Abstract: According to the invention, a VOI generation setting section disposed in an endoscope insertion support apparatus comprises a VOI setting function section, a VOI extending function section, a VOI direction determining function section, a VOI branch determining function section, a VOI resetting function section, a VOI information storage function section, a VOI size determining function section and a VOI branch extracting function section. This configuration enables a VOI (Volume of Interest) to be effectively set in a tubular organ having a strictured part and tubular path area information on the tubular organ to be extracted.

Abstract: An image processing device having a very straightforward construction, for obtaining an image in which normal tissue and diseased tissue are easy to identify, comprises: an image synthesizing section that generates a synthesized image by synthesizing an image signal of reflected light image produced by illumination light obtained by illuminating body tissue with illumination light and an image signal of a fluorescent image obtained by illuminating the body tissue with excitation light; and a gain adjustment section that adjusts the gain of the image signal of the reflected light image and/or the image signal of the fluorescent image such that the boundary of the hues of the normal tissue and diseased tissue found from the optical characteristics of the respective tissues is contained in a predetermined range with respect to a prescribed standard chromaticity diagram, depending on whether the body tissue that is displayed on the synthesized image generated by the image synthesizing section is normal tissue or

Abstract: In an endoscope device 1 in accordance with the present invention, a navigation screen 51 is displayed. The navigation screen 51 includes: an endoscopic live image display area 52 in which a live image produced by a bronchoscope 2 is displayed; a VBS image display area 53 in which a VBS image is displayed; and a thumbnail VBS image area 54 in which images constructed by reducing VBS images that represent all branch points on a route are displayed as thumbnail VBS images representing branch points. Consequently, an endoscope can be reliably navigated to reach a target region using guide images that represent actual branch positions.

Abstract: An endoscope system in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention includes an endoscope with a monochrome image pickup device for capturing reflected light and fluorescence from the body cavity, an excitation light cut filter which is installed in front of the image pickup device for shielding excitation light, and an endoscope ID which includes information on the type of the endoscope. A light source unit includes a first switching filter that irradiates light including excitation light for a fluorescent image mode and a filter for generating continuous light for a normal-light image mode. The filters switch based between the fluorescent image mode and the normal-light image mode. A second switching filter with a limiting filter that limits certain wavelengths of excitation light of the first switching filter is provided. The limiting filters are switched according to the endoscope ID or observation state in the fluorescence mode.

Abstract: In the light source unit 3A, a switching filter section 14, which can switch the RGB filter for normal-light observation and a filter for fluorescent observation on the optical path, is installed in front of the lamp 12, where if the fluorescent image mode is selected, the excitation light in a part of the blue wavelength band is supplied to the electronic endoscope 2A, and the excitation light reflected by the subject side is shielded by the excitation light cut filter 27 in front of the CCD 28 so as to obtain the fluorescent image, and also the signal of the fluorescent image and the signals of the two reflected light images which are set in a predetermined wavelength band are passed through the image processing circuit 38, where a matrix circuit for appropriately allocating the color signals of the R, G and B channels is installed, and as a result, the images can be displayed on the monitor 5 in pseudo-colors in hues which allow easy identification of a normal tissue and a pathologically affected tissue.

Abstract: An image processing device for an endoscope, wherein a wavelength band filter for shielding at least a part of the blue wavelength band is disposed in front of an image pickup element built into the endoscope, for image processing the signal output by said image pickup element includes means for generating color image signals whilst switching between a normal-light image mode using white light and a fluorescence image mode including fluorescence information and adjusting means for adjusting the gain of a prescribed color signal of said color image signals.

Abstract: In the light source unit 3A, a switching filter section 14, which can switch the RGB filter for normal-light observation and a filter for fluorescent observation on the optical path, is installed in front of the lamp 12, where if the fluorescent image mode is selected, the excitation light in a part of the blue wavelength band is supplied to the electronic endoscope 2A, and the excitation light reflected by the subject side is shielded by the excitation light cut filter 27 in front of the CCD 28 so as to obtain the fluorescent image, and also the signal of the fluorescent image and the signals of the two reflected light images which are set in a predetermined wavelength band are passed through the image processing circuit 38, where a matrix circuit for appropriately allocating the color signals of the R, G and B channels is installed, and as a result, the images can be displayed on the monitor 5 in pseudo-colors in hues which allow easy identification of a normal tissue and a pathologically affected tissue.

Abstract: With a bronchial tube insertion support system according to the present invention, a route setting unit comprises a route starting-point setting function for setting the insertion starting-point of a bronchial tube, a region-of-interest setting function for setting a region of interest serving as the insertion end-point of the bronchial tube, a route extracting function for extracting an insertion route from an insertion start point to an insertion end point, and a route verifying function for performing verification of the extracted insertion route. According to these functions, of multiple insertion routes, the most appropriate insertion route when performing insertion support is determined.

Abstract: According to an insertion support system of the present invention, when a biopsy area is specified at a periphery of the bronchi, the barycenter of the biopsy area is extracted. A circle centering on the barycenter is determined as a search area. The search area is expanded until the bronchi are located within the search area. A point in the search area to which the bronchi first reach is determined as an end point. A first route choice connecting the end point and a start point is determined. If the first route choice has not been registered yet, the first route choice is registered as a first registered route. Accordingly, a location of interest can be specified as an arbitrary region, and navigation leading to the specified region is appropriately set.

Abstract: In an insertion support system according to the present invention, on the basis of the rotation angle data of the VBS images stored in the memory, an image processing unit rotates and corrects the VBS image and the thumbnail VBS images to generate the insertion support screen.

Abstract: An analyzing unit 9 is connected to an inserting-operation information collecting unit 5, an endoscope video output unit 6, and a processing device 2, and receives live inserting-operation information and endoscope image, standard inserting-operation information as stored information, and an endoscope image correlated therewith (endoscope image which is obtained by picking up an image of a sample at the position of a distal-end portion of an inserting portion detected based on the inserting-operation information). The analyzing unit 9 collects in real time the inserting-operation information and the endoscope image from the inserting-operation information collecting unit 5 and the endoscope video output unit 6 under the bronchoscope operation of an operator.

Abstract: According to the present invention, to guide an endoscope to a target part in vivo with reliability on the basis of guide images corresponding to actual branch points, an endoscope insertion support system includes a VBS image capture unit for capturing VBS images stored in a VBS image storage unit, a navigation VBS video generation unit for generating a navigation VBS video serving as a series of navigation moving pictures to support the insertion of a bronchoscope into a bronchus on the basis of patient information entered from an input device, a navigation VBS video storage unit for storing the navigation VBS video, an image processing unit for performing various image processing operations, and a memory for temporarily storing registered navigation VBS frame images while the navigation VBS video is being generated.

Abstract: In a light source unit, a switchable filter section in which an RGB filter and a fluorescence observation filter can be shifted into the light path is disposed in front of a lamp. When fluorescence image mode is selected, excitation light in a part of the wavelength band of the blue wavelength band is supplied to an electronic endoscope, and the excitation light which is reflected by the subject is shielded by an excitation light shielding filter situated in front of a CCD, whereby a fluorescence image can be obtained. On the other hand, if normal-light image mode is selected, then R, G, B light is supplied sequentially, and even under illumination of B light, the color component image in the wavelength bands which are not shielded by the excitation light shielding filter are captured, thereby yielding a normal-light image also, and hence making it possible to capture both a fluorescence image and a normal-light image by means of a single image pickup element.

Abstract: In an endoscope device 1 in accordance with the present invention, a navigation screen 51 is displayed. The navigation screen 51 includes: an endoscopic live image display area 52 in which a live image produced by a bronchoscope 2 is displayed; a VBS image display area 53 in which a VBS image is displayed; and a thumbnail VBS image area 54 in which images constructed by reducing VBS images that represent all branch points on a route are displayed as thumbnail VBS images representing branch points. Consequently, an endoscope can be reliably navigated to reach a target region using guide images that represent actual branch positions.

Abstract: In the light source unit 3A, a switching filter section 14, which can switch the RGB filter for normal-light observation and a filter for fluorescent observation on the optical path, is installed in front of the lamp 12, where if the fluorescent image mode is selected, the excitation light in a part of the blue wavelength band is supplied to the electronic endoscope 2A, and the excitation light reflected by the subject side is shielded by the excitation light cut filter 27 in front of the CCD 28 so as to obtain the fluorescent image, and also the signal of the fluorescent image and the signals of the two reflected light images which are set in a predetermined wavelength band are passed through the image processing circuit 38, where a matrix circuit for appropriately allocating the color signals of the R, G and B channels is installed, and as a result, the images can be displayed on the monitor 5 in pseudo-colors in hues which allow easy identification of a normal tissue and a pathologically affected tissue.

Abstract: A general-light observation light image can be obtained by illuminating the polarized frame sequence light or polarized white light, for example. In addition, a parallel polarized component and a vertical polarized component with respect to a polarizing direction of illuminating light, which is polarized in a specific direction are captured. Then, image data, which is a difference between both of the polarized component is calculated and is displayed in a display device. Thus, a scattered light component in a living-body tissue surface side can be extracted with good S/N, which can improve the diagnosis functionality.

Abstract: In a light source unit, a switchable filter section in which an RGB filter and a fluorescence observation filter can be shifted into the light path is disposed in front of a lamp. When fluorescence image mode is selected, excitation light in a part of the wavelength band of the blue wavelength band is supplied to an electronic endoscope, and the excitation light which is reflected by the subject is shielded by an excitation light shielding filter situated in front of a CCD, whereby a fluorescence image can be obtained. On the other hand, if normal-light image mode is selected, then R, G, B light is supplied sequentially, and even under illumination of B light, the color component image in the wavelength bands which are not shielded by the excitation light shielding filter are captured, thereby yielding a normal-light image also, and hence making it possible to capture both a fluorescence image and a normal-light image by means of a single image pickup element.

Abstract: An image processing device having a very straightforward construction, for obtaining an image in which normal tissue and diseased tissue are easy to identify, comprises: an image synthesizing section that generates a synthesized image by synthesizing an image signal of reflected light image produced by illumination light obtained by illuminating body tissue with illumination light and an image signal of a fluorescent image obtained by illuminating the body tissue with excitation light; and a gain adjustment section that adjusts the gain of the image signal of the reflected light image and/or the image signal of the fluorescent image such that the boundary of the hues of the normal tissue and diseased tissue found from the optical characteristics of the respective tissues is contained in a predetermined range with respect to a prescribed standard chromaticity diagram, depending on whether the body tissue that is displayed on the synthesized image generated by the image synthesizing section is normal tissue or

Abstract: A general-light observation light image can be obtained by illuminating the polarized frame sequence light or polarized white light, for example. In addition, a parallel polarized component and a vertical polarized component with respect to a polarizing direction of illuminating light, which is polarized in a specific direction are captured. Then, image data, which is a difference between both of the polarized component is calculated and is displayed in a display device. Thus, a scattered light component in a living-body tissue surface side can be extracted with good S/N, which can improve the diagnosis functionality.

Abstract: In a light source unit, a switchable filter section in which an RGB filter and a fluorescence observation filter can be shifted into the light path is disposed in front of a lamp. When fluorescence image mode is selected, excitation light in a part of the wavelength band of the blue wavelength band is supplied to an electronic endoscope, and the excitation light which is reflected by the subject is shielded by an excitation light shielding filter situated in front of a CCD, whereby a fluorescence image can be obtained. On the other hand, if normal-light image mode is selected, then R, G, B light is supplied sequentially, and even under illumination of B light, the color component image in the wavelength bands which are not shielded by the excitation light shielding filter are captured, thereby yielding a normal-light image also, and hence making it possible to capture both a fluorescence image and a normal-light image by means of a single image pickup element.