Endoscope apparatus

• US 8,004,560 B2
• Filed: 04/22/2010
• Issued: 08/23/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Evident Corporation
• Original Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Inventors: Sato, Saichi, Kuwa, Yuusuke
• Primary Examiner(s): Philippe; Gims S
• Application Number:
  US12/765,260
• Publication Number:
  US 20100201795A1
• Time in Patent Office: 488 Days
• Field of Search: 348/45, 348/65, 345/660, 600/111, 600/118
• US Class Current: 348/65
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00045 Display arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00193 adapted for stereoscopic vision
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 23/2476 Non-optical details, e.g. housings, mountings, supports
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 23/26 using light guides for illumination G02B23/2469

Abstract

An endoscope apparatus includes: a video signal acquisition portion; a video signal processing portion that processes a video signal to generate a display video signal; a measurement processing portion that performs measurement; and a display portion that displays the display video signal. The video signal processing portion generates a first display video signal based on one image extracted from the video signal, and a second display video signal based on the one image and other image of the video signal. During a period regarding measurement, the display portion displays the first display video signal or the second display video signal along with at least one of operation-related information and measurement information. A position where at least one of the operation-related information and the measurement information is displayed is controlled according to the first display video signal or the second display video signal displayed by the display portion.

Claims

1. An endoscope apparatus comprising:

a video signal acquisition portion that images a test subject by a stereo optical system to acquire a video signal including right and left images which relate to the test subject;

a video signal processing portion that processes the video signal to generate a display video signal;

a measurement processing portion that performs measurement on the basis of the video signal; and

a display portion that displays the display video signal, wherein;

the video signal processing portion generates a first display video signal based on one, but not both, of the right and left images of the video signal by extracting one image from the video signal including the right and left images, and a second display video signal based on both the right and left images of the video signal;

during a period regarding measurement, the display portion displays the first display video signal or the second display video signal along with at least one of operation-related information and measurement information; and

a position where at least one of the operation-related information and the measurement information is displayed is controlled according to the first display video signal or the second display video signal displayed by the display portion.

2. The endoscope apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the second display video signal is generated, the video signal processing portion processes the video signal such that the right image is displayed so as to overlap the left image.

3. The endoscope apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the second display video signal is generated, the video signal processing portion processes the video signal such that the right image is displayed so as to overlap the left image, and the right image is enlarged.

4. The endoscope apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the second display video signal is generated, the video signal processing portion processes the video signal such that the left image is displayed so as to overlap the right image.

5. The endoscope apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the second display video signal is generated, the video signal processing portion processes the video signal such that the left image is displayed so as to overlap the right image, and the left image is enlarged.

6. The endoscope apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the first display video signal is generated, the video signal processing portion processes the video signal such that the one image is enlarged.

7. The endoscope apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the video signal processing portion processes the video signal such that the entire one image is enlarged.

8. The endoscope apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the video signal processing portion processes the video signal such that a predetermined region of the one image is enlarged.

9. The endoscope apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising:

a measuring position input portion that inputs a measuring position based on the first display video signal,

wherein the measuring position input portion inputs the measuring position on the first display video signal enlarged by the video signal processing portion.

10. The endoscope apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the period regarding measurement includes a period for which the measuring position input portion inputs the measuring position.

11. The endoscope apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the measurement processing portion performs measurement on the basis of the video signal including the right and left images from the stereo optical system.

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

a control portion that performs a control of storing the video signal including the right and left images from the stereo optical system in a storage medium.

13. The endoscope apparatus according to claim 12, wherein:

the control portion reads the video signal stored in the storage medium and makes the video signal processing portion generate from the read video signal the first display video signal including the one image,

the display portion displays the first display video signal, and

the measurement processing portion performs measurement on the basis of the video signal stored in the storage medium.

14. The endoscope apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the measurement information includes at least one of information relating to the stereo optical system and information relating to a result of the measurement.

15. The endoscope apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the operation-related information includes information relating to a user-executable operation.

16. The endoscope apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the operation-related information includes a plurality of icons for performing user-executable operations.

17. The endoscope apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the operation-related information includes information relating to a user-executable operation.

18. The endoscope apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the operation-related information includes a plurality of icons for performing user-executable operations.