Endoscope apparatus

• US 20060025692A1
• Filed: 07/27/2005
• Published: 02/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Original Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Inventors: Ishihara, Yasushige
• Granted Patent: US 8,606,350 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/478
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00096 Optical elements
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/043 for fluorescence imaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/063 for monochromatic or narrow-band illumination
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0638 providing two or more wavelengths
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0646 with illumination filters

Abstract

An object of the present invention is to provide an endoscope apparatus for allowing, for example, a lesion to be examined quantitatively for correct diagnosis of the lesion, regardless of the distance between an excitation-light irradiating section and a tissue. The present invention provides an endoscope apparatus that includes a laser light source for generating excitation light, an endoscopy scope having an irradiation section for irradiating excitation light at an end portion thereof, a CCD incorporating an intensifier for detecting fluorescence generated by excitation light in a tissue, a fluorescence-image generating unit for generating a fluorescence image signal based on a fluorescence signal from the CCD incorporating an intensifier, a distance-measuring unit for generating a distance signal corresponding to the distance between the irradiation section and the tissue, and an amount-of-fluorescence calculating unit for correcting the fluorescence signal with the distance signal to calculate an amount of fluorescence not affected by changes in the distance.

Claims

1. An endoscope apparatus comprising:

a light source unit including at least one light source generating illumination light and excitation light;

an endoscopy scope having, at an end portion thereof, an irradiation section for irradiating the illumination light and the excitation light;

a reflected-light imaging unit for detecting reflected light generated as a result of the illumination light being reflected at a tissue;

an endoscopic-image generating unit for generating an endoscopic image signal based on a reflected-light signal from the reflected-light imaging unit;

a fluorescence-detecting unit for detecting fluorescence generated in the tissue by the excitation light;

a fluorescence-image generating unit for generating a fluorescence image signal based on a fluorescence signal from the fluorescence-detecting unit;

a distance-measuring unit for generating a distance signal corresponding to a distance between the irradiation section and the tissue; and

a characteristic-value calculating unit for correcting the fluorescence signal or the fluorescence image signal with the distance signal to calculate a characteristic value of the fluorescence that is not influenced by changes in the distance.

2. The endoscope apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the characteristic value is an amount of fluorescence.

3. The endoscope apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the characteristic value is a size of a fluorescence image.

4. The endoscope apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

an image superimposing unit for combining the endoscopic image signal and the fluorescence image signal.

5. The endoscope apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the distance-measuring unit generates the distance signal based on a ratio between an intensity of the reflected-light signal and an intensity of reflected light at a predetermined distance.

6. The endoscope apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the distance-measuring unit uses ultrasound.

7. The endoscope apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the distance-measuring unit detects an output of ultrasound reflected from the tissue and calculates the distance to the tissue based on calibration data produced by presetting a relationship between the output and the distance.

8. The endoscope apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising:

a scope-identifying unit for identifying a connected endoscopy scope, wherein the distance-measuring unit stores the calibration data set for each of at least one endoscopy scope.

9. The endoscope apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the distance-measuring unit uses microwaves.

10. The endoscope apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the distance-measuring unit uses light.

11. The endoscope apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the light is a laser beam.

12. The endoscope apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

an angle-calculating unit for calculating an angle of the endoscopy scope relative to the tissue.

13. The endoscope apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the angle-calculating unit uses ultrasound.

14. The endoscope apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the angle-calculating unit uses microwaves.

15. The endoscope apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the angle-calculating unit uses light.

16. The endoscope apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the light is a laser beam.

17. The endoscope apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the characteristic-value calculating unit includes a post-administration-time correcting unit for correcting the fluorescence signal or the fluorescence image signal based on a time elapsed after administration of a fluorescence agent.

18. The endoscope apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a light-source-intensity-fluctuation correcting unit for correcting the fluorescence signal or the fluorescence image signal based on a light intensity of the light source emitting the excitation light.

19. The endoscope apparatus according to claim 1, wherein display is performed with different visual effects depending on the characteristic value calculated by the characteristic-value calculating unit.

20. An endoscope apparatus comprising:

a light source unit including at least one light source generating illumination light and excitation light;

an endoscopy scope having, at an end portion thereof, an irradiation section for irradiating the illumination light and the excitation light;

a reflected-light imaging unit for detecting reflected light generated as a result of the illumination light being reflected at a tissue;

an endoscopic-image generating unit for generating an endoscopic image signal based on a reflected-light signal from the reflected-light imaging unit;

a fluorescence-detecting unit for detecting fluorescence generated in the tissue by the excitation light;

a fluorescence-image generating unit for generating a fluorescence image signal based on a fluorescence signal from the fluorescence-detecting unit;

a distance-measuring unit for generating a distance signal corresponding to a distance between the irradiation section and the tissue;

a distal optical system unit for supporting an end of a transmitting member for transmitting the fluorescence to the fluorescence-detecting unit and the irradiation section, the distal optical system unit being provided so as to be movable in an optical-axis direction with respect to the endoscopy scope; and

a driving unit for moving the distal optical system unit according to the distance signal from the distance-measuring unit.

21. The endoscope apparatus according to claim 20, further comprising:

an image superimposing unit for combining the endoscopic image signal and the fluorescence image signal.

22. The endoscope apparatus according to claim 20, wherein the distance-measuring unit generates the distance signal based on a ratio between an intensity of the reflected-light signal and an intensity of reflected light at a predetermined distance.

23. The endoscope apparatus according to claim 20, wherein the distance-measuring unit uses ultrasound.

24. The endoscope apparatus according to claim 23, wherein the distance-measuring unit detects an output of ultrasound reflected from the tissue and calculates the distance to the tissue based on calibration data produced by presetting a relationship between the output and the distance.

25. The endoscope apparatus according to claim 24, further comprising:

a scope-identifying unit for identifying a connected endoscopy scope, wherein the distance-measuring unit stores the calibration data set for each of at least one endoscopy scope.

27. The endoscope apparatus according to claim 20, wherein the distance-measuring unit uses light.

28. The endoscope apparatus according to claim 27, wherein the light is a laser beam.

29. The endoscope apparatus according to claim 20, further comprising:

an angle-calculating unit for calculating an angle of the endoscopy scope relative to the tissue.

30. The endoscope apparatus according to claim 29, wherein the angle-calculating unit uses ultrasound.

31. The endoscope apparatus according to claim 29, wherein the angle-calculating unit uses microwaves.

32. The endoscope apparatus according to claim 29, wherein the angle-calculating unit uses light.

33. The endoscope apparatus according to claim 32, wherein the light is a laser beam.

34. The endoscope apparatus according to claim 20, further comprising:

a light-source-intensity-fluctuation correcting unit for correcting the fluorescence signal or the fluorescence image signal based on a light intensity of the light source emitting the excitation light.

26. The endoscope apparatus according to claim 26, wherein the distance-measuring unit uses microwaves.