JP3059626B2 - Electronic endoscope device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an electronic endoscope apparatus, and more particularly to a display processing of image information extracted by an electronic endoscope having a small diameter.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In an electronic endoscope apparatus, a CCD (Charge Coupled Device), which is a solid-state image pickup device, is disposed at the tip of an electronic endoscope as a scope, and an image of a body to be observed is captured by the CCD. That is, the video signal output from the CCD is subjected to predetermined image processing by an image signal processing circuit, whereby an image of the inside of the object to be observed is displayed on a monitor.

FIG. 3 shows an example of the configuration of the tip of an electronic endoscope. A CCD 3 is connected via a prism 2 to an optical lens system 1 having an objective lens and the like. A treatment tool insertion channel 4 for introducing a treatment tool such as forceps is provided below the CCD 3. According to such a configuration, an image of the inside of the body to be observed captured by the optical lens system 1 is formed on the image area of the CCD 3 via the prism 2, and based on the video signal obtained by the CCD 3. Thus, an image is formed. Then, since this image is displayed on the monitor, it is possible to introduce the treatment tool from the treatment tool insertion channel 4 into the body to be observed while observing the image on the monitor.

[0004]

By the way, conventionally, a configuration as shown in FIG. 4 may be employed in order to make the diameter smaller than the configuration in FIG. That is, the diameter (diameter) of the electronic endoscope in FIG. 3 is D1, whereas in FIG. 4, an optical lens system 5 having a smaller diameter and a prism 6 having a shorter height are used. According to this, there is an advantage that the diameter of the electronic endoscope can be reduced to the length D2 as compared with the length D1 in FIG.

However, in the case of the configuration shown in FIG. 3, the display size S is about 120% when the vertical display size of the TV monitor is 100%, while the optical lens system 5 and the prism 6 are made smaller in FIG. If, display size S
Is about 90%, and the imaging range is narrowed. That is, FIG.
FIG. 5A shows an image pickup area of the CCD 3.
As shown in FIG. 3, in the case of the configuration of FIG.
Is an image area, the effective imaging area is a circle area indicated by 100.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 5B, in the case of the configuration of FIG. 4, the effective imaging area becomes smaller as indicated by 101. Therefore, an area having the same ratio as that in FIGS. 5A and 5B is also a display area on the monitor. Therefore, when the optical lens system 5 and the prism 6 are made smaller to reduce the diameter, there is a problem that the display area becomes narrower and the monitor screen is not effectively used.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide an electronic endoscope apparatus capable of maximizing the use of a monitor screen as an effective display area and obtaining an easy-to-view screen. To provide.

To achieve the above object, the present invention relates to an electronic endoscope apparatus for displaying an image of an inside of a body to be observed on a monitor based on a video signal output from a solid-state imaging device. Effective shooting for the area
Display area ratio to monitor screen rather than image area ratio
As increases, the images obtained by the solid-state imaging device with enlarges predetermined magnification only, the enlarged control the display mask of the monitor in accordance with the image magnification, displayed on a monitor the magnified image as a basic screen It is characterized by doing.

[0009]

According to the above arrangement, the image information stored in the memory is enlarged so that the image obtained by the solid-state imaging device is enlarged by a predetermined magnification. In addition, the display mask is enlarged by a predetermined magnification in comparison with the related art so that the display mask also spreads over the entire monitor screen. That is, the mask is enlarged to a size that is larger than the ratio of the imaging area on the solid-state imaging device, and an enlarged image is displayed in this display area. Then, this enlarged image is always displayed as a basic screen. Therefore, it is possible to provide an easy-to-view screen by effectively using the screen.

[0010]

FIG. 1 shows the configuration of an electronic endoscope apparatus according to an embodiment. In the figure, a CCD 10 is arranged at the tip of an electronic endoscope. If the whole of the CCD 10 is an image area, the CCD 10 is shown by the size of an optical lens system and a prism (similar to the case of FIG. 4). Is set as the imaging area. The CCD 10 is provided with a signal processing circuit 11 for performing clamp processing, gamma correction, white balance processing, and the like. The signal processing circuit 11 is connected to a memory unit 12 for storing video signals on which image processing has been performed. In the memory unit 12, a zoom function unit 13 is provided as a part of memory control. That is, the zoom function unit 13 enlarges the entire image pickup area by, for example, converting the reading speed of the image information once stored in the memory, as in the conventional zoom control.

The memory section 12 includes an output circuit 14 having an encoder and the like and for setting a mask of an in-vivo image to be observed. A monitor 15 is connected to the output circuit 14. Further, a microcomputer (MPU) 16 for controlling each circuit is provided. This microcomputer 16 controls the magnification of the zoom function unit 13 and controls the size of the display mask of the output circuit 14. In the embodiment, the mask area (display area) 301 in the figure is set as the configuration of the basic screen. This mask is set by electrical processing in order to delete unnecessary pixel information other than the imaging region. For example, imaging information, patient information, and the like are displayed in a portion blocked by the mask. .

The embodiment has the above configuration, and the CCD 10
The video signal obtained in (1) is subjected to predetermined image processing such as gamma processing in the signal processing circuit 11, and then stored in the memory unit 12. In the memory unit 12, the microcomputer 1
The zoom function unit 13 operates based on the control of the control unit 6, and the video signal is enlarged by, for example, about twice by the zoom function unit 13 and supplied to the output circuit 14. Further, in the output circuit 14, under the control of the microcomputer 16, the display area 301 is enlarged by, for example, about twice so that
The video signal will be masked.

Thus, in the embodiment, an enlarged image is displayed in the display area 301 on the screen of the monitor 15. That is, since the monitor 15 performs scanning for display at the same time as the reading scan of the CCD 10, as shown in FIG. 2, the imaging area 200 of the CCD 10 and the display area 300 of the monitor 15 conventionally have a ratio of the entire area. Each will be the same. Therefore, the display area 300 of the monitor 15 is small. However, according to the present invention, the display mask is enlarged to the display area 301 (that is, the display mask is enlarged to have a ratio larger than the ratio of the imaging area to the image area of the CCD), and the video signal is enlarged. Therefore, the image A captured in the image capturing area 200 of the CCD 10 as shown in FIG.

Since the display of the display area 301 is in the display state of the basic screen, there is an advantage that the screen can be effectively used and an easy-to-view image is displayed. In the embodiment, a further enlarged image may be displayed using the zoom function unit 13 of the memory unit 12.

Further, if the mask size is the same as in the prior art, observation or recording may be continuously performed as an enlarged image, but according to the present invention, the mask size is also increased by increasing the mask size. The distinction between the normal image and the enlarged image can be easily determined.

In the above embodiment, the image and the mask are enlarged at the same ratio. However, this enlargement ratio can be set to any different enlargement ratio.

[0017]

As described above, according to the present invention,
The ratio of the imaging area to the image area of the solid-state imaging device
The ratio of the display area to the monitor screen will increase
Sea urchin, an image obtained by the solid-state imaging device with enlarges predetermined magnification only, the enlarged control the display mask of the monitor according to the image expansion than that displays on a monitor the magnified image as a basic screen, Even when the optical lens system and the prism are made smaller in order to reduce the diameter of the endoscope, there is an advantage that a monitor screen can be maximally used as an effective display area and an easy-to-view screen can be obtained.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of an electronic endoscope apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing a relationship between an image pickup area of a CCD and a display area of a monitor according to the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of a conventional electronic endoscope device.

4 is a diagram showing a configuration example in which a diameter of an electronic endoscope is conventionally made smaller than that of the electronic endoscope apparatus of FIG.

5A and 5B show an image pickup area in the CCD. FIG. 5A is a diagram in the case of the configuration example in FIG. 3, and FIG. 5B is a diagram in the case of the configuration example in FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1,5 ... optical lens system, 2,6 ... prism, 3,10 ... CCD, 12 ... memory unit, 13 ... zoom function unit, 15 ... monitor, 16 ... microcomputer.

Continuation of front page (56) References JP-A-1-185239 (JP, A) JP-A-1-280439 (JP, A) (58) Fields investigated (Int. Cl. ⁷ , DB name) G02B 23 / 24 A61B 1/04 372 H04N 5/225 H04N 7/18

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. An electronic endoscope apparatus for displaying an image of an inside of a body to be observed on a monitor based on a video signal output from a solid-state imaging device.
To the monitor screen rather than the ratio of the effective imaging area to the
In order to increase the ratio of the display area, the image obtained by the solid-state imaging device is enlarged by a predetermined magnification, and the display mask of the monitor is enlarged and controlled according to the image enlargement.
An electronic endoscope apparatus, wherein the enlarged image is displayed on a monitor as a basic screen.