Digital camera for medical service, photography operating device and photographic image diagnosis system for medical service

• US 20050057684A1
• Filed: 09/07/2004
• Published: 03/17/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Konica Minolta Medical & Graphic Incorporated (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Konica Minolta Medical & Graphic Incorporated (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Inventors: Tamakoshi, Yasuaki
• Application Number:
  US10/935,054
• Publication Number:
  US 20050057684A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/375
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/502 Headgear, e.g. helmet, spectacles
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/36 Image-producing devices or illumination devices not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/361 Image-producing devices, e.g. surgical cameras

Abstract

A head-mountable digital camera for medical service, provided with a camera section to photograph an object and output digital image of the object; a display section to form a virtual image of photography relevant information with regard to the photography by the camera section on a pupil of a photographer through an optical system; and a mounting member to mount the camera section and the display section on the head of the photographer so as to introduce light of the photography relevant information indicated on the display section to the pupil together with light from the outside so that the virtual image of photography relevant information and the image of the outside are superimposed and formed on the retina of pupil of the photographer.

Claims

1. A head-mountable digital camera for medical service, comprising:

a camera section to photograph an object and output digital image of the object;

a display section to form a virtual image of photography relevant information with regard to the photographing by the camera section on a pupil of a photographer through an optical system; and

a mounting member to mount the camera section and the display section on the head of the photographer so as to introduce light of the photography relevant information indicated on the display section to the pupil together with light from the outside so that the virtual image of photography relevant information and the image of the outside are superimposed and formed on the retina of pupil of the photographer.

2. The head-mountable digital camera for medical service described in claim 1, wherein the photography relevant information includes photographing range information to indicate a range photographed by the camera.

3. The head-mountable digital camera for medical service described in claim 2, wherein the camera section is able to change a focal distance and the photographing range information corresponds to a photographing range by the focal distance of the camera section at the time of photographing.

4. The head-mountable digital camera for medical service described in claim 2, wherein the camera section has an automatic focusing function and is positioned in a position different from the display section, and the photographing range information corresponds to a focusing distance of the camera section.

5. The head-mountable digital camera for medical service described in claim 1, wherein the camera section has an automatic focusing function and the photography relevant information includes focusing position information corresponding to a focusing position of the camera section.

6. The head-mountable digital camera for medical service described in claim 5, wherein the camera section is positioned in a position different from the display section and the focusing position information corresponds to the focusing distance of the camera section.

7. The head-mountable digital camera for medical service described in claim 1, wherein the camera section has an automatic focusing function, and the photography relevant information includes focusing information showing that the camera section is in focus.

8. The head-mountable digital camera for medical service described in claim 1, wherein the photography relevant information includes photography operation information corresponding to a photography operation of the camera section.

9. The head-mountable digital camera for medical service described in claim 8, wherein the digital camera comprises a photographing operation receiving section for receiving photography start instruction information from a photography operating device;

the camera section conducts photographing based on the photography start instruction information received by the photographing operation receiving section, and the photography relevant information includes photography start information corresponding the receiving of the photography start instruction information.

10. The head-mountable digital camera for medical service described in claim 9, the photography operating device sends photography preparation instruction information before sending the photography start instruction information, the photographing operation receiving section received the photography preparation instruction information from the photography operating device, and the photography relevant information includes photography preparation information corresponding to the receiving of the photography preparation instruction information.

11. The head-mountable digital camera for medical service described in claim 9, the photography operating device sends flash selecting information, the photographing operation receiving section receives the flash photography information from the photography operating device and the photography relevant information includes flash information corresponding to the received flash photography information.

12. The head-mountable digital camera for medical service described in claim 1, further comprising a specific position information obtaining section for obtaining information regarding a specific position with regard to a photography by the camera section, and the photography relevant information includes specific position information indicating the specific position based on the information obtained by the specific position information obtaining section.

13. The head-mountable digital camera for medical service described in claim 12, wherein the specific position is the position of a specific marker, the digital camera comprises a position detecting section for detecting information regarding the position of the specific marker, and the photography relevant information includes marker position information indicating the information regarding the position of the marker detected by the position detecting section.

14. The head-mountable digital camera for medical service described in claim 12, wherein the specific position is a position of a microphone of a stethoscope or the marker provided in correspondence to a microphone.

15. The head-mountable digital camera for medical service described in claim 12, wherein the specific position is a position of a flash of a separated body from the digital camera for medical service or the marker provided in correspondence to the flash.

16. The head-mountable digital camera for medical service described in claim 15, further comprising a flash light irradiating direction obtaining section for obtaining information specifying irradiating direction of the flash, and the photography relevant information includes flash light irradiating direction information based on the information obtained by the flash light irradiating direction obtaining section.

17. The head-mountable digital camera for medical service described in claim 1, wherein the mounting member is a glass-type member including a frame supporting the display section;

a nose contact-piece contact with the nose; and

an applied part which is attached to near both ends of the frame in the left and right directions, and includes one pair of temples contacting with the ears, side head portion or back head portion.

18. The head-mountable digital camera for medical service described in claim 17, wherein the camera section is provided so as to position in almost center of the applied part.

19. The head-mountable digital camera for medical service described in claim 18, wherein the camera section is provided at a position of almost the same height as the height of pupils of the photographer.

20. The head-mountable digital camera for medical service described in claim 18, wherein the nose-contact piece is adjustable upwardly and downwardly.

21. The head-mountable digital camera for medical service described in claim 1, wherein the display section includes a display unit which displays the information;

a casing holding the display unit; and

an optical system by which the light from the display unit is guided to the pupils and the virtual image of the image is provided.

22. The head-mountable digital camera for medical service described in claim 21, wherein the optical system comprises a prism having at least two reflecting surfaces arranged in facing each other, and a hologram surface formed of the reflection type hologram;

and at least one of the two reflecting surfaces is a light beam selective surface which selectively transmits or reflects light, and the image light from the display unit is reflected between the two reflecting surfaces, next, diffractively reflected on the hologram surface, and after being transmitted through the light beam selective surface, is directed to the pupil of the photographer.

23. The head-mountable digital camera for medical service described in claim 22, wherein the hologram is a volume-hologram and a phase-hologram.

24. The head-mountable digital camera for medical service described in claim 22, wherein the hologram has an optical power by which the image light is enlargedly projected onto the pupils of the photographer.

25. The head-mountable digital camera for medical service described in claim 22, wherein the hologram has a diffractive reflection angle wider than a regular reflection angle observed on the hologram surface.

26. The head-mountable digital camera for medical service described in claim 22, wherein the reflecting surfaces arranged in facing each other have and inclination opening toward the incident side of a prism of the image light beam.

27. The head-mountable digital camera for medical service described in claim 22, wherein the optical system comprises a defelection correction member which corrects deflection of external light transmitting through a prism.

28. The head-mountable digital camera for medical service described in claim 27, wherein the deflecting correction member is attached to the prism, and has surfaces on the same surface of the reflection surfaces arranged in facing each other.

29. The head-mountable digital camera for medical service described in claim 27, wherein the reflecting surfaces arranged in facing each other are substantially parallel to each other.

30. The head-mountable digital camera for medical service described in claim 27, wherein reflection occurring between the reflecting surfaces arranged in facing each other is the total reflection.

31. The head-mountable digital camera for medical service described in claim 22, wherein the hologram surface is plane.

32. The head-mountable digital camera for medical service described in claim 22, wherein at least one of the two reflection surfaces arranged in facing each other is a curved surface.

33. The head-mountable digital camera for medical service described in claim 1, wherein the diameter of a photographing lens of the camera section is smaller than the width of the display section.

34. A photography operating device, comprising:

an operating section for a operator;

an irradiating section for irradiating in response to an operation with the operating section;

a transmitting section to transmit information to a digital camera; and

a control section to control the transmitting section to transmit photography start instructing information in accordance with an operation with the operating section.

35. The photography operating device of claim 34, wherein the control section controls such that the transmitting section transmits photography preparation instructing information in accordance with an operation with the operating section before transmitting the photography start instructing information.

36. The photography operating device of claim 35, wherein the control section controls such that the transmitting section transmits instructing information of a focal distance of the digital camera in accordance with an operation with the operating section.

37. The photography operating device of claim 34, wherein the irradiating section includes a flash light irradiating section for irradiating flash light in accordance with a control by the control section, and the control section controls the flash light irradiating section in correspondence to the control for the transmitting section to transmit the photography start instructing information in accordance with an operation with the operating section.

38. The photography operating device of claim 37, wherein the irradiating section includes a visual diagnosis-usable irradiating section for irradiating for visual diagnosis, and an irradiating direction of the irradiating section is almost equal to that of the visual diagnosis-usable irradiating section.

39. The photography operating device of claim 34, wherein the visual diagnosis-usable irradiating section is a pen-shaped light type.

40. A photographed-image diagnosing system for medial service, comprising:

a digital camera to photograph a patient and to output the photographed image data;

a terminal device connected to the medical-usable digital camera and to display an electronic medical chart;

a data base memory connected to the terminal device,

wherein in the data base memory, medical chart identification information to identify each electronic medical chart is correlated and registered with the identified electronic medical chart, each electronic medical chart contains diagnosis recording information, diagnosis recording information identification information to identify each diagnosis recording information is correlated and registered with the identified diagnosis recording information,

wherein the terminal device selects specific diagnosis order information from diagnosis order information by an operation input and displays the electronic medical chart corresponding to the selected diagnosis order information, and

wherein the photographed image data outputted from the digital camera is correlated and registered with photographed image data identification information to identify the photographed image data in the data base memory, and the photographed image identification information and the diagnosis recording information identifying information to identify the diagnosis recording information corresponding to the photographing by the medical-usable digital camera are correlated with each other and registered in the data base memory.

41. The photographed-image diagnosing system for medial service described in claim 40, wherein the terminal device registers the digital camera identification information to identify the digital camera corresponding to the photographed image identification information in the data base memory.

42. The photographed-image diagnosing system for medial service described in claim 40, wherein the terminal device registers the photographing time information showing time at which the digital camera photographs corresponding to the photographed image identification information in the data base memory.

43. The photographed-image diagnosing system for medial service described in claim 40, wherein the terminal device selects the specific diagnosis order information from the diagnosis order information by the operation input and has a display section to display the electronic medical chart corresponding to the selected diagnosis order information, and when displaying the electronic medical chart, the terminal device reads and display the diagnosis recording information included in the electronic medical chart and the photographed image data corresponding to the diagnosis recording information by using the diagnosis recording information identification information of the diagnosis recording information included in the electronic medical chart registered with the correlation in the data base memory and the correlation of the diagnosis recording information identification information and the photographed image identification information.

44. The photographed-image diagnosing system for medial service described in claim 40, further comprising:

an electronic stethoscope to collect auscultatory sound from a patient and to output auscultatory sound data, wherein the auscultatory sound data outputted from the electronic stethoscope and auscultatory sound identification information to identify the auscultatory sound data are correlated and registered in the data base memory, and the auscultatory sound identification information and a diagnosis recording information identification information to identify the diagnosis recording information identification corresponding to the collected sounds of the electronic stethoscope are correlated and registered in the data base memory.

45. The photographed-image diagnosing system for medial service described in claim 44, wherein the terminal device selects a specific diagnosis order information from the diagnosis order information in response to an operation input and comprises a display section to indicate a electronic medical chart corresponding to the selected diagnosis order information, and is provided with

a photographed image display section to read out and indicate the diagnosis recording information included in the electronic medical chart and a photographed image corresponding to the diagnosis recording information by using the diagnosis recording information identification information of the diagnosis recording information included in the electronic medical chart registered with correlation in the data base memory and the correlation of the diagnosis recording information identification information and the photographed image identification information when indicating the electronic medical chart, and

an auscultatory sound display section to read out and indicate the diagnosis recording information included in the electronic medical chart and the auscultatory sound data corresponding to the diagnosis recording information by using the diagnosis recording information identification information of the diagnosis recording information included in the electronic medical chart registered with correlation in the data base memory and the correlation of the diagnosis recording information identification information and the auscultatory sound identification information when indicating the electronic medical chart.

50. The photographed-image diagnosing system for medial service described in claim 40, wherein the terminal device is corrected to an information system in the hospital, and from the information system in the hospital, the diagnosis order information is received.

46. A photographed image diagnosing system for medical service, comprising:

a terminal device to display an electronic medical chart, and

wherein in the data base memory, medical chart identification information to identify each electronic medical chart is correlated and registered with the identified electronic medical chart, each electronic medical chart contains diagnosis recording information, diagnosis recording information identification information to identify each diagnosis recording information is correlated and registered with the identified diagnosis recording information,

wherein the terminal device selects specific diagnosis order information from diagnosis order information by an operation input and comprises a display to display the electronic medical chart corresponding to the selected diagnosis order information, and

wherein when displaying the electronic medical chart, the terminal device reads and display the diagnosis recording information included in the electronic medical chart and the photographed image data corresponding to the diagnosis recording information by using the diagnosis recording information identification information of the diagnosis recording information included in the electronic medical chart registered with the correlation in the data base memory and the correlation of the diagnosis recording information identification information and the photographed image identification information.

47. The photographed-image diagnosing system for medial service described in claim 46, wherein the terminal device comprises an auscultatory sound display section to read out and indicate the diagnosis recording information included in the electronic medical chart and the auscultatory sound data corresponding to the diagnosis recording information by using the correlation of the diagnosis recording information identification information and the auscultatory sound identification information when indicating the electronic medical chart.

48. The photographed-image diagnosing system for medial service described in claim 46, wherein the terminal device comprises a display device by which the diagnosis recording information included in the electronic medical chart and the photographic image data corresponding to the diagnosis recording information are made correspondent to each other and displayed.

49. The photographed-image diagnosing system for medial service described in claim 46, wherein the terminal device is provided with a display section by which the diagnosis recording information included in the electronic medical chart, the photographic image data corresponding to the diagnosis recording information and the auscultatory sound data corresponding to the diagnosis recording information are made correspondent to each other and displayed.