JP2000279380A - Electronic endoscope capable of digital output - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To make outputtable the image of endoscope to a digital external equipment and the like, and make it possible to arbitrary select the size of image or output location when the digital output is done. SOLUTION: A timing generator 5, a frequency converter 7 and a timing control circuit 8 is set as a CCD driving circuit H. A timing pulse of scanning area, which has arbitrary size or location, is formed. The image signal of scanning area, which is specified in the normal imaging area, is read out from the CCD3 by controlling of the CPU 9. It is possible to set the size of this scanning area according to the size of display area of external equipment, or set the size specified at the control part and the like, or set at extraction area in arbitrary position. When displaying, it is also possible to do enlarged display.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an electronic endoscope apparatus, and more particularly, to an image processing apparatus which outputs image data picked up by using a solid-state image pickup device having a large number of pixels to an external device for digital processing, thereby enabling various uses. Regarding the contents of processing.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art An electronic endoscope apparatus is a CCD (Charge Coupled) which is a solid-state image pickup device arranged at the tip of an electronic scope.
Device) captures an in-vivo image obtained through the objective optical system, reads out the CCD image data, and displays the in-vivo image on a monitor or the like. In the electronic endoscope apparatus, image quality has been improved from the past, and a CCD having, for example, about 400,000 pixels is currently used. The enhancement of the image quality of the endoscope image depends on the progress of the CCD manufacturing technology, but it is expected that the image quality will be further improved in the future with the emergence of the high pixel count CCD.

[0003]

However, in the above-mentioned electronic endoscope apparatus, an image signal is output to an external monitor or the like via an analog terminal, and a device such as a personal computer having various digital image processing functions or a network is provided. When the connection is made to the analog signal, the analog signal is converted into a digital signal, and there is a disadvantage that the processing becomes complicated. That is, since the image signal in the electronic endoscope is digitally processed, the digital signal is converted into an analog signal in order to output the digital signal to a monitor or the like, and further processing for converting the analog signal into a digital signal is required. Becomes In addition, the addition of such processing also causes a problem that the image signal is deteriorated and the image quality is deteriorated.

[0004] Further, devices and networks having various digital image processing functions such as personal computers described above have input signals due to differences between hardware constituting them and software such as an OS (operating system), applications and drivers. Are generally different from each other, when connecting to these devices, matching is performed via another circuit member. However, in a medical device such as an electronic endoscope, it is preferable not to interpose a separate circuit member due to restrictions on use conditions.

Further, in the above digital processing external device,
The size of the display area determined by the number of horizontal divisions and the number of vertical divisions (the number of horizontal scanning lines), that is, the number of pixels in the display screen to be used is various, and the scanning area of the CCD arranged in the electronic scope is different. Often different from the size. In such a case, it is possible to adjust the display area on the display device side, but if the electronic endoscope apparatus can form an image signal of a size corresponding to the display area, the utility value increases. .

Considering the use of an endoscope image from various viewpoints using an external device for digital processing, the state currently displayed by the operation of the endoscope is not always an optimal image, and a specific region is not necessarily displayed. There is a case where it is desired to extract an image obtained by enlarging the image or an image centering on a different part. Further, there is a case where it is desired to omit an unnecessary area of an image due to a storage capacity. For an image obtained at a current operation position, a size and a position (a takeout position) at the time of digital output are changed. It is convenient if you can.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to make it possible to use an endoscope image with an external device having a digital processing function after simplifying the configuration. Another object of the present invention is to provide an electronic endoscope apparatus capable of digitally outputting an image which can arbitrarily select the size and location of an image when digitally outputting the image.

[0008]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an electronic endoscope apparatus capable of digitally outputting a solid-state image pickup device for picking up an image of a body to be observed. A solid-state imaging device driving circuit for reading an image signal of a scanning area set to an arbitrary size for the area; a signal processing circuit for performing predetermined signal processing on the image signal output from the solid-state imaging device; A digital output unit for outputting a digital image signal obtained by the circuit to the outside, and a control circuit for setting the size of the scanning area are included. Claim 2
According to the invention, the solid-state imaging device driving circuit reads out an image signal of the scanning area set according to a size of a display area of a display device from the solid-state imaging device. The display area is a maximum area or an arbitrary area that can be displayed on the display device. Claim 3
According to the invention, the solid-state imaging device driving circuit reads an image signal from the solid-state imaging device for the scanning area at an arbitrary size and a center position, and the control circuit controls the size of the arbitrarily designated scanning area. The solid-state imaging device driving circuit is controlled by determining the position and the center position.

According to the above arrangement, an in-vivo image to be observed is obtained using, for example, a 800,000-pixel CCD (solid-state image sensor), and this image signal is converted into a digital signal and then subjected to a predetermined signal processing. . Then, an analog image signal is output via a signal processing circuit, and a digital image signal is output from a digital output unit to a personal computer or the like via an interface circuit. Therefore, it is possible to directly capture an endoscope image into an external device or the like without using a special circuit member for connection.

In such a device capable of digital output, the scanning area can be set to an arbitrary size in the imaging area, and control for reading out the image signal can be executed. In the configuration of the second aspect, for example, if the imaging area of the CCD is 1024 × 768 (the number of pixels) and the display area of the external device is 800 × 600, the scanning area is 800 × 600. Set the area to shrink,
The image signal is read out using a clock signal having a lower frequency than usual.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, when an extraction area to be taken out is designated while looking at a screen displayed by an insertion operation of an electronic scope (display in a normal imaging area), the size and center position of the extraction area are specified. Is set, and an image signal of this scanning area is read. Thereafter, this image signal is temporarily stored in a memory, and if an enlargement process is performed by reading control of the memory,
The enlarged image is displayed on a predetermined display such as an external device. The image data of the scanning area may be output to a personal computer or the like in the same size.

[0012]

1 and 2 show a configuration of an electronic endoscope apparatus according to an embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, an electronic scope 1 has an object at the tip thereof. The CCD 3 is disposed via the optical system 2A and the prism 2B. The CCD 3 is divided into about 1024 in the horizontal direction and about 768 in the vertical direction as shown in FIG.
Consisting of 100,000 pixels (the number of pixels is arbitrary)
On the light receiving surface side of the CCD 3, for example, a color filter having a Bayer array (primary color array) is provided.

The CCD 3 includes a buffer circuit 4 and a timing generator (T
G) 5, for example, a frequency converter 7 having an oscillator 6 for oscillating a predetermined frequency, a timing control circuit 8 are provided, and a CPU 9 for controlling the scope side is provided. That is, the frequency converter 7 outputs various frequencies for CCD reading and memory reading [about 15 (14.3) MHz, about 30 (28.
6) MHz, about 60 MHz, etc.], and outputs it to the timing generator 5.

The timing control circuit 8 controls the timing generator 5 to control the image signal of the normal standard imaging area and the control for obtaining the arbitrarily set scanning area and scanning speed. The timing generator 5 forms a standard read control pulse (timing signal) and a control pulse for reading an image signal of an arbitrarily set scanning area at a predetermined scanning speed. In this example, in a scan of a standard imaging area, an image signal (progressive method) of 30 frames per second is read out using a horizontal clock signal of about 30 MHz, for example.

FIGS. 3A and 4A show control pulses for setting a scanning area.
(A) is an example in which a scanning area is set corresponding to a display area of 800 (the number of horizontal divisions) × 600 (the number of vertical divisions = the number of horizontal scanning lines). In this case, 1024
The scanning area E1 corresponding to the size of the display area is set for the imaging area of the CCD 3 of (the number of divisions in the horizontal direction) × 768 (the number of divisions in the vertical direction = the number of horizontal scanning lines). 5, a timing pulse b is generated for the horizontal synchronization pulse a,
On the other hand, a timing pulse d is generated for the vertical synchronization pulse c.

FIG. 4A shows an example in which an arbitrary extraction area is set. A scanning area E2 is set for the image pickup area of the CCD 3 in accordance with the size of the extraction area. , A timing pulse e is generated for the horizontal synchronization pulse a, and a timing pulse f is generated for the vertical synchronization pulse c.

On the other hand, the CCD 3 has a correlated double sampling (CDS) 10 and an A / D for converting into a digital signal.
The converter 11 and a digital signal processor (DS)
P) 12 is connected, the image signal output from the CCD 3 is converted into a digital signal, and the DSP 12 performs predetermined processing. That is, the DSP 12 performs signal processing such as data interpolation, contour correction, white balance, and gamma correction of pixels that become blank in the image signal for each color obtained through the color filter, and performs the luminance (Y) signal and color (C)
Output a signal.

The electronic scope 1 is connected to the processor 14 of FIG. 2 by a connector. The processor 14 receives the output of the DSP 12 and
A mirror circuit 15 for inverting the left and right sides of the image in a predetermined direction,
The output image signal of the CCD 3 is converted into a luminance (Y) signal and a color difference (R-
(Y, BY) signal conversion circuit 16, a superimposition circuit 17 for displaying information (patient information, etc.) related to imaging on a screen, and characters and symbols of information for the superimposition circuit 17 A character generation circuit 18 for generating an image and the like is provided, and an image memory 19 for storing frame (field) image data is provided at a stage subsequent to the superimpose circuit 17.

The image memory 19 is connected to a memory controller 20 capable of enlarging an image, and the processor device 14 includes a CP for controlling the entire device.
U22 is provided. That is, under the control of the memory controller 20, the image memory 19 writes the frame image data output from the superimpose circuit 17 at a rate of 30 frames / second (sec). Thereafter, when reading image data from the memory 19, control is performed so that 60 frames (60 frames / sec) of image data are read per second at a clock frequency of about 60 MHz.

In the subsequent stage of the image memory 19, each of R (red), G (green) and B (blue) is obtained from the luminance signal (Y) and the color difference signals (RY, BY). RG forming signal
B matrix circuit 25, isolation device 2
6. A D / A converter 27 is provided. The RGB signals output from the D / A converter 27 are output as analog signals to a dedicated monitor or the like.

On the other hand, an isolation device 33, a digital output image memory 34 for storing moving image and still image frame (field) data, and an image enlargement so as to be branched from the output line of the superimpose circuit 17. A memory controller 35 capable of processing is connected. The image memory 34 can read out image data in accordance with image processing conditions (reading speed, number of scanning lines, etc.) of an external device using a digital image. The image memory 34 stores the image data such as ISO1394 or RS232C. An interface circuit 37 conforming to the standard and a digital input / output terminal 38 are connected.

That is, in this example, not only the above-described analog signals such as the RGB signals, but also digital image signals such as luminance signals and color difference signals can be digitally output to a personal computer or the like via the interface circuit 37. The interface circuit 37 is connected to the CPU 22, and can acquire external connection information from an external device such as a personal computer or a network. Further, the processor unit 14 includes an operation unit (a keyboard or the like).
An operation signal and setting information of the operation unit 40 are output to the CPU 22. The operation unit 40 allows the user to set the extraction area by specifying the center position (point) and size (setting frame) of the image area while watching the screen of the dedicated monitor displayed by the RGB output. (Other configurations are acceptable).

The embodiment has the above configuration. First, when operating in a standard imaging area, for example, a frequency of about 30M
3A, a timing pulse including the horizontal synchronizing signal a and the vertical synchronizing signal b shown in FIG. 3A is supplied from the timing generator 5 to the CCD 3, whereby the image signal obtained by the CCD 3 is converted to 30 frames / frame.
The data is read at a speed of sec (for example, a progressive method).

This image signal is supplied to the DSP 12 after being converted into a digital signal, and after being separated into respective color signals, various processing such as interpolation processing, contour emphasis, and gamma correction are performed. In the processor device 14 of FIG. 2, after various signal processings are performed through a mirror circuit 15, a signal conversion (Y, RY, BY signal) circuit 16, a superimpose circuit 17, and the like, The data is written to the image memory 19. Thereafter, from the image memory 19, the writing speed is doubled based on the control of the memory controller 20.
Frame image data is sequentially read at a speed of 0 frames / sec.

The image data read in this way is:
The signal passes through the RGB matrix circuit 25 and is supplied as an RGB analog signal to the dedicated monitor via the D / A converter 27, and the monitor displays a moving image in the body to be observed. When the freeze switch of the electronic scope 1 (operation unit) is pressed, new writing to the image memory 19 is prohibited, and the still image is displayed by reading the image data in the image memory 19 at that time. You.

An image signal is also supplied to the other image memory 34, and image data is read out from the image memory 34 at a speed suitable for the image processing conditions of the connected external device or network. And in a readout format. Then, the digital image signals of the luminance and color difference signals are output from the digital input / output terminal 38 via the interface circuit 37 to an external device such as a personal computer or a network.

In this case, the moving image is normally output digitally. However, when the freeze switch is pressed, the image memory 3 is controlled based on the control of the CPU 22.
4 is output. In this way, the endoscope image is used as image data of an external device such as a personal computer. The digital image signal includes data for confirming the identity of the patient, patient data such as other examination data, and the like.

In such a digital output, FIG.
For example, as shown in FIG.
3A is connected based on the control of the CPUs 22 and 9 when a size of 800 × 600 is connected.
A timing pulse b in the horizontal scanning direction and a timing pulse d in the vertical scanning direction shown in FIG. As a result, the reading of data of only the scanning area E1 is performed. The reading speed at this time may be the above-mentioned clock signal of about 30 MHz, but a clock signal lowered to a frequency of about 15 MHz can be used, and by lowering the frequency of the clock signal, the heat at the front end is reduced. It is possible to suppress occurrence and the like.

Next, referring to FIG. 4, a case will be described in which a monitor 43 of the same size as that of the CCD 3 and having a size of 1024.times.768 is used as a digital processing external device and an image of a partial extraction area is taken out. . That is, the operation unit 4 shown in FIG.
By specifying the center point and the size at 0, for example, if an extraction area indicated by a dotted line in FIG. 4A (a quarter of the imaging area as indicated by E1) is set, C
Under the control of the PUs 22 and 9, a timing pulse e in the horizontal scanning direction and a timing pulse f in the vertical scanning direction are given from the timing generator 5 to the CCD 3.

At the same time, a horizontal clock signal of about 7.5 MHz is output from the frequency converter 7, and the image data of the scanning area E2 is read out at a rate of 30 frames / sec by these control signals. The image data is written to the image memories 19 and 34 and thereafter read at a speed of, for example, 60 fields / sec.
The enlargement process is performed by 5 (20), and an image corresponding to the size of the monitor screen (display area) is displayed. In the example of FIG. 4, for example, data of the same pixel is read twice in the horizontal direction, and data of the same horizontal line is read twice in the vertical direction.

The image data read from the memory 34 is output to an external device via the interface circuit 37 and the digital input / output unit 38. As a result, on the monitor 43 of the external device, as shown in FIG. 4B, an in-observed in-vivo image of the extraction area E2 enlarged four times is displayed. According to this, it is possible to perform image display limited to a necessary part, and it is also possible to obtain an image centered on a desired part without moving the insertion position (positioned state) of the endoscope. Note that the data in the image memory 34 can be directly output to a memory such as a personal computer or the like by specifying the operation unit 40 without performing such enlargement processing. In this case, unnecessary image data is omitted. Thus, the memory capacity can be saved.

[0032]

As described above, according to the present invention,
A digital output unit for outputting a digital image signal to the outside is provided, and the solid-state image sensor driving circuit controls the image signal to be read for a scanning area of an arbitrary size in the imaging area. The size of the scanning area can be set in accordance with the size of the display area of the external device, and can be set by the size specified by the operation unit or the like and the extraction area at an arbitrary location. The endoscope image can be output to an external device for digital processing while simplifying or the like, and the endoscope image can be used in various forms, thereby improving usability.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a circuit configuration on an electronic scope side of an electronic endoscope apparatus capable of digital output according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a circuit configuration in a processor device according to the embodiment;

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram when setting and controlling a scanning area corresponding to a display area having a size different from the imaging area of the embodiment.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram when setting and controlling a scanning area corresponding to an extraction area having an arbitrary size and position in an imaging area according to the embodiment;

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Electronic scope, 3 ... CCD, 5 ... Timing generator, 6 ... Oscillator, 7 ... Frequency converter, 8 ... Timing control circuit, 9,
Reference numeral 22 CPU, 12 DSP (digital signal processor), 14 processor device, 19, 3
4 ... image memory, 20, 35 ... memory controller, 37 ... interface circuit, 38 ...
Digital input / output terminal, H: CCD drive circuit.

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A solid-state imaging device for imaging an inside of an object to be observed, a solid-state imaging device driving circuit for reading an image signal of a scanning area set to an arbitrary size with respect to an imaging area of the solid-state imaging device, A signal processing circuit for performing predetermined signal processing on an image signal output from the element, a digital output unit for outputting a digital image signal obtained by the signal processing circuit to the outside, and setting a size of the scanning area A control circuit for
An electronic endoscope device capable of digital output. 2. The solid-state imaging device driving circuit according to claim 1, wherein the image signal of the scanning area set according to the size of a display area of a display device is read from the solid-state imaging device. An electronic endoscope device capable of digital output according to the above. 3. The solid-state imaging device driving circuit reads an image signal from the solid-state imaging device for the scanning area of an arbitrary size and a center position, and the control circuit controls the size of the arbitrarily designated scanning area. 2. An electronic endoscope apparatus capable of digital output according to claim 1, wherein said electronic endoscope apparatus controls said solid-state imaging device drive circuit by determining the position and center position.