JP5011532B2 - Endoscope attachment - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an endoscope attachment and an endoscope, and more particularly to an endoscope attachment and an endoscope attached to an endoscope used for imaging in a digestive organ.

  Conventionally, in the medical field, a digestive organ endoscope is used to inspect a digestive organ. The endoscope includes an upper endoscope used for examination of the esophagus, stomach and duodenum, and a lower endoscope used for examination of the rectum and large intestine. In the upper endoscope, the probe is inserted from the oral cavity. In the lower endoscope, the probe is inserted from the anus. Such endoscopes are required to have a role of excising and collecting lesions for pathological examination in addition to the role of examining digestive organs and finding suspicious lesions. Therefore, not only the camera but also the illumination that illuminates the inside, the forceps that excise and collect the lesion, and the water jet nozzle that removes secretions attached to the camera are attached to the endoscope tip. A doctor inserts a probe into a digestive organ and performs diagnosis, collection of lesions, and treatment while monitoring an image obtained from a camera at the tip.

  FIG. 9A is an external view of a conventional endoscope probe, and FIG. 9B is a top view of the probe tip of the endoscope (see Patent Document 1).

At the probe tip of the endoscope, a camera 1000, two lights 1010 and 1020, a forceps port 1030, and a water jet nozzle 1040 are provided.
JP-A-11-318808

  However, the conventional endoscope having the above-described structure is suitable for the probe insertion operation and the forceps operation because the front field of view, which is the traveling direction of the endoscope, is open. Since the wall of the organ is on the side of the probe, there is a problem that it is difficult for a doctor to observe. In addition, there is a fistula in the digestive organs, and the back surface of the sputum from the insertion opening tends to be a blind spot from the doctor, and it is difficult to display an image on the back surface of the sputum. In particular, the backside of the eyelids where the internal organs are largely bent is almost impossible to observe, so the possibility that the lesion is overlooked is very high.

  As a technique for solving such a problem, there is an endoscope attachment described in International Publication No. 2006/4083 pamphlet. In this endoscope attachment, a ring-shaped mirror is provided to secure a front field of view and a side rear field of view of the probe, that is, a wide field of view that seamlessly connects the front field of view and the side rear field of view.

  However, when the digestive organ is observed using such an endoscope attachment, an image as shown in FIG. 10 is obtained. That is, an image is obtained in which the image of the side rear view appears as an annular region (A in FIG. 10) in the front image. Therefore, when a complicated operation by a doctor such as insertion of an endoscope into the digestive organ is required, the side rear view and the front view cannot be distinguished, and the front view cannot be completely secured. As a result, the probe insertion operation and the forceps operation cannot be performed.

  In view of the above problems, an object of the present invention is to provide an endoscope attachment that realizes an endoscope that has no blind spots, can prevent a doctor from overlooking a lesion, and has good operability.

  In order to achieve the above object, an endoscope attachment according to the present invention is an endoscope attachment attached to a probe tip of an endoscope used for imaging a digestive organ, and the probe tip of the endoscope is inserted. A cylindrical body that is attached to the cylindrical body so as to be able to appear and retract, and that secures a front view and a side rear view, and is attached to the image capture section, and controls the appearance operation of the image capture section. And a control member. Here, the image capturing unit includes a mirror provided with an opening, and the image capturing unit guides a side rear image of the probe to a camera provided in the probe via the mirror, and the probe May be led to the camera through the opening of the mirror. The mirror may be a ring-shaped mirror. The mirror may be a convex mirror.

  Thereby, the viewing angle of the side rear view can be increased, and the rear view can be secured. Therefore, it is possible to acquire not only images of the digestive organ inner wall viewed from the side but also images of the front and back of the eyelid, so that there is no blind spot and an endoscope attachment that realizes an endoscope that can prevent oversight of a lesion by a doctor Can be realized.

  In addition, two states can be realized: a state in which only an image of the front visual field is obtained and a state in which an image of the side rear visual field is obtained in addition to the front visual field. Therefore, when a complicated operation by a doctor such as insertion of an endoscope into the digestive organ is required, it is possible to obtain a state in which only an image of the front field of view can be obtained. The side rear view and the front view cannot be distinguished from each other, and the front view cannot be completely secured. As a result, it is possible to realize an endoscope attachment that realizes an endoscope having good operability. In addition, if the length of the linear portion at the tip of the probe is long, the operability is remarkably impaired when an insertion operation into a curved path is performed like insertion of an endoscope into the large intestine. However, since the image capturing part can be immersed in the cylindrical body, the length of the linear part at the tip of the probe can be made almost the same as that of a conventional endoscope. It is possible to realize an endoscope attachment that realizes an endoscope having the characteristics.

  Furthermore, since an inexpensive disposable attachment can be realized, an endoscope attachment that is easy to clean and prevents the spread of illness to others can be realized.

  In addition, since the endoscope can be used as it is without changing the structure of an existing endoscope that is already used in many medical institutions, the endoscope can be easily and inexpensively expanded. Attachment can be realized.

  The mirror may be provided on an optical path of forward illumination light emitted from the probe, and diffuse the illumination light to supply the illumination light to the rear side of the endoscope attachment.

  In addition, since a front view and a side rear view can be obtained, and illumination light can be supplied to the front and side rear, illumination suitable for the imaging system as well as the imaging system is added to the endoscope, It is possible to realize an endoscope attachment that enables acquisition of images in front of and behind the endoscope.

  In addition, the mirror may have an opening at a portion that regularly reflects the illumination light toward the camera.

  Accordingly, it is possible to prevent illumination light from the probe from entering the camera as incident light, and thus it is possible to realize an endoscope attachment that prevents a part of the image of the endoscope from becoming bright.

  According to the endoscope attachment according to the present invention, it is possible to realize an endoscope attachment that realizes an endoscope that has no blind spot, can prevent a doctor from overlooking a lesion, and has good operability. In addition, it is possible to realize an endoscope attachment that enables acquisition of images in front of and behind the endoscope. In addition, it is possible to realize an endoscope attachment that can expand the function of the endoscope easily and inexpensively. In addition, it is possible to realize an endoscope attachment that is easy to clean and prevents the spread of disease to others. In addition, an endoscope attachment that can be easily attached can be realized.

  Therefore, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide an endoscope attachment that can realize an endoscope that has no blind spot, can prevent oversight of a lesion by a doctor, and has good operability. There is something that can't be measured.

  Hereinafter, an endoscope attachment according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  FIGS. 1A and 1B are external views of the endoscope attachment of the present embodiment, and FIG. 2 is a side view of the endoscope attachment.

  The endoscope attachment according to the present embodiment is an attachment attached to an endoscope probe, and includes a cylindrical body 100, an image capturing unit 110, and a filament 120 such as a teg (fishing line). .

  The cylindrical body 100 is used for attachment to the probe, and is fitted to the probe tip so as to cover the probe tip. The image capturing unit 110 is attached to the cylindrical body 100 so as to be capable of appearing and retracting (it can appear and disappear in the direction A in FIG. 1) in a state separated from the cylindrical body 100. The filament 120 is attached to the image capturing unit 110 and controls the operation of the image capturing unit 110.

  In this endoscope attachment, the filament guide groove 103 of the tubular body 100 is formed so that the image capturing unit 110 protrudes from the tubular body 100 (FIG. 1A) in the examination of the digestive organs and the like. The image capturing unit 110 is lifted by pulling one end of the filament 120 as a fulcrum. On the other hand, in the operation of inserting the probe into the digestive organ, the force for pulling one end of the filament 120 is released so that the image capturing unit 110 is immersed in the tubular body 100 (FIG. 1B). The image capturing unit 110 is pressed against the wall of the digestive organ.

  The image capturing unit 110 captures images of the front visual field and the side rear visual field. The image capturing unit 110 includes a ring-shaped or cylindrical movable unit 114, for example, three support rods 111, a ring-shaped convex mirror 112, and two fixed units 113, for example. The ring-shaped mirror fixed to the cylindrical body 100 may be a plane mirror. The movable portion 114 is attached to the cylindrical body 100 in a state that it can slide along the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical body 100 (slidable in the direction A in FIG. 1). The support bar 111 is disposed along the outer periphery of the movable part 114. The convex mirror 112 is supported on the movable portion 114 by the support bar 111. The fixing unit 113 fixes the other end of the filament 120 to the movable unit 114.

  A ring-shaped convex portion 101 is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical body 100 to prevent the image capturing portion 110 from falling off. When one end of the filament 120 is pulled, the convex portion 101 locks the movable portion 114 and restricts the sliding operation of the movable portion 114. The convex portion 101 guides the support rod 111 and prevents the image capturing portion 110 from rotating along the peripheral wall of the cylindrical body 100, and the thread body 120 includes the filament 120 inside the cylindrical body 100. A filamentous guide groove 103 is provided for guiding.

  FIG. 3A is an external view of a probe to which the endoscope attachment having the above configuration is attached, and FIG. 3B is a top view of the probe. 4A and 4B are cross-sectional views of the probe (cross-sectional views taken along lines A-A ′ and B-B ′ in FIG. 3A).

  The probe camera 200 captures the front and side images obtained through the endoscope attachment. The two illuminations 230 and 240 of the probe supply illumination light in front of the probe. A part of the illumination light is diffused by the reflecting surface facing the illuminations 230 and 240 of the mirror 112 and supplied to the rear side of the endoscope attachment, and the other illumination light is forward of the endoscope attachment. Supplied.

  The mirror 112 has a hyperboloid, reflects incident light from a wide-angle side rear visual field, and guides it to the camera 200. As a result, a hyperboloid mirror, which is a mirror having one hyperboloid shape of the two-leaf hyperboloid, is formed. As shown in FIG. Imaged. At this time, an opening 115 is provided at the center of the hyperboloid of the mirror 112 so that the camera 200 can capture the front image. As a camera using a hyperboloidal mirror, there is Hyper Omni Vision proposed by Yamazawa et al., Details will be described later. Further, the side rear view obtained by the hyperboloid mirror is adjacent to the front view on the imaging surface, but is a discontinuous view.

  At this time, if all of the illumination light enters the mirror 112, the illumination light cannot be supplied in front of the endoscope attachment, and the operation of the probe becomes difficult. Therefore, the position and size of the opening 115 are adjusted so that a part of the illumination light is supplied to the front of the endoscope attachment. In addition, an opening 115 is provided in a portion that regularly reflects the illumination light of the mirror 112 toward the camera 200 so that the regular reflection light of the illumination light from the mirror 112 does not enter the camera 200 of the probe. Further, an opening 115 is provided in the movable range of the water jet nozzle and the forceps located in front of the water jet nozzle 210 and the forceps port 220 of the mirror 112 so as not to disturb the cleaning by the water jet nozzle 210 and the insertion and removal of the forceps. Furthermore, since the side rear visual field becomes wider as the outer diameter of the mirror 112 becomes larger, the outer diameter of the mirror 112 is determined by the required width of the side rear visual field. The curvature at the outer periphery of the mirror 112 is determined from the maximum height of the mirror 112 and the minimum elevation angle of the mirror 112. Further, the curvature at the opening 115 of the mirror 112 is determined so as not to project the probe onto the image plane. Further, the diameter of the opening 115 of the mirror 112 is determined so that the specularly reflected light from the mirror surface does not enter the image plane and does not block the movable range of the forceps port 220.

  Further, the filament 120 is drawn out to the endoscope operator through the forceps port 220. The pulled-out filament 120 is fixed in a predetermined state (a pulled state or a loose state) by winding and pinching around a metal fitting (not shown) fixed near the entrance of the forceps port 220. Note that a lever mechanism may be provided in the vicinity of the entrance of the forceps port 220 to fix the filament 120 in a predetermined state.

  Next, a camera using the above-described hyperboloid mirror will be described. That is, image processing using a camera image signal using a hyperboloid mirror as an input will be described.

  Referring to FIG. 5, the hyperboloid mirror 42 uses a hyperboloid in the region of Z> 0 of the two-leaf hyperboloid as a mirror. A two-leaf hyperboloid is a curved surface obtained by rotating a hyperbola around a real axis (Z axis). The two-leaf hyperboloid has two focal points, (0, 0, + c) and (0, 0, −c). However,

It is. Here, as shown in FIG. 6, a three-dimensional coordinate system O-XYZ having the Z axis as a vertical axis is considered. At this time, the two-leaf hyperboloid is expressed by the following equation (1).

  The constants a and b define the hyperbolic shape. Referring to FIG. 6, the omnidirectional camera Hyper Omni Vision includes a hyperboloid mirror 42 in a region of Z> 0 installed vertically downward, and an imaging unit (not shown) installed vertically below it. Consists of At this time, the hyperboloid so that the focal point OM of the hyperboloidal mirror 42 and the lens center OC of the camera are located at the two focal points (0, 0, + c) and (0, 0, −c) of the two-leaf hyperboloid, respectively. A mirror 42 and an imaging unit are arranged. The image plane xy is a plane parallel to the XY plane and separated from the lens center OC of the imaging unit by the focal length f of the camera. The reflecting surface of the hyperboloidal mirror 42, the focal point OM of the hyperboloidal mirror 42, and the lens center OC of the camera are expressed by the following equation (2).

Referring to FIG. 7, when the mapping point on the image for an arbitrary point P (X, Y, Z) in space is p (x, y), the azimuth angle θ of the point P is expressed by the following equation ( 3).

      tan θ = Y / X = y / x (3)

  That is, the azimuth angle θ of the point P defined by Y / X is obtained by calculating the azimuth angle θ of the mapping point p defined by y / x. Thus, the azimuth angle θ of the target object in the 360-degree panoramic region directly appears as the azimuth of the mapping of the object on the image plane.

  Further, referring to FIG. 8, assuming a vertical cross section including the point P and the Z axis, the relationship of the following expression (4) is established between the point P and the mapped point p.

  That is, the azimuth angle θ and depression angle α of the point P from the focal point OM of the hyperboloid mirror 42 are uniquely obtained from the mapping point p (x, y) by providing the lens center OC of the camera at the focal position of the hyperboloid. It is done. At this time, since the focal point OM of the hyperboloidal mirror 42 is fixed, an image (panoramic image) obtained by rotating the camera viewed from the focal point OM of the hyperboloidal mirror 42 around the vertical axis or a normal camera. Can be converted to an image.

  For the Omni Omni Vision, see “Kazumasa Yamazawa et al .:“ Omnidirectional Vision Sensor for Mobile Robot Navigation ””, IEICE Transactions D-IIVol.J79-D-IINo.5pp.698-707 ( 1996 (May 1996) ".

  As described above, according to the endoscope attachment of the present embodiment, the mirror 112 forms a hyperboloid mirror. Therefore, the viewing angle of the lateral rear view is increased to ensure an omnidirectional view, and not only the image of the digestive organ inner wall viewed from the side but also the images of the front and back of the heel can be acquired, so there is no blind spot and the doctor It is possible to realize an endoscope attachment that realizes an endoscope that can prevent a lesion from being overlooked.

  In addition, according to the endoscope attachment of the present embodiment, two states can be realized: a state in which only an image of the front visual field is obtained and a state in which an image of the side rear visual field is obtained in addition to the front visual field. . Therefore, when a complicated operation by a doctor such as insertion of an endoscope into the digestive tract is required, it is possible to obtain a state in which only an image of the front field of view can be obtained. The side rear view and the front view cannot be distinguished from each other, and the front view cannot be completely secured. As a result, it is possible to realize an endoscope attachment that realizes an endoscope having good operability. In addition, if the length of the linear portion at the tip of the probe is long, the operability is remarkably impaired when an insertion operation into a curved path is performed like insertion of an endoscope into the large intestine. However, since the image capturing part can be immersed in the cylindrical body, the length of the linear part at the tip of the probe can be made almost the same as that of a conventional endoscope. It is possible to realize an endoscope attachment that realizes an endoscope having the characteristics.

  Further, according to the endoscope attachment of the present embodiment, the endoscope attachment supplies a part of the illumination light from the probe to the side rear side of the endoscope attachment and causes the camera 200 to capture the side rear image. The mirror 112 includes an opening 115 that allows the camera 200 to capture a front image. Therefore, it is possible to obtain a front visual field and a side rear visual field, and to supply illumination light to the front and side rear, so that illumination suitable not only for the imaging system but also for the imaging system is added to the endoscope, An endoscope attachment that makes it possible to acquire images of the front and side rear of the endoscope can be realized.

  Moreover, according to the endoscope attachment of the present embodiment, the endoscope attachment is used by being attached to the probe tip of the endoscope. Therefore, since it can be used as it is without changing the structure of an existing endoscope already used in many medical institutions, it is possible to extend the function of the endoscope easily and inexpensively. An endoscope attachment can be realized.

  In addition, according to the endoscope attachment of the present embodiment, the endoscope attachment can realize an inexpensive disposable attachment. Therefore, it is possible to realize an endoscope attachment that is easy to clean and prevents the spread of illness to others.

  In addition, according to the endoscope attachment of the present embodiment, the opening 115 is provided in a portion that regularly reflects the illumination light of the mirror 112 toward the camera 200. Therefore, since it is possible to prevent illumination light from the probe from entering the camera 200 as incident light, it is possible to realize an endoscope attachment that prevents a part of the endoscope image from becoming bright.

  In addition, since the endoscope attachment of the present embodiment is fixed to the filament 120, it is possible to prevent the endoscope attachment from falling off.

  As described above, the endoscope attachment of the present invention has been described based on the embodiment, but the present invention is not limited to this embodiment. The present invention includes various modifications made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the present invention.

  For example, the present invention may be an endoscope in which the structure of the endoscope attachment according to the present invention is formed at the probe tip of the endoscope. In this case, the cylindrical body is not provided, and the image capturing unit is attached to the tip of the probe of the endoscope so as to be able to appear and retract.

  In the above embodiment, when the image capturing unit is immersed in the cylindrical body, the force for pulling one end of the filamentous body is released, and the image capturing unit is pressed against the wall of the digestive organ. However, a new filamentous body fixed to the mirror 112 may be newly provided, passed through the forceps port 220, and the new filamentous body may be pulled to immerse the image capturing portion into the cylindrical body.

  Moreover, in the said embodiment, the filamentous body was illustrated as an example of the control member of this invention. However, the member is not limited to this as long as it is a member that is attached to the image capturing unit and that can control the appearance operation of the image capturing unit.

  The present invention can be used for an endoscope attachment, and particularly, for an endoscope attachment attached to an endoscope used for imaging in a digestive organ.

(A) It is an external view of the endoscope attachment of embodiment of this invention. (B) It is an external view of the endoscope attachment. It is a side view of the endoscope attachment of the embodiment. (A) It is an external view of the probe tip of the endoscope to which the endoscope attachment is attached. (B) is a top view of the probe tip. (A) It is sectional drawing (sectional drawing in the A-A 'line | wire of Fig.3 (a)) of the probe front-end | tip. FIG. 4B is a sectional view of the probe tip (a sectional view taken along line B-B ′ in FIG. 3A). It is a figure explaining a 2 leaf hyperboloid. It is a figure which shows the structure of an omnidirectional camera. It is a 1st figure explaining the relationship between the arbitrary points in space and the mapping point on an image. It is a 2nd figure explaining the relationship between the arbitrary points in space and the mapping point on an image. (A) It is an external view of the probe of the conventional endoscope. (B) It is a top view of the probe front-end | tip of the endoscope. It is a photograph which shows an example of the image obtained by an endoscope.

Explanation of symbols

42 Hyperboloid mirror 100 Tubular body 101 Convex part 110 Image capturing part 111 Support rod 112 Mirror 113 Fixed part 114 Movable part 115 Opening 120 Filament body 200, 1000 Camera 210, 1040 Water jet nozzle 220, 1030 Forceps port 230, 240, 1010, 1020 lighting

Claims (12)

An endoscope attachment attached to a probe tip of an endoscope used for imaging a digestive organ,
A cylindrical body into which the probe tip of the endoscope is inserted;
An image capturing unit that is attached to the tubular body so as to be able to appear and disappear and secures a front visual field and a side rear visual field,
An endoscope attachment, comprising: a control member that is attached to the image capturing unit and controls a projecting operation of the image capturing unit. The image capturing unit has a mirror provided with an opening,
The image capturing unit guides a side rear image of the probe to a camera provided on the probe via the mirror, and guides a front image of the probe to the camera via an opening of the mirror. The endoscope attachment according to claim 1. The endoscope attachment according to claim 2, wherein the mirror is a ring-shaped mirror. The endoscope attachment according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the mirror is a convex mirror. The mirror is provided on an optical path of forward illumination light emitted from the probe, and diffuses the illumination light and supplies the illumination light to a side rear side of the endoscope attachment. Item 5. The endoscope attachment according to any one of Items 2 to 4. The endoscope attachment according to any one of claims 2 to 5, wherein the mirror has an opening in a movable range of forceps provided in the probe. The image capturing unit further includes:
A movable part attached to the tubular body in a slidable state;
The endoscope attachment according to any one of claims 2 to 6, further comprising a support member that fixes the mirror to the movable portion. The control member is a filament that has one end fixed to the movable part,
The inner part according to claim 7, wherein the image capturing unit protrudes from the cylindrical body when the other end of the filamentous body is pulled with a guide groove provided in the cylindrical body as a fulcrum. Endoscopic attachment. The endoscope according to any one of claims 2 to 8, wherein the mirror has an opening in a portion that regularly reflects the illumination light emitted from the probe toward the camera. attachment. The drop-off prevention means for preventing the image capturing unit from falling off from the cylindrical body due to the projecting operation is provided on the cylindrical body. The endoscope attachment described in 1. The endoscope attachment according to claim 10, wherein the drop-off prevention means is a convex portion provided on an outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical body. On the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical body, a ring-shaped convex portion that prevents the image capturing portion from falling off the cylindrical body due to the projecting operation is provided.
The guide portion for guiding the support member and preventing the image capturing portion from rotating along the peripheral wall of the cylindrical body is provided in the convex portion. Endoscope attachment.