JPH0548033B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an image signal processing device for an endoscope, and more particularly to a device for processing image signals from a video camera using a charge-coupled device attached to an eyepiece of an endoscope. It relates to a processing device.

Imaging devices using charge-coupled devices are known. In the present invention, such an imaging device will be referred to as a CCD video camera. If a CCD video camera is attached to the eyepiece of an endoscope, optical information inside the human body detected at the tip of the endoscope can be extracted at high speed as an image signal. For example, by inserting an endoscope into the stomach, it is possible to continuously extract the movement at one point inside the stomach as multiple unit image signals in time series. It is also possible to take out a plurality of corresponding unit image signals in succession. In this case, it is particularly desired to observe a plurality of unit image signals as one image, or to enlarge and observe a predetermined portion of this one image. Conventionally, as an observation means similar to such an observation means, a method has been known in which an image from a camera bed is displayed on a monitor/television device for observation, but this method is inconvenient in making a satisfactory diagnosis.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to convert a plurality of unit image signals obtained from a CCD video camera into one solid image signal, and to observe the image formed by this solid image signal as one unit. An object of the present invention is to provide an image signal processing device that can enlarge and observe a part of the image.

According to the present invention, in an image signal processing device of an endoscope apparatus that processes an endoscopic image obtained as an image signal, it is possible to store a plurality of images, and to store one endoscopic image obtained from an endoscope. a memory unit that stores an image signal corresponding to a single image as one image; and an image signal conversion unit that converts a plurality of image signals that differ over time stored in the memory unit into a single image signal that includes a plurality of endoscopic images. An image signal processing device for an endoscope apparatus, comprising: a monitor unit that displays one image including one endoscopic image or a plurality of endoscopic images corresponding to the image signal. It is possible.

An embodiment of the invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the figure, a video camera 3 using a charge-coupled device is attached to an endoscope eyepiece 2 of an endoscope 1. Inside the endoscope 1, there is an image guide 6 that reaches from the endoscope eyepiece 2 to the endoscope tip 4.
A light guide 5 is provided that reaches the connector portion 1A from the tip portion 4. When this endoscope 1 is inserted into the stomach of a human body, the light source unit 13
The light is introduced into the stomach from the tip 4 via the light guide 5. The light receiving section of the video camera 3 receives the light reflected from the stomach wall via the image guide 6 and converts this reflected light into an image signal. Illustrations of control signals for the endoscope 1 and video camera 3 are omitted. This image signal is applied to a memory unit 8 via a camera control unit 7.
This memory unit 8 is, for example, a desk type memory, and stores input unit image signals in different areas. 9 is an image signal conversion unit coupled to the memory unit 8;
In response to a control signal (not shown), the unit image signal stored in the memory unit 8 is read out and the unit image is reduced by a well-known image reduction process, for example, a plurality of unit image signals are combined into one solid image signal. (a composite image consisting of an array of images corresponding to the plurality of unit image signals described above is converted into an image signal that can be displayed on the monitor unit described later), and this solid image signal is transferred to the memory unit 8.
It is to be memorized. A monitor 10 is further coupled to the memory unit 8. This monitor 10 reproduces the above-mentioned printed image signal stored in the memory unit 8 as a single image, or reproduces the unit image signal stored in the memory unit as an image. A light pen 11 is coupled to this monitor 10. This light pen 11 specifies which part of the image of the solid image signal is to be observed, reads out the corresponding unit image signal from the memory unit 8, and displays it as an enlarged image of this part on the monitor unit. 10 is to be reproduced. Furthermore, a video printer 11 is coupled to the memory unit 8. This video printer responds to control signals (not shown).
This is to print the unit image signal stored in the memory unit 8 or the above-mentioned solid image signal.

Next, the effects of the above embodiment will be explained. Assume that the endoscope 1 is inserted into the stomach of a human body, for example. A light source unit 13 is attached to one end of the light guide 5.
light is introduced. If the light from the other end of the light guide 5 illuminates a first point in the stomach, the reflected light from this first point enters the light receiving section of the CCD video camera 3 via the image guide 6. do. Therefore, a first unit image signal related to the vicinity of one end of the light guide 5 from the video camera 3 is generated. This first unit image signal is stored in a corresponding area of the memory unit 8 via the camera control unit 7.
An image corresponding to this first unit image signal can be viewed by a monitor unit 10 or this unit image signal can be printed by a video printer 11. Next, if the position of the endoscope tip 4 is changed and a second point in the stomach is irradiated with light from the light guide 5, the second unit near this second point will be illuminated in the same manner as above. An image signal is obtained from a video camera 3.
This second unit image signal is stored via the camera control unit 7 in a location different from the storage location of the first unit image signal in the memory unit 8. Thereafter, the third, fourth, etc. unit image signals in the stomach are stored in different storage areas of the memory unit 8 in the same manner.
The image signal conversion unit 9 is the first image signal converter in the stomach.
Point, second point...The first and second unit image signals relating to the vicinity are each converted into one well-known solid image signal, and this solid image signal is stored in the memory unit 8.
is stored in the corresponding storage area. The monitor unit 10 can monitor not only the image corresponding to the unit image signal stored in the memory unit 8, but also the image corresponding to the solid image signal. In this case, when a desired image on the monitor is designated with the light pen 11, a unit image signal corresponding to the designated portion is read out from the memory unit and reproduced on the monitor unit 10 as an enlarged image. The video printer 11 can print each of the first, second, etc. unit image signals stored in the memory unit 8, and
The one solid image signal can also be printed.

As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to directly and easily obtain unit image signals of a plurality of desired locations within the human body using a CCD video camera, and to directly and easily obtain a plurality of unit image signals corresponding to the passage of time at a predetermined location. Rather, a plurality of these unit image signals can be converted into one solid image signal. Thus, not only can each unit image signal and one solid image signal be stored or printed, but the monitor unit 10 can
It is possible to display images based on the respective image signals described above. Therefore, it facilitates rapid and accurate diagnosis.

In this invention, the insertion point of the distal end 4 of the endoscope 1 is not limited to the stomach, and the memory unit 8 is not limited to a disk memory.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

The figure is a block diagram showing one embodiment of the present invention. 1... Endoscope, 3... CCD video camera, 5
...Light guide, 6...Image guide, 7...
...Color control unit, 8...Memory unit, 9...Image signal conversion unit, 10...
...Monitor unit, 11...Light pen, 12
...Video printer, 13...Light source unit.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. Imaging means for outputting a unit image signal based on one unit image corresponding to the field of view of an endoscope, and storing a plurality of unit image signals sequentially output from the imaging means in different areas, respectively. a memory unit that reduces each unit image based on a plurality of unit image signals stored in each area of the memory unit, and generates a solid image signal consisting of an array of a plurality of unit images corresponding to the field of view of the endoscope. an image signal conversion unit that generates a solid image signal and stores the solid image signal in the memory unit; a monitor unit that selects and displays an arbitrary unit image signal or solid image signal from a storage area of the memory unit; An image signal processing device for an endoscope device, comprising: