JP2006020788A - Autofluorescently observable electronic endoscope apparatus and system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an electronic endoscope apparatus provided with a function of automatically displaying and recording images suitable for specifying a lesion, and an electronic endoscope system. <P>SOLUTION: In an automatic capture mode, the normal color image of an object is displayed in the main window 62 of a monitor 60. The graph of a pseudo color occupancy rate indicating the possibility that the lesion is included in the object is displayed in a fluorescent intensity screen 76. In the case that the pseudo color occupancy rate is higher than a threshold V, pseudo color images suitable for detecting the lesion are displayed in 1st-5th capture windows 66A-E and also recorded as moving images. Further, 1st-5th icons 68A-E corresponding to respective points indicating sampling times are displayed so as to clearly indicate at which sampling times in the graph of the pseudo color occupancy rate indicated by the fluorescent intensity screen 76 the pseudo color images in the respective capture windows 66A-E are. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to an electronic endoscope apparatus and system for observing a body cavity as a subject. In particular, the present invention relates to an electronic endoscope apparatus having a function of controlling display and recording of images in autofluorescence observation using excitation light.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, an electronic endoscope apparatus capable of autofluorescence observation that observes a state of a body tissue through an image based on autofluorescence is known. In this endoscopic device, when excitation light is irradiated from the distal end portion of a video scope to an observation site in a body cavity that is a subject, normal tissue emits fluorescence at the observation site, whereas an affected site such as cancer does not generate fluorescence. I use that. For this reason, it becomes possible to find the affected part by the intensity distribution of the measured autofluorescence.

In such an electronic endoscope apparatus capable of autofluorescence observation, for example, one of an autofluorescence image (autofluorescence image) and a normal light image (normal image) is displayed on the main window on the monitor and the other is displayed on the monitor. Displayed in a subwindow. In addition, it is known to display a self-fluorescent image and a still image of a normal image by an operator's operation at a predetermined timing suitable for specifying an affected area (for example, Patent Document 1).
JP 2002-345739 (paragraphs [0063] to [0065])

  Even in observation with an endoscope apparatus capable of autofluorescence observation, it is not always easy to display and record an image including the affected part at a predetermined position. That is, in order to obtain a subject image in which the affected part in the subject is located at a predetermined position, for example, near the center, the operator needs to capture an image at an appropriate timing while the observation range gradually moves. Capturing an image at such an appropriate timing requires skill.

  An object of the present invention is to provide an electronic endoscope apparatus and an electronic endoscope system having a function of automatically displaying and recording an image suitable for specifying an affected area based on the intensity of autofluorescence. To do.

  An electronic endoscope system of the present invention includes a light source that emits observation illumination light for observing a subject, a short wavelength light source that emits short wavelength light that causes fluorescence in the subject, reflected light of the observation illumination light, and An imaging device having a plurality of pixels that receives fluorescence and generates a normal pixel signal that is a pixel signal based on reflected light of observation illumination light, a fluorescence pixel signal that is a pixel signal based on fluorescence, and fluorescence received by the plurality of pixels Fluorescence intensity calculating means for calculating the light intensity. Furthermore, the electronic endoscope apparatus includes a normal image for displaying the subject based on the normal pixel signal, a fluorescent image for displaying the subject based on the fluorescent pixel signal, and a pixel based on the fluorescent pixel signal. Image forming means for forming a pseudo color image for displaying a subject by superimposing a pseudo color indicating the intensity of fluorescence received in steps on a normal image, and image recording for recording an image formed by the image forming means And image recording control means for controlling image recording by the image recording means based on the fluorescence light intensity.

  The image recording control unit preferably records the pseudo color image formed by the image forming unit when the fluorescence light intensity is smaller than a predetermined threshold. In this case, for example, the image recording control unit records the pseudo color image as a still image at a predetermined interval. Further, the image recording control unit records, for example, a pseudo color image formed by the image forming unit as a moving image.

  The electronic endoscope system may further include setting means for an operator to set one of a freeze mode in which a pseudo color image is recorded as a still image and a capture mode in which the pseudo color image is recorded as a moving image. desirable.

  It is preferable that the image forming unit forms a pseudo color image by superimposing a pseudo color on a portion corresponding to a pixel in which the intensity of received fluorescent light is smaller than a predetermined value in a normal image. In this case, it is more preferable that the pseudo color is a plurality of colors indicating that the fluorescent light intensities are in predetermined intensity ranges different from each other.

  The electronic endoscope system calculates a pseudo color occupancy ratio indicating the ratio of the number of pixels whose received fluorescence light intensity is smaller than a predetermined value to the total number of pixels included in the image sensor. It is desirable to further have a rate calculation means. It is more desirable that the electronic endoscope system further includes a pseudo color occupancy display means for displaying a temporal change in the pseudo color occupancy.

  The electronic endoscope system preferably further includes image display means for displaying at least one of a normal image, a fluorescence image, and a pseudo color image. More preferably, the image display means displays at least one of the normal image, the fluorescence image, and the pseudo color image as a real-time image and simultaneously displays at least one as a still image. In this case, it is more preferable that the image display means can display a predetermined icon indicating the light intensity of the fluorescence when the still image is sampled together with the still image.

  The processor of the electronic endoscope apparatus of the present invention receives the reflected light from the subject irradiated with the observation illumination light and the fluorescence generated in the subject irradiated with the predetermined short wavelength light, and reflects the observation illumination light. It is detachably connected to a video scope including an imaging device having a plurality of pixels that generate a normal pixel signal that is a pixel signal by light and a fluorescent pixel signal that is a pixel signal by fluorescence. The processor includes a light source that emits observation illumination light, a short wavelength light source that emits predetermined short-wavelength light, and a fluorescence intensity calculation unit that calculates the light intensity of the fluorescence received by the pixel. The processor further includes a normal image for displaying the subject based on the normal pixel signal, a fluorescent image for displaying the subject based on the fluorescent pixel signal, and a fluorescence received by each of the pixels based on the fluorescent pixel signal. Image forming means for forming a pseudo color image for displaying a subject by superimposing a pseudo color indicating the light intensity of the image on a normal image, an image recording means for recording an image formed by the image forming means, and fluorescence Image recording control means for controlling image recording by the image recording means on the basis of the light intensity.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to realize an electronic endoscope apparatus and an electronic endoscope system having a function of automatically displaying and recording an image suitable for specifying an affected area based on the intensity of autofluorescence.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an electronic endoscope apparatus 10 in the present embodiment.

  The electronic endoscope apparatus 10 includes a video scope 20 used for imaging in a body cavity of a patient, and a processor 30 that supplies illumination light to the video scope 20 and processes a video signal transmitted from the video scope 20. . The video scope 20 is detachably connected to the processor 30, and a monitor 60 and a computer system 70 for recording images are connected to the processor 30.

  The processor 30 includes a white light source 32 and a laser unit 36. The white light source 32 is supplied with power from a power source 34 for white light source, and emits white parallel light as observation illumination light for normal observation. The laser unit 36 irradiates ultraviolet light (short wavelength light) as excitation light for emitting autofluorescence from a body tissue as a subject. The excitation light is converted into parallel light by the optical path adjustment lens (collimating lens) 40.

  The white light and the excitation light are incident at an angle of 45 ° with respect to the UV reflection filter 38 disposed at a location where the optical path of the white light and the optical path of the excitation light intersect. The UV reflection filter 38 transmits visible light such as incident white light and reflects ultraviolet light as excitation light. As a result, the white light is transmitted through the UV reflection filter 38, the excitation light is reflected by the UV reflection filter 38, and the white light and the excitation light travel on the same optical path. The UV reflection filter 38 may be replaced with a half mirror.

  The white light and the excitation light are adjusted in light quantity by a light quantity stop (not shown), converged by a condenser lens 42, and enter the incident end 22A of the light guide 22. Then, the white light and the excitation light are emitted from the emission end 22B of the light guide 22 at the distal end portion 24 of the video scope 20 through the light guide 22 and directed toward the observation site that is the subject through the light distribution lens 26. Is irradiated.

  A rotary shutter 44 driven by a first motor 48 is provided between the UV reflection filter 38 and the white light source 32. A chopper 46 is provided between the UV reflection filter 38 and the optical path adjustment lens 40. The rotary shutter 44 switches between transmission and blocking of white light, and the chopper 46 switches between transmission and blocking of excitation light. By switching the rotary shutter 44 and the chopper 46, only white light is incident on the incident end 22A of the light guide 22 during normal observation, and during autofluorescence observation in which the affected area of the subject is observed with excitation light, the excitation light and the light guide together with the white light. The light enters the incident end 22A. A constant amount of light is always emitted from the white light source 32 and the laser unit 36.

  Reflected light from the subject at the time of white light irradiation and fluorescence generated in the body tissue by irradiation of excitation light are received by the CCD 21 composed of a plurality of pixels through the objective lens 28 provided at the distal end portion 24 of the video scope. . In the CCD 21, a video signal corresponding to the subject image is generated. The generated video signal is transmitted to a video signal processing circuit 52 provided in the processor 30. The video signal is subjected to predetermined processing in the video signal processing circuit 52. In the case of autofluorescence observation, since the fluorescence from the body tissue is weak, an amplification process is performed on the video signal. A subject image is displayed on the monitor 60 based on the video signal thus processed, and the video signal is recorded in the computer system 70 in a predetermined case as will be described later.

  The processor 30 is provided with a control circuit 54, which performs the processing of the video signal of the white light source 34, the laser unit 36, the first and second motors 48, 50, the video signal processing circuit 52, and the recording operation. To control. Normal observation and autofluorescence observation are performed by the operator pressing a changeover switch (not shown). Information on the patient to be observed and information for recognizing the video scope 20 connected to the processor 30 are recorded in the flash memory 53 in the control circuit 54.

  FIG. 2 is a timing chart showing the irradiation time of white light and excitation light in normal observation and autofluorescence observation.

  In normal observation in which a subject is observed only with white light, the white light is always transmitted through the rotary shutter 44 and controlled by the control circuit 54 so that excitation light is not emitted from the laser unit 36 (FIG. 2A). reference). In this case, the subject image is displayed on the monitor 60 only as a normal color image.

  On the other hand, in autofluorescence observation using excitation light, control is performed so that white light and excitation light are alternately irradiated onto the subject at the same time, for example, in the first field in one frame over 1/30 second. Is irradiated with white light and excitation light in the second field (see FIG. 2B). In this case, an autofluorescence image of the subject is displayed on the monitor 60.

  The irradiation time of white light and excitation light is determined based on the time measured by a real time clock (not shown) in the processor 30. Further, the irradiation timing of the white light and the excitation light is controlled by a vertical synchronization signal generated by the control circuit 54. That is, the driving of the first and second motors 48 and 50 is controlled in accordance with the vertical synchronization signal, and transmission and blocking of white light and excitation light due to rotation of the rotary shutter 44 and swinging of the chopper 46 are controlled. As a result, irradiation with white light and excitation light is controlled, and irradiation is performed at a predetermined time and cycle. Instead of intermittently irradiating the observation site with excitation light by controlling transmission and blocking of the excitation light by the chopper 46, the control circuit 54 controls the excitation light to be intermittently emitted from the laser unit 36. May be. In this case, the chopper 46 and the second motor 50 are not required, and the cost can be reduced. In addition, since the laser diode element does not always emit light during autofluorescence observation, the life can be extended.

  FIG. 3 is a block diagram of the video signal processing circuit 52 and the control circuit 54. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a display on the monitor 60 of the pseudo color occupancy based on the received fluorescence intensity. The pseudo color occupation ratio will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4.

  The video signal transmitted from the CCD 21 is amplified by an amplifier 56 provided in the video signal processing circuit 52. The amplified video signal is transmitted to a VCA (Voltage Controlled Amplifier) 58 with a specific portion of the waveform being suppressed to a certain level by the clamp circuit 57. Since the signal level of the video signal due to the fluorescence is smaller than the signal level of the video signal due to the reflected light of the white light, the video signal due to the fluorescence is further amplified in the VCA 58 than the case of the video signal due to the reflected light of the white light. . Thereafter, the analog video signal based on the reflected light of the white light and the analog video signal based on the fluorescence are transmitted to the A / D converter 59.

  The analog video signal is converted into a digital video signal by the A / D converter 59. The digitized video signal is subjected to various signal processing (not shown) such as white balance adjustment and gamma correction, and is transmitted to the image memory 61. In the image memory 61, a video signal based on reflected white light and a video signal based on fluorescence are temporarily recorded as data for outputting a subject image as a normal image or a self-fluorescent image. Normal image data and autofluorescence image data recorded in the image memory 61 are transmitted to a video process (not shown). Then, a video signal is generated, and a normal image or an autofluorescence image is displayed on the monitor 60.

  Further, the video signals of the normal image and the autofluorescence image are transmitted from the image memory 61 to the computer system 70 as necessary and recorded in the computer system 70. While recording of normal image data and autofluorescence image data in the image memory 61 is sequentially overwritten, in the computer system 70, all transmitted data is recorded.

  In the video signal processing circuit 52, a histogram indicating the distribution of the light intensity of the received fluorescence and the number of pixels is calculated based on the video signal of the fluorescence received by the individual pixels constituting the CCD 21 during autofluorescence observation. When the histogram data, which is the fluorescence intensity data, is sent to the control circuit 54, pixels whose fluorescence intensity is lower than a predetermined value are identified based on the histogram data, and those pixels are detected in the normal image. A control signal for displaying a pseudo color image by superimposing a pseudo color, which is a predetermined color indicating the fluorescence intensity, is transmitted to the VCA 58 at a corresponding location.

  As a result, a pseudo color image is formed in which the fluorescent light intensity is low and the portion that is likely to be an affected part is more clearly shown than the autofluorescent image. The pseudo color is composed of a plurality of colors, and each color indicates that the light intensity of the fluorescence received by each pixel is within a different predetermined intensity range. Therefore, the normal image at the time of autofluorescence observation is colored in a stepwise manner in accordance with the degree of fluorescence light intensity by a plurality of pseudo colors. The pseudo color image data thus formed is recorded in the image memory 61 via the A / D converter 59, and is automatically recorded in the computer system 70 as necessary. The operator can select not only normal observation and autofluorescence observation but also display of a pseudo color image by pressing a changeover switch (not shown).

  Further, in the control circuit 54, the ratio of the number of pixels whose received fluorescence light intensity is lower than a predetermined value to the total number of pixels included in the CCD 21 is calculated as the pseudo color occupation ratio. This pseudo color occupancy is calculated using a weighting coefficient corresponding to the light intensity of fluorescence received by each pixel. That is, the smaller the light intensity of the fluorescence received by the pixel, the higher the possibility that the affected part is included in the corresponding subject part. Therefore, the smaller the light intensity of the fluorescence, the higher the pseudo color occupancy rate is calculated. The calculated pseudo color occupation ratio is transmitted to the VCA 58, recorded in the image memory 61, and further automatically recorded in the computer system 70 as necessary. Then, as described later, the pseudo color occupation ratio is displayed separately from the subject image as an index indicating the possibility that the affected part is included in the image displayed on the monitor 60.

  The pseudo color occupancy is provided with a threshold value V. During autofluorescence observation, the temporal change of the pseudo color occupancy and the threshold V provided for the pseudo color occupancy are displayed on the monitor 60 (FIG. 4). reference). The horizontal axis represents time T, and the point L at the right end of the graph represents the pseudo color occupancy at the present time. By displaying the temporal change in the pseudo color occupancy rate, the operator can check the transition of the pseudo color occupancy rate in the series of subject observations up to that point.

  The pseudo color occupancy is based on the fluorescence light intensity received by the CCD 21 and increases as the fluorescence light intensity decreases. For this reason, when the pseudo color occupancy exceeds the threshold value V (when the intensity of fluorescent light received by the CCD 21 is smaller than a predetermined threshold value), the affected area is found regardless of the image selected by the operator. A signal for displaying an easy pseudo color image on the monitor 60 is transmitted from the control circuit 54 to the video signal processing circuit 52. Thereafter, when the pseudo color occupation ratio becomes lower than the threshold value V, a signal for displaying only an image selected by the operator is transmitted to the video signal processing circuit 52. An analog video signal based on these signals is converted into a digital video signal by the A / D converter 59 and transmitted to the image memory 61, and a predetermined image is displayed on the monitor 60.

  In this embodiment, when the pseudo color occupancy exceeds the threshold value V, the pseudo color image is frozen at predetermined intervals, sequentially recorded as a still image, and displayed on the monitor 60. In addition, it is possible to select one of automatic capture modes in which pseudo color images are recorded as moving images and displayed as a plurality of still images at predetermined intervals.

  When the operator sets the automatic freeze mode by operating a keyboard (setting means, not shown), an instruction signal instructing to display the pseudo color image as one still image while updating at a predetermined interval is controlled. The signal is transmitted to the video signal processing circuit 52 via the circuit 54. In the automatic freeze mode, the digital video signal of the frozen pseudo color image is automatically transmitted to the computer system 70 and recorded.

  On the other hand, in the automatic capture mode, an instruction signal instructing to display the pseudo color image as a plurality of still images at predetermined intervals is transmitted to the video signal processing circuit 52 through the control circuit 54. In the automatic capture mode, the digital video signal of the pseudo color image while the pseudo color occupancy is higher than the threshold value V is automatically transmitted to the computer system 70 as a moving image and recorded. When the automatic freeze mode is not selected by the operator, the automatic capture mode is set.

  When displaying character information together with the subject image on the monitor 60, a predetermined signal is sent to the control circuit 54 by operating the keyboard. Further, based on this signal, a control signal is sent to a CRTC (CRT controller) 55. As a result, a character signal corresponding to the key operation is transmitted from the CRTC 55 to the video process and superimposed on the video signal.

  FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating display of a normal color image in the main window on the monitor 60.

  A main window 62 is displayed on the monitor 60, and an image is displayed on the main window 62. The operator selects an image to be displayed on the main window 62 from the normal color image, the autofluorescence image, or the pseudo color image. In the present embodiment, a normal color image is displayed on the main window 62. The main window 62 displays any image in real time. Further, a fluorescence intensity screen 76 is provided on the monitor 60, and a pseudo color occupation rate is displayed here.

  FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating display of a pseudo color image in the automatic freeze mode.

  When the operator selects a normal color image in the automatic freeze mode and the pseudo color occupancy displayed on the fluorescence intensity screen 76 is higher than the threshold value V, the monitor 60 has a main window 62 and a sub window 64. Is automatically displayed. Then, the frozen pseudo color image is automatically displayed on the main window 62 as a still image that is updated at a predetermined sampling interval, for example, 30 frame intervals, along with the normal color image that changes in real time. The On the fluorescence intensity screen 76, a point indicating when the pseudo color image is sampled is shown on the graph. While the pseudo color occupancy exceeds the threshold value V, the sampled pseudo color image video signal for every 30 frames is recorded in the computer system 70. The operator can set the sampling interval of the pseudo color image by a keyboard operation.

  In the pseudo color image, the pseudo color is colored as the first coloring area 78 and the second coloring area 80 by subjecting the subject area having a low fluorescence light intensity and a high possibility of being an affected area to the above-described stepwise coloring process. ing. For this reason, the operator can easily find the affected part. The second colored region 80 indicates that the fluorescence intensity is lower than that of the first colored region 78. As described above, the pseudo color image display in which the pseudo colors are added step by step can more easily identify the affected part than when a single color is added.

  When the pseudo color occupancy is a value lower than the threshold value V, the sub window 64 is automatically closed, and at the same time, the recording of the video signal of the pseudo color image in the computer system 70 is also stopped. In switching between display and disappearance of the sub-window 64, since hysteresis is set, switching is not performed when the pseudo color occupancy frequently fluctuates across the threshold V in a short time.

  FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating display of a pseudo color image in the automatic capture mode.

  When the operator selects a normal color image in the automatic capture mode, the normal color image is displayed as a real-time image on the main window 62, and the first to fifth capture windows 66A to 66E are automatically displayed. Is done. When the pseudo color occupancy becomes higher than the threshold value V, the pseudo color images are automatically displayed in the capture windows 66A to 66E as still images at a predetermined interval, for example, 30 frames.

  A video signal of a pseudo color image while the pseudo color occupation ratio is higher than the threshold value V is recorded in the computer system 70 as a moving image. When the pseudo color occupation ratio becomes lower than the threshold value V, the normal color image is displayed in the first to fifth capture windows 66A to 66E, and the recording of the pseudo color image is also stopped. As shown in FIG. 7, when the pseudo color occupancy changes with the threshold V interposed therebetween, the first to fifth capture windows 66A to 66E include pseudo color images (first to fourth capture windows 66A to D). ) And a normal color image (fifth capture window 66E) are both displayed.

  In the fluorescence intensity screen 76, the pseudo color image sampling time is represented as a point on the graph, as in the automatic freeze mode. In order to clearly indicate which sampling time the pseudo color images displayed by the capture windows 66A to E are displayed on the fluorescence intensity screen 76, corresponding to the capture windows 66A to E, First to fifth icons 68A to 68E are displayed. Each icon 68A-E is given the same color as a point on the graph of the fluorescence intensity screen 76 indicating the time of each sampling, and the operator can easily grasp these correspondences. Furthermore, since the first to fifth icons 68A to 68E are predetermined marks corresponding to the size and change of the pseudo color occupancy rate, it is easier to identify the affected area. Here, the first to fifth icons 68A to 68E are represented by up and down arrows when they rise or fall above the threshold value V. Is represented by a clear mark.

  As described above, since the pseudo color image is automatically displayed on the monitor 60 and automatically recorded when there is a high possibility that the affected area is included, the operator can easily identify the affected area when observing the subject. Further, even after observation, the affected area can be confirmed by the reproduced image.

  FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing a monitor screen control routine. FIG. 9 shows a freeze mode screen control routine which is a part of the monitor screen control routine, and FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing a capture mode screen control routine which is a part of the monitor screen control routine.

  In step S101, the laser unit 36 and the white light source 32 are turned on, preparation for irradiation with excitation light and white light is made, and the process proceeds to step S102. In step S102, the normal window 62 is set to display a normal color image, and the process proceeds to step S103. In step S103, the pseudo color occupation ratio is displayed on the fluorescence intensity screen 76, and the process proceeds to step S104. In step S104, it is determined whether or not the video scope 20 is connected. If it is determined that the video scope 20 is connected, the process proceeds to step S105. If it is determined that the video scope 20 is not connected, step S104 is repeated. .

  In step S105, it is determined whether or not the operator has set the automatic freeze mode. When the automatic setting mode is set, the process proceeds to the freeze mode screen control routine (see FIG. 9). When the automatic setting mode is not set, the process proceeds to the capture mode screen control routine to display an image in the automatic capture mode. (See FIG. 10).

  In step S106 of the freeze mode screen control routine, a histogram for the intensity of fluorescence received by the CCD 21 is calculated, a pseudo color occupancy is calculated, and the process proceeds to step S107 (see FIG. 9). In step S107, it is determined whether or not the pseudo color occupancy has changed. If the pseudo color occupancy has changed, the process proceeds to step S108. If the pseudo color occupancy has not changed, the process proceeds to step S109.

  In step S108, whether or not the pseudo color occupancy is higher than the threshold value V as a result of the change, that is, whether the pseudo color occupancy has changed from a value equal to or lower than the threshold value V to a value higher than the threshold value V. It is determined whether the value has changed to the following value. If the pseudo color occupancy is higher than the threshold value V, the process proceeds to step S110. In step S110, a pseudo color image is displayed in the sub window 64, and the process proceeds to step S113. In step S111, the subwindow 64 is closed and the process proceeds to step S113.

  In step S109, it is determined whether or not the pseudo color occupation ratio is higher than the threshold value V. If the pseudo color occupancy is a value higher than the threshold V, the process proceeds to step S112. If the pseudo color occupancy is a value equal to or less than the threshold V, the process returns to step S104 (see FIG. 8). In step S112, the pseudo color image is frozen in a predetermined cycle in the sub window 64 and recorded as a still image, and the pseudo color occupancy graph is updated in the fluorescence intensity screen 76, and the process proceeds to step S113. In step S113, other system processing is performed, and the process returns to step S104 (see FIG. 8).

  On the other hand, in step S114 of the capture mode screen control routine, a histogram of the fluorescence intensity received by the CCD 21 is subjected to arithmetic processing, a pseudo color occupation ratio is calculated, and the process proceeds to step S115 (see FIG. 10). In step S115, the first to fifth capture windows 66A to 66E are displayed, and the process proceeds to step S116. In step S116, it is determined whether or not the pseudo color occupancy is higher than the threshold V. If the pseudo color occupancy is higher than the threshold V, the process proceeds to step S117, and the pseudo color occupancy is a value equal to or smaller than the threshold V. In this case, the process returns to step S104 (see FIG. 8).

  In step S117, the pseudo color image is displayed in a predetermined cycle in the first to fifth capture windows 66A to 66E, and the pseudo color image while the pseudo color occupancy is higher than the threshold value V is recorded as a moving image. The pseudo color occupancy graph is updated on the fluorescence intensity screen 76, and the process proceeds to step S118. In step S118, other system processing is performed, and the process returns to step S104 (see FIG. 8).

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to automatically display and record a pseudo color image based on the intensity of autofluorescence even in normal observation, and easily obtain an image including an affected area. An electronic endoscope apparatus can be realized.

  In both the automatic freeze mode and the automatic capture mode, what is displayed together with the normal color image of the main window 62 is not limited to the pseudo color image, and may be an auto-fluorescent image, or any of these may be displayed. . Even when the operator selects an auto-fluorescent image or a pseudo color image as an image to be displayed on the main window 62, the sub window 64 or the first to fifth capture windows 66 </ b> A to E are selected according to the pseudo color occupation ratio. The pseudo color image may be automatically displayed and recorded in the computer system 70.

  Also in the automatic capture mode, the first to fifth capture windows 66A to 66E may be displayed only when the pseudo color occupancy is higher than the threshold value V, as in the automatic freeze mode. In any mode, when the pseudo color occupancy is higher than the threshold value V, the pseudo color image may be displayed as a moving image.

  Recording an image is not limited to the computer system 70, and may be a video printer, for example. Further, the arrangement, number, display interval, and the like of the display screen of the sub window 64 or the first to fifth capture windows 66A to 66E are not limited to the present embodiment.

It is a block diagram of the electronic endoscope apparatus in this embodiment. It is a timing chart which shows the irradiation time of white light and excitation light. It is a block diagram of a video signal processing circuit and a control circuit. It is a figure which shows the display in the monitor of a pseudo color occupation rate. It is a figure which shows the display of the normal color image in the main window on a monitor. It is a figure which shows the display of the pseudo color image in automatic freeze mode. It is a figure which shows the display of the pseudo color image in automatic capture mode. It is a flowchart which shows a monitor screen control routine. It is a flowchart which shows a freeze mode screen control routine. It is a flowchart which shows a capture mode screen control routine.

Explanation of symbols

10 Electronic endoscope device 21 CCD (imaging device)
30 Processor 32 White light source (light source)
36 Laser unit (short wavelength light source)
52 Video signal processing circuit (fluorescence intensity calculating means / image forming means / image recording control means)
54 Control circuit (pseudo color occupancy rate calculation means)
60 Monitor (image display means)
68A-E 1st-5th icon (icon)
70 Computer system (image recording means)
76 Fluorescence intensity screen (pseudo color occupancy display means)

Claims (13)

A light source that emits observation illumination light for observing the subject;
A short wavelength light source that emits short wavelength light that causes fluorescence in the subject;
Imaging having a plurality of pixels that receive reflected light of the observation illumination light and the fluorescence and generate a normal pixel signal that is a pixel signal based on the reflected light of the observation illumination light and a fluorescent pixel signal that is a pixel signal based on the fluorescence Elements,
Fluorescence intensity calculating means for calculating the light intensity of the fluorescence received by the pixel;
The normal image for displaying the subject based on the normal pixel signal, the fluorescent image for displaying the subject based on the fluorescent pixel signal, and each of the pixels receiving light based on the fluorescent pixel signal Image forming means for forming a pseudo color image for displaying the subject by superimposing a pseudo color indicating the light intensity of the fluorescence stepwise on the normal image;
Image recording means for recording the image formed by the image forming means;
An electronic endoscope system comprising: an image recording control unit that controls recording of an image by the image recording unit based on the fluorescence light intensity.   The electronic endoscope according to claim 1, wherein the image recording control unit records the pseudo color image formed by the image forming unit when the fluorescence light intensity is smaller than a predetermined threshold value. Mirror system.   3. The electronic endoscope system according to claim 2, wherein the image recording control unit records the pseudo color image formed by the image forming unit as a still image at a predetermined interval.   3. The electronic endoscope system according to claim 2, wherein the image recording control unit records the pseudo color image formed by the image forming unit as a moving image.   The apparatus further comprises setting means for an operator to set one of a freeze mode for recording the pseudo color image as a still image and a capture mode for recording the pseudo color image as a moving image. The electronic endoscope system according to 2.   The image forming unit forms the pseudo color image by superimposing the pseudo color on a location corresponding to the pixel in which the intensity of the received fluorescent light is smaller than a predetermined value in the normal image. The electronic endoscope system according to claim 1.   The electronic endoscope system according to claim 6, wherein the pseudo color is a plurality of colors indicating that the fluorescence light intensities are in predetermined intensity ranges different from each other.   Pseudo color occupancy calculation for calculating a pseudo color occupancy ratio indicating a ratio of the number of the pixels whose received fluorescence light intensity is smaller than the predetermined value to the total number of the pixels included in the image sensor The electronic endoscope system according to claim 6, further comprising means.   9. The electronic endoscope system according to claim 8, further comprising pseudo color occupancy display means for displaying a temporal change in the pseudo color occupancy.   The electronic endoscope system according to claim 1, further comprising image display means for displaying at least one of the normal image, the fluorescent image, and the pseudo color image.   11. The image display means displays at least one of the normal image, the fluorescence image, and the pseudo color image as a real-time image and simultaneously displays at least one as a still image. The electronic endoscope system described in 1.   The electronic endoscope system according to claim 11, wherein the image display unit is capable of displaying a predetermined icon indicating the fluorescence light intensity when the still image is sampled together with the still image. Receiving a reflected light from the subject irradiated with the observation illumination light and a fluorescence generated in the subject irradiated with a predetermined short wavelength light, and a normal pixel signal which is a pixel signal by the reflected light of the observation illumination light; A videoscope including an imaging device having a plurality of pixels that generate a fluorescence pixel signal that is a pixel signal due to fluorescence is a processor of an electronic endoscope apparatus that is detachably connected,
A light source for irradiating the observation illumination light;
A short wavelength light source for irradiating the predetermined short wavelength light;
Fluorescence intensity calculating means for calculating the light intensity of the fluorescence received by the pixel;
A normal image for displaying the subject based on the normal pixel signal, a fluorescent image for displaying the subject based on the fluorescent pixel signal, and each of the pixels receiving light based on the fluorescent pixel signal Image forming means for forming a pseudo color image for displaying the subject by superimposing a pseudo color indicating the light intensity of the fluorescence stepwise on the normal image;
Image recording means for recording an image formed by the image forming means;
An electronic endoscope apparatus processor comprising: image recording control means for controlling image recording by the image recording means based on the fluorescence light intensity.

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