Endoscope device

Abstract

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

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] This application is a divisional application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10 / 498,155, filed Jun. 8, 2004, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference.TECHNICAL FIELD [0002] The present invention relates to an endoscope device, or more particularly, an endoscope device capable of navigating an endoscope to help insert the endoscope into an intracorporeal lumen, for example, the bronchi. BACKGROUND ART [0003] In recent years, diagnosis based on images has been widely adopted. For example, an X-ray computed tomography (CT) device is used to produce tomographic images of a subject so as to construct three-dimensional image data representing the interior of the subject. The three-dimensional image data is used to diagnose a lesion. [0004] As far as the CT system is concerned, while an X-ray irradiation and detection unit is continuously rotated, a subject is continuously moved in the direction of the body axis. Thus, heli...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0009] An endoscope device in accordance with the present invention comprises: three-dimensional image constructing means for constructing a three-dimensional image of an intracorporeal lumen of a subject on the basis of images representing a three-dimensional field of the subject; an endoscope that picks up images of the intracorporeal lumen of the subject; and navigation image constructing means that constructs a navigation image which includes the endoscopic image of the intracorporeal lumen of the subject that is produced by the endoscope and the three-dimensional image. While presenting the course of the endoscope to be steered in order to insert the endoscope into the intracorporeal lumen of the subject, the endoscope device helps observe or treat the subject. Herein, the navigation image constructing means constructs the navigation image adding reduced images of three-dimensional images, which represent all branch points at which the intracorporeal lumen of the subject branches out, added thereto. Owing to these constituent features, the endoscope can be reliably navigated to reach a target region using guide images representing the actual branch positions.

Problems solved by technology

As far as an intracorporeal lumen that branches out in multiple stages is concerned, when the position of an abnormality is close to the terminal of a branch, it is hard to lead the distal end of an endoscope to a target region accurately for a short period of time.

The misidentification may become a serious obstacle to navigation of the bronchoscope to a target region.

Images