observation mode when an operation other than the double click is performed on the mode changeover switch within the click determination time in the first observation mode.
The first observation mode is a first special observation mode in which a first special image obtained by photographing the subject illuminated with the first special light as the illumination light is displayed on the display unit.
The second observation mode is a second special observation mode in which a second special image obtained by photographing the subject illuminated with the second special light as the illumination light is displayed on the display unit.
The specific observation mode is a normal observation mode in which a normal image obtained by photographing the subject illuminated with normal light as the illumination light is displayed on the display unit.
The endoscope system according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein the normal light, the first special light, or the second special light have different spectra. A still image control unit that acquires still images,
A still image storage unit that stores the still image,
Have,
One of the switches is a still image acquisition switch that acquires the still image.
By operating the still image acquisition switch in the first observation mode or by operating the still image acquisition switch in the second observation mode, the still images in the first observation mode and the second observation mode are acquired and saved. The endoscope system according to any one of claims 1 to 3 . After acquiring and saving the still image in the first observation mode by operating the still image acquisition switch in the first observation mode, the observation mode is observed in the second observation mode without operating the mode changeover switch. The endoscope system according to claim 4, wherein after shifting to the mode, the still image in the second observation mode is acquired and stored, and then the mode is returned to the first observation mode.
After acquiring and saving the still image in the first observation mode by operating the still image acquisition switch in the first observation mode, the still image generation image processing for the still image is performed to obtain the still image in the second observation mode. The endoscope system according to claim 4 , wherein a still image is acquired and stored. After acquiring and saving the still image in the second observation mode by operating the still image acquisition switch in the second observation mode, the still image generation image processing for the still image is performed to obtain the still image in the first observation mode. The endoscope system according to claim 4 , wherein a still image is acquired and stored. The normal light is light including a blue laser light and fluorescence emitted by irradiating the phosphor with the blue laser light.
The first special light includes fluorescence emitted by irradiating the phosphor with blue-violet laser light and blue laser light and the blue-purple laser light and blue laser light, and the emission ratio of the blue-purple laser light is high. The light is larger than the emission ratio of the blue laser light.
The second special light includes fluorescence emitted by irradiating the phosphor with the blue-violet laser light and the blue laser light and the blue-purple laser light and the blue laser light, and the emission ratio of the blue laser light is high. The endoscope system according to claim 3 , wherein the light is larger than the emission ratio of the blue-violet laser light. The eighth aspect of claim 8 , wherein the normal light, the first special light, or the second special light includes purple light, blue light, green light, or red light, and the respective light intensity ratios are different. Endoscope system. In the first special light, the light intensity of purple light is larger than the light intensity of blue light, green light, and red light.
The endoscope system according to claim 9 , wherein the second special light has a light intensity of purple light smaller than that of blue light, green light, and red light. The endoscope system according to any one of claims 8 to 10 , wherein the first special light emphasizes a surface blood vessel, and the second special light emphasizes a deep blood vessel located at a position deeper than the surface blood vessel. The endoscope system according to any one of claims 8 to 10 , wherein the first special light and the second special light have different visibility for a structure including a glandular duct structure. The first aspect of claim 1 to 12 , wherein the image processing unit performs image processing corresponding to the first observation mode, image processing corresponding to the second observation mode, or image processing corresponding to the specific observation mode. The endoscopic system described. An image acquisition unit that acquires a plurality of images obtained by irradiating a plurality of illumination lights having different wavelength bands to image a subject, and an image acquisition unit.
An image processing unit that performs image processing on the acquired image, and
A display unit that displays the acquired image and / or the image processed.
At least one auto-return switch on the endoscope,
A still image control unit that acquires still images,
It has a still image storage unit for storing the still image, and has a still image storage unit.
It has at least three types of observation modes, a first observation mode, a second observation mode, and a specific observation mode, in which the images of different types are displayed on the display unit by the illumination light and / or the image processing.
One of the switches is a mode changeover switch that changes the observation mode.
In the first observation mode,
When the mode changeover switch is turned on, it shifts to the second observation mode for a specific transition time from the time when the mode changeover switch is turned on, and after the transition time elapses, it returns to the first observation mode.
One of the switches is a still image acquisition switch that acquires the still image.
By operating the still image acquisition switch in the first observation mode or by operating the still image acquisition switch in the second observation mode, the still images of the first observation mode and the second observation mode are acquired and saved. death,
After acquiring and saving the still image in the first observation mode by operating the still image acquisition switch in the first observation mode, the still image generation image processing for the still image is performed to obtain the still image in the second observation mode. An endoscopic system that captures and stores still images . An image acquisition unit that acquires a plurality of images obtained by irradiating a plurality of illumination lights having different wavelength bands to image a subject, and an image acquisition unit.
An image processing unit that performs image processing on the acquired image, and
A display unit that displays the acquired image and / or the image processed.
At least one auto-return switch on the endoscope,
A still image control unit that acquires still images,
It has a still image storage unit for storing the still image, and has a still image storage unit.
It has at least three types of observation modes, a first observation mode, a second observation mode, and a specific observation mode, in which the images of different types are displayed on the display unit by the illumination light and / or the image processing.
One of the switches is a mode changeover switch that changes the observation mode.
In the first observation mode,
When the mode changeover switch is turned on, it shifts to the second observation mode for a specific transition time from the time when the mode changeover switch is turned on, and after the transition time elapses, it returns to the first observation mode.
One of the switches is a still image acquisition switch that acquires the still image.
By operating the still image acquisition switch in the first observation mode or by operating the still image acquisition switch in the second observation mode, the still images of the first observation mode and the second observation mode are acquired and saved. death,
After acquiring and saving the still image in the second observation mode by operating the still image acquisition switch in the second observation mode, the still image generation image processing for the still image is performed to obtain the still image in the first observation mode. An endoscopic system that captures and stores still images .

Images