JPH0554313B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a transendoscopic television system that can transmit endoscopic images to a remote location and perform endoscopic diagnosis remotely.

[Prior art] When performing endoscopic diagnosis, a doctor inserts an endoscope into a patient's body cavity and diagnoses by observing the endoscopic image through the eyepiece, or an endoscope is attached to the eyepiece. Diagnoses are made by taking pictures of endoscopic images using a still camera and viewing the pictures.

[Problems to be solved by the invention] In conventional transendoscopic diagnosis, real-time diagnosis can only be performed by the doctor alone through direct viewing of the endoscope, and the accuracy of diagnosis is highly dependent on the skill level of the doctor. Ru. Although joint diagnosis can be carried out using photographs, it is not real-time and therefore it is not possible to respond quickly.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a transendoscopic television system that allows collaborative diagnosis in real time.

[Means for Solving the Problem] According to the present invention, an endoscope, an imaging device provided in the endoscope and outputting a video signal corresponding to a transendoscopic image, and a video signal of the imaging device that outputs a video signal corresponding to a transendoscopic image are provided. A terminal station configured with a first monitor that monitors an endoscopic image, a transmission system that transmits the video signal of the imaging device, a receiving section that receives the video signal of the transmission system of the terminal station, and this receiving section. A second monitor displays the video signal received by the terminal as a transendoscopic image, a data input means for instructing diagnostic information etc. on the transendoscopic image displayed on the second monitor, and an interface of the terminal station for transmitting the diagnostic information. A transendoscopic television system is provided which comprises a central station having an electrical transmission line for writing to the transendoscopic image via the central station.

[Operation] A large number of terminal stations are provided, and the central station and the terminal stations mutually transmit data and exchange information to enable joint diagnosis in real time.

[Example] In FIG. 1, for example, diagnostic information terminal stations A-1, A-2, and A- are installed in a plurality of small hospitals.
3, A-4 is communicatively coupled to a diagnostic information central station B, which is located in a large hospital, for example. Terminal station A-1,A
-2, A-3, and A-4 are each provided with a transendoscopic diagnostic device 11. Transendoscope diagnostic device 1
According to No. 1, an imaging device (television camera), for example, a solid-state imaging device (CTD television camera) 14 is attached to an eyepiece 13 of an endoscope 12. CTD
The output of the television camera 14 is connected to the input of a camera control unit or CCU 15. this
The CCU 15 is configured to process the video signal of the endoscopic image of the television camera 14.
An output section of the CCU 15 is connected to a monitor 16 and a communication interface (communication I/F) 17. Further, the output section of the CCU 15 is connected to a memory 18 for recording video information and a video printer 19 for printing out the video information as a transendoscopic image.

The connector portion 21 of the universal cord 20 of the endoscope 12 is coupled to a light source unit 22 that emits light to illuminate the inside of the body cavity via the light guide of the endoscope 12.

The central station B has terminal stations A-1, A-2, A-
3. A communication interface (communication I/F) 31 is provided to receive information from A-4. The communication I/F 31 is coupled to monitors 33 ₁ , 33 ₂ , 33 ₃ , and 33 ₄ via a control unit 32 . The control device 32 also includes a memory 34.
and a light pen 35 are connected.

At the diagnostic information terminal station A-1 in the transendoscopic television system, the endoscope 12 is inserted into the patient's body cavity, and the transendoscope image is captured by the television camera 14.
When an image is captured by the television camera 14, the video signal from the television camera 14 is input to the CCU 15 and subjected to signal processing. CCU
When the video signal processed by the monitor 15 is supplied to the monitor 16, a transendoscope image is displayed on the monitor 16. The video signal supplied to the communication I/F 17 is transmitted to the central station B. Communication I/F31 of central station B
When receiving the video signal from the terminal station A-1, it transmits this video signal to the control unit 32. When the control unit 32 transfers the video signal to, for example, the monitor 33 ₁ , the monitor 33 ₁ reproduces the video signal as a transendoscopic image. For example, a skilled doctor at the central station B collaborates with the doctor at the terminal station A-1 to examine the patient by using, for example, a telephone while observing the transendoscopic image on the monitor ₃₃₁ in real time. If necessary, the doctor at the central station B uses, for example, a light pen 35 to instruct the doctor at the terminal station A-1 to enlarge the captured image, change the position, or perform other medical tests to ensure the diagnosis. . The doctor at the terminal station A-1 operates the endoscope or performs a biopsy according to this instruction, and further sends transendoscopy information to the central station B. The skilled doctor at central station B makes an accurate diagnosis in real time based on the transendoscopy information and medical information sent in real time. The doctor at the terminal station A-1 promptly takes appropriate measures based on the diagnosis.

As described above, by transmitting transendoscopic images, accurate diagnosis can be made in real time by receiving the diagnosis from a skilled or specialized doctor located at a remote location.

Incidentally, when it is necessary to sufficiently observe a still image in the above-mentioned diagnosis, a still image can be obtained by storing corresponding image information in the memory 18 and the memory 34, and reading and reproducing this image information. In addition, by transmitting endoscopic images from other terminal stations A-2, A-3, and A-4 to the central station B, it is possible to transmit the surgical procedures of experienced doctors or specialist doctors at the central station B to a large number of terminal station doctors. can make an accurate diagnosis.

In the above embodiment, transendoscope images are sent from the terminal station, but as shown in FIG.
6, a television camera 37, and a CCU 38 are installed, and terminal stations A-1, A-2, A-
3. The transendoscopic image may be transmitted to A-4. In this case, information can be exchanged between a doctor at the central station and a doctor at the terminal station, or practical training in transendoscopic image diagnosis can be provided by an experienced doctor at the central station.

In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a television camera 14 is attached to the eyepiece of the endoscope 12, and a video signal is obtained from the television camera 14. However, as shown in FIG. A CCD image sensor 23 is installed at the tip of the endoscope.
The video signal from the CCD image sensor is transferred to CCU15.
It may also be possible to lead to In this case, the CCD image sensor 23 is connected to the transmission line 24 inside the endoscope 12.
The video signal is guided to the light source unit 22 via the light source unit 22, and the video signal output section of this light source unit 22 is connected to the CCU 15. Note that the transmission line 24 may terminate at the operating section 12a of the endoscope 12, and the end of the transmission line at the operating section 12a may be connected to the CCU 15.

In the above embodiment, the central station has a large number of monitors, but one monitor may be used and the control unit may selectively switch the video signal terminated from the terminal station and input it to the monitor. good.

FIG. 4 shows a multifunctional transendoscopic diagnostic device at a terminal station or central station. According to this device,
Not only the television camera 14 but also a data input unit 41 are connected to the input section of the CCU 15.
The output section of CCU15 is small capacity disk memory 42
and a large capacity disk memory 43. A small-capacity disk memory 42 records transendoscopic images generated during diagnosis, and a large-capacity disk memory 43
A large number of transendoscopic images from the past are recorded. Monitor 44 is CCU 15 or memory 42
The video signal from the system is reproduced as a transendoscopic image. The monitor 45 displays the transendoscopic image of the CCU 15 or the memory 42, the transendoscopic image of the memory 42, and the memory 43.
past endoscopic images can be displayed simultaneously. The video signal in the memory 42 is sent to a video printer 46.
Once entered, the transendoscopic image will be printed out. When the video signal is input to the transmission unit 47, the video signal is transmitted to a desired station via a telephone line of a transmitter, for example, a telephone 48.

The data input unit 41 may consist of a keyboard or a word processor, and is used to input desired data, such as date, patient name, sex, age, etc., onto the transendoscopic image.

According to the transendoscopic diagnostic apparatus shown in FIG. 4, various diagnostic information can be transmitted, and the accuracy of diagnosis can be improved.

In the above embodiment, the CCU 15, data input unit 41, memory 42, and monitor 44 are configured as separate bodies, but they may be configured to be integrated. Furthermore, the video signal may be obtained by a CCD image sensor provided at the distal end of the endoscope 12, as shown in the embodiment of FIG.

In the embodiment described above, a large number of terminal stations are provided, and the accuracy of diagnosis can be improved by mutual data transmission and mutual information exchange between the central station and the terminal stations.

[Effects of the Invention] As explained above, according to the present invention, transendoscopic diagnosis can be performed jointly by a plurality of doctors in real time by transmitting data of transendoscopic images between doctors, thereby making it possible to perform accurate diagnosis.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a transendoscopic television system according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG.
The figure shows a schematic configuration of a transendoscopic television system according to another embodiment, and FIG. 3 shows another embodiment of the transendoscopic television system using an endoscope equipped with a CCD image sensor. FIG. 4 is a block circuit diagram of a transendoscopic diagnostic apparatus used in the transendoscopic television system. A-1, A-2, A-3, A-4...Transendoscopic diagnosis terminal station, B...Transendoscopic diagnosis central station, 11...
...Transendoscopic diagnostic device, 12... Endoscope, 14...
Television camera, 15...CCU, 16...
Monitor, 17...Communication I/F, 31...Communication I/F
F, 32...Control unit, 33 ₁ , 3
3 ₂ , 33 ₃ , 33 ₄ , ...monitor, 35 ... light pen.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. An endoscope, an imaging means provided in the endoscope that outputs a video signal corresponding to a transendoscopic image, and a video signal of the imaging means that is monitored as a transendoscopic image. a terminal station having a first monitor means and a first communication interface means for transmitting the video signal of the imaging means and receiving diagnostic information; receiving the video signal of the terminal station and transmitting the diagnostic information; a second communication interface means for monitoring a video signal received by the second communication interface means as a transendoscopic image; and a second monitor means for monitoring a transendoscopic image displayed on the second monitor means. and a central station having diagnostic information input means for inputting diagnostic information to the transendoscopic image of the terminal station via the second communication interface means based on the mirror image. 2. The transendoscopic television system according to claim 1, wherein the second monitoring means of the central station monitors video signals from a plurality of terminal stations as transendoscopic images. 3. The diagnostic information input means of the central station includes the second
3. The transendoscopic television system according to claim 1, wherein the transendoscopic television system is a light pen for indicating a predetermined portion of the transendoscopic image of the monitor means. 4. The central station includes an endoscope, an imaging means for capturing a transendoscope image of the endoscope, and transmits a video signal of the imaging means to the terminal station via the second communication interface means. The transendoscopic system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the terminal station has a means for reproducing the transmitted video signal on the first monitor means. Mirror television system. 5. The transendoscopic television system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the imaging means is a solid-state imaging camera mounted on the endoscope. 6. The transendoscopic television system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the imaging means includes a solid-state imaging device provided at the distal end of the endoscope.