JP7722638B2 - Intrabody cavity observation system, medical instrument, control device, information acquisition method and program - Google Patents

Description

This disclosure relates to an intracavity observation system, a medical instrument, a control device, an information acquisition method, and a program.

In the medical field, laparoscopic surgery, thoracoscopic surgery, and other types of minimally invasive surgical procedures that do not require abdominal incision are known. In endoscopic surgery, for example, an endoscope is used to ensure a clear view of the inside of a body cavity, such as the abdominal or thoracic cavity. In addition, endoscopic surgery uses treatment tools such as forceps, electric scalpels, and staplers, as well as trocars, which are insertion aids for inserting treatment tools into body cavities.

In laparoscopic surgery, the field of view of the area to be treated is provided, for example, by images captured by an endoscope (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Therefore, in laparoscopic surgery, the field of view is significantly limited compared to open surgery, in which the area to be treated can be observed with the naked eye.

Patent No. 6043016

In laparoscopic surgery such as that described above, it is desirable to reduce the risk of accidental contact between treatment tools and internal body tissue.

The purpose of this disclosure is to provide an intracavity observation system, medical instrument, control device, information acquisition method, and program that can reduce the risk of accidental contact between treatment tools and internal body tissue.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a body cavity observation system according to a first aspect is a body cavity observation system comprising a medical instrument and a control device that acquires information from the medical instrument. The medical instrument comprises a long insertion section that is inserted into a body cavity, and a treatment instrument is movable back and forth from its tip in the longitudinal direction of the insertion section; a camera section that is attached to the insertion section and is capable of capturing images of the treatment instrument protruding from the tip; and a sensor that is attached near the camera section and acquires first information regarding the distance to a measurement object located in the longitudinal direction. The control device comprises a control unit that acquires an image captured by the camera section and the first information, acquires second information regarding the distance from the tip to the tip of the treatment instrument based on the captured image, and acquires third information regarding the distance from the tip of the treatment instrument to the measurement object based on the first information and the second information.

A medical instrument according to a second aspect includes an elongated insertion section to be inserted into a body cavity, the insertion section having a distal end from which a treatment tool can be moved forward and backward in the longitudinal direction of the insertion section, a camera section provided in the insertion section and capable of capturing an image of the treatment tool protruding from the distal end, and a sensor provided near the camera section and configured to acquire first information regarding the distance to a measurement target present in the longitudinal direction.

A control device according to a third aspect is a control device that acquires information from a medical instrument that includes an elongated insertion section that is inserted into a body cavity and has a distal end from which a treatment tool can be moved forward and backward in the longitudinal direction of the insertion section, and includes a control unit that acquires an image of the treatment tool protruding from the distal end from a camera unit provided in the insertion section, acquires first information regarding the distance to a measurement object existing in the longitudinal direction from a sensor provided near the camera unit, acquires second information regarding the distance from the distal end to the tip of the treatment tool based on the acquired image, and acquires third information regarding the distance from the tip of the treatment tool to the measurement object based on the first information and the second information.

An information acquisition method according to a fourth aspect is a method for acquiring information from a medical instrument having a long insertion section that is inserted into a body cavity, the insertion section having a tip that allows a treatment tool to move back and forth in the longitudinal direction of the insertion section, and includes the steps of: a camera section provided in the insertion section capturing an image of the treatment tool protruding from the tip section; a sensor provided near the camera section acquiring first information regarding the distance to a measurement object existing in the longitudinal direction; acquiring second information regarding the distance from the tip section to the tip of the treatment tool based on the image captured by the camera section; and acquiring third information regarding the distance from the tip of the treatment tool to the measurement object based on the first information and the second information.

In addition, a program according to a fifth aspect causes a computer of a control device that acquires information from a medical instrument having an elongated insertion section that is inserted into a body cavity and has a distal end from which a treatment tool can be moved forward and backward in the longitudinal direction of the insertion section to execute the following processes: acquiring an image of the treatment tool protruding from the distal end from a camera unit provided in the insertion section; acquiring first information regarding the distance to a measurement object existing in the longitudinal direction from a sensor provided near the camera unit; acquiring second information regarding the distance from the distal end to the tip of the treatment tool based on the acquired image; and acquiring third information regarding the distance from the tip of the treatment tool to the measurement object based on the first information and the second information.

A sixth aspect of the present invention provides a body cavity observation system including a medical instrument and a control device that acquires information from the medical instrument. The medical instrument is an elongated insertion section that is inserted into a body cavity, and a treatment instrument can be moved back and forth in the longitudinal direction of the insertion section from its tip. The insertion section includes a sensor that acquires first information regarding the distance to a measurement object located in the longitudinal direction, and an information acquisition unit that acquires second information regarding the distance from the tip of the insertion section to the tip of the treatment instrument. The control device includes a control unit that acquires the first information and the second information, and acquires third information regarding the distance from the tip of the treatment instrument to the measurement object based on the first information and the second information.

The intracavity observation system, medical instrument, control device, information acquisition method, and program disclosed herein can reduce the risk of accidental contact between treatment tools and internal body tissue.

1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of an intra-body cavity observation system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the trocar shown in FIG. 1, showing a state in which the camera unit is in a retracted position. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a state in which a trocar shaft is attached to the trocar shown in FIG. 2. [0023] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a state in which the camera unit shown in FIG. 2 is in an expanded position. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a state in which the camera unit shown in FIG. 3 is in an expanded position. FIG. FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of the tip of the trocar shown in FIG. 2. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of the control device illustrated in FIG. 1 . 8 is a diagram for explaining measurement of the distance from the tip of the treatment tool to the measurement object by the control unit shown in FIG. 7. FIG. FIG. 2 is a diagram schematically illustrating an image captured by a camera unit. 8 is a diagram for explaining an example of measurement of the distance from the tip of the insertion portion to the tip of the treatment tool by the control unit shown in FIG. 7 . FIG. 8 is a diagram for explaining another example of measurement of the distance from the tip of the insertion portion to the tip of the treatment tool by the control unit shown in FIG. 7 . FIG. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating another configuration example of the body cavity observation system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 2 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the body cavity observation system shown in FIG. 1 . FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating yet another configuration example of the body cavity observation system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

The following describes embodiments of the present disclosure with reference to the drawings. In each drawing, the same reference numerals indicate the same or equivalent components.

Figure 1 is a diagram showing an example configuration of an intracavity observation system 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. In endoscopic surgery, it is preferable to minimize blind spots in the field of view. Furthermore, the surgeon may become immersed in the surgical field and lose consideration of blind spots. Therefore, there is a need for technology that reduces the risk of accidental contact between the tip of a treatment tool and internal tissue during operations using treatment tools in endoscopic surgery, such as inserting and removing forceps, which is an operation frequently performed in blind spots. The intracavity observation system 1 according to this embodiment aims to reduce the risk of accidental contact between a treatment tool and internal tissue by measuring the distance between the tip of the treatment tool and the measurement target.

As shown in FIG. 1, the body cavity observation system 1 according to this embodiment includes a trocar 10 as a medical instrument, a warning device 20, and a control device 30.

The trocar 10 is a medical instrument used as an insertion port for inserting treatment instruments such as forceps, electric scalpels, and staplers into a patient's body cavity during laparoscopic surgery, thoracoscopic surgery, and other endoscopic procedures. In endoscopic surgery, for example, an incision is made in the patient's abdomen, and the trocar 10 is inserted into the incision and secured in place. As described below, the trocar 10 has an insertion passage through which treatment instruments can be inserted, and the treatment instruments are inserted into the patient's body cavity via the insertion passage in the trocar 10.

Figure 2 shows an example configuration of the trocar 10.

As shown in Figure 2, the trocar 10 comprises an insertion section 11, a head section 12, and a camera section 13.

The insertion section 11 is a long, cylindrical member. It is inserted into the patient's body through an incision made in the patient's abdomen or other area. The insertion section 11 has an insertion passage 14 that extends in the longitudinal direction (axial direction) of the insertion section 11 and through which a treatment tool or the like can be inserted. A head section 12 is provided at the base end of the insertion section 11. A camera section 13 is provided at the tip end of the insertion section 11.

The head portion 12 is a cylindrical member with a larger diameter than the insertion portion 11. For example, in laparoscopic surgery, a pneumoperitoneum procedure is performed in which carbon dioxide gas is injected into the abdominal cavity through the trocar 10 to expand the abdominal cavity. The head portion 12 houses, for example, an airtight structural unit that prevents gas from leaking from the abdominal cavity to the outside of the body. The head portion 12 also houses, for example, a connector for connecting a communication cable (not shown) for electrical connection with the control device 30. Images captured by the camera unit 13 (described below) and other images are transmitted to the control device 30 via this connector. The insertion passage 14 passes through the head portion 12. Therefore, treatment tools and the like can be inserted into the insertion passage 14 from the base end of the head portion 12.

When the insertion section 11 is inserted into a patient's body cavity, the trocar shaft 15 is attached to the trocar 10, as shown in FIG. 3. The trocar shaft 15 is inserted into the trocar 10 from the proximal end of the insertion passage 14 and attached. When the trocar shaft 15 is attached to the trocar 10, a puncture section 15a provided at the distal end of the trocar shaft 15 protrudes from the distal end 11a of the insertion section 11. As shown in FIG. 3, the puncture section 15a has a tapered shape in which the outer diameter around the axis of the insertion section 11 is smallest at the distal end and gradually increases toward the proximal end. In the example shown in FIG. 3, the shape of the puncture section 15a is bullet-shaped, with a curved outline representing the outer periphery in a cross section cut along the axial direction of the insertion section 11. The shape of the puncture section 15a may also be conical, with a straight outline representing the outer periphery in a cross section cut along the axial direction of the insertion section 11. When inserting the trocar 10 into a body cavity, the puncture portion 15a is inserted into the patient's incision. The puncture portion 15a opens the incision, and the insertion portion 11 behind the puncture portion 15a is inserted into the opened incision.

After the insertion section 11 is inserted into the patient's body cavity and the trocar 10 is fixed in place, the trocar shaft 15 is removed from the trocar 10. After the trocar shaft 15 is removed from the trocar 10, a treatment tool is inserted into the insertion passage 14. The treatment tool inserted into the insertion passage 14 protrudes from the tip 11a of the insertion section 11 and is inserted into the body cavity. The treatment tool inserted into the insertion passage 14 can be moved forward and backward in the longitudinal direction of the insertion section 11 from the tip 11a of the insertion section 11 by operation by the surgeon, etc.

The camera unit 13 is disposed in the insertion section 11 so as to be able to capture images of treatment tools protruding from the distal end 11a of the insertion section 11. For example, as shown in FIG. 2, the camera unit 13 is provided near the distal end 11a of the insertion section 11. The camera unit 13 moves between a stored position, in which it is stored inside the cylindrical insertion section 11 as shown in FIG. 2, and a deployed position, in which it is deployed in a direction protruding from the outer circumferential surface of the cylindrical insertion section 11 as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. In the deployed position, the camera unit 13 is positioned so that the photographing lens faces the distal end of the insertion section 11, so that treatment tools protruding from the distal end 11a of the insertion section 11 can be photographed. Note that FIG. 4 illustrates the state in which the camera unit 13 is in the deployed position in a trocar 10 without a trocar shaft 15 attached. Also, FIG. 5 illustrates the state in which the camera unit 13 is in the deployed position in a trocar 10 with a trocar shaft 15 attached.

The camera unit 13 is held in the retracted position until the insertion of the insertion section 11 into the body cavity is complete, and is deployed to the deployed position once the insertion of the insertion section 11 into the body cavity is complete. Therefore, the camera unit 13 does not interfere with the insertion of the insertion section 11 into the body cavity, and after the insertion section 11 is inserted into the body cavity, it can capture images of the treatment tool protruding from the tip 11a of the insertion section 11.

Figure 6 is an enlarged view of the tip of the insertion section 11.

As described above, the camera unit 13 is movable between a retracted position (FIGS. 2 and 3) and an extended position (FIGS. 4 and 5). For example, as shown in FIG. 6, the camera unit 13 is rotatable between the retracted and extended positions, with the base end as a fulcrum. This configuration can be achieved, for example, by configuring the insertion section 11 with an inner tube and an outer tube that is provided outside the inner tube and is axially slidable relative to the inner tube. Specifically, the camera unit 13 is attached to the inner tube of the insertion section 11 by a pivot pin so that it can rotate between the retracted and extended positions. As shown in FIG. 6, a spring 16 is attached to the camera unit 13 from the base end. The camera unit 13 is biased to the extended position by the spring 16. A recess is provided in the inner tube of the insertion section 11 to accommodate the spring 16. Therefore, the spring 16 can be attached to the camera unit 13 without protruding from the outer diameter of the inner tube of the insertion section 11. With the inner tube inserted, the outer tube of the insertion section 11 presses the camera unit 13 radially, holding the camera unit 13 in the retracted position.

When inserting the insertion section 11 into a body cavity, the outer tube of the insertion section 11 is fixed to the inner tube so as to hold the camera unit 13 in the retracted position. Once the insertion of the insertion section 11 into the body cavity is complete, the outer tube is slid to release pressure on the camera unit 13. By releasing pressure from the outer tube of the insertion section 11, the camera unit 13 can be deployed to the deployed position by the biasing force of the spring 16.

As shown in FIG. 6 , the trocar 10 according to this embodiment further includes a sensor 17. The sensor 17 is provided near the camera unit 13. The sensor 17 acquires first information regarding the distance _DT to a measurement target (e.g., tissue within a body) located in the longitudinal direction of the insertion section 11. The sensor 17 is, for example, an optical distance sensor. In this case, the sensor 17 acquires the first information regarding the distance _DT to the measurement target using a time-of-flight (TOF) method, which measures the distance _DT to the measurement target based on the time it takes for the irradiated light to be reflected by the measurement target and for the irradiated light to be received. The method for measuring the distance _DT by the sensor 17 is not limited to the above-described method, and any method can be used.

Referring again to FIG. 1, the warning device 20, under the control of the control device 30, issues a predetermined warning to, for example, a surgeon performing a procedure using the trocar 10. The warning device 20 issues the warning by, for example, emitting a warning sound, vibrating a device carried by the surgeon, or displaying a warning screen on a display device. The warning device 20 itself may also be the display device.

The control device 30 performs predetermined processing according to the distance from the tip of the treatment tool protruding from the distal end 11a of the insertion section 11 to the measurement target. The control device 30 may be a dedicated computer used in the intracavity observation system 1, or may be a general-purpose computer. If the control device 30 is a general-purpose computer, it may be, for example, a tablet terminal, smartphone, notebook PC (Personal Computer), or desktop PC.

Figure 7 shows an example configuration of the control device 30.

As shown in FIG. 7, the control device 30 includes a communication unit 31, a memory unit 32, and a control unit 33.

The communication unit 31 includes at least one communication interface. The communication interface is, for example, a LAN (Local Area Network) interface or a Bluetooth (registered trademark) interface. The communication unit 31 can communicate with the trocar 10 and the warning device 20 via a network or directly. The communication unit 31 acquires images captured by the camera unit 13. The communication unit 31 also acquires first information from the sensor 17.

The memory unit 32 may be, for example, a semiconductor memory, a magnetic memory, or an optical memory, but is not limited to these. The memory unit 32 may function, for example, as a main memory device, an auxiliary memory device, or a cache memory. The memory unit 32 stores any information used in the operation of the control device 30. For example, the memory unit 32 may store system programs, application programs, and various information received by the communication unit 31. The information stored in the memory unit 32 may be updatable, for example, using information received via the communication unit 31. A portion of the memory unit 32 may be installed external to the control device 30. In this case, the externally installed portion of the memory unit 32 may be connected to the control device 30 via any interface.

The control unit 33 includes at least one processor, at least one dedicated circuit, or a combination of these. The processor is a general-purpose processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), or a dedicated processor specialized for specific processing. The dedicated circuit is, for example, an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array) or ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit). The control unit 33 controls each part of the control unit 30 and executes processing related to the operation of the control unit 30.

The control unit 33 acquires a captured image from the camera unit 13 of the trocar 10 via the communication unit 31. The control unit 33 also acquires first information from the sensor 17 of the trocar 10 via the communication unit 31. Based on the acquired captured image, the control unit 33 acquires second information regarding the distance _{D_F} from the distal end 11a of the insertion unit 11 to the tip of the treatment tool protruding from the distal end 11a. Based on the first information and the second information, the control unit 33 acquires third information regarding the distance _{D_N} from the tip of the treatment tool to the measurement object.

Measurement of the distance D _N by the control unit 33 will be described with reference to Figs. 8 and 9. Fig. 8 is a diagram showing a state in which the treatment tool 3 protrudes from the distal end 11a of the insertion unit 11 toward the measurement target 2 (e.g., tissue inside the body) present in the longitudinal direction of the insertion unit 11. Fig. 9 is a diagram schematically showing an image captured by the camera unit 13 in the state shown in Fig. 8. Note that, for convenience of explanation, Fig. 8 exaggerates the size, thickness, etc. of the camera unit 13 and the sensor 17 relative to the insertion unit 11.

As described above, the sensor 17 acquires the first information regarding the distance _DT to the measurement target 2 present in the longitudinal direction of the insertion portion 11. The sensor 17 acquires the first information by, for example, the TOF method.

The camera unit 13 is capable of capturing an image of the treatment tool 3 protruding from the distal end 11a of the insertion unit 11 in the longitudinal direction of the insertion unit 11. Therefore, the captured image of the camera unit 13 includes the treatment tool 3 extending toward the measurement target 2, as shown in FIG. 9 . The control unit 33 calculates the distance _DF from the distal end 11a of the insertion unit 11 to the tip of the treatment tool protruding from the distal end 11a by analyzing the captured image of the camera unit 13. The positional relationship between the camera unit 13 attached to the trocar 10 and the treatment tool 3 protruding from the distal end 11a is fixed. The control unit 33 analyzes the captured image of the camera unit 13 based on this positional relationship to calculate the distance _DF and acquires second information regarding the distance _DF .

The control unit 33 acquires third information regarding the distance D _N from the tip of the treatment tool 3 to the measurement object 2 based on the first information and the second information. As described above, the sensor 17 is provided near the camera unit 13. In this case, as shown in FIG. 8 , the control unit 33 can calculate the distance D _N from the tip of the treatment tool 3 to the measurement object 2 by subtracting the distance D _{T from the distance D T ,} and acquire the third information regarding the distance D _N.

Providing a camera unit 13 on the trocar 10 makes it possible to constantly observe the tip of the treatment tool 3 inserted into a body cavity. However, it is difficult to visually grasp the distance between the tip of the treatment tool 3 and nearby tissue, making it difficult to prevent accidental contact between the treatment tool 3 and tissue inside the body. According to the present disclosure, a sensor 17 provided near the camera unit 13 acquires first information regarding the distance _DT to a measurement target 2 (e.g., tissue inside the body) existing in the longitudinal direction of the insertion section 11. Furthermore, the control unit 33 acquires second information regarding the distance _DF from the distal end 11a of the insertion section 11 to the tip of the treatment tool 3 protruding from the distal end 11a, based on the captured image of the camera unit 13. Then, the control unit 33 acquires third information regarding the distance _DN from the tip of the treatment tool 3 to the measurement target 2 based on the first information and the second information.

In this way, the distance DN from the tip of the treatment tool 3 to the measurement target ₂ can be calculated based on the first information on the distance _DT and the second information on the distance _DF , thereby making it possible to measure the distance _DN with high accuracy. Therefore, according to the present disclosure, it is possible to reduce the risk of accidental contact between the treatment tool 3 and tissue inside the body.

The method for calculating the distance _DF is not limited to the method based on the positional relationship between the camera unit 13 and the treatment tool 3 protruding from the distal end 11a. For example, if the treatment tool 3 has a periodic structure 3a ( FIG. 10A ) such as a scale or a periodic pattern 3b ( FIG. 10B ) consisting of multiple colors provided from the distal end to the proximal end, the control unit 33 may acquire the third information regarding the distance _DF using the periodic structure 3a or the pattern 3b. Note that in FIG. 10B , different colors are indicated by hatching. In this case, the control unit 33 may acquire the second information regarding the distance _DF based on images continuously captured by the camera unit 13 while the treatment tool 3 is moving. For example, the control unit 33 may acquire the second information regarding the distance _DF based on the number of changes in pixel information based on the periodic structure 3a or the periodic pattern 3b in a specific region of the image captured by the camera unit 13 (e.g., a region near the distal end 11a of the insertion section 11).

1 , the control unit 33 performs processing according to the acquired third information. Specifically, the control unit 33 issues a warning to the surgeon or the like using the warning device 20 according to the acquired third information. For example, when the distance D- _N indicated in the third information is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold, the control unit 33 issues a warning to the surgeon or the like using the warning device 20.

As shown in FIG. 11 , the body cavity observation system 1 according to the present disclosure may further include an endoscope 40 as a second medical instrument. The endoscope 40 is inserted into the body cavity using the trocar 10 according to the present disclosure or a general trocar without a camera unit 13, and captures images of the inside of the body cavity. The endoscope 40 is particularly positioned to capture images of the area to be treated by laparoscopic surgery and its surrounding area.

The control unit 33 may control a predetermined process (a warning to the surgeon or the like) by the warning device 20 depending on whether or not at least one of the insertion portion 11 and the treatment tool 3 is included in the captured image of the endoscope 40. For example, when at least one of the insertion portion 11 and the treatment tool 3 is included in the captured image of the endoscope 40, the control unit 33 does not issue a warning by the warning device 20 even if the distance D _N from the tip of the treatment tool 3 to the measurement object 2 is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold.

As described above, the endoscope 40 is positioned to capture an image of a treatment target and its surroundings during laparoscopic surgery. When at least one of the insertion portion 11 and the treatment tool 3 is included in an image captured by the endoscope 40, it is assumed that the insertion portion 11 or the treatment tool 3 is approaching the vicinity of the treatment target, i.e., that the insertion portion 11 or the treatment tool 3 is approaching biological tissue due to legitimate operation. In such a case, a warning is unnecessary. Therefore, the control unit 33 does not issue a warning even if the distance D _N is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold value as long as at least one of the insertion portion 11 and the treatment tool 3 is included in an image captured by the endoscope 40. This prevents unnecessary warnings from being issued. Furthermore, in this case, the measurement target 2 is the treatment target. Therefore, the distance D _N can be obtained as the distance between the measurement target 2, which is the treatment target, and the treatment tool 3. Therefore, by utilizing the distance D _N , the treatment tool 3 can be brought closer to the measurement target 2 more safely than before.

Next, we will explain the operation of the body cavity observation system 1 according to this embodiment.

Figure 12 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the body cavity observation system 1 according to this embodiment, and is a diagram for explaining the information acquisition method used by the body cavity observation system 1.

As described above, when the insertion section 11 is inserted into a body cavity, the camera section 13 is deployed from the holding position to the deployed position. Upon deployment to the deployed position, or in response to a predetermined operation, the camera section 13 begins capturing images. When the treatment tool 3 protrudes from the distal end 11a of the insertion section 11, an image of the treatment tool 3 is captured by the camera section 13 (step S11).

When the insertion portion 11 is inserted into the body cavity, the sensor 17 acquires first information regarding the distance _DT to the measurement target 2 present in the longitudinal direction of the insertion portion 11 (step S12). As described above, the sensor 17 acquires the first information by, for example, the TOF method.

The control unit 33 acquires the captured image from the camera unit 13 and acquires the first information from the sensor 17 via the communication unit 31. The control unit 33 acquires the second information regarding the distance _DF from the distal end 11a of the insertion unit 11 to the distal end of the treatment tool 3 based on the acquired captured image (step S13). As described above, the control unit 33 acquires the second information based on, for example, the positional relationship between the camera unit 13 and the treatment tool 3.

The control unit 33 acquires third information regarding the distance D _{N from the tip of the treatment tool 3 to the measurement target 2 based on the first information and the second information (step S14). As described with reference to Fig. 8, the control unit 33 can acquire the third information regarding the distance D N by} subtracting the distance D _F indicated in the second information from the distance D _T indicated in the first information.

As described above, the body cavity observation system 1 according to this embodiment includes a trocar 10 as a medical instrument and a control device 30. The trocar 10 includes a long insertion section 11 to be inserted into a body cavity, a camera unit 13, and a sensor 17. The insertion section 11 has a distal end 11a from which the treatment tool 3 can move forward and backward in the longitudinal direction of the insertion section 11. The camera unit 13 is provided in the insertion section 11 and is capable of capturing an image of the treatment tool 3 protruding from the distal end 11a. The sensor 17 is provided near the camera unit 13 and acquires first information regarding the distance _DT to the measurement target 2 present in the longitudinal direction of the insertion section 11. The control device 30 includes a control unit 33. The control unit 33 acquires an image captured by the camera unit 13 and the first information. The control unit 33 acquires second information regarding the distance _DF from the distal end 11a of the insertion section 11 to the distal end of the treatment tool 3 based on the captured image. The control unit 33 acquires third information relating to the distance D _N from the tip of the treatment tool 3 to the measurement object 2 based on the first information and the second information.

In this way, the distance DN from the tip of the treatment tool 3 to the measurement target ₂ can be calculated based on the first information on the distance _DT and the second information on the distance _DF , thereby making it possible to measure the distance _DN with high accuracy. Therefore, according to the present disclosure, it is possible to reduce the risk of accidental contact between the treatment tool and tissue inside the body.

In the above-described embodiment, the treatment tool 3 is inserted into the body through the insertion passage 14 of the trocar 10, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. For example, the treatment tool 3 may be attached to the distal end 11a of the insertion section 11 and be extendable and retractable in the longitudinal direction of the insertion section 11.

Furthermore, while the above-described embodiment has been described using a trocar 10 as an example of a medical instrument, the present disclosure is not limited to this. For example, the medical instrument may have a configuration that allows at least a portion of the medical instrument to be inserted into a body cavity, and the portion that is inserted into the body cavity may include a camera unit, a sensor, and a treatment tool that can extend or retract in the direction of the sensor's target.

In the above-described embodiment, the second information regarding the distance _DF from the distal end 11a of the insertion section 11 to the distal end of the treatment tool 3 is acquired based on the image captured by the camera unit 13. However, the present disclosure is not limited to this. The trocar 10 may further include an information acquisition unit 18 instead of or in addition to the camera unit 13, as shown in FIG. 13 .

The information acquiring unit 18 acquires second information about the distance D _F from the distal end 11 a of the insertion unit 11 to the distal end of the treatment tool 3. For example, if the trocar 10 is provided with a roller that rotates as the treatment tool 3 moves back and forth, the information acquiring unit 18 acquires the second information about the distance D _F by counting the number of rotations of the roller. Also, for example, if the trocar is provided with an optical sensor that detects reflected light of light irradiated onto the treatment tool 3, the information acquiring unit 18 acquires the second information about the distance D _F by detecting the forward and backward movement of the treatment tool 3 from the detection result of the optical sensor.

When the trocar 10 is equipped with an information acquisition unit 18, the control unit 33 of the control device 30 acquires third information regarding the distance D _N from the tip of the treatment tool 3 to the measurement object 2 based on the first information acquired by the sensor 17 and the second information acquired by the information acquisition unit 18.

Although embodiments of the present disclosure have been described based on various drawings and examples, it should be noted that those skilled in the art would be able to make various modifications or alterations based on this disclosure. Therefore, it should be noted that these modifications or alterations are included within the scope of the present disclosure. For example, the functions included in each component may be rearranged so as not to cause logical inconsistencies, and multiple components may be combined into one or separated.

As mentioned above, the control device 30 can also be realized by a computer and a program. The program may also be recorded on a computer-readable medium. Using the computer-readable medium, the program can be installed on a computer. Here, the computer-readable medium on which the program is recorded may be a non-transitory recording medium. The non-transitory recording medium is not particularly limited, but may be, for example, a CD-ROM or DVD-ROM. The program may also be provided via a network.

1 Intra-body cavity observation system 2 Measurement object 3 Treatment tool 10 Trocar (medical instrument)
REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 11 Insertion section 11a Tip section 12 Head section 13 Camera section 14 Insertion passage 15 Trocar shaft 15a Puncture section 16 Spring 17 Sensor 18 Information acquisition section 20 Warning section 30 Control device 31 Communication section 32 Memory section 33 Control section 40 Endoscope (second medical instrument)

Claims (8)

1. A body cavity observation system comprising a trocar and a control device that acquires information from the trocar ,
The trocar includes:
an elongated insertion section to be inserted into a body cavity, the insertion section having a distal end portion from which a treatment tool can be moved forward and backward in a longitudinal direction of the insertion section ;
a camera unit provided in the insertion portion that can capture an image of the treatment tool protruding from the distal end portion;
a sensor provided in the insertion section near the camera unit, the sensor acquiring first information indicating a distance to a measurement object present in the longitudinal direction;
The control device
a control unit that acquires an image captured by the camera unit and the first information, acquires second information indicating a distance from the tip portion to the tip of the treatment tool based on a partial image of the treatment tool included in the captured image , and acquires third information indicating a distance from the tip of the treatment tool to the measurement object based on the first information and the second information. The body cavity observation system according to claim 1,
The control unit performs processing according to the acquired third information. The body cavity observation system according to claim 2,
further comprising an endoscope for imaging the inside of the body cavity;
The control unit controls the processing depending on whether or not at least one of the insertion unit and the treatment tool is included in the captured image of the endoscope . The body cavity observation system according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The insertion section has an insertion passage through which the treatment tool can be inserted, and the treatment tool is caused to protrude from the distal end section through the insertion passage. A control device that acquires information from a trocar, the control device comprising: an elongated insertion section that is inserted into a body cavity , wherein a treatment tool can be moved forward and backward from a distal end of the insertion section in a longitudinal direction of the insertion section; a camera section that is provided in the insertion section and that can capture an image of the treatment tool protruding from the distal end; and a sensor that is provided in the insertion section near the camera section and that acquires first information indicating a distance to a measurement object that exists in the longitudinal direction,
a control device comprising: a control unit that acquires an image captured by the camera unit, acquires the first information from the sensor , acquires second information indicating a distance from the tip portion to the tip of the treatment tool based on a partial image of the treatment tool included in the captured image, and acquires third information indicating a distance from the tip of the treatment tool to the measurement object based on the first information and the second information. An information acquisition method for acquiring information from a trocar, the method comprising: an elongated insertion section to be inserted into a body cavity , wherein a treatment tool can be moved forward and backward from a distal end of the insertion section in a longitudinal direction of the insertion section; a camera section provided in the insertion section and capable of capturing an image of the treatment tool protruding from the distal end; and a sensor provided in the insertion section near the camera section, the sensor acquiring first information indicating a distance to a measurement object present in the longitudinal direction,
a step of capturing an image by the camera unit;
The sensor acquires the first information;
acquiring second information indicating a distance from the distal end portion to the distal end of the treatment tool based on a partial image of the treatment tool included in the captured image of the camera unit;
and acquiring third information indicating a distance from the tip of the treatment tool to the measurement object based on the first information and the second information. a computer of a control device that acquires information from a trocar, the trocar comprising: a long insertion section that is inserted into a body cavity, the insertion section having a distal end from which a treatment tool can be moved forward and backward in a longitudinal direction of the insertion section; a camera section that is provided in the insertion section and that can capture an image of the treatment tool protruding from the distal end; and a sensor that is provided in the insertion section near the camera section and that acquires first information that indicates a distance to a measurement object that exists in the longitudinal direction.
A process of acquiring an image captured by the camera unit;
acquiring the first information from the sensor ;
A process of acquiring second information indicating a distance from the distal end portion to the distal end of the treatment tool based on a partial image of the treatment tool included in the captured image;
and a process of acquiring third information indicating a distance from the tip of the treatment tool to the measurement object based on the first information and the second information. A body cavity observation system including a trocar and a control device that acquires information from the trocar ,
The trocar includes:
an elongated insertion section to be inserted into a body cavity, the insertion section having a distal end portion from which a treatment tool can be moved forward and backward in a longitudinal direction of the insertion section ;
a sensor provided in the insertion portion that acquires first information indicating a distance to a measurement object present in the longitudinal direction;
an information acquisition unit that acquires second information indicating a distance from the distal end of the insertion unit to the distal end of the treatment tool,
the control device includes a control unit that acquires the first information and the second information, and acquires third information indicating a distance from the tip of the treatment tool to the measurement target based on the first information and the second information.