Medical procedure support system and method

• US 20050215854A1
• Filed: 03/29/2005
• Published: 09/29/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Original Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Inventors: Ozaki, Takashi, Tashiro, Koichi, Nakamura, Takeaki, Uchikubo, Akinobu
• Granted Patent: US 7,940,967 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/109
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00009 of image signals during a use of endoscope
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00042 for mechanical operation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0005 combining images e.g. side-by-side, superimposed or tiled
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/015 Control of fluid supply or evacuation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/042 characterised by a proximal camera, e.g. a CCD camera
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/3132 for laparoscopy

Abstract

A medical procedure support system of the invention includes an endoscope for obtaining images of an internal part of the body cavity of a subject, an endoscopic image creating unit for creating an endoscopic image obtained by the endoscope, an image reading unit for reading a virtual image relating to the subject and a reference image relating to the virtual image, a superimposition commanding unit for commanding to superimpose the reference image on at least one of the virtual image and the endoscopic image, and a combined image creating unit for performing the superimposition of the reference image data commanded by the superimposition commanding unit and creating a combined image thereof.

Claims

1. A medical procedure support system, comprising:

an endoscope for obtaining images of an internal part of the body cavity of a subject;

an endoscopic image creating unit for creating an endoscopic image obtained by the endoscope;

an image reading unit for reading a virtual image relating to the subject and a reference image relating to the virtual image;

a superimposition commanding unit for commanding to superimpose the reference image on at least one of the virtual image and the endoscopic image; and

a combined image creating unit for performing the superimposition of the reference image data commanded by the superimposition commanding unit and creating a combined image thereof.

2. The system according to claim 1, further comprising:

an area specifying unit for specifying a selected area on the virtual image; and

an information storage control unit for storing in a storing unit, as the reference image, an image of the selected area specified by the area specifying unit associated with the virtual image.

3. The system according to claim 2,

wherein the area specifying unit specifies a resection area of a focus part of the subject as the selected area.

4. The system according to claim 2,

wherein the area specifying unit specifies a lesion part area of the subject as the selected area.

5. A medical procedure support system, comprising:

an area specifying unit for specifying a selected area on a virtual image relating to a subject;

an area information storing unit for storing area information of the selected area specified by the area specifying unit associated with the virtual image; and

an area image creating unit for creating an area image of the selected area based on the area information.

6. The system according to claim 5,

wherein the area specifying unit specifies a resection area of a focus part of the subject as the selected area.

7. The system according to claim 5,

wherein the area specifying unit specifies a lesion part area of the subject as the selected area.

8. The system according to claim 5, further comprising:

an image superimposing unit for superimposing the area image on the virtual image.

9. A medical procedure support system, comprising:

an endoscope for obtaining images of an internal part of the body cavity of a subject;

an endoscopic image creating unit for creating an endoscopic image obtained by the endoscope; and

an image superimposing unit for superimposing an area image on the endoscopic image or virtual image.

10. A medical procedure support method, comprising:

an endoscopic image creating step of creating an endoscopic image obatined by an endoscope for picking up images of an internal part of the body cavity of a subject;

an image reading step of reading a virtual image relating to the subject and a reference image relating to the virtual image;

a virtual image creating step of creating the virtual image and the reference image;

a superimposition commanding unit of commanding to superimpose the reference image on at least one of the virtual image and the endoscopic image;

a combined image creating unit of performing the superimposition of the commanded reference image data and creating a combined image thereof; and

a combined image display step of displaying the combined image on a monitor placed in an operation room.

11. The method according to claim 10,

wherein the virtual image and the endoscopic image are displayed on different monitors placed in the operation room, and the combined image is displayed on one of the different monitors.