JPS6323776B2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] The present invention relates to a laser diagnostic device for an endoscope.

A diagnostic method is already known in which a fluorescent substance is administered to a living body and fluorescence emitted from a diseased tissue, such as a cancerous tissue, is observed. In this diagnosis, a light source device that combines a white light source and a filter to generate light of a certain wavelength, or an ultraviolet generator using a carbon electrode is used as a light source device for fluorescence excitation, and the light from this light source device is irradiate the tissue with
This allows the diseased tissue to emit fluorescent light.
Conventionally, this diagnosis involves observing the area where the fluorescence occurs with the naked eye, or recording it on a television, camera, or photograph as necessary. However, even the physical characteristics of fluorescence, such as intensity, were not useful for diagnosis, and the diagnosis was simple.

The present invention was made in view of the above-mentioned circumstances, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a laser diagnostic device for an endoscope that can obtain more detailed information regarding diseased tissues.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of an endoscope laser diagnostic apparatus of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

As shown in FIG. 1, a laser diagnostic device for an endoscope according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a low-power krypton laser generator 2 as a light source device for fluorescence excitation.
and an endoscope 4. Laser guide 7 for guiding the laser extending from the laser generator 2
A laser probe 6 having a laser probe 6 is inserted into a forceps port 8 provided in the operating section 5 of the endoscope 4. Inside the operation section 5 and insertion section 10 of the endoscope 4, an image
A conical channel 14 communicating with the forceps port 8 along with a guide 12 and a light guide (not shown) extends to the tip 16 as shown in FIG. This tip 16 has an image guide 12
A recess 20 is provided in which the forceps channel 14 opens, together with an objective lens system 18 optically coupled to the objective lens system 18 and the like. That is, a photo transistor 26 detects light energy and a semiconductor collar detects fluorescent wavelength.
The sensor 28 is fixedly arranged on the mounts 30 and 32, respectively, so as to be substantially located on the end surface of the distal end portion 16. Signal lines 34 and 36 extending from the photo transistor 26 and the semiconductor color sensor 28 are both connected to a connector terminal (not shown) provided on the operating section 5 via the insertion section 10 and the operating section 5. , this connector terminal is connected to a signal processing device as shown in FIG. 3 provided within the laser generator 2 via a signal cord 38 connected thereto. That is, as shown in FIG.
A comparison device 4 connected to a monitor device 40 for monitoring the light intensity signal S ₁ generated by the transistor 26 and comparing the light intensity signal S ₁ with a reference signal.
Connected to 2. This comparator 42 includes a comparator 44 whose one input terminal is connected to the phototransistor 26 as shown in the figure;
A reference signal generator 46 is connected to the other input end of the reference signal generator 4 and generates a reference signal. The output terminal of the comparator 44 is connected to a CPU 48 that processes the output signal and obtains a diagnostic result.
Further, the reference signal generator 4 is used to indicate the level of the reference signal generated by the reference signal generator 46.
6. Similarly, the semiconductor color sensor 28 is connected to a monitor device 52 and a comparator device 54 via a signal converter 50 shown in FIG. This comparison device 54 is similar to the comparison device 42 described above.
The comparator 58 has an input terminal connected to the reference signal generator 56 and the semiconductor color sensor 28, and an output terminal thereof connected to the CPU 48. There is. The semiconductor color sensor 28
As shown in FIG.
The signal converter 50 has 62 anodes each connected to ground and whose cathodes logarithmically compress the input signal.
are connected to logarithmic compressors 64 and 68. The logarithmic compressors 64, 68 are connected to the input side of a subtracter 70 which subtracts the logarithmically compressed signal to generate an output voltage signal having an output voltage characteristic linear with respect to the incident wavelength. The output side of this subtracter 70 is connected to one input terminal of the comparator 42, as already explained. The CPU 48 is connected to a display device 72 for displaying diagnosis results and a recording device for recording diagnosis results as peripheral devices.

Since the endoscope laser diagnostic apparatus of the present invention is configured as described above, it is used for diagnosis as follows. That is, the insertion section 10 of the endoscope 4 is inserted into the body cavity 22 of a living body into which a fluorescent agent, such as hematoporphyrin, has been administered, and the laser beam is inserted through the forceps port 8.
The probe 6 is inserted and passed through the forceps channel 14 to position the tip of the laser probe 6 within the opening recess 20 of the endoscope tip 16. After that, start the laser generator 2 and use krypton.
Laser light is oscillated and introduced into the body cavity via the laser guide 7 of the laser probe 6. When the tissue within the body cavity is irradiated with laser light, if a cancerous focus 24 is present, fluorescent light is emitted from this tissue portion. This fluorescent pathogenic tissue is clearly observed through the objective lens system 18 and the image guide 12, and its fluorescence intensity and fluorescence wavelength are detected by the food transistor 26 and the semiconductor color sensor 28, respectively. Detected. The fluorescence intensity signal detected by the phototransistor 26 is monitored by a monitor device 40 and also by a comparison device 4.
2, and within this comparison device 42, the CPU
48 and is compared with the reference signal generated by the reference signal generator 46, and the comparison result is sent to the comparator 4.
6 to the CPU 48. Semiconductor color/
The fluorescent wavelength signal detected by the sensor 28 is converted into a voltage signal by a signal converter 50, logarithmically compressed by logarithmic compressors 64 and 68, and subtracted by a subtracter 70 to obtain a voltage signal linear with respect to the wavelength. It is converted into a voltage signal that indicates the characteristics. This signal is similarly monitored by the monitor device 52 and compared with a reference signal by the comparison device 54, and then supplied to the CPU 48. The comparison results of optical intensity signals and wavelength signals are
The processing results are displayed on the display device 72 as diagnostic parameters for the diseased tissue, such as whether the tissue is normal tissue or abnormal tissue, or the state of the diseased tissue.
recorded in

When a laser is irradiated into a biological cavity in which hetoporphyrin has been administered, fluorescent light is emitted from cancerous tissue. The wavelength of the fluorescent light is fixed, and by detecting the wavelength it is possible to determine which part is cancerous tissue, and by detecting the intensity, it is possible to detect the concentration of cancer cells and more accurately. It is possible to know the location of cancerous tissue.

In an experimental example of diagnosis using the above-mentioned diagnostic device, the following data were obtained. When hematoporphyrin collected from blood was used as a fluorescent agent and a krypton laser was used as an excitation light source, fluorescence with a peak wavelength of 630 mm was obtained from cancer tissue. In this diagnostic experiment, hematoporphyrin was administered by intravenous injection, and the krypton laser power was 40 mW. Furthermore, an experiment was conducted using a 0.05% acridine orange aqueous solution as a fluorescent agent and spraying it on the area to be observed, and using an argon laser as the excitation light source. Wavelengths from cancer tissue
Fluorescence with a peak at 4650 to 7500 Å was obtained, and particularly strong fluorescence was obtained in areas where cancer tissue was concentrated.

Note that the semiconductor color sensor mentioned above currently has
There are some that can provide output voltages corresponding to wavelengths from blue to infrared, and a linear output voltage of -0.5 to 0.5V can be obtained between wavelengths λ = 4000 to 10000 Å.
Such a color sensor is not affected by the intensity of light and does not require an optical filter. Furthermore, the phototransistor mentioned above is a photodetector element that measures the intensity of light, and it can obtain an output current that is linear with respect to the light energy (mW/cm ² ), and has a sensitivity peak at the wavelength to be detected. Things can be manufactured.

As described above, according to the diagnostic device of the present invention, it is possible not only to simply observe the fluorescence emitted from the diseased tissue, but also to measure the light intensity and light wavelength, and these can be taken as parameters for diagnosis. It becomes possible not only to detect tissue early, but also to accurately know the extent of diseased tissue, the state of progress, etc., and the reliability of diagnosis can be improved.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an embodiment of the laser diagnostic device for an endoscope according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the distal end of the endoscope shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. FIG. 1 is a circuit diagram of a signal processing device incorporated in the laser generator shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. 4 is a circuit diagram showing details of the signal converter shown in FIG. 3. 2... Laser generator, 4... Endoscope, 6... Laser probe, 7... Laser guide, 8... Forceps port, 10... Insertion section, 12... Image guide, 1
4... Forceps channel, 16... Tip, 18... Objective lens system, 20... Recess, 22... Body cavity, 24... Lesion tissue, 26... Tip, 28... Semiconductor color sensor, 30, 32... Mount, 34, 36 ... Signal line, 38... Signal code, 40, 52... Monitor device, 42, 54... Comparator, 44, 58... Comparator, 46, 56... Reference signal generator, 50... Signal converter, 48... CPU, 64 , 66...logarithmic compressor,
70...Subtractor, 72...Display device, 74...Recording device.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A laser oscillator that oscillates a laser that excites fluorescence in diseased tissue to which a fluorescent substance has been applied, a laser probe that guides the laser generated by the laser oscillator, and a laser probe that guides the laser generated by the laser oscillator. An endoscope having an insertion path that can be passed through to the tip thereof, and a light intensity of fluorescent light excited by a laser provided at the tip of the endoscope and irradiated via the laser probe. and a light intensity detection element and a light wavelength detection element that detect the light wavelength, respectively, and a signal processing device that processes the light intensity signal and the light wavelength signal supplied from these detection elements and supplies diagnostic information. A laser diagnostic device for an endoscope, which is characterized by: 2. The endoscope laser diagnostic device according to claim 1, wherein the laser oscillator is a low-power krypton laser oscillator. 3. The endoscope laser diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the laser oscillator is a low-power argon laser oscillator.