Treating system utilizing an endoscope

• US 6,036,637 A
• Filed: 04/22/1998
• Issued: 03/14/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Olympus Optical Company Ltd. (Olympus Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Olympus Optical Company Ltd. (Olympus Corporation)
• Inventors: Kudo, Masahiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Leubecker, John P.
• Application Number:
  US09/064,471
• Time in Patent Office: 692 Days
• Field of Search: 600/103, 600/109, 600/117, 600/118, 600/173, 600/102, 348/65, 348/73
• US Class Current: 600/173
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00006 of control signals
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/000094 extracting biological structures
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00042 for mechanical operation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00149 using articulated arms
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00188 with focusing or zooming features
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/042 characterised by a proximal camera, e.g. a CCD camera
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/313 for introducing through surgical openings, e.g. laparoscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/2051 Electromagnetic tracking systems
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/2055 Optical tracking systems
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/2065 Tracking using image or pattern recognition
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/3937 Visible markers
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/502 Headgear, e.g. helmet, spectacles
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/20 Surgical navigation systems; Devices for tracking or guiding surgical instruments, e.g. for frameless stereotaxis
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/064 using markers A61B5/062 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/11 Measuring movement of the entire body or parts thereof, e.g. head or hand tremor, mobility of a limb for measuring pulse A61B5/02 ;A61B5/1038 takes precedence; motion detection to correct for motion artifacts in physiological signals A61B5/721
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/50 Supports for surgical instruments, e.g. articulated arms
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/92 coded with colour

Abstract

A treating system includes an endoscope to be inserted into a body of a patient for supplying an endoscopic image of an internal part of the body of the patient, and a treating device to be inserted into the body of the patient for treating an affected area while observing the endoscopic image supplied by the endoscope. The system further includes a holder for holding the endoscope, an image pickup section including an image-pickup optical system for picking up the endoscopic image supplied by the endoscope, and a display for displaying the endoscopic image picked up by the image pickup section. A position detector is provided for detecting position data of an object observed through the endoscope, and a view field switching device is provided for switching a field of view of the endoscopic image picked up by the image pickup section. In addition, a controller is provided for monitoring whether the treating device is operating and for prohibiting the view field switching device from switching the field of view when the treating device is detected to be operating.

Claims

1. A treating system comprising an endoscope to be inserted into a body of a patient for supplying an endoscopic image of an internal part of the body of the patient, and a treating device to be inserted into the body of the patient for treating an affected area while observing the endoscopic image supplied by the endoscope, said system further comprising:

a holder for holding the endoscope;

an image pickup section including an image-pickup optical system for picking up the endoscopic image supplied by the endoscope;

a display for displaying the endoscopic image picked up by the image pickup section;

a position detector for detecting position data of an object observed through the endoscope;

a view field switching device for switching a field of view of the endoscopic image picked up by the image pickup section; and

a controller for monitoring whether the treating device is operating and for prohibiting the view field switching device from switching the field of view when the treating device is detected to be operating.

2. The system according to claim 1, further comprising a switch which drives said view field switching device.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein said position detector comprises a position sensor attached to the treating device for detecting a specified position of the treating device.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein said position detector comprises an image data processing circuit incorporating an algorithm for detecting, from the endoscopic image, a feature of the treating device.

5. The system according to claim 4, wherein said feature of the treating device comprises shape data.

6. The system according to claim 4, wherein said feature of the treating device comprises color data.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein said position detector comprises an image data processing circuit incorporating an algorithm for detecting, from the endoscopic image, a feature of a marker attached to an organ present in the patient, and for detecting a position of the organ.

8. The system according to claim 7, wherein said feature of the marker comprises color data.

9. The system according to claim 7, wherein said feature of the marker comprises shape data.

10. The system according to claim 1, wherein said display comprises a head mount display, and said position detector detects a position of the head mount display.

11. The system according to claim 1, wherein the view field switching device includes a switch for extracting a part of the endoscopic image in accordance with the position data, to thereby switch a field of view of the endoscope without moving the endoscope.

12. The system according to claim 1, wherein the treating device comprises one of an electrical knife and a laser.