WO2021225026A1 - Test chart, check system, and check method - Google Patents

Abstract

Provided are a test chart, a check system, and a check method which can check whether a measurement marker is properly marked.　The test chart (102) comprises: a check area unit (106) which has a check area of a specific shape; and a chart main body (105) in which a check reference position (108) is provided. The check area unit (106) is used for checking whether the measurement marker marked in a check image is within a check area on the basis of an irradiation position, when the irradiation position of measurement light is matched with a check reference position (108) in the check image obtained by using an endoscope (12) to capture an image of a chart main body (105) irradiated with the measurement light.

Description

Test charts, inspection systems, and inspection methods

The present invention relates to a test chart, an inspection system, and an inspection method used for inspection of a measurement marker for measuring the size of a subject.

In an endoscope system having a light source device, an endoscope, and a processor device, the distance to the subject or the size of the subject is acquired. For example, in Patent Document 1, the subject is irradiated with illumination light and measurement light, and a beam irradiation region such as spot light is made to appear on the subject by irradiating the beam light. Then, a measurement marker for measuring the size of the subject is displayed on the subject image in correspondence with the position of the spot light.

International Publication No. 2018/051680

Since the measurement marker is used to measure the size of the lesion, etc., it is necessary for the measurement marker to accurately display the size of the subject on the subject image. However, the position of the exiting part that emits the measurement light may vary depending on the endoscope, and the measurement marker accurately displays the size of the subject due to such variation in the position of the emitting part. There are things you can't do. Therefore, before using an endoscope using a measurement marker, it has been required to perform a confirmation inspection to confirm whether the display of the measurement marker is appropriate.

An object of the present invention is to provide a test chart, an inspection system, and an inspection method capable of performing a confirmation inspection of whether or not a measurement marker for measuring the size of a subject is properly displayed.

The present invention has an inspection area portion having an inspection area having a specific shape and a chart body provided with an inspection reference position in a test chart used for inspection related to a measurement marker for measuring the size of a subject. The inspection area portion is used as an inspection image based on the irradiation position when the irradiation position of the measurement light is aligned with the inspection reference position in the inspection image obtained by imaging the chart body irradiated with the measurement light with an endoscope. It is used to confirm whether the displayed measurement marker is in the inspection area.

The chart body is provided with a plurality of inspection areas corresponding to the size of the measurement marker, and the confirmation inspection of each inspection area is divided into a plurality of inspection areas by changing the distance between the measurement light emission position and the chart body. It is preferably done. The chart body preferably has a confirmation inspection assisting unit for assisting the confirmation inspection. The specific shape is circular, and the plurality of inspection areas are concentrically provided around the inspection reference position, and the confirmation inspection auxiliary part extends radially from the inspection reference position and intersects the inspection reference position. It is preferably a radial line of. The angular spacing of the radial lines is preferably equiangular spacing. The radial lines are preferably line symmetric.

The test chart is provided with a plurality of inspection areas corresponding to the size of the measurement marker, and in the confirmation inspection of each inspection area, the distance between the emission position of the measurement light and the chart body is kept constant, and 1 It is preferably performed once. It is preferable that the specific shape is circular and the plurality of inspection areas share a specific point of each inspection area as an inspection reference position.

It is preferable that the plurality of inspection areas have different saturations from each other. It is preferable that the hue of the measurement light when the chart body is irradiated is the same as the hue of the measurement light when the subject is irradiated. It is preferable that the inspection area and the area other than the inspection area of the chart body have the same hue.

The width of the inspection area preferably has an error range corresponding to the size of the measurement marker. The width of the inspection area is preferably increased as the size of the measurement marker is increased. It is preferable to have a chart identifier that can identify the type of the chart body.

The inspection system of the present invention displays a test chart having a chart body provided with an inspection reference position and an inspection image obtained by imaging the chart body irradiated with measurement light from an endoscope with an endoscope. A display, a moving mechanism unit that holds the endoscope in a state of facing the tip of the endoscope and the test chart, and a moving mechanism unit that holds the test chart movably, and the moving mechanism unit is of measurement light. By changing at least one of the emission position and the distance between the chart body and the irradiation position of the measurement light on the chart body, the irradiation position of the measurement light is adjusted to the inspection reference position in the inspection image.

The chart body has an inspection area portion having an inspection region having a specific shape, and the inspection region portion is an irradiation position of the measurement light in an inspection image obtained by imaging the chart body irradiated with the measurement light with an endoscope. Is preferably used for confirmation inspection of whether or not the measurement marker displayed on the inspection image based on the irradiation position is in the inspection area when the is aligned with the inspection reference position.

The test chart is provided with a plurality of inspection areas corresponding to the size of the measurement marker, and the moving mechanism unit changes the distance between the measurement light emission position and the chart body for each confirmation inspection of each inspection area. It is preferable that the display displays a measurement marker corresponding to the distance each time the distance is changed, so that the confirmation inspection of each inspection area is divided into a plurality of parts.

The test chart is provided with a plurality of inspection areas corresponding to the size of the measurement marker, the moving mechanism unit keeps the distance between the measurement light emission position and the chart body constant, and the display has a plurality of display areas. It is preferable to perform the confirmation inspection of all the inspection areas at one time by displaying all the measurement markers corresponding to the inspection areas.

The measurement light is preferably spot light. The measurement light is preferably a line-shaped measurement light. The measurement light is preferably a pattern-shaped measurement light. The measurement light is preferably three-dimensional plane light.

The present invention is a step of obtaining an inspection image by imaging a chart body irradiated with measurement light from an endoscope with an endoscope in an inspection method using a test chart having a chart body provided with an inspection reference position. By changing at least one of the step of displaying the inspection image on the display, the distance between the emission position of the measurement light and the chart body, or the irradiation position of the measurement light on the chart body, the measurement light is measured in the inspection image. It has a step of adjusting the irradiation position to the inspection reference position.

According to the present invention, it is possible to perform a confirmation inspection as to whether or not a measurement marker for measuring the size of a subject is properly displayed.

It is an external view of an endoscope system. It is a top view which shows the tip part of an endoscope. It is a block diagram which shows the function of an endoscope system. (A) is an explanatory diagram showing a subject image in a state where the digital zoom function is OFF, and (B) is an explanatory diagram showing a subject image in a state where the digital zoom function is ON. It is a block diagram which shows the beam light emitting part. It is explanatory drawing which shows the spot SP formed on the subject by the measurement light. It is explanatory drawing which shows the relationship between the tip part of an endoscope and the near-end Px in the observation distance range Rx, the near-center Py, and the far-end Pz. It is a block diagram which shows the function of a signal processing part. It is an image diagram which shows the spot and the 1st measurement marker when the observation distance is a near-end Px. It is an image diagram which shows the spot and the 1st measurement marker when the observation distance is Py near the center. It is an image diagram which shows the spot and the 1st measurement marker when the observation distance is a far end Pz. It is explanatory drawing which shows the 1st measurement marker of the cross type, the graduated cross type, the distorted cross type, the circle and the cross type, and the measurement point group type. FIG. 5 is an image diagram showing three concentric markers having the same color. It is an image diagram which shows three concentric markers of different colors. It is an image diagram which shows the distortion concentric marker. It is explanatory drawing which shows the light emission pattern which irradiates a spot light intermittently. It is an image figure which shows the intersection line and the scale. It is explanatory drawing which shows the light emission pattern which intermittently irradiates line-shaped measurement light. It is explanatory drawing which shows the striped pattern light ZPL. It is explanatory drawing which shows the light emission pattern of the striped pattern light ZPL of phase X, phase Y, and phase Z. It is explanatory drawing which shows the measurement light LPL of a grid pattern. It is explanatory drawing which shows the light emission pattern which intermittently irradiates the measurement light of a grid pattern. It is explanatory drawing which shows 3D plane light TPL. It is explanatory drawing which shows the light emission pattern which intermittently irradiates three-dimensional plane light. It is a block diagram which shows the function of an inspection system. It is a top view which shows the test chart used when the confirmation inspection of a plurality of measurement markers is performed in a plurality of times. It is an image diagram which shows the inspection image which displayed the measurement marker based on the irradiation position of the measurement light. It is a front view which shows the moving mechanism part. It is an image diagram which shows the inspection image when the measurement marker Mp is in the inspection area. It is an image diagram which shows the inspection image when a part of the measurement marker Mp protrudes from the inspection area. It is an image diagram which shows the inspection image when the measurement marker Mq is in the inspection area. It is an image diagram which shows the inspection image when the measurement marker Mr is in the inspection area. It is a top view which shows the test chart used when the confirmation inspection of a plurality of measurement markers is performed at one time. It is an image diagram which shows the inspection image when all the measurement markers Mp, Mq, and Mr are in the corresponding inspection region when the confirmation inspection of a plurality of measurement markers is performed at one time. It is an image diagram which shows the inspection image when one measurement marker Mp is out of the corresponding inspection area when the confirmation inspection of a plurality of measurement markers is performed at one time. It is a top view which shows the test chart provided with the diamond-shaped inspection area. It is a top view which shows the test chart provided with the rectangular inspection area. It is sectional drawing which shows the layer structure of the chart main body of a test chart. It is a top view which shows the test chart when the line-shaped measurement light is used. It is a top view which shows the test chart when the pattern-shaped measurement light is used. It is a flowchart which shows a series flow of a calibration mode.

As shown in FIG. 1, the endoscope system 10 includes an endoscope 12, a light source device 14, a processor device 16, a display 18, and a user interface 20. The endoscope 12 has an insertion portion 12a to be inserted into the subject, an operation portion 12b provided at the base end portion of the insertion portion 12a, and a universal cable 12c. The universal cable 12c captures a light guide 28 (see FIG. 3) that guides the illumination light emitted by the light source device 14, a control line for transmitting a control signal used for controlling the endoscope 12, and an observation target. This is a cable in which a signal line for transmitting the obtained image signal, a power line for supplying power to each part of the endoscope 12, and the like are integrated. A connector 29 for connecting to the light source device 14 is provided at the tip of the universal cable 12c.

The light source device 14 generates illumination light by, for example, a semiconductor light source such as an LED (Light Emitting Diode) or an LD (Laser Diode), a xenon lamp, a halogen lamp, or the like. When the connector 29 is connected to the light source device 14, the illumination light enters the light guide 28 (see FIG. 3) of the connector 29 and is irradiated to the observation target from the tip of the insertion portion 12a.

Further, the light source device 14 is electrically connected to the processor device 16, and the connector 29 of the endoscope 12 is connected to the processor device 16 via the light source device 14. Transmission and reception of control signals, image signals, etc. between the light source device 14 and the connector 29 is wireless communication. Therefore, the light source device 14 wirelessly transmits a control signal or the like transmitted / received to / from the connector 29 to the processor device 16. Further, the light source device 14 supplies electric power for driving the endoscope 12 to the connector 29, and this electric power is also supplied wirelessly.

The processor device 16 controls the amount of illumination light emitted by the light source device 14, the light emission timing, and each part of the endoscope 12, and uses an image signal obtained by imaging an observation target irradiated with the illumination light to obtain an endoscope image. To generate. Further, the processor device 16 is electrically connected to the display 18 and the user interface 20. The display 18 displays an endoscopic image generated by the processor device 16, information about the endoscopic image, and the like. The user interface 20 has a function of accepting input operations such as function settings.

The endoscope 12 includes a normal observation mode, a special light observation mode, a length measurement mode, and a calibration mode, and these three modes are mode switching provided in the operation unit 12b of the endoscope 12. It is switched by the switch 13a. The normal observation mode is a mode in which the observation target is illuminated by the illumination light. The special light observation mode is a mode in which the observation target is illuminated with special light different from the illumination light. In the length measurement mode, the illumination light and the measurement light are illuminated on the observation target, and a measurement marker used for measuring the size of the observation target and the like is displayed on the subject image obtained by imaging the observation target. The calibration mode is a mode for confirming whether or not the display of the measurement marker is appropriate by using a test chart. The details of the calibration mode will be described later. The illumination light is light used for observing the entire observation target by giving brightness to the entire observation target. Special light is light used to emphasize a specific area such as a surface blood vessel in an observation target. The measurement light is light used for displaying a measurement marker.

Further, the operation unit 12b of the endoscope 12 is provided with a freeze switch 13b for operating a still image acquisition instruction for instructing acquisition of a still image of a subject image. When the user operates the freeze switch 13b, the screen of the display 18 freezes, and at the same time, an alert sound (for example, "pee") indicating that a still image is acquired is emitted. Then, the still image of the subject image obtained before and after the operation timing of the freeze switch 13b is stored in the still image storage unit 42 (see FIG. 3) in the processor device 16. The still image storage unit 42 is a storage unit such as a hard disk, a USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory, or a non-volatile memory. When the processor device 16 can be connected to the network, the still image of the subject image is stored in the still image storage server (not shown) connected to the network in place of or in addition to the still image storage unit 42. You may. When the still image storage unit 42 is a non-volatile memory, the still image is temporarily stored in the still image storage unit 42, and then the still image is stored in a USB memory, a CF (CompactFlash) card, an image storage server on the network, or the like. May be transferred.

Note that a still image acquisition instruction may be given using an operating device other than the freeze switch 13b. For example, a foot pedal may be connected to the processor device 16 to give a still image acquisition instruction when the user operates the foot pedal (not shown) with his / her foot. You may use the foot pedal for mode switching. Further, a gesture recognition unit (not shown) that recognizes the user's gesture is connected to the processor device 16, and when the gesture recognition unit recognizes a specific gesture performed by the user, a still image acquisition instruction is given. You may do it. The mode switching may also be performed using the gesture recognition unit.

Further, a line-of-sight input unit (not shown) provided near the display 18 is connected to the processor device 16, and the line-of-sight input unit recognizes that the user's line of sight is within a predetermined area of the display 18 for a certain period of time or longer. If this is the case, a still image acquisition instruction may be given. Further, a voice recognition unit (not shown) may be connected to the processor device 16 so that when the voice recognition unit recognizes a specific voice emitted by the user, a still image acquisition instruction may be given. The mode switching may also be performed using the voice recognition unit. Further, an operation panel (not shown) such as a touch panel may be connected to the processor device 16 to give a still image acquisition instruction when the user performs a specific operation on the operation panel. The mode switching may also be performed using the operation panel.

As shown in FIG. 2, the tip portion 12d of the endoscope 12 has a substantially circular shape, and an imaging optical system 21 that receives light from the subject and an illumination optical system that irradiates the subject with illumination light. 22, a beam light emitting unit 23 that radiates measurement light to the subject with respect to the subject, an opening 24 for projecting the treatment tool toward the subject, and an air supply water supply nozzle 25 for performing air supply and water supply. It is provided.

The optical axis Ax of the imaging optical system 21 extends in a direction perpendicular to the paper surface. The vertical first direction D1 is orthogonal to the optical axis Ax, and the horizontal second direction D2 is orthogonal to the optical axis Ax and the first direction D1. The imaging optical system 21 and the beam light emitting unit 23 are provided at different positions of the tip portion 12d, respectively, and are arranged along the first direction D1.

As shown in FIG. 3, the light source device 14 includes a light source unit 26 and a light source control unit 27. The light source unit 26 generates illumination light or special light for illuminating the subject. The illumination light or special light emitted from the light source unit 26 is incident on the light guide 28 and is applied to the subject through the illumination lens 22a. The light source unit 26 includes, as a light source of illumination light, a white light source that emits white light, or a plurality of light sources including a white light source and a light source that emits light of other colors (for example, a blue light source that emits blue light). Is used. Further, as the light source unit 26, as a light source of special light, a light source that emits wideband light including blue narrow band light for emphasizing surface layer information such as surface blood vessels is used. The light source control unit 27 is connected to the system control unit 41 of the processor device 16. The illumination light may be a white mixed color light in which blue light, green light, and red light are combined. In this case, it is preferable to design the illumination optical system 22 so that the irradiation range of green light is larger than the irradiation range of red light.

The light source control unit 27 controls the light source unit 26 based on an instruction from the system control unit 41. The system control unit 41 gives an instruction regarding the light source control to the light source control unit 27, and also controls the light source 23a (see FIG. 5) of the beam light emitting unit 23. In the normal observation mode, the system control unit 41 controls to turn on the illumination light and turn off the measurement light. In the special light observation mode, the special light is turned on and the measurement light is turned off. In the length measurement mode, the system control unit 41 turns on the illumination light and controls to turn on the measurement light. In the calibration mode, the system control unit 41 controls to turn off the illumination light and turn on the measurement light.

The illumination optical system 22 has an illumination lens 22a, and the light from the light guide 28 is irradiated to the observation target through the illumination lens 22a. The image pickup optical system 21 includes an objective lens 21a, a zoom lens 21b, and an image pickup element 32. The reflected light from the observation target enters the image sensor 32 via the objective lens 21a and the zoom lens 21b. As a result, a reflected image to be observed is formed on the image sensor 32.

The zoom lens 21b has an optical zoom function for enlarging or reducing the subject as a zoom function by moving between the telephoto end and the wide end. The optical zoom function can be switched on and off by the zoom operation unit 13c (see FIG. 1) provided in the operation unit 12b of the endoscope. When the optical zoom function is ON, the zoom operation unit is further turned on. By manipulating 13c, the subject is enlarged or reduced at a specific magnification.

The image sensor 32 is a color image sensor, which captures a reflected image of a subject and outputs an image signal. The image sensor 32 is preferably a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) image sensor, a CMOS (Complementary Metal-Oxide Semiconductor) image sensor, or the like. The image pickup device 32 used in the present invention is a color image pickup sensor for obtaining a red image, a green image, and a red image of three colors of R (red), G (green), and B (blue). The red image is an image output from a red pixel provided with a red color filter in the image sensor 32. The green image is an image output from a green pixel provided with a green color filter in the image sensor 32. The blue image is an image output from a blue pixel provided with a blue color filter in the image sensor 32. The image sensor 32 is controlled by the image pickup control unit 33.

The image signal output from the image sensor 32 is transmitted to the CDS / AGC circuit 34. The CDS / AGC circuit 34 performs correlated double sampling (CDS (Correlated Double Sampling)) and automatic gain control (AGC (Auto Gain Control)) on an image signal which is an analog signal. The image signal that has passed through the CDS / AGC circuit 34 is converted into a digital image signal by the A / D converter (A / D (Analog / Digital) converter) 35. The A / D converted digital image signal is input to the communication I / F (Interface) 37 of the light source device 14 via the communication I / F (Interface) 36.

The processor device 16 includes a receiving unit 38 connected to the communication I / F (Interface) 37 of the light source device 14, a signal processing unit 39, a display control unit 40, and a system control unit 41. The communication I / F receives the image signal transmitted from the communication I / F 37 and transmits it to the signal processing unit 39. The signal processing unit 39 has a built-in memory that temporarily stores an image signal received from the receiving unit 38, and processes an image signal group that is a set of image signals stored in the memory to generate a subject image. The receiving unit 38 may directly send the control signal related to the light source control unit 27 to the system control unit 41. Further, among the processor devices 16, the processing units related to the length measurement mode (for example, the first signal processing unit 50 and the second signal processing unit 52) are length measurement processors (not shown) that are separate from the processor device 16. It may be provided in (not). In this case, the length measuring processor and the processor device 16 are kept in a state of being able to communicate with each other so that images or various information can be transmitted and received.

In the signal processing unit 39, when the normal observation mode is set, the blue image of the subject image is on the B channel of the display 18, the green image of the subject image is on the G channel of the display 18, and the red image of the subject image is on the G channel. By performing signal allocation processing assigned to each R channel of the display 18, a color subject image is displayed on the display 18. Also in the length measurement mode, the same signal allocation processing as in the normal observation mode is performed. On the other hand, in the signal processing unit 39, when the special light observation mode is set, the red image of the subject image is not used for the display of the display 18, and the blue image of the subject image is used for the B channel and G of the display 18. By assigning to a channel and assigning a green image of the subject image to the R channel of the display 18, a pseudo-color subject image is displayed on the display 18.

When the digital zoom function is set to ON by the user interface 20 as the zoom function, the signal processing unit 39 enlarges or reduces the subject at a specific magnification by cutting out a part of the subject image and enlarging or reducing it. to shrink. FIG. 4 (A) shows a subject image in a state where the digital zoom function is OFF, and FIG. 4 (B) shows a subject in which the digital zoom function is ON, which is enlarged by cutting out the central portion of the subject image in FIG. 4 (A). The image is shown. When the digital zoom function is OFF, the subject is not enlarged or reduced by cropping the subject image.

When the signal processing unit 39 is set to the length measurement mode, the signal processing unit 39 performs a structure emphasizing process for emphasizing the structure of blood vessels and the like on the subject image, and the normal part and the lesion part of the observation target. The color difference enhancement process that extends the color difference may be performed.

The display control unit 40 displays the subject image generated by the signal processing unit 39 on the display 18. The system control unit 41 controls the image pickup device 32 via the image pickup control section 33 provided in the endoscope 12. The image pickup control unit 33 also controls the CDS / AGC34 and the A / D35 in accordance with the control of the image pickup element 32.

As shown in FIG. 5, the beam light emitting unit 23 emits the measurement light obliquely with respect to the optical axis Ax of the imaging optical system 21. The beam light emitting unit 23 includes a light source 23a, a diffractive optical element DOE23b (Diffractive Optical Element), a prism 23c, and an emitting unit 23d. The light source 23a emits light of a color that can be detected by the pixels of the image pickup element 32 (specifically, visible light), and is a light emitting element such as a laser light source LD (LaserDiode) or an LED (LightEmittingDiode). , Including a condensing lens that condenses the light emitted from this light emitting element. The light source 23a is provided on a scope electric substrate (not shown). The scope electric board is provided at the tip end portion 12d of the endoscope, and receives power from the light source device 14 or the processor device 16 to supply power to the light source 23a.

In the present embodiment, the wavelength of the light emitted by the light source 23a is, for example, 600 nm or more and 660 nm or less red (beam light color) laser light, but light in other wavelength bands, for example, 495 nm or more and 570 nm or less. You may use the green light of. The light source 23a is controlled by the system control unit 41, and emits light based on an instruction from the system control unit 41. The DOE23b converts the light emitted from the light source into the measurement light for obtaining the measurement information. The amount of light to be measured may be adjusted from the viewpoint of protecting the human body, eyes, and internal organs, and may be adjusted to such an amount that the light is sufficiently overexposed (pixel saturation) in the observation range of the endoscope 12. preferable.

The prism 23c is an optical member for changing the traveling direction of the measurement light after conversion by DOE23b. The prism 23c changes the traveling direction of the measurement light so as to intersect the field of view of the imaging optical system 21 including the objective lens 21a. The details of the traveling direction of the measurement light will also be described later. The measurement light Lm emitted from the prism 23c is irradiated to the subject through the emitting portion 23d formed of the optical member.

By irradiating the subject with the measurement light, as shown in FIG. 6, a spot SP as a beam irradiation region is formed in the subject. The position of the spot SP is characterized by the irradiation position detection unit 58 (see FIG. 8), and a measurement marker indicating the size of the subject is set according to the position of the spot SP. The set measurement marker is displayed on the subject image. As will be described later, the measurement markers include a plurality of types such as a first measurement marker and a second measurement marker, and which type of measurement marker is to be displayed on the subject image. Can be selected according to the user's instructions. As the user's instruction, for example, the user interface 20 is used.

Instead of forming the exit portion 23d with an optical member, it may be a measurement assist slit formed in the tip portion 12d of the endoscope. Further, when the emitting portion 23d is composed of an optical member, it is preferable to apply an antireflection coating (AR (Anti-Reflection) coating) (antireflection portion). The reason why the antireflection coat is provided in this way is that when the measurement light is reflected without passing through the emission unit 23d and the ratio of the measurement light emitted to the subject decreases, the irradiation position detection unit 58, which will be described later, determines the measurement light. This is because it becomes difficult to recognize the position of the spot SP formed on the subject.

The beam light emitting unit 23 may be any as long as it can emit the measured light toward the field of view of the imaging optical system 21. For example, the light source 23a may be provided in the light source device, and the light emitted from the light source 23a may be guided to the DOE 23b by an optical fiber. Further, by arranging the directions of the light source 23a and DOE23b obliquely with respect to the optical axis Ax of the imaging optical system 21 without using the prism 23c, the measurement light Lm is emitted in the direction crossing the field of view of the imaging optical system 21. It may be configured to be made to.

Regarding the traveling direction of the measurement light, as shown in FIG. 7, the measurement light is emitted in a state where the optical axis Lm of the measurement light intersects the optical axis Ax of the imaging optical system 21. Assuming that observation is possible in the range Rx of the observation distance, in the near-end Px, near-center Py, and far-end Pz of the range Rx, the measurement light Lm in the imaging range (indicated by arrows Qx, Qy, Qz) at each point. It can be seen that the positions of the spots SP formed on the subject (points where the arrows Qx, Qy, and Qz intersect with the optical axis Ax) are different. The shooting angle of view of the imaging optical system 21 is represented in the region sandwiched between the two solid lines 101a, and the measurement is performed in the central region (the region sandwiched between the two dotted lines 101b) having less aberration in the shooting angle of view. I have to.

As described above, by emitting the measurement light Lm in a state where the optical axis Lm of the measurement light intersects the optical axis Ax, the size of the subject can be measured from the movement of the spot position with respect to the change in the observation distance. can. Then, by imaging the subject illuminated by the measurement light with the image sensor 32, a subject image including the spot SP can be obtained. In the subject image, the position of the spot SP differs depending on the relationship between the optical axis Ax of the imaging optical system 21 and the optical axis Lm of the measurement light Lm and the observation distance, but if the observation distance is short, the same actual size ( For example, the number of pixels indicating 5 mm) increases, and the number of pixels decreases as the observation distance increases.

As shown in FIG. 8, the signal processing unit 39 of the processor device 16 controls whether or not the length measurement mode can be executed, and detects the position of the spot SP in the subject image in a state where the length measurement mode is permitted to be executed. A first signal processing unit 50 is provided, and a second signal processing unit 52 that sets a measurement marker according to the position of the spot SP is provided. When the normal observation mode is set, the signal processing unit 39 is input with a subject image of the subject illuminated by the illumination light. When the special light observation mode is set, the subject image of the subject illuminated by the special light is input. When the length measurement mode is set, the subject image of the subject illuminated by the illumination light and the measurement light is input. When the calibration mode is set, the inspection image of the chart on which the pattern for calibration is formed is input, but the light to be illuminated at that time is the measurement light and the illumination according to the progress of the calibration. The light is switched arbitrarily and illuminated.

The first signal processing unit 50 includes an irradiation position detection unit 58 that detects the irradiation position of the spot SP from the subject image or the inspection image. The irradiation position detection unit 58 detects the irradiation position of the spot SP from the subject image in a state where the execution of the length measurement mode is permitted. Specifically, the irradiation position detection unit 58 calculates the coordinates of the spot SP from the subject image in real time, and obtains the irradiation position of the spot SP from the calculated coordinates. In order for the irradiation position detection unit 58 to detect the irradiation position of the spot SP, it is absolutely necessary that the subject image includes a beam color light image based on the color of the measurement light. As a method of detecting the irradiation position, it is preferable to acquire the coordinates of the center of gravity of the spot SP in the subject image.

The second signal processing unit 52 sets a first measurement marker as a measurement marker for measuring the size of the subject based on the irradiation position of the spot SP, and sets the first measurement marker on the display 18. Set the marker display position to be displayed. The second signal processing unit 52 refers to the irradiation position with reference to the marker table 62 that stores the measurement marker image whose display mode differs depending on the irradiation position of the spot SP and the marker display position in association with the irradiation position of the spot. Set the measurement marker image corresponding to.

The measurement marker image, for example, has a different size or shape depending on the irradiation position of the spot SP and the marker display position. The display of the measurement marker image will be described later. Further, the stored contents of the marker table 62 are maintained even when the power of the processor device 16 is turned off. The marker table 62 stores the measurement marker image and the irradiation position in association with each other, and stores the distance to the subject corresponding to the irradiation position (distance between the tip portion 12d of the endoscope 12 and the subject) and the measurement. It may be stored in association with the marker image.

When the display control unit 40 displays the measurement image in which the measurement marker is superimposed on the subject image on the display 18, the display control unit 40 controls the display mode of the measurement marker to be different depending on the irradiation position of the spot SP and the marker display position. conduct. Specifically, the display control unit 40 displays the measurement image on which the first measurement marker is superimposed, centering on the spot SP, on the display 18. As the first measurement marker, for example, a circular measurement marker is used. In this case, as shown in FIG. 9, when the observation distance is close to the near-end Px, the actual size is 5 mm (horizontal direction and vertical of the subject image) in accordance with the center of the spot SP1 formed on the tumor tm1 of the subject. The marker M1 indicating the direction) is displayed. When the measurement marker is displayed on the display 18, the observation distance may also be displayed on the display 18.

Since the marker display position of the marker M1 is located in the peripheral portion of the subject image affected by the distortion by the imaging optical system 21, the marker M1 has an elliptical shape according to the influence of the distortion and the like. Since the above marker M1 substantially coincides with the range of the tumor tm1, the tumor tm1 can be measured to be about 5 mm. Note that the spot may not be displayed on the subject image, and only the first measurement marker may be displayed.

Further, as shown in FIG. 10, when the observation distance is close to Py near the center, the actual size is 5 mm (horizontal and vertical directions of the subject image) in accordance with the center of the spot SP2 formed on the tumor tm2 of the subject. The indicator M2 is displayed. Since the marker display position of the marker M2 is located at the center of the subject image which is not easily affected by the distortion by the imaging optical system 21, the marker M2 is circular without being affected by the distortion or the like. ..

Further, as shown in FIG. 11, a marker M3 indicating an actual size of 5 mm (horizontal direction and vertical direction of the subject image) is displayed so as to be aligned with the center of the spot SP3 formed on the tumor tm3 of the subject. Since the marker display position of the marker M3 is located in the peripheral portion of the subject image affected by the distortion by the imaging optical system 21, the marker M1 has an elliptical shape in accordance with the influence of the distortion and the like. As shown in FIGS. 9 to 11 above, the size of the first measurement marker corresponding to the same actual size of 5 mm becomes smaller as the observation distance becomes longer. Further, the shape of the first measurement marker differs depending on the marker display position according to the influence of the distortion caused by the imaging optical system 21.

In FIGS. 9 to 11, the center of the spot SP and the center of the marker are displayed so as to coincide with each other. However, if there is no problem in terms of measurement accuracy, the first measurement marker is located at a position away from the spot SP. May be displayed. However, also in this case, it is preferable to display the first measurement marker in the vicinity of the spot. Further, instead of displaying the first measurement marker in a deformed state, the first measurement marker in a state in which the distortion aberration of the subject image is corrected and not deformed may be displayed in the corrected subject image. ..

Further, in FIGS. 9 to 11, the first measurement marker corresponding to the actual size of the subject of 5 mm is displayed, but the actual size of the subject is an arbitrary value (for example, 2 mm) according to the observation target and the observation purpose. , 3 mm, 10 mm, etc.) may be set. Further, in FIGS. 9 to 11, the first measurement marker has a substantially circular shape, but as shown in FIG. 12, it may have a cross shape in which vertical lines and horizontal lines intersect. Further, a graduated cross shape in which a scale Mx is added to at least one of a cross-shaped vertical line and a horizontal line may be used. Further, as the first measurement marker, a distorted cross shape in which at least one of a vertical line and a horizontal line is tilted may be used. Further, the first measurement marker may be a circle in which a cross shape and a circle are combined and a cross shape. In addition, the first measurement marker may be a measurement point cloud type in which a plurality of measurement point EPs corresponding to the actual size from the spot are combined. Further, the number of the first measurement markers may be one or a plurality, and the color of the first measurement markers may be changed according to the actual size.

As the first measurement marker, as shown in FIG. 13, three concentric markers M4A, M4B, and M4C (each having a diameter of 2 mm, 5 mm, and 10 mm having a diameter of 2 mm, 5 mm, and 10 mm) having different sizes are placed on the tumor tm4. The spot SP4 formed in the above may be displayed on the subject image. Since a plurality of these three concentric markers are displayed, the trouble of switching can be saved, and measurement is possible even when the subject has a non-linear shape. When displaying multiple concentric markers centered on the spot, instead of specifying the size and color for each marker, a combination of multiple conditions can be prepared in advance and selected from the combinations. It may be.

In FIG. 13, all three concentric markers are displayed in the same color (black), but when displaying a plurality of concentric markers, it is also possible to display a plurality of colored concentric markers whose colors are changed by the markers. good. As shown in FIG. 14, the marker M5A is represented by a dotted line representing red, the marker M5B is represented by a solid line representing blue, and the marker M5C is represented by a alternate long and short dash line representing white. By changing the color of the marker in this way, the distinctiveness is improved and the measurement can be easily performed.

Further, as the first measurement marker, in addition to a plurality of concentric markers, as shown in FIG. 15, a plurality of distorted concentric markers in which each concentric circle is distorted may be used. In this case, the distorted concentric markers M6A, M6B, and M6C are displayed on the subject image centering on the spot SP5 formed on the tumor tm5.

In the length measurement mode, the subject is constantly irradiated with the illumination light and the spot light (measurement light). However, as shown in FIG. 16, the illumination light is constantly lit and constantly irradiates the subject with the spot. The light may intermittently irradiate the subject with spot light by repeating turning on and off (or dimming) every frame (or every few frames). In this case, in the frame that lights the spot light, the position of the spot light is detected and the display setting of the measurement marker is performed. Then, it is preferable to superimpose and display the measurement marker for which the display setting has been made on the image obtained in the frame that irradiates only the illumination light.

As the measurement light, the light formed as a spot when the subject is irradiated is used, but other light may be used. For example, when the subject is irradiated, as shown in FIG. 17, a line-shaped measurement light formed as an intersecting line 80 on the subject may be used. By irradiating the subject with the line-shaped measurement light, an intersecting line 80, which is a line-shaped irradiation region, is formed on the subject. In this case, as the measurement marker, a second measurement marker including the intersection line 80 and the scale 82 as an index of the size of the subject (for example, the polyp P) is generated on the intersection line 80. When the line-shaped measurement light is used, the irradiation position detection unit 58 detects the position of the intersection line 80 (irradiation position of the measurement light). The lower the intersection line 80 is, the closer the observation distance is, and the higher the intersection line 80 is, the farther the observation distance is. Therefore, the lower the intersection line 80 is, the larger the distance between the scales 82 is, and the higher the intersection line 80 is, the smaller the distance between the scales 82 is.

When a line-shaped measurement light is used as the measurement light, the subject may be constantly irradiated with the illumination light and the line-shaped measurement light during the length measurement mode, and as shown in FIG. 18, the illumination light is While constantly irradiating the subject, the line-shaped measurement light intermittently illuminates the subject by repeating turning on and off (or dimming) every frame (or every few frames). You may. In this case, in the frame that lights the line-shaped measurement light, the position of the line-shaped measurement light is detected and the display of the measurement marker is set. Then, it is preferable to superimpose and display the measurement marker for which the display setting has been made on the image obtained in the frame that irradiates only the illumination light.

As the measurement light, as shown in FIG. 19, when the subject is irradiated, the striped pattern light ZPL formed as the light of the striped pattern on the subject may be used (for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2016-1983304 (see). The striped pattern light ZPL is obtained by irradiating a liquid crystal shutter (not shown) with variable transmittance with a specific laser light, and a region (transmissive region) through which the specific laser light is transmitted by the liquid crystal shutter and a specific laser light. Is formed from two different patterns of vertical stripes that do not pass through (non-transparent area) and repeat periodically in the horizontal direction. When striped pattern light is used as the measurement light, the cycle of the striped pattern light changes depending on the distance from the subject. Therefore, the cycle or phase of the striped pattern light is shifted by the liquid crystal shutter and irradiated multiple times. , The three-dimensional shape of the subject is measured based on a plurality of images obtained by shifting the period or phase.

For example, the subject is alternately irradiated with the striped pattern light of phase X, the striped pattern light of phase Y, and the striped pattern light of phase Z. The striped pattern light of the phases X, Y, and Z is phase-shifted by 120 ° (2π / 3) from the vertical striped pattern. In this case, the three-dimensional shape of the subject is measured using three types of images obtained based on each striped pattern light. For example, as shown in FIG. 20, the striped pattern light of phase X, the striped pattern light of phase Y, and the striped pattern light of phase Z are switched in units of one frame (or several frames), respectively. It is preferable to irradiate the subject. It is preferable that the illumination light always irradiates the subject.

As the measurement light, as shown in FIG. 21, the measurement light LPL having a grid pattern formed as a grid pattern when the subject is irradiated may be used (for example, JP-A-2017-217215). See Gazette). In this case, since the three-dimensional shape of the subject is measured according to the deformed state of the grid pattern when the subject is irradiated with the measurement light LPL of the grid pattern, it is required to accurately detect the grid pattern. Therefore, the measurement light LPL of the grid pattern is not a perfect grid, but is slightly deformed from the grid such as wavy so as to improve the detection accuracy of the grid pattern. Further, the grid pattern is provided with an S code indicating that the end points of the left and right horizontal lines are continuous. When detecting the grid pattern, not only the pattern but also the S code is detected to improve the pattern detection accuracy. The grid pattern may be a pattern in which vertical lines and horizontal lines are regularly arranged, or a pattern in which a plurality of spots are arranged in a grid pattern in the vertical and horizontal directions.

When the measurement light LPL having a grid pattern is used as the measurement light, the subject may be constantly irradiated with the illumination light and the measurement light LPL having a grid pattern during the length measurement mode, and as shown in FIG. , While the illumination light constantly irradiates the subject, the measurement light of the grid pattern LPL is the measurement light of the grid pattern by repeating turning on and off (or dimming) every frame (or every few frames). The subject may be irradiated with LPL intermittently. In this case, in the frame that lights the measurement light LPL of the grid pattern, the three-dimensional shape is measured based on the measurement light LPL of the grid pattern. Then, it is preferable to superimpose and display the measurement result of the three-dimensional shape on the image obtained in the frame that irradiates only the illumination light.

As the measurement light, as shown in FIG. 23, a three-dimensional plane light TPL represented by a mesh line on the subject image may be used (see, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2017-508529). In this case, the tip portion 12d is moved so that the three-dimensional plane light TPL matches the measurement target. Then, when the three-dimensional plane light TPL intersects the measurement target, the distance of the intersection curve CC between the three-dimensional parallel light TPL and the subject is calculated by a process based on a manual operation such as a user interface or an automatic process.

When the three-dimensional plane light TPL is used as the measurement light, the subject may be constantly irradiated with the illumination light and the three-dimensional plane light TPL during the length measurement mode, and as shown in FIG. 24, the illumination light is While constantly irradiating the subject, the three-dimensional plane light TPL intermittently irradiates the subject with the three-dimensional plane light TPL by repeating turning on and off (or dimming) every frame (or every few frames). You may.

The details of the calibration mode will be explained. The calibration mode is executed in cooperation with the inspection system 100 connected to the processor device 16 of the endoscope system 10 in addition to the endoscope system 10. When the calibration mode is switched by operating the mode changeover switch 13a, the endoscope 12 irradiates the measurement light. In the calibration mode, the test chart (see FIG. 26) is irradiated with the measurement light to confirm whether or not the display of the measurement marker is appropriate.

As shown in FIG. 25, the inspection system 100 includes a test chart 102, a display 18, and a moving mechanism unit 104. Although the display 18 shares the display used in the endoscope system 10, a display for accuracy inspection may be separately provided.

As shown in FIG. 26, the test chart 102 has a chart main body 105, and the chart main body 105 has an inspection area portion 106 having an inspection area having a specific shape and a reference for aligning the irradiation position of the measurement light at the time of accuracy inspection. The inspection reference position 108 is provided. As shown in FIG. 27, the display 18 displays an inspection image obtained by imaging the chart main body 105 irradiated with the measurement light (for example, spot light SP) from the endoscope 12 with the endoscope 12. Further, in the inspection image, in addition to the inspection area portion 106 and the inspection reference position 108, a measurement marker M corresponding to the irradiation position of the measurement light is displayed.

As shown in FIG. 28, the moving mechanism unit 104 holds the endoscope 12 in a state where the tip portion 12d of the endoscope 12 and the test chart 102 face each other, and holds the test chart 102 so as to be movable. Specifically, the moving mechanism unit 104 is attached to the base 109 and the base 109 to hold the endoscope 12 and is attached to the base 109 and moves the test chart 102. A chart holding unit 112 that can hold the chart holding unit 112 and a movement amount adjusting unit 114 for moving the chart holding unit 112 in the vertical direction V or the horizontal direction W are provided. The movement amount adjusting unit 114 may be manually or automatically performed by the user. It may be possible to calibrate the scale or position reference so that the distance between the test chart 102 and the tip portion 12d of the endoscope can be accurately grasped. Further, in order to make the endoscope 12 accurately face the test chart 102, an angle fine adjustment mechanism for making the optical axis Ax of the imaging optical system perpendicular to the test chart 102 is provided in the endoscope holding unit 110 and /. Alternatively, it is preferably provided on the base 109 or the moving mechanism portion 104.

As described above, the moving mechanism unit 104 operates the moving amount adjusting unit 114 to move the chart holding unit 112 in the vertical direction V or the horizontal direction W, so that the emission position of the measurement light and the chart main body 105 are brought into contact with each other. At least either the distance or the irradiation position of the measurement light on the chart body 105 can be changed. By moving the chart body 105 in the vertical direction W or the horizontal direction W via the chart holding unit 112, the irradiation position of the measurement light can be aligned with the inspection reference position in the inspection image.

The details of the test chart 102 will be described. In the inspection area 106 provided on the test chart 102, when the irradiation position of the measurement light is aligned with the inspection reference position in the inspection image, the measurement marker displayed on the inspection image based on the irradiation position has a specific shape. It is used for confirmation inspection of whether or not it is in the inspection area. In the present embodiment, in the test chart 102 in which the chart main body 105 is provided with a plurality of inspection areas corresponding to the sizes of the measurement markers, the confirmation inspection of each inspection area is performed with the emission position of the measurement light and the chart main body 105. The test chart 102 (see FIG. 26) in which the distance between the two is changed and the test chart 102 is divided into a plurality of parts, and the confirmation inspection of each inspection area is performed by keeping the distance between the emission position of the measurement light and the chart body 105 constant. The test chart 120 (see FIG. 33) in the case of performing the test once will be described.

As shown in FIG. 26, the test chart 102 includes three circular inspection regions 106a, 106b, and 106c as inspection regions having a specific shape. These circular inspection regions 106a to 106c are provided concentrically with the inspection reference position 108 as the center. The inspection areas 106a to 106c are point-symmetrical with respect to the inspection reference position 108. The inspection areas 106a, 106b, and 106c are used for confirmation inspection of a 5 mm measurement marker, a 10 mm measurement marker, and a 20 mm measurement marker, respectively.

The width of the inspection area has an error range corresponding to the size of the measurement marker. Specifically, the width of the inspection area increases as the size of the measurement marker increases. In the case of the inspection area portion 106, the width Wp of the inspection area 106a <the width Wq of the inspection area 106b <the width Wr of the inspection area 106. This is because the larger the size of the measurement marker, the more easily it is affected by the misalignment of the chart body 105 in the chart holding unit 112 (see FIG. 28), and it becomes difficult to confirm and inspect the accurate measurement marker. Because. For example, if ± 10% of the measurement marker is allowed as an error range for the width of the inspection area, the width of the inspection area 106a is designed to be 0.5 mm and the width of the inspection area 106c is designed to be 2.0 mm.

When confirming and inspecting a 5 mm measurement marker, the chart holding unit 112 is moved in the vertical direction V by operating the movement amount adjusting unit 114, and the distance between the emission position of the measurement light and the chart body 105. Is set to the distance L1 (see FIG. 28). Then, the user moves the chart holding unit 112 in the left-right direction W while checking the inspection image displayed on the display 18, and adjusts the irradiation position of the measurement light to the inspection reference position 108.

As shown in FIG. 29, when the measurement marker Mp is inside the inspection area 106a in the inspection image, the user determines that the 5 mm measurement marker Mp is properly displayed. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 30, in the inspection image, when the measurement marker M is partially protruding from the inspection area 106a and even a part of the measurement marker Mp is not in the inspection area 106a. , The user determines that the 5 mm measurement marker Mp is not properly displayed.

The confirmation inspection of whether or not the measurement marker Mp is in the inspection area may be performed visually by the user or may be automatically performed by using image processing (other measurement markers Mq, Mr.). The same applies to). In this case, it is preferable that the chart body 105 is provided with a chart identifier 103 (for example, a QR code (registered trademark)) that can identify the type of the chart body. The type of the chart main body 105 is read from the chart identifier 103 by a scanner or the like, and the confirmation inspection of the measurement marker is automatically performed based on the type of the chart main body 105.

The type of the chart body 105a includes the number of times the confirmation inspection is performed (multiple times (in the case of the test chart 102) or once (in the case of the test chart 120)), the size of the inspection area provided in the inspection area portion, and the like. included. When the confirmation inspection of the measurement marker is automatically performed, the automatic determination result of the confirmation inspection may be saved in the determination result storage memory of the processor device 16. Further, the chart main body 105 is provided with a serial number or characters indicating the type of the chart main body in addition to the chart identifier 103 in case the user visually performs a confirmation inspection.

When confirming and inspecting the 10 mm measurement marker Mq, the chart holding unit 112 is moved in the vertical direction V by operating the movement amount adjusting unit 114, and the distance between the measurement light emission position and the chart body 105 is reached. The distance is set to the distance L2 (> distance L1) (see FIG. 28). Then, the user moves the chart holding unit 112 in the left-right direction W while checking the inspection image displayed on the display 18, and adjusts the irradiation position of the measurement light to the inspection reference position 108. Then, as shown in FIG. 31, it is determined whether or not the 10 mm measurement marker Mq is properly displayed depending on whether or not the measurement marker Mq is inside the inspection area 106a in the inspection image.

When confirming and inspecting the 20 mm measurement marker Mr, the chart holding unit 112 is moved in the vertical direction V by operating the movement amount adjusting unit 114, and the measurement light is emitted between the emission position and the chart body 105. The distance is set to the distance L3 (> distance L1, L2) (see FIG. 28). Then, the user moves the chart holding unit 112 in the left-right direction W while checking the inspection image displayed on the display 18, and adjusts the irradiation position of the measurement light to the inspection reference position 108. Then, as shown in FIG. 32, it is determined whether or not the 20 mm measurement marker Mr is properly displayed depending on whether or not the measurement marker Mr is inside the inspection area 106a in the inspection image.

Further, the test chart 102 is provided with a confirmation inspection assisting unit 111 for assisting the confirmation inspection (see FIG. 26). When the test chart 102 is used, the confirmation inspection auxiliary unit 111 is eight radial lines extending radially from the inspection reference position 108 and intersecting each inspection area 106a to 106c. These eight radial lines are axisymmetric and have an equiangular spacing of 45 degrees. When performing a confirmation inspection, it may be difficult to visually confirm whether or not the measurement marker M is included in the entire inspection area. Therefore, 8 of the intersection CA (see FIG. 29) between the radial line and the inspection area. At some point, it is possible to confirm whether or not the measurement marker M is within the inspection area. For example, when the measurement marker Mp is in the inspection area at all eight points of the intersecting portion CA, the user determines that the measurement marker Mp is properly displayed. On the other hand, if the measurement marker M is out of the inspection area even at one of the intersection areas CA, the user determines that the measurement marker Mp is not properly displayed.

As shown in FIG. 33, the test chart 120 includes three circular inspection regions 106a, 106b, and 106c as inspection regions having a specific shape. These three circular inspection areas 106a to 106c are shared at a specific point. In the test chart 120, a specific point is set as the inspection reference position 108. The inspection areas 106a to 106c are line-symmetrical with respect to the line 108a passing through the inspection reference position 108. The inspection area 106a is used for the confirmation inspection of the 5 mm measurement marker Mp in the same manner as described above. Further, the inspection area 106b is used for the confirmation inspection of the measurement marker Mq of 10 mm in the same manner as described above. Further, the inspection area 106c is used for the confirmation inspection of the measurement marker Mr of 20 mm in the same manner as described above.

By using the test chart 120, it is possible to perform the confirmation inspection of all the inspection areas 106a to 106c at one time. When performing a confirmation inspection using the test chart 120, the chart holding unit 112 is moved in the vertical direction V by operating the movement amount adjusting unit 114 to determine the distance between the emission position of the measurement light and the chart body 105. Set to a specific distance (see FIG. 28). Further, in the case of the confirmation inspection using the test chart 120, the display control unit 40 displays all the measurement markers Mp, Mq, and Mr of 5 mm, 10 mm, and 20 mm based on the irradiation position of the measurement light on the inspection image. To do so. Then, the user moves the chart holding unit 112 in the left-right direction W while checking the inspection image displayed on the display 18, and adjusts the irradiation position of the measurement light to the inspection reference position 108.

As shown in FIG. 34, when all the measurement markers Mp, Mq, and Mr displayed based on the irradiation position of the measurement light are inside the inspection areas 106a, 106b, and 106c in the inspection image, The user determines that the measurement markers Mp, Mq, and Mr of 5 mm, 10 mm, and 20 mm are properly displayed. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 35, when the measurement markers Mp are in the inspection area 106a, while the measurement markers Mq and Mr are in the inspection areas 106b and 106c, the user is 5 mm. It is determined that the measurement markers Mp are not properly displayed, while the 10 mm and 20 mm measurement markers Mq and Mr are correctly displayed.

Note that the confirmation inspection of whether or not the measurement markers Mp, Mq, and Mr are in the inspection area may be performed automatically by the user or by using image processing. In this case, in order to facilitate automatic detection of each inspection area 106a, 106b, 106c, it is preferable to make the saturation of the inspection areas 106a, 106b, 106c different while maintaining the hue. For example, it is preferable that the saturation of the inspection region 106a> the saturation of the inspection region 106b> the saturation of the inspection region 106c.

Regarding the test chart 120, when the measurement marker to be inspected is circular, the inspection area having a specific shape is set to the circular inspection areas 106a, 106b, 106c, and as shown in FIG. 36, the inspection target is to be inspected. When the measurement marker is a rhombus, the inspection area having a specific shape is set to the diamond-shaped inspection areas 122a, 122b, and 122c according to the shape of the measurement marker. The inspection areas 122a, 122b, and 122c are used for confirmation inspection of measurement markers of 5 mm, 10 mm, and 20 mm, respectively. Further, as shown in FIG. 37, when the measurement marker to be inspected is rectangular, the inspection area having a specific shape is set to the rectangular inspection areas 124a, 124b, 124c according to the shape of the measurement marker. The inspection areas 124a, 124b, and 124c are used for confirmation inspection of measurement markers of 5 mm, 10 mm, and 20 mm, respectively.

For the test chart 102 and the test chart 120, the hue of the measured light when the chart body 105 is irradiated is the same as the hue of the measured light when the actual subject (human body such as the esophagus, stomach, and large intestine) is irradiated. It is preferable to set the hue of the chart body 105 so as to be. Here, the same hue includes not only the case where each hue is completely matched, but also the case where the difference in hue (difference in hue value) is within a certain range. The inspection area and the area other than the inspection area of the chart main body 105 have the same hue for the above reason (because they have the same hue as the measurement light in the subject), but the inspection area and other parts have the same hue. The saturation is different to make it easier to identify.

As described above, in order to set the hue of the chart body 105, as shown in FIG. 38, in the test chart 102, an adhesive sheet 105b is provided on the PSF (polysulfon) plate 105a, and the adhesive sheet 105b is provided with respect to the adhesive sheet 105b. The inspection area portion 106 is provided. The inspection area 106 is preferably printed with toner such as a laser printer or offset printing ink. Then, the inspection area portion 106 is covered with the tracing paper 105c. Here, it is preferable that the PSF plate 105a has a high reflectance and has some light scattering. On the other hand, the tracing paper 105c preferably has the reflectance and light scattering rate of the average mucous membrane of the subject such as the esophagus, stomach, and large intestine. As described above, by constructing the test chart 102, the hue of the measured light when the chart body 105 is irradiated is the hue of the measured light when the actual subject (human body such as the esophagus, stomach, and large intestine) is irradiated. Will be the same as. Therefore, even when the test chart 102 is irradiated with the measurement light, the reflectance of the test chart 102 is the same as the reflectance of the subject, so that the irradiation position detection unit 58 of the processor device 16 can use the measurement light ( Spot light) can be detected reliably.

When spot light is used as the measurement light, the test chart 102 and the test chart 120 (see FIGS. 26 and 33) for the spot light whose inspection reference position corresponds to the spot light are used, but the measurement is performed. When a line-shaped measurement light is used as the light, as shown in FIG. 39, a confirmation inspection of the measurement marker is performed using a line test chart 130 in which the inspection reference position 128 corresponds to the line-shaped measurement light. Is preferable. When a pattern-shaped measurement light is used as the measurement light, as shown in FIG. 40, a test chart 134 for a grid pattern in which the inspection reference position 132 corresponds to the grid-shaped measurement light is used for measurement. It is preferable to perform a confirmation inspection of the marker, and in another form, a method of using a test chart having a tolerance range according to the shape of the marker generated from the patterned measurement light (arbitrary depending on the design purpose) is also selected. It is possible. That is, if it is possible to generate and display a horizontal line-shaped or substantially elliptical marker from the patterned measurement light, the test chart 102 of the present embodiment can be applied mutatis mutandis.

Next, a series of calibration mode flows will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 41. In the inspection system 100, the test chart 102 is placed on the chart holding unit 112, and the endoscope 12 is attached to the endoscope holding unit 110 with the tip portion 12d of the endoscope and the test chart 102 facing each other. Then, the calibration is switched by operating the mode changeover switch 13a. As a result, the measurement light is emitted from the endoscope 12 toward the test chart 102.

The endoscope 12 obtains an inspection image by imaging the chart body 105 irradiated with the measurement light. The inspection image is displayed on the display 18. In the inspection image, a measurement marker displayed according to the irradiation position of the measurement light is displayed. The user confirms the inspection image and operates the movement amount adjusting unit 114 so that the irradiation position of the measurement light matches the inspection reference position 108, and the distance between the emission position of the measurement light and the chart body 105, or , At least one of the irradiation positions of the measurement light on the chart body 105 is changed. Then, when the irradiation position of the illumination light matches the inspection reference position, the user performs a confirmation inspection as to whether or not the measurement marker is properly displayed.

Regarding the confirmation inspection when the test chart 102 is used, first, the movement amount adjusting unit 114 is operated so that the 5 mm measurement marker Mp enters the inspection area 106a, and the chart body 105 is moved to the vertical direction V or the horizontal direction W. Move. Then, when the irradiation position of the measurement light matches the inspection reference position 108 and the measurement marker Mp is inside the inspection area 106a in the inspection image, the measurement marker Mp is properly displayed. Judge that there is. If the measurement marker Mp is not inside the inspection area 106a, it is determined that the measurement marker Mp is not properly displayed.

Next, the chart body 105 is moved in the vertical direction V or the horizontal direction W so that the measurement marker Mq of 10 mm enters the inspection area 106b. Then, when the irradiation position of the measurement light matches the inspection reference position 108, it is determined whether or not the measurement marker Mq is inside the inspection area 106a in the inspection image as in the case of the 5 mm measurement marker Mp. to decide. Next, after the confirmation inspection regarding the inspection marker Mq is completed, the chart body 105 is moved in the vertical direction V or the horizontal direction W so that the measurement marker Mr of 20 mm enters the inspection area 106c. Then, when the irradiation position of the measurement light matches the inspection reference position 108, it is determined whether or not the measurement marker Mr is inside the inspection area 106c in the inspection image, as in the case of the 5 mm measurement marker Mp. to decide. As described above, the confirmation inspection when the test chart 102 at a specific distance is used is completed. The flow up to this point can be repeated with one or a plurality of preset endoscope-chart distances, and the pass / fail of the product can be judged by the judgment criteria.

In the above embodiment, the receiving unit 38, the signal processing unit 39, the display control unit 40, the system control unit 41, the still image storage unit 42, the first signal processing unit 50, the second signal processing unit 52, the mode control unit 56, and the irradiation. The hardware structure of the processing unit that executes various processes such as the position detection unit 58 and the marker table 62 is various processors as shown below. For various processors, the circuit configuration is changed after manufacturing the CPU (Central Processing Unit), FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), etc., which are general-purpose processors that execute software (programs) and function as various processing units. It includes a programmable logic device (PLD), which is a possible processor, a dedicated electric circuit, which is a processor having a circuit configuration specially designed for executing various processes, and the like.

One processing unit may be composed of one of these various processors, or may be composed of a combination of two or more processors of the same type or different types (for example, a plurality of FPGAs or a combination of a CPU and an FPGA). May be done. Further, a plurality of processing units may be configured by one processor. As an example of configuring a plurality of processing units with one processor, first, as represented by a computer such as a client or a server, one processor is configured by a combination of one or more CPUs and software. There is a form in which this processor functions as a plurality of processing units. Secondly, as typified by System On Chip (SoC), there is a form in which a processor that realizes the functions of the entire system including a plurality of processing units with one IC (Integrated Circuit) chip is used. be. As described above, the various processing units are configured by using one or more of the above-mentioned various processors as a hardware-like structure.

Furthermore, the hardware structure of these various processors is, more specifically, an electric circuit in the form of a combination of circuit elements such as semiconductor elements. The hardware structure of the storage unit is a storage device such as an HDD (hard disk drive) or SSD (solid state drive).

The measurement light and the irradiation of the measurement light are preferably as follows. The measurement light is preferably spot light. The measurement light is preferably a line-shaped measurement light. The measurement light is preferably a measurement light having a grid pattern. The measurement light is preferably three-dimensional plane light. It is preferable to intermittently irradiate the subject with the measurement light. The measurement light is preferably striped pattern light. It is preferable to switch a plurality of striped pattern lights having different phases or periods to irradiate the subject.

10 Endoscope system 12 Endoscope 12a Insertion part 12b Operation part 12c Curved part 12d Tip part 13a Mode changeover switch 13b Freeze switch 13c Zoom operation part 14 Light source device 16 Processor device 18 Display 20 User interface 21 Imaging optical system 21a Objective lens 21b Zoom lens 22 Illumination optical system 22a Illumination lens 23 Beam light emission unit 23a Light source 23b DOE
23c Prism 23d Exit 24 Opening 25 Air supply Water supply nozzle 26 Light source 27 Light source control 28 Light guide 29 Connector 32 Imaging element 33 Imaging control 34 CDS / AGC circuit 35 A / D converter 36 Communication I / F
37 Communication I / F
38 Reception unit 39 Signal processing unit 40 Display control unit 41 System control unit 42 Still image storage unit 50 1st signal processing unit 52 2nd signal processing unit 56 Mode control unit 58 Irradiation position detection unit 62 Marker table 80 Crossing line 82 Scale 100 Inspection system 101a Solid line 101b Dotted line 102 Test chart 103 Chart identifier 104 Moving mechanism part 105 Chart body 105a PSF plate 105b Adhesive sheet 105c Tracing paper 106 Inspection area part 106a, 106b, 106c Inspection area 108 Inspection reference position 108a Line 109 base 110 Endoscope holding unit 111 Confirmation inspection auxiliary unit 112 Chart holding unit 114 Movement amount adjustment unit 120 Test chart 122a, 122b, 122c Inspection area 124a, 124b, 124c Inspection area 128 Inspection reference position 130 Test chart 132 Inspection reference position 134 Test Charts M1, M2, M3 Cross-shaped markers tm1, tm2, tm3, tm4, tm5 Tumor SP spots SP1, SP2, SP3, SP4, SP5 Spots M4A, M4B, M4C, M5A, M5B, M5C Concentric markers M6A, M6B , M6C Distorted concentric marker P polyp

Claims (23)

In a test chart used for inspection of measurement markers for measuring the size of a subject
It has an inspection area portion having an inspection area having a specific shape and a chart body provided with an inspection reference position.
The inspection area portion
In an inspection image obtained by imaging the chart body irradiated with the measurement light with an endoscope, when the irradiation position of the measurement light is aligned with the inspection reference position, the inspection image is displayed based on the irradiation position. A test chart used for a confirmation inspection as to whether or not the displayed measurement marker is in the inspection area. The chart body is provided with a plurality of inspection areas corresponding to the size of the measurement marker.
The test chart according to claim 1, wherein the confirmation inspection of each inspection area is performed by changing the distance between the emission position of the measurement light and the chart body and dividing the inspection into a plurality of parts. The test chart according to claim 2, wherein the chart body has a confirmation inspection assisting unit for assisting the confirmation inspection. The specific shape is circular
The plurality of inspection areas are provided concentrically with the inspection reference position as the center.
The test chart according to claim 3, wherein the confirmation inspection auxiliary unit is a plurality of radial lines extending radially from the inspection reference position and intersecting the inspection area. The test chart according to claim 4, wherein the angular intervals of the radial lines are equal angular intervals. The test chart according to claim 4, wherein the radial lines are line symmetric. The test chart is provided with a plurality of inspection areas corresponding to the size of the measurement marker.
The test chart according to claim 1, wherein the confirmation inspection of each inspection area is performed once by keeping the distance between the emission position of the measurement light and the chart body constant. The specific shape is circular
The test chart according to claim 7, wherein the plurality of inspection areas share a specific point of each inspection area as the inspection reference position. The test chart according to claim 7 or 8, wherein the plurality of inspection areas have different saturations from each other. The test chart according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the hue of the measurement light when the chart body is irradiated is the same as the hue of the measurement light when the subject is irradiated. The test chart according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the inspection area and the chart main body other than the inspection area have the same hue. The test chart according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the width of the inspection area has an error range corresponding to the size of the measurement marker. The test chart according to claim 12, wherein the width of the inspection area increases as the size of the measurement marker increases. The test chart according to any one of claims 1 to 13, which has a chart identifier that can identify the type of the chart body. A test chart with a chart body provided with an inspection reference position,
A display that displays an inspection image obtained by imaging the chart body irradiated with the measurement light from the endoscope with the endoscope, and
A moving mechanism unit that holds the endoscope in a state where the tip of the endoscope faces the test chart and holds the test chart movably.
With
The moving mechanism unit changes the distance between the measurement light emission position and the chart body, or at least one of the measurement light irradiation positions on the chart body, thereby causing the measurement light in the inspection image. An inspection system that adjusts the irradiation position of the light to the inspection reference position. The chart body has an inspection area portion having an inspection area having a specific shape.
The inspection area portion
In an inspection image obtained by imaging the chart body irradiated with the measurement light with the endoscope, when the irradiation position of the measurement light is aligned with the inspection reference position, the inspection is based on the irradiation position. The inspection system according to claim 15, which is used for confirming whether or not the measurement marker displayed on the image is in the inspection area. The test chart is provided with a plurality of inspection areas corresponding to the size of the measurement marker.
The moving mechanism unit changes the distance between the emission position of the measurement light and the chart body for each confirmation inspection of each inspection area.
The inspection system according to claim 16, wherein the display displays a measurement marker corresponding to the distance each time the distance is changed, so that the confirmation inspection of each inspection area is divided into a plurality of parts. The test chart is provided with a plurality of inspection areas corresponding to the size of the measurement marker.
The moving mechanism unit keeps the distance between the emission position of the measurement light and the chart body constant.
The inspection system according to claim 16, wherein the display displays all the measurement markers corresponding to the plurality of inspection areas, so that the confirmation inspection of all the inspection areas can be performed at one time. The inspection system according to any one of claims 15 to 18, wherein the measurement light is spot light. The inspection system according to any one of claims 15 to 18, wherein the measurement light is a line-shaped measurement light. The inspection system according to any one of claims 15 to 18, wherein the measurement light is a pattern-shaped measurement light. The inspection system according to any one of claims 15 to 18, wherein the measurement light is a three-dimensional plane light. In an inspection method using a test chart having a chart body provided with an inspection reference position,
A step of obtaining an inspection image by imaging the chart body irradiated with the measurement light from the endoscope with the endoscope.
The step of displaying the inspection image on the display and
By changing at least one of the emission position of the measurement light and the distance between the chart body and the irradiation position of the measurement light in the chart body, the irradiation position of the measurement light is inspected in the inspection image. An inspection method having a step of adjusting to a reference position.

Images