JPH0332634A - Electronic endoscope device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To obtain a function information image based on an output signal from a photographing element at the time when the irradiation light quantity of a monochromatic light is the light quantity being suitable for obtaining the function information image by setting a period in which it is decided to be output of a prescribed level range by a light quantity deciding means as the function stop period of an arithmetic processing means. CONSTITUTION:At the time of selecting operation of a function information image, a light quantity deciding circuit 15 decides whether most of luminance signal levels in the output signal of a CCU 3 varied by the light receiving state of the solid-state photographing element of the tip of an endoscope scope 17 are within a prescribed level or not, under the control of a CPU 1, and when it is decided to be outside of the range, this decision output is sent out to a light quantity controller 2, an arithmetic circuit 11 and the CPU. The CPU 1 itself sets a period in which it is decided that the luminance signal level is outside of the prescribed level range as the function stop period of the arithmetic circuit. Accordingly, based on an output signal from the photographing element at the time when the irradiation light quantity of a monochromatic light irradiation light source is the light quantity being suitable for obtaining the function information image, an arithmetic processing for obtaining the function information image is executed.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Object of the Invention] (Industrial Application Field) The present invention relates to an electronic endoscope device having a processing function of converting functional information into an image, and particularly relates to an improvement of a control system for the processing function. .

(Prior Art) As is well known, in this type of electronic endoscope device, when trying to obtain a functional information image such as a hemoglobin distribution image, interference filters with different center transmission wavelengths are placed on the light source optical path. The inside of the body cavity is photographed using an imaging device such as a CCD under each illumination inserted in sequence, specific monochromatic light images are sequentially obtained based on the output signal from the imaging device, and the difference in absorbance between the two monochromatic light images is then calculated. The functional information image is calculated by calculation, and the functional information image indicated by the calculation result is displayed on a monitor, for example.

When photographing the above-mentioned monochromatic light image, the amount of irradiation light is adjusted so that the luminance signal level of the output signal of the image sensor falls within a specified level range.

(Problem to be Solved by the Invention) However, even if the control for adjusting the amount of irradiation light is implemented as described above, the luminance signal level of the output signal of the image sensor may exceed the saturation level, or
It may be below the noise level. On the other hand, in the conventional system configuration of this type of electronic endoscope apparatus, arithmetic processing for obtaining functional information is continuously executed regardless of changes in the output signal of the image sensor.

Therefore, in the conventional case, there has been a problem in that the functional information image displayed on the monitor may contain erroneous information.

The present invention has been made with attention to the above-mentioned circumstances, and its purpose is to generate an output signal from an image sensor when the amount of light irradiated by a monochromatic light source is a light amount suitable for obtaining a functional information image. An object of the present invention is to provide an electronic endoscope device in which arithmetic processing for obtaining functional information images is performed based on the following.

[Structure of the invention]

(Means for solving the problem) In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a calculation method for obtaining a functional information image based on an output signal from an image sensor that captures an image of a subject under illumination by a monochromatic light source. an arithmetic processing means for executing processing; a light amount determining means for determining whether the luminance signal level of the output signal of the image sensor is within a prescribed level range; The present invention is characterized by comprising a processing condition setting means that sets a period during which the operation is stopped as a period during which the operation of the arithmetic processing means is stopped.

(Function) With the configuration according to the present invention, when the luminance signal level of the output signal of the image sensor falls outside the specified level range, this is determined by the light amount determining means.

Then, during the period in which the light quantity determining means determines that the level is outside the prescribed range, the processing condition setting means sets the arithmetic processing means as a functional suspension period.

Therefore, calculation processing for obtaining a functional information image is performed based on the output signal from the photographing element when the amount of light irradiated by the monochromatic light source is a light amount suitable for obtaining the functional information image.

(Embodiment) Figure IJ1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an electronic endoscope device according to an embodiment to which the present invention is applied.

The electronic endoscope device of this embodiment is provided with a CPUI as the control center of the entire system, and this CPU controls a light amount controller 2, a camera controller unit (hereinafter referred to as CCU) 3, an A/D converter 4, and a switching device. 5. Normal optical frame memory 6, λ1 frame memory 7, λ2 frame memory 8, λ3 frame memory 9, λ4 frame memory 10, arithmetic circuit 11, functional image frame memory 1
2. The display memory 13, the D/A converter 14, the light amount determining circuit 15, the motor controller 16, etc. are controlled by a microprocessor.

When introducing the path part of the endoscope 17 into the body cavity of the subject and photographing the inside of the body cavity, the light amount controller 2 drives and controls the xenon (Xe) lamp 18 and the aperture controller 19, while the motor controller 16
The motor unit 20 is driven and controlled by the following.

Further, a filter disk 22 is detachably configured on the rotating shaft 21 of the motor unit 20, and this filter disk 22 is used to obtain functional information corresponding to the amount of hemoglobin and the oxygen saturation of hemoglobin. , λ1. as shown in FIG. λ2゜λ3. Each interference filter of λ4,
It is a filter disk formed by arranging a light quantity attenuation filter indicated by ND.

In each of these parts, the light amount controller 2 controls the current flowing through the Xe lamp 18 in accordance with the judgment state of the light amount judgment circuit 15, and automatically adjusts the amount of light emitted from the light source section 24 by controlling the aperture of the diaphragm 23. It is something to do. In addition, in the light source part 24, 25 is a condensing lens, and 26 is a reflective plate.

The motor controller 16 removes the filter disk 22 from the optical path of the Xe lamp 18 during normal light photography, and when the keyboard 27 is operated to obtain a functional information image, the motor controller 16 removes the filter disk 22 from the optical path of the Xe lamp 18. 22
The motor unit 20 is driven to rotate the filter disk 22 in order to sequentially switch first the ND filter and then each of the interference filters λ1 to λ4 and repeatedly push them onto the optical path of the Xe lamp 18. . When the filter disk 22 is rotated by the motor controller 16, the light source 24 functions as a monochromatic light source.

When a selection operation for obtaining a functional information image is being performed, the light amount judgment circuit 15 sequentially inserts each of the interference filters λ 1 to λ 4 onto the optical path of the Xe lamp 18 under the control of the CPU for each insertion period. C changes depending on the light reception state of a solid-state image sensor (not shown) mounted at the tip of the endoscope 17.
It is determined whether the luminance signal level of most of the output signals of the CU3 is within the specified level range, and when it is determined that the luminance signal level of the majority of the output signal is outside the specified level range, this judgment output is sent to the light amount controller. 2. Send to the arithmetic circuit 11 and CPUI. Note that when shooting normal images, C
A signal indicating a change in the brightness signal level in the output signal of the CU 3 is sent to the light amount controller 2.

The CPU itself determines that the period during which the brightness signal level of the CCU1 is determined to be outside the specified level range by the light amount determination circuit 1 is the period during which the arithmetic circuit 11 is out of function.
During the period when the arithmetic circuit 11 stops functioning, the light amount controller 2
control to restart. Through this control, when a judgment output is received from the light amount judgment circuit 15 indicating that the luminance signal level of the CCUI is within a prescribed level range, control is performed to permit the calculation processing of the calculation circuit 11. Furthermore, in synchronization with the functional suspension period of the arithmetic circuit 15, a message area 28a as shown in FIG. It controls the reading of the message memory 29, and also displays the processing display LED 27 of the keyboard 27 as shown in FIG.
Control is performed to display the fact that the process for obtaining the function information is interrupted in the control section b. In addition, in FIG. 4, the LED 27a
is displayed to the effect that images are being collected in each of the memories 7 to 10 of λ1 to λ4. Further, 27c is a functional image switch.

To explain the operation of the configuration as described above, during normal observation, the filter disk 22 is removed from the optical path of the Xe lamp 18 by the motor unit 20, and in this case, the luminance signal level in the output signal of the CCU 3 is shown. Since the signal is applied from the light amount determination circuit 15 to the light amount controller 2, the light amount controller 2 is maintained in the ON state. Electrical signals obtained by imaging the inside of the body cavity with the endoscope 17 are converted into analog image data by the CCU 3, digitized by the A/D converter 4, and passed through the switch 5 to the normal optical frame memory 6. are stored sequentially. The image data sequentially stored in the normal optical frame memory 6 is sent to the display memory 13 under read control of the CPU 1.
The image data once stored in the D/A converter 14
is converted to analog image data and displayed on display 2.
Sent on 8th. Therefore, the normal photographed content is displayed as an image on the display 28.

When performing normal imaging in this way, it becomes necessary to measure the amount of hemoglobin and the oxygen saturation of hemoglobin, and when an input operation to that effect is performed on the keyboard 27, the filter disk 22 shifts and the Xe lamp 18 , the ND filter is inserted first, and then λ嘗→λ2→λ3→λ4 according to the rotational drive of the motor unit 20.
→ND-λ1... are inserted sequentially in the order.

In synchronization with this, the switch 5 sequentially selects the λ1 frame memory 7, λ2 frame memory 8, λ3 frame memory 9, λ4 frame memory 10, and normal optical image memory 6 under the control of the CPUI. A light image is taken, and each monochromatic light image is stored in the λ1 to λ4 frame memories 7 to 10 14...D/A converter 15...light amount judgment circuit 16...motor controller 17... Endoscope scope 18...One Xe lamp...Aperture controller 20...-Motor unit 21...Rotary shaft 22...Filter disc 23...Aperture 24...Light source section 25...・Condensing lens 26...Reflector plate 27...Keyboard 28...Display

Claims (3)

[Claims] (1) An arithmetic processing unit that executes arithmetic processing to obtain a functional information image based on an output signal from an image sensor that images a subject under illumination by a monochromatic light source, and a luminance signal level in the output signal of the image sensor. a light amount determining means for determining whether the level is within a prescribed level range, and a processing condition setting such that a period during which the light amount determining means determines that the level is outside the prescribed level range is a functional suspension period of the arithmetic processing means. An electronic endoscope device comprising: means. (2) The processing condition setting means performs control to restart the light amount adjusting means of the monochromatic light irradiation light source during the functional suspension period of the arithmetic processing means, and by this control, the light amount determining means determines that the level is within a specified level range. 2. The electronic endoscope apparatus according to claim 1, wherein after making the determination, the arithmetic processing by the arithmetic processing means is permitted. (3) The electronic endoscope apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processing condition setting means controls the display means to display a function stoppage in synchronization with a function stoppage period of the arithmetic processing means.