Image processing device

Abstract

An image processing device according to the invention includes an image capturing element for outputting an image capture signal based on a captured image of a subject, a storage section for storing the image capture signal, a writing signal generation section for outputting to the storage section a writing signal for writing the image capture signal onto the storage section, a switching signal generation section for outputting a switching signal for switching between a first and second observation modes, an image operation section for performing an instruction about an operation with respect to at least one observation image in the first observation mode or the second observation mode, an image operation invalidation section for setting an inoperative time for invalidating the instruction based on the switching signal, and an image operation invalidation release section for releasing the invalidation after the switching signal is outputted and the inoperative time has passed.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a view illustrating essential parts of an endoscope device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a view illustrating an internal configuration of the endoscope device according to the embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a view illustrating a configuration of a rotation filter provided in a light source section in the endoscope device according to the embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a view illustrating transmission characteristics of an RGB filter provided in the rotation filter shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a view illustrating transmission characteristics of a fluorescence observation filter provided in the rotation filter shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a view illustrating a configuration of a band switching filter provided in the light source section in the endoscope device according to the embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a view illustrating transmission characteristics of an ordinary/fluorescence observation filter and an infrared light observation filter provided in the band switching filter shown in FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a view illustrating transmission characteristics of a NBI filter provided in the band switching filter shown in FIG. 6;

FIG. 9 is a view illustrating transmission characteristics of an excitation light cut filter provided in an electronic endoscope in the endoscope device according to the embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 10 is a view illustrating an example of setting screens of a processor provided in the endoscope device according to the embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 11 is a view illustrating an example of configurations of an image capturing section provided in the electronic endoscope in the endoscope device according to the embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 12 is a view illustrating an example different from the example shown in FIG. 11 illustrating a configuration of the image capturing section provided in the electronic endoscope in the endoscope device according to the embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 13 is a flowchart illustrating an example of processing performed in the processor in a case that an observation mode is switched from an observation mode to another mode in the endoscope device according to the embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 14 is a view illustrating an example of writing and readout states of an image capture signal in a memory section in a case that the observation mode is switched from an observation mode to another mode in the endoscope device according to the embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 15 is a view illustrating an example different from the example shown in FIG. 10 illustrating a setting screen of the processor provided in the endoscope device according to the embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 16 is a flowchart illustrating an example different from the example shown in FIG. 13 illustrating processing performed in the processor in a case that the observation mode is switched from an observation mode to another mode in the endoscope device according to the embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 17 is a view illustrating an example of pre-freeze processing performed in the processor provided in the endoscope device according to the embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 18 is a view illustrating an example of writing and readout states of an image capture signal in a synchronization circuit in a case that the observation mode is switched from an observation mode to another mode in the endoscope device according to the embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 19 is a view illustrating an example different from the example shown in FIG. 18 illustrating a writing and readout state of the image capture signal in the synchronization circuit in the case that the observation mode is switched from the observation mode to another mode in the endoscope device according to the embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 20 is a view illustrating an example different from the examples shown in FIGS. 18 and 19 illustrating a writing and readout state of the image capture signal in the synchronization circuit in the case that the observation mode is switched from an observation mode to another mode in the endoscope device according to the embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 21 is a view illustrating an example different from the example shown in FIG. 14 illustrating a writing and readout state of the image capture signal in the memory section in the case that the observation mode is switched from an observation mode to another mode in the endoscope device according to the embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 22 is a schematic view illustrating another example of the pre-freeze processing performed in the processor provided in the endoscope device according to the embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 23 is a schematic view illustrating processing to be performed concomitantly with the processing shown in FIG. 22 in the processor provided in the endoscope device according to the embodiment of the present invention.

Claims

1. An image processing device comprising: image capturing device for capturing an image of a subject and outputting an image capture signal based on the captured image of the subject;one or a plurality of storage portion for storing the image capture signal outputted from the image capturing device;writing signal generation portion for outputting to the storage portion a writing signal for writing the image capture signal onto the storage portion;switching signal generation portion for outputting to at least one of the image capturing device and the storage portion a switching signal for switching between a first observation mode for creating a first observation image based on the image capture signal outputted from the image capturing device and a second observation mode for creating a second observation image different from the first observation image based on the image capture signal outputted from the image capturing device;image operation portion for performing an instruction about an operation with respect to at least one of the first observation image and the second observation image;image operation invalidation portion for setting an inoperative time for invalidating the instruction about the operation with respect to the one observation image based on the switching signal within a predetermined period of time; andimage operation invalidation release portion for releasing the invalidation after the switching signal is outputted and the inoperative time has passed.

2. An image processing device comprising: image capturing device for capturing an image of a subject and outputting an image capture signal based on the captured image of the subject;one or a plurality of storage portion for storing the image capture signal outputted from the image capturing device;writing signal generation portion for outputting to the storage portion a writing signal for writing the image capture signal onto the storage portion;switching signal generation portion for outputting to at least one of the image capturing device and the storage portion a switching signal for switching between a first observation mode for creating a first observation image based on the image capture signal outputted from the image capturing device and a second observation mode for creating a second observation image different from the first observation image based on the image capture signal outputted from the image capturing device;writing forbidding portion for stopping the writing of the image capture signal onto the storage portion by stopping the output of the writing signal according to the switching signal; andwriting forbiddance release portion for releasing the stop of the writing of the image capture signal onto the storage portion by resuming the output of the writing signal to the storage portion after the switching signal is outputted and a predetermined period of time has passed.

3. The image processing device according to claim 2, further comprising: freeze image creation portion having the storage portion, the freeze image creation portion being configured to create a still image based on the image capture signal written on the storage portion; andfreeze instruction portion for performing a freeze instruction for creating the still image to the freeze image creation portion;wherein the freeze image creation portion invalidates the freeze instruction performed in the freeze instruction portion for the predetermined period of time.

4. The image processing device according to claim 2, further comprising: observation mode switching time setting portion for setting the predetermined period of time.

5. The image processing device according to claim 2, further comprising: information storage portion on which certain information about at least a configuration of the image capturing device is written;wherein the predetermined period of time is set based on the certain information.

6. The image processing device according to claim 3, wherein the freeze image creation portion further performs processing for extracting a plurality of still images including a least color shifted still image out of still images according to the image capture signal written on the storage portion.

7. The image processing device according to claim 1, further comprising: freeze image creation portion having the storage portion, the freeze image creation portion being configured to perform processing for extracting a plurality of still images including a least color shifted still image out of still images according to the image capture signal written on the storage portion; andfreeze instruction portion for performing a freeze instruction for creating the plurality of still images extracted by the freeze image creation portion to the freeze image creation portion;wherein the freeze image creation portion invalidates the processing in a case that the freeze instruction is performed in the freeze instruction portion within the predetermined period of time except for the inoperative time.

8. The image processing device according to claim 1, wherein in the first observation image created in the first observation mode and the second observation image created in the second observation mode, one observation image denotes an image substantially similar to an image of the subject being observed with the naked eye, and another observation image denotes an image corresponding to an image of fluorescence generated by the subject.

9. The image processing device according to claim 2, wherein in the first observation image created in the first observation mode and the second observation image created in the second observation mode, one observation image denotes an image substantially similar to an image of the subject being observed with the naked eye, and another observation image denotes an image corresponding to an image of fluorescence generated by the subject.

10. The image processing device according to claim 3, wherein in the first observation image created in the first observation mode and the second observation image created in the second observation mode, one observation image denotes an image substantially similar to an image of the subject being observed with the naked eye, and another observation image denotes an image corresponding to an image of fluorescence generated by the subject.

11. The image processing device according to claim 4, wherein in the first observation image created in the first observation mode and the second observation image created in the second observation mode, one observation image denotes an image substantially similar to an image of the subject being observed with the naked eye, and another observation image denotes an image corresponding to an image of fluorescence generated by the subject.

12. The image processing device according to claim 5, wherein in the first observation image created in the first observation mode and the second observation image created in the second observation mode, one observation image denotes an image substantially similar to an image of the subject being observed with the naked eye, and another observation image denotes an image corresponding to an image of fluorescence generated by the subject.

13. The image processing device according to claim 6, wherein in the first observation image created in the first observation mode and the second observation image created in the second observation mode, one observation image denotes an image substantially similar to an image of the subject being observed with the naked eye, and another observation image denotes an image corresponding to an image of fluorescence generated by the subject.

14. The image processing device according to claim 7, wherein in the first observation image created in the first observation mode and the second observation image created in the second observation mode, one observation image denotes an image substantially similar to an image of the subject being observed with the naked eye, and another observation image denotes an image corresponding to an image of fluorescence generated by the subject.

15. The image processing device according to claim 1, further comprising: an endoscope including an elongated insertion portion;wherein the image capturing device is provided in a tip part of the insertion portion.

16. The image processing device according to claim 2, further comprising: an endoscope including an elongated insertion portion;wherein the image capturing device is provided in a tip part of the insertion portion.

17. The image processing device according to claim 3, further comprising: an endoscope including an elongated insertion portion;wherein the image capturing device is provided in a tip part of the insertion portion.

18. The image processing device according to claim 4, further comprising: an endoscope including an elongated insertion portion;wherein the image capturing device is provided in a tip part of the insertion portion.

19. The image processing device according to claim 5, further comprising: an endoscope including an elongated insertion portion;wherein the image capturing device is provided in a tip part of the insertion portion.

20. The image processing device according to claim 6, further comprising: an endoscope including an elongated insertion portion;wherein the image capturing device is provided in a tip part of the insertion portion.

21. The image processing device according to claim 7, further comprising: an endoscope including an elongated insertion portion;wherein the image capturing device is provided in a tip part of the insertion portion.