Endoscope form detecting apparatus in which coil is fixedly mounted by insulating member so that form is not deformed within endoscope

• US 6,059,718 A
• Filed: 06/02/1995
• Issued: 05/09/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Olympus Optical Corporation Limited (Olympus Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Olympus Optical Corporation Limited (Olympus Corporation)
• Inventors: Taniguchi, Akira, Hara, Masanao, Ishii, Tsukasa, Miyano, Yasuo, Uchimura, Sumihiro, Matsuura, Nobuyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Casler, Brian L.
• Application Number:
  US08/460,812
• Time in Patent Office: 1,803 Days
• Field of Search: 128/653.1, 128/658, 128/662.06, 128/903, 128/737, 128/899, 128/656, 600/117, 600/145, 600/945, 600/407, 600/435, 600/433, 600/462, 600/550, 600/424, 600/109, 607/116, 607/122, 324/219, 324/246, 340/573, 125/45
• US Class Current: 600/117
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0005 combining images e.g. side-by-side, superimposed or tiled
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0051 with controlled bending of insertion part
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/06 Devices, other than using radiation, for detecting or locating foreign bodies for removing same A61B17/50 ; determining position of probes within or on the body of the patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/065 Determining position of the probe employing exclusively positioning means located on or in the probe, e.g. using position sensors arranged on the probe

Abstract

Magnetic-field generating elements or magnetic-field detecting elements are fixed into an insertion part having elasticity, which is inserted into a subject, by an insulating material while ensuring that forms of the respective magnetic-field generating elements or the respective magnetic-field detecting elements are not changed. Even when the insertion part is bent, there is no change in either the function of magnetic-field generation or the function of magnetic-field detection. Magnetic-field detecting elements or magnetic-field generating elements which are arranged at known positions around the subject are combined with each other to calculate three-dimensional positions of the magnetic-field generating elements or the magnetic-field detecting elements within the insertion part. Further, a form of the insertion part is estimated, and a three-dimensional image corresponding to a form of the insertion part is produced. Moreover, a three-dimensional image is projected onto a screen surface to display a stereoscopic image corresponding to the form of the insertion part.

Claims

1. An endoscope position detecting apparatus comprising:

an endoscope having a flexible insertion part which is insertable into an object to be examined, said endoscope having illumination-light emitting means for emitting an illumination light toward a distal end of said insertion part, and an objection optical system for observing an illuminated subject;

a first position estimation element including a magnetic-field generation element for generating a magnetic field to an environment arranged on said insertion part for estimating a position of said first position estimation element by application of a drive signal;

a second position estimation element including a magnetic-field detection element for detecting the magnetic field generated by said magnetic-field generation element, said second position estimating element being installed at a known position outside said subject and which is used for estimation of said position of said first position estimation element with respect to said known position;

position estimation means for estimating a position of said first position estimation element which is arranged within said insertion part with respect to said known position outside of said subject from a detection signal which is detected by said magnetic-field detection element on the outside of the subject;

insertion-part form estimation means for estimating a form of said insertion part which is inserted into said object to be examined from the position which is estimated by said position estimation means; and

display means for displaying a form of said insertion part which is estimated by said insertion-part form estimating means, by two images corresponding respectively to cases where directions from an observation point which observes said insertion part are different from one another,

wherein said position estimation means initially changes orientation of said magnetic-field generation element to determine a maximum value and a minimum value of the magnetic-field strength which can be detected by said magnetic-field detection element, and sets said maximum value and said minimum value to reference information whenever a distance between said magnetic-field generation element and said magnetic-field detection element is changed, to decide a range in which a distance between said magnetic-field generation element and said magnetic-field detection element exists, with reference to said reference information with respect to the magnetic-field strength determined from the detection signal which is detected by said magnetic-field detection element, to thereby estimate a position of said magnetic-field generation element within said insertion part.

2. An endoscope position detecting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said display means simultaneously displays the two images corresponding to two directions from the observation point in which the direction from said observation point are perpendicular to one another.

3. An endoscope position detecting apparatus comprising:

an endoscope having a flexible insertion part which is insertable into an object to be examined, said endoscope having illumination-light emitting means for emitting an illumination light toward a distal end of said insertion part, and an objective optical system for observing an illuminated subject;

a first position estimation element including a magnetic-field generation element for generating a magnetic field to an environment arranged on said insertion part for estimating a position of said first position estimation element by application of a drive signal;

a second position estimation element for estimating said position of said first position estimation element with respect to a known position of said subject from a detection signal which is detected by a magnetic-field detection element on the outside of said subject;

position estimation means for estimating a position of said first position estimation element which is arranged within said insertion part with respect to said known position outside of said subject from a detection signal which is detected by said magnetic-field detection element on the outside of the subject;

insertion-part form estimation means for estimating a form of said insertion part which is inserted into said object to be examined, from the position which is estimated by said position estimation means; and

display means for displaying an image corresponding to a form of said insertion part which is estimated by said insertion-part form estimating means;

a reference-position setting element formed by one of said magnetic-field generation element and said magnetic-field detection element, in order to display the set position as a reference position on said image by said display means; and

reference-position display means for displaying the reference position corresponding to the position of said reference-position setting means onto said image,

wherein said position estimation means initially changes orientation of said magnetic-field generation element to determine a maximum value and a minimum value of the magnetic-field strength which can be detected by said magnetic-field detection element, and sets said maximum value and said minimum value to reference information whenever a distance between said magnetic-field generation element and said magnetic-field detection element is changed, to decide a range in which a distance between said magnetic-field generation element and said magnetic-field detection element exists, with reference to said reference information with respect to the magnetic-field strength determined from the detection signal which is detected by said magnetic-field detection element, to thereby estimate a position of said magnetic-field generation element within said insertion part.

4. An endoscope position detecting apparatus according to claim 3, including identification means which is utilized for identification of a range which displays said image with said reference position serving as a reference.

5. An endoscope position detecting apparatus comprising:

an endoscope having a flexible insertion part which is insertable into an object to be examined, said endoscope having illumination-light emitting means for emitting an illumination light toward a distal end of said insertion part, and an objective optical system for observing an illuminated subject;

a first position estimation element including a magnetic-field detection element for detecting the magnetic field which is generated by a magnetic-field generation element by application of a drive signal, said first position estimation element being arranged on said insertion part for estimating a position of said first position estimation element;

a second position estimation element including said magnetic-field generation element for generating a magnetic field to an environment installed at a known position outside said subject and is used for estimation of said position of said first position estimation element with respect to said known position;

position estimation means for estimating a position of said first position estimation element which is arranged within said insertion part with respect to said known position outside of said subject from a detection signal which is detected by said magnetic-field detection element on said insertion part;

insertion-part form estimation means for estimating a form of said insertion part which is inserted into said object to be examined, from the position which is estimated by said position estimation means; and

display means for displaying a form of said insertion part which is estimated by said insertion-part form estimating means, by two images corresponding respectively to cases where directions from an observation point from which said insertion part is observed are different from one another,

wherein said position estimation means initially changes orientation of said magnetic-field generation element to determine a maximum value and a minimum value of the magnetic-field strength which can be detected by said magnetic-field detection element, and sets said maximum value and said minimum value to reference information whenever a distance between said magnetic-field generation element and said magnetic-field detection element is changed, to decide a range in which a distance between said magnetic-field generation element and said magnetic-field detection element exists, with reference to said reference information with respect to the magnetic-field strength determined from the detection signal which is detected by said magnetic-field detection element, to thereby estimate a position of said magnetic-field detection element within said insertion part.

6. An endoscope position detecting apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said display means simultaneously displays the two images corresponding to the two directions from the observation point in which the directions from said observation point are perpendicular to one another.

7. An endoscope position detecting apparatus comprising:

an endoscope having a flexible insertion part which is insertable into an object to be examined, said endoscope having illumination-light emitting means for emitting an illumination light toward a distal end of said insertion part, and an objective optical system for observing an illuminated subject;

a first position estimation element including a magnetic-field detection element for detecting a magnetic field which is generated by a magnetic-field generation element by application of a drive signal, said first position estimation element being arranged on said insertion part for estimating a position of said first position estimation element;

a second position estimation element including said magnetic-field generation element arranged outside of said subject for estimating said position of said first position estimation element with respect to a known position of said subject from a detection signal which is detected by the magnetic-field detection element on the insertion part;

position estimation means for estimating a position of said first position estimation element which is arranged within said insertion part with respect to said known position outside of said subject from a detection signal which is detected by said magnetic-field detection element on the outside of the subject;

insertion-part form estimation means for estimating a form of said insertion part which is inserted into said object to be examined, from the position which is estimated by said position estimation means; and

display means for displaying an image corresponding to a form of said insertion part which is estimated by said insertion-part form estimating means;

reference-position setting element formed by one of said magnetic-field generation element and said magnetic-field detection element, in order to display the set position as a reference position on said image by said display means; and

reference-position display means for displaying the reference position corresponding to the position of said reference-position setting means onto said image,

wherein said position estimation means initially changes orientation of said magnetic-field generation element to determine a maximum value and a minimum value of the magnetic-field strength which can be detected by said magnetic-field detection element, and sets said maximum value and said minimum value to reference information whenever a distance between said magnetic-field generation element and said magnetic-field detection element is changed, to decide a range in which a distance between said magnetic-field generation element and said magnetic-field detection element exists, with reference to said reference information with respect to the magnetic-field strength determined from the detection signal which is detected by said magnetic-field detection element, to thereby estimate a position of said magnetic-field detection element within said insertion part.

8. An endoscope position detecting apparatus according to claim 7, including identification means which is utilized for identification of a range which displays said image with said reference position serving as a reference.