Medical apparatus, method for controlling marker display in medical image and medical processor

• US 8,876,700 B2
• Filed: 11/21/2012
• Issued: 11/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/17/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Original Assignee: Olympus Medical Systems Corporation (Olympus Corporation)
• Inventors: Imaizumi, Katsuichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Anhtuan T
• Assistant Examiner(s): WOO, JAE KYUN
• Application Number:
  US13/683,584
• Publication Number:
  US 20130158352A1
• Time in Patent Office: 713 Days
• US Class Current: 600/111
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00006 of control signals
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/000094 extracting biological structures
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0002 provided with data storages
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0004 for electronic operation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0005 combining images e.g. side-by-side, superimposed or tiled
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00059 provided with identification means for the endoscope
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00114 Electrical cables in or with an endoscope
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00117 Optical cables in or with an endoscope
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00124 electrical, e.g. electrical plug-and-socket connection
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00126 optical, e.g. for light supply cables
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00188 with focusing or zooming features
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0019 characterised by variable lenses
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00193 adapted for stereoscopic vision
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/043 for fluorescence imaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/051 Details of CCD assembly
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0638 providing two or more wavelengths
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0669 at proximal end of an endoscope
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0684 using light emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/07 using light-conductive means, e.g. optical fibres
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/364 Correlation of different images or relation of image positions in respect to the body
• CPC Class Codes: F04C 2270/041 : Controlled or regulated

Abstract

A processor of an endoscope apparatus that is a medical apparatus generates two images that are a normal-light observation image and a special-light observation image that are obtained by picking up a return light, determines matching of observation fields of view with respect to the two images, generates a marker M that indicates a position on a living tissue for at least one of the two images based on the determination result, causes the generated two images to be displayed within a screen of a monitor, and displays the generated marker M by superimposing the marker M on at least one of the two images.

Claims

1. A medical apparatus, comprising:

an illuminator that is capable of emitting a light for normal-light observation and a light for special-light observation to a living tissue for irradiation;

an imager that picks up an image of a light from the living tissue irradiated with the light emitted from the illuminator;

an image processor that generates a normal-light observation image obtained by picking up an image of a light from the living tissue irradiated with the light for normal-light observation in a first observation field of view in the imager, and further a special-light observation image obtained by picking up an image of a light from the living tissue irradiated with the light for special-light observation in a second observation field of view in the imager;

a discriminator that determines matching of the first observation field of view and the second observation field of view;

a processor that performs processing for displaying markers indicating the same position for the normal-light observation image and the special-light observation image when it is determined that the first observation field of view and the second observation field of view match each other in the discriminator, the processor performing processing for displaying the marker to be superimposed on each of the normal light observation image and the special-light observation image when it is determined that the first observation field of view and the second observation field of view match each other by the discriminator, and displaying the marker to be superimposed on one of the normal-light observation image and the special-light observation image when it is determined that the first observation field of view and the second observation field of view do not match each other by the discriminator; and

a display that simultaneously displays the normal-light observation image and the special-light observation image processed in the processor.

2. The medical apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processor performs processing for displaying the marker to be superimposed on each of the normal-light observation image and the special-light observation image when it is determined that the first observation field of view and the second observation field of view match each other by the discriminator, and performs processing for displaying markers different from each other to be superimposed on the normal-light observation image and the special-light observation image, when it is determined that the first observation field of view and the second observation field of view do not match each other by the discriminator.

3. The medical apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the discriminator determines matching of the first observation field of view and the second observation field of view based on identification information of an endoscope having the imager.

4. The medical apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the imager has a zoom lens that makes an observation field of view range variable, and

the discriminator determines matching of the first observation field of view and the second observation field of view based on zoom information of the zoom lens.

5. The medical apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the zoom information is information at a time of the normal-light observation image or the special-light observation image being picked up.

6. The medical apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the imager has a zoom lens that makes an observation field of view range variable, and

the discriminator determines matching of the first observation field of view and the second observation field of view based on identification information of an endoscope having the imager and zoom information of the zoom lens.

7. The medical apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the zoom information is information at a time of the normal-light observation image or the special-light observation image being picked up.

8. The medical apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the imager has a first imager that picks up an image of a return light of the light for normal-light observation and a second imager that picks up an image of a return light of the light for special-light observation.