Bending control device

• US 20070173694A1
• Filed: 03/27/2007
• Published: 07/26/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Original Assignee: Olympus Corporation, Olympus Medical Systems Corporation (Olympus Corporation)
• Inventors: Taniguchi, Akira, Tsuji, Kiyoshi
• Granted Patent: US 8,038,605 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/146
• 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 1/0016 using motor drive units
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0052 Constructional details of control elements, e.g. handles
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0055 Constructional details of insertion parts, e.g. vertebral elements
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/05 characterised by the image sensor, e.g. camera, being in the distal end portion
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 23/2423 of the distal end
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 23/2484 Arrangements in relation to a camera or imaging device processing or control of video signals generated by an endoscope H04N23/60, H04N23/70

Abstract

At a distal end side of an insertion portion of an endoscope, an image pickup portion for capturing an image and a bending portion capable of being bent are provided, and a bending instruction operation portion executes a bending instruction operation for the bending portion. According to the bending instruction operation by the bending instruction operation portion, the bending control portion executes the controlling bending of the bending portion. As a bending control mode for executing the operation of the bending control by the bending control portion, a first bending control mode for bending control corresponding to a first image captured by the image pickup portion and a second bending control mode for bending control displaying the distal end side of the insertion portion are provided.

Claims

1. A bending control device comprising a bending instruction operation portion for executing bending instruction operation to a bending portion in an endoscope having an insertion portion provided with an image pickup portion for capturing an image and the bending portion capable of being bent at the distal end side;

and

a bending control portion for controlling bending of the bending portion according to the bending instruction operation by the bending instruction operation portion, wherein

a first bending control mode for bending control corresponding to a first image captured by the image pickup portion; and

a second bending control mode for bending control corresponding to a second image displaying the distal end side of the insertion portion are provided as the bending control mode for operation of the bending control by the bending control portion.

2. The bending control device according to claim 1, further comprising a selection device for selecting one of the first and the second bending control modes.

3. The bending control device according to claim 2, further comprising an information display device for displaying information selected by the selection device.

4. The bending control device according to claim 1, further comprising a direction display portion for displaying a direction to which the bending portion is bent in at least one of the first image and the second image, when the bending instruction operation is executed by the bending instruction operation portion.

5. The bending control device according to claim 1, further comprising a display portion of an index for bending indicating a bending direction corresponding to indication of the distal end side of the insertion portion in the second image when at least the second bending control mode is selected.

6. The bending control device according to claim 1, wherein the image pickup portion is fixed at the distal end portion of the insertion portion in a predetermined relation with the bending direction of the bending portion, and the first image captured by the image pickup portion and displayed on the image display device is displayed with the up direction of the first image in the up direction all the time, and the up direction of the first image corresponds to the up bending direction of the bending portion.

7. The bending control device according to claim 6, wherein the bending control portion executes bending control so that the bending portion is bent in the direction of the bending instruction operation by the bending instruction operation portion for the bending portion in which the up direction of the first image is associated with the up bending direction of the bending portion and the other directions are also associated respectively.

8. The bending control device according to claim 1, wherein the second image displayed on the image display device is displayed so that the axial direction of the distal end portion of the insertion portion in the second image becomes a predetermined direction in the image display device.

9. The bending control device according to claim 8, wherein the predetermined direction is displayed on the image display device so that the axial direction of the distal end portion is the vertical direction and the distal end side of the insertion portion is oriented upward.

10. The bending control device according to claim 1, further comprising a direction detecting device for detecting the axial direction of the distal end portion and the circumferential direction around the axial direction.

11. The bending control device according to claim 8, further comprising a direction detecting device for detecting the axial direction of the distal end portion and the circumferential direction around the axial direction, wherein the bending control portion executes bending control so that the bending portion is bent in the direction of the bending instruction operation by the bending instruction operation portion by referring to a detection result of the axial direction and the circumferential direction of the distal end portion detected by the direction detecting device

12. The bending control device according to claim 1, further comprising a supplementary image display portion for displaying a supplementary image in a body cavity into which the insertion portion is inserted in correspondence to the second image.

13. The bending control device according to claim 1, further comprising a calculation portion for calculating a discrepancy amount between a predetermined direction in a displayed image of the distal end side of the insertion portion in the second image and a predetermined direction at the distal end side of the actual insertion portion in correspondence with selection of the second bending control mode, wherein the bending control portion executes bending-driving by correction on the basis of the discrepancy amount when the bending portion is to be bent.

14. The bending control device according to claim 13, wherein the predetermined direction in the displayed image of the distal end side of the insertion portion in the second image is not changed with respect to rotation of the distal end side of the actual insertion portion around its center axis, and the display direction of the first image is changed according to the rotation amount of the distal end side of the actual insertion portion around its center axis.

15. The bending control device according to claim 1, wherein the second image is an image displaying a shape of at least the shape of the distal end side in the insertion portion using the detection result by a position detecting device incorporated in the insertion portion.

16. The bending control device according to claim 1, wherein the second image is an X-ray image displaying an image including the distal end side of the insertion portion by transmission of an X-ray.

17. The bending control device according to claim 1, wherein the second image substantially includes the axial direction of the distal end side of the insertion portion in the display surface and a traveling direction of a lumen portion into which the vicinity of the distal end portion is inserted is also substantially included in the display surface.

18. The bending control device according to claim 1, further comprising an image display device for displaying the first image and the second image at the same time.

19. The bending control device according to claim 5, wherein the display portion of the bending index displays the axial direction of the distal end side of the insertion portion and a direction to which the axial direction is bent.

20. A bending control device comprising a bending control portion for executing control of a bending direction of a bending portion provided at an insertion portion of an endoscope according to a bending instruction by a bending instruction operation portion;

and

an image display device for displaying a first image captured by an image pickup portion provided at a distal end portion of the insertion portion and a second image at least relating to display of the distal end side of the insertion portion,

wherein bending control is selectively executed by the bending control portion in correspondence with each of the first image and the second image.

21. A bending control device comprising a bending control portion for executing control of a bending direction of a bending portion of an endoscope provided with an image pickup device and the bending portion;

and

a bending instruction operation portion for executing an bending instruction operation in the direction to bend the bending portion,

wherein the bending control portion executes controlling bending of the bending portion by switching between a first bending control mode defined to bend the bending portion vertically by the bending instruction operation portion for a first observation image obtained by the image pickup device; and

a second bending control mode defined to bend the bending portion vertically by the bending instruction operation portion for a second observation image displaying a state of the distal end of the insertion portion.

22. The bending control device according to claim 21, further comprising a selection portion operated by an operator for selecting either of the first bending control mode and the second bending control mode,

wherein the bending control portion executes controlling bending of the bending portion in either of the first bending control mode and the second bending control mode according to selection of the selection portion.