Ultrasonic endoscope device

• US 20060183992A1
• Filed: 12/06/2005
• Published: 08/17/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Original Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Inventors: Kawashima, Tomonao
• Application Number:
  US11/294,985
• Publication Number:
  US 20060183992A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/407
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/062 using magnetic field
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/12 in body cavities or body tracts, e.g. by using catheters catheters per se A61M25/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4254 using sensors mounted on the probe
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/445 Details of catheter construction
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4461 Features of the scanning mechanism, e.g. for moving the transducer within the housing of the probe
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/463 characterised by displaying multiple images or images and diagnostic data on one display composite display in devices for short-range imaging with acoustic waves G01S7/52074
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/5238 for combining image data of patient, e.g. merging several images from different acquisition modes into one image for image registration algorithms G06T7/30

Abstract

An ultrasonic endoscope device includes an optical image obtaining device that obtains an optical image of an examinee, an ultrasonic-image obtaining device that obtains an ultrasonic image of the examinee, a positional-information obtaining device that obtains positional information of the optical image obtaining device with respect to the examinee upon obtaining the optical image, and a matching circuit that matches up an optical image obtained from the optical image obtaining device with the ultrasonic image obtained from the ultrasonic-image obtaining device based on the positional information obtained by the positional-information obtaining device.

Claims

1. An ultrasonic endoscope device comprising:

an optical image obtaining device that obtains an optical image of an examinee;

an ultrasonic-image obtaining device that obtains an ultrasonic image of the examinee;

a positional-information obtaining device that obtains positional information of the optical image obtaining device to the examinee upon obtaining the optical image; and

a matching circuit that matches an optical image obtained from the optical image obtaining device to the ultrasonic image obtained from the ultrasonic-image obtaining device based on the positional information obtained by the positional-information obtaining device.

2. The ultrasonic endoscope device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a first surface-shape calculating circuit that calculates a first surface-shape from the optical image based on the positional information;

a second surface shape calculating circuit that calculates a second surface-shape from the ultrasonic image,

wherein the matching circuit performs the matching operation by using the first and second surface-shapes.

3. The ultrasonic endoscope device according to claim 2, wherein the positional-information obtaining device obtains the positional information of the ultrasonic-image obtaining device with respect to the examinee upon obtaining the ultrasonic image, and

the second surface shape calculating circuit calculates the second surface-shape based on the positional information.

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

a combining circuit that combines the surface image data and the cross-sectional image data and configures a three-dimensional image by using a luminance value of the optical image in the surface image data and further using a luminance value of the ultrasonic image in the cross-sectional data.

5. The ultrasonic endoscope device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a display device that simultaneously displays an image obtained from the optical image and an image obtained from the ultrasonic image; and

a correspondence control circuit that calculates a corresponding point on one of the obtained images to an arbitrary point on the other image.

6. The ultrasonic endoscope device according to claim 2, wherein the matching circuit performs the matching by using cross-correlation processing.

7. The ultrasonic endoscope device according to claim 2, wherein the matching circuit comprises a gravity center calculating circuit that calculates the gravity center of the first surface-shape and the second surface-shape.

8. The ultrasonic endoscope device according to claim 2, wherein the matching circuit comprises a primary-axis-of-inertia calculating circuit that calculates the primary axes of inertia of the first surface-shape and the second surface-shape.

9. The ultrasonic endoscope device according to claim 6, wherein the matching circuit comprises a gravity center calculating circuit that calculates the gravity centers of the first surface-shape and the second surface-shape, or a primary-axis-of-inertia calculating circuit that calculates the primary axis of inertia of the first surface-shape and the second surface-shape, wherein

before the cross-correlation processing, the gravity center or the primary axis of inertia is calculated.

10. The ultrasonic endoscope device according to claim 1, wherein the ultrasonic-image obtaining device performs volume scanning by itself.

11. The ultrasonic endoscope device according to claim 10, wherein the ultrasonic-image obtaining device is a two-dimensional-array type ultrasonic vibrator arranged in two-dimensional array with an ultrasonic vibrator.

12. An ultrasonic endoscope device comprising:

optical image obtaining means that obtains an optical image of an examinee;

ultrasonic image obtaining means that obtains an ultrasonic image of the examinee;

positional-information obtaining means that obtains positional information of the optical image obtaining means with respect to the examinee upon obtaining the optical image; and

matching means that performs the matching of the optical image obtained by the optical image obtaining means and the ultrasonic image obtained by the ultrasonic-image obtaining means based on the positional information obtained by the positional-information obtaining means.

13. The ultrasonic endoscope device according to claim 12, further comprising:

first surface-shape calculating means that calculates a first surface-shape from the optical image based on the positional information; and

second surface shape calculating means that calculates a second surface-shape from the ultrasonic image;

wherein the matching means performs the matching by using the first and second surface-shape.

14. The ultrasonic endoscope device according to claim 13, wherein the positional-information obtaining means obtains the positional information of the ultrasonic-image obtaining means with respect to the examinee upon obtaining the ultrasonic image, and

the second surface shape calculating means calculates the second surface-shape based on the positional information.

15. The ultrasonic endoscope device according to claim 12, further comprising:

combining means that combines and configures a three-dimensional image by the surface image data and the cross-sectional data by using a luminance value of the optical image in the surface image data and by using a luminance value of the ultrasonic image in the cross-sectional data.

16. The ultrasonic endoscope device according to claim 12, further comprising:

display means that simultaneously displays an image obtained from the optical image and an image obtained from the ultrasonic image; and

correspondence control means that calculates a corresponding point on one of the obtained images to an arbitrary point on the other image.

17. The ultrasonic endoscope device according to claim 13, wherein the matching means performs the matching by using cross-correlation processing.

18. The ultrasonic endoscope device according to claim 13, wherein the matching means comprises gravity center calculating means that calculates the gravity center of the first surface-shape and the second surface-shape.

19. The ultrasonic endoscope device according to claim 13, wherein the matching means comprises primary-axis-of-inertia calculating means that calculates the primary axis of inertia of the first surface-shape and the second surface-shape.

20. The ultrasonic endoscope device according to claim 17, wherein the matching means comprises gravity center calculating means that calculates the gravity center of the first surface-shape and the second surface-shape, or the primary-axis-of-inertia calculating means that calculates the primary axis of inertia of the first surface-shape and the second surface-shape, wherein

the gravity center or the primary axis of inertia is calculated before the cross-correlation processing.