Medical control device and medical observation system

Abstract

To perform dimming control of a light source device appropriately.SOLUTION: A medical control device 9 comprises: a dimming control unit 942 configured to control an operation of a light source device 3 configured to emit first light and second light, and adjust a light amount of the first light and a light amount of the second light; and an imaging control unit 943 configured to control an operation of an imaging device 5 which includes at least one imaging element 531, 532, captures return light of the first light via an observation target to generate a first captured image, and captures return light of the second light via the observation target to generate a second captured image. The imaging control unit 943 is configured to execute first processing of changing an exposure period of the imaging element 531, 532, and second processing of discarding image information generated by the imaging element 531 according to light reception in a partial period of the exposure period.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a medical control device and a medical observation system. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there has been known a medical observation system that captures an image of an observation target, such as the inside of a living body, and observes the observation target (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The medical observation system described in Patent Document 1 generates the following first and second captured images. The first captured image is an image obtained by irradiating a first light such as special light onto an observation target and capturing return light of the first light passing through the observation target. The second captured image is an image obtained by irradiating the observation target with second light such as normal light and capturing return light of the second light passing through the observation target. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2020-116148 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Incidentally, when adjusting the brightness of the first and second captured images, it is conceivable to perform dimming control of a light source device that emits the first and second light, as will be described below. The amount of the second light is adjusted based on the brightness of a specific region in the second captured image to adjust the second captured image to a reference brightness. Also, while maintaining a specific ratio between the amount of the first light and the amount of the second light, the amount of the first light is adjusted in accordance with the adjustment of the amount of the second light to adjust the brightness of the first captured image. However, when dimming control is performed while maintaining a specific ratio between the amount of the first light and the amount of the second light, the dimming control of the light source device may exceed a possible range, which may result in the dimming control of the light source device being unable to be performed appropriately.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made in view of the above, and has an object to provide a medical control device and a medical observation system that can appropriately perform dimming control of a light source device. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems and achieve the object, a medical control device according to the present disclosure includes: a dimming control unit that controls the operation of a light source device that emits a first light and a second light of a wavelength band different from the first light, and adjusts the amount of the first light and the amount of the second light, respectively; and an imaging control unit that controls the operation of an imaging device having at least one imaging element, in which the first light is irradiated onto an observation object, a return light of the first light passing through the observation object is captured to generate a first captured image, and the second light is irradiated onto the observation object, a return light of the second light passing through the observation object is captured to generate a second captured image, and the imaging control unit executes a first process of changing an exposure period of the imaging element, and a second process of discarding image information generated by the imaging element in response to light reception during a portion of the exposure period.

[0007] A medical observation system according to the present disclosure includes a light source device that emits a first light and a second light in a wavelength band different from the first light, and an imaging device having at least one imaging element, the first light being irradiated onto an observation object, capturing a return light of the first light passing through the observation object to generate a first captured image, and the second light being irradiated onto the observation object, capturing a return light of the second light passing through the observation object to generate a second captured image, and a control device that controls operations of the light source device and the imaging device, the control device controls the operation of the light source device and includes a light adjustment control unit that adjusts the amount of the first light and the amount of the second light, and an imaging control unit that controls the operation of the imaging device, and the imaging control unit executes a first process of changing an exposure period of the imaging element and a second process of discarding image information generated by the imaging element in response to light reception during a part of the exposure period. Effect of the Invention

[0008] According to the medical control device and medical observation system according to the present disclosure, dimming control of the light source device can be appropriately performed. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a medical observation system according to an embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the camera head and the control device. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating the functions of the light adjustment control unit and the imaging control unit. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating the functions of the light adjustment control unit and the imaging control unit. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating the functions of the light adjustment control unit and the imaging control unit. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a first modification of the embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a first modified example of the embodiment. [Figure 8]FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a second modification of the embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating a second modification of the embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a third modified example of the embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating a third modified example of the embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating a third modified example of the embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating a fourth modified example of the embodiment. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating a fourth modified example of the embodiment. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 is a diagram illustrating a fifth modification of the embodiment. [Figure 16] FIG. 16 is a diagram illustrating an eleventh modification of the embodiment. [Figure 17] FIG. 17 is a diagram illustrating an eleventh modification of the embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] Hereinafter, a mode for carrying out the present disclosure (hereinafter, referred to as an embodiment) will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiment described below. Furthermore, in the description of the drawings, the same parts are given the same reference numerals.

[0011] [Overview of medical observation system] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a medical observation system 1 according to the first embodiment. The medical observation system 1 is a system used in the medical field to observe the inside of a living body (observation target) as a subject. As shown in Fig. 1, the medical observation system 1 includes an insertion section 2, a light source device 3, a light guide 4, a camera head 5, a first transmission cable 6, a display device 7, a second transmission cable 8, a control device 9, and a third transmission cable 10.

[0012] In this embodiment, the insertion section 2 is configured as a rigid endoscope. That is, the insertion section 2 has an elongated shape in which the whole is rigid or a part is flexible and the other part is rigid, and is inserted into a living body. The insertion section 2 includes an optical system configured with one or more lenses that collects light from a subject.

[0013] The light source device 3 is connected to one end of the light guide 4, and supplies light to be irradiated into a living body to the one end of the light guide 4 under the control of the control device 9. As shown in FIG. 1, the light source device 3 includes a first light source 31 and a second light source 32.

[0014] The first light source 31 emits a first light in a first wavelength band. In this embodiment, the first light source 31 is configured with a semiconductor laser that emits near-infrared excitation light (first light) in a near-infrared wavelength band.

[0015] The near-infrared excitation light emitted by the first light source 31 is excitation light that excites fluorescent substances such as indocyanine green. When the fluorescent substances such as indocyanine green are excited by the near-infrared excitation light, they emit fluorescence (return light of the near-infrared excitation light) having a central wavelength on the longer wavelength side than the central wavelength of the wavelength band of the near-infrared excitation light.

[0016] The second light source 32 emits a second light in a second wavelength band different from the first wavelength band. In the present embodiment, the second light source 32 is configured with an LED (Light Emitting Diode) that emits white light (second light).

[0017] In the present embodiment, the light source device 3 is configured as a separate entity from the control device 9, but the present invention is not limited to this, and a configuration in which the light source device 3 and the control device 9 are provided in the same housing may be adopted.

[0018] The light guide 4 has one end detachably connected to the light source device 3 and the other end detachably connected to the insertion section 2. The light guide 4 transmits light (near-infrared excitation light or white light) supplied from the light source device 3 from one end to the other end and supplies it to the insertion section 2. The light (near-infrared excitation light or white light) supplied to the insertion section 2 is emitted from the tip of the insertion section 2 and irradiated into the living body. When the near-infrared excitation light is irradiated into the living body, the near-infrared excitation light reflected in the living body and a fluorescent substance such as indocyanine green that accumulates in a lesion in the living body are excited, and the fluorescence emitted from the fluorescent substance are collected by the optical system in the insertion section 2. In the following, for convenience of explanation, the near-infrared excitation light and the fluorescence collected by the optical system in the insertion section 2 are described as a first subject image. When the white light is irradiated into the living body, the white light reflected in the living body is collected by the optical system in the insertion section 2. In the following, for convenience of explanation, the white light collected by the optical system in the insertion portion 2 will be referred to as a second subject image.

[0019] The camera head 5 corresponds to an imaging device according to the present disclosure. The camera head 5 is detachably connected to the base end (eyepiece 21 (FIG. 1)) of the insertion section 2. Under the control of the control device 9, the camera head 5 captures a first subject image (return light of near-infrared excitation light via an observation target (near-infrared excitation light and fluorescent light)) and a second subject image (return light of white light via an observation target (white light)) focused by the insertion section 2 to generate an image signal (hereinafter, referred to as a captured image). The detailed configuration of the camera head 5 will be described later in the section "Configuration of the Camera Head."

[0020] One end of the first transmission cable 6 is detachably connected to the control device 9 via a connector CN1 (FIG. 1), and the other end is detachably connected to the camera head 5 via a connector CN2 (FIG. 1). The first transmission cable 6 transmits captured images and the like output from the camera head 5 to the control device 9, and also transmits control signals, synchronization signals, clocks, power, and the like output from the control device 9 to the camera head 5.

[0021] The captured image and the like may be transmitted as an optical signal or as an electrical signal when transmitted from the camera head 5 to the control device 9 via the first transmission cable 6. The same applies to the transmission of a control signal, a synchronization signal, and a clock from the control device 9 to the camera head 5 via the first transmission cable 6.

[0022] The display device 7 is configured with a display using liquid crystal or organic EL (Electro Luminescence) or the like, and displays an image based on a video signal from the control device 9 under the control of the control device 9.

[0023] One end of the second transmission cable 8 is detachably connected to the display device 7, and the other end is detachably connected to the control device 9. The second transmission cable 8 transmits the video signal processed by the control device 9 to the display device 7.

[0024] The control device 9 corresponds to a medical control device according to the present disclosure. The control device 9 is composed of a CPU (Central Processing Unit), an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), etc., and controls the overall operations of the light source device 3, the camera head 5, and the display device 7. The detailed configuration of the control device 9 will be described later in the section "Configuration of the Control Device."

[0025] One end of the third transmission cable 10 is detachably connected to the light source device 3, and the other end is detachably connected to the control device 9. The third transmission cable 10 transmits a control signal from the control device 9 to the light source device 3.

[0026] [Camera head configuration] Next, the configuration of the camera head 5 will be described. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the camera head 5 and the control device 9. As shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 2, the camera head 5 includes a lens unit 51, a prism 52, an imaging unit 53, and a communication unit .

[0027] The lens unit 51 is configured using one or more lenses. The lens unit 51 forms a first subject image (near-infrared excitation light and fluorescent light) collected by the insertion portion 2 on the imaging surface of a first imaging element 531 (FIG. 2), and forms a second subject image (white light) collected by the insertion portion 2 on the imaging surface of a second imaging element 532 (FIG. 2).

[0028] The prism 52 separates the first subject image (near-infrared excitation light and fluorescence) and the second subject image (white light) via the lens unit 51. Then, the prism 52 causes the first subject image (near-infrared excitation light and fluorescence) to proceed toward the first imaging element 531. Also, the prism 52 causes the second subject image (white light) to proceed toward the second imaging element 532.

[0029] The imaging unit 53 captures images of the inside of a living body under the control of the control device 9. The imaging unit 53 includes a first imaging element 531, a second imaging element 532, and a signal processing unit 533, as shown in FIG.

[0030] The first and second imaging elements 531 and 532 receive a subject image and convert it into an electrical signal (analog signal). In this embodiment, the first and second imaging elements 531 and 532 are each configured with a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor), which is a rolling shutter type imaging element in which a plurality of pixels are two-dimensionally arranged in horizontal line units.

[0031] Here, the first imaging element 531, although not specifically shown, is made up of an invalid area that is not electrically guaranteed, an optical black area (OB area), and an effective pixel area that converts the first subject image formed by the lens unit 51 into an imaging signal and outputs it. Similarly, the second imaging element 532 is made up of an invalid area, an optical black area (OB area), and an effective pixel area.

[0032] Then, under the control of the control device 9, the first imaging element 531 captures a first subject image (near-infrared excitation light and fluorescence) via the prism 52. For ease of explanation, hereinafter, a captured image generated by capturing the first subject image (near-infrared excitation light and fluorescence) by the first imaging element 531 will be referred to as a fluorescence image. An excitation light cut filter that removes only at least a part of the near-infrared excitation light directed toward the first imaging element 531 may be disposed on the upstream side of the optical path of the first imaging element 531 .

[0033] Moreover, the second imaging element 532 captures a second subject image (white light) via the prism 52 under the control of the control device 9. For ease of explanation, hereinafter, a captured image generated by capturing the second subject image (white light) by the second imaging element 532 will be referred to as a normal light image. The number of pixels in the fluorescent light image and the number of pixels in the normal light image may be different or may be the same.

[0034] Under the control of the control device 9, the signal processing unit 533 performs signal processing on the captured images (analog signals) generated by the first and second imaging elements 531, 532, and outputs the captured image (digital signal). For example, the signal processing unit 533 performs signal processing such as removing reset noise from the captured images (analog signals) generated by the first and second imaging elements 531 and 532, multiplying the analog signals by an analog gain to amplify the analog signals, and A / D conversion.

[0035] The communication unit 54 functions as a transmitter that transmits the captured images sequentially output from the imaging unit 53 to the control device 9 via the first transmission cable 6. The communication unit 54 is configured, for example, with a high-speed serial interface that communicates captured images with the control device 9 via the first transmission cable 6 at a transmission rate of 1 Gbps or more.

[0036] Note that the communication unit 54 may alternately transmit the fluorescent light image and the normal light image to the control device 9, or may transmit them simultaneously. In the following, a description will be given assuming that the fluorescent light image and the normal light image are alternately transmitted to the control device 9.

[0037] [Configuration of the control device] Next, the configuration of the control device 9 will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in FIG. 2, the control device 9 includes a communication unit 91, an image memory 92, a processing module 93, a control unit 94, an input unit 95, an output unit 96, and a storage unit 97.

[0038] The communication unit 91 functions as a receiver that receives captured images sequentially transmitted from the camera head 5 (communication unit 54) via the first transmission cable 6. The communication unit 91 is configured, for example, with a high-speed serial interface that communicates captured images with the communication unit 54 at a transmission rate of 1 Gbps or more.

[0039] The image memory 92 is configured, for example, with a dynamic random access memory (DRAM) etc. This image memory 92 is capable of temporarily storing multiple frames of captured images sequentially output from the camera head 5 (communication unit 54).

[0040] The processing module 93 processes captured images sequentially transmitted from the camera head 5 (communication unit 54) and received by the communication unit 91 under the control of the control unit 94. As shown in FIG. 2, the processing module 93 includes a memory controller 931, a first image processing unit 932, a second image processing unit 933, and a display control unit 934.

[0041] The memory controller 931 controls the writing of captured images to the image memory 92 and the reading of the captured images from the image memory 92. More specifically, the memory controller 931 writes a fluorescent light image received by the communication unit 91 to the image memory 92, reads the fluorescent light image from the image memory 92 at a specific timing, and inputs it to the first image processing unit 932. The memory controller 931 also writes a normal light image received by the communication unit 91 to the image memory 92, and reads the normal light image from the image memory 92 at a specific timing, and inputs it to the second image processing unit 933.

[0042] The first image processing unit 932 executes a first image processing on the input fluorescent light image. Examples of the first image processing include optical black subtraction processing, white balance adjustment processing, demosaic processing, color correction matrix processing, gamma correction processing, YC processing that converts RGB signals into luminance color difference signals (Y, Cb / Cr signals), gain adjustment, noise removal, and filter processing that enhances structure.

[0043] The second image processing unit 933 executes a second image processing on the input normal light image. Examples of the second image processing include optical black subtraction processing, white balance adjustment processing, demosaic processing, color correction matrix processing, gamma correction processing, YC processing that converts RGB signals into luminance color difference signals (Y, Cb / Cr signals), gain adjustment, noise removal, and filter processing that enhances structure. The first and second image processing may be different from each other, or may be the same image processing.

[0044] The display control unit 934, under the control of the control unit 94, generates a video signal for displaying the fluorescent image after the first image processing has been performed by the first image processing unit 932 and the normal light image after the second image processing has been performed by the second image processing unit 933. Then, the display control unit 934 outputs the video signal to the display device 7 via the second transmission cable 8.

[0045] The control unit 94 is realized by a controller such as a CPU or an MPU (Micro Processing Unit) executing various programs stored in the storage unit 97, and controls the operations of the light source device 3, the camera head 5, and the display device 7, as well as the operation of the entire control device 9. The control unit 94 is not limited to a CPU or an MPU, and may be configured with an integrated circuit such as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) or an FPGA. As shown in FIG. 2, the control unit 94 has functions as a mode switching unit 941, a dimming control unit 942, and an imaging control unit 943.

[0046] The mode switching unit 941 switches the mode of the medical observation system 1 between a normal observation mode and a fluorescent observation mode in response to a user operation on an input unit (not shown) provided on the camera head 5 or a user operation on the input unit 95.

[0047] The normal observation mode is a mode in which, of the fluorescent image and the normal light image, only the normal light image is generated and displayed on the display device 7. In this normal observation mode, the control unit 94 turns on only the second light source 32 out of the first and second light sources 31, 32. In addition, the communication unit 54 sequentially transmits the normal light images generated by the imaging unit 53 to the communication unit 91. Furthermore, the processing module 93 performs second image processing on the normal light images received by the communication unit 91, generates a video signal for displaying the normal light image after the second image processing is performed, and outputs the video signal to the display device 7. As a result, the normal light image is displayed on the display device 7.

[0048] The fluorescence observation mode is a mode in which a fluorescence image and a normal light image are generated, and the fluorescence image and the normal light image (or a superimposed image in which the fluorescence image and the normal light image are superimposed) are displayed on the display device 7. In this fluorescence observation mode, the control unit 94 simultaneously turns on the first and second light sources 31, 32. Furthermore, the communication unit 54 alternately transmits the fluorescent image and the normal light image generated by the imaging unit 53 to the communication unit 91. Furthermore, the processing module 93 performs image processing on each of the fluorescent image and normal light image received by the communication unit 91, generates a video signal for displaying the fluorescent image and normal light image (or a superimposed image in which the fluorescent image and the normal light image are superimposed) after the image processing has been performed, and outputs the video signal to the display device 7. As a result, the fluorescent image and normal light image (or a superimposed image in which the fluorescent image and the normal light image are superimposed) are displayed on the display device 7.

[0049] The functions of the light adjustment control unit 942 and the imaging control unit 943 will be described later in "Functions of the light adjustment control unit and the imaging control unit."

[0050] The input unit 95 is configured using operation devices such as a mouse, a keyboard, and a touch panel, and receives user operations by a user such as a surgeon. Then, the input unit 95 outputs an operation signal to the control unit 94 in response to the user operation.

[0051] The output unit 96 is configured using a speaker, a printer, etc., and outputs various information.

[0052] The storage unit 97 stores the programs executed by the control unit 94, information necessary for the processing of the control unit 94, and the like.

[0053] [Functions of the light control unit and the imaging control unit] Next, the functions of the light adjustment control unit 942 and the imaging control unit 943 will be described. 3 to 5 are diagrams for explaining the functions of the dimming control unit 942 and the imaging control unit 943. Specifically, FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 are diagrams for explaining the problems of dimming control and imaging control. FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining the second process. Here, FIG. 3(a), FIG. 4(a), and FIG. 5(a) are diagrams showing imaging control of the second imaging element 532, with the vertical axis indicating the horizontal line of the second imaging element 532 (the top row indicates the uppermost horizontal line (the first horizontal line), and the bottom row indicates the lowermost horizontal line (the final line)), and the horizontal axis indicating time. The parallelogram region is the region that contributes to the generation of a normal light image in one field. FIG. 3(b), FIG. 4(b), and FIG. 5(b) are diagrams showing dimming control, with the vertical axis indicating the power value [W] supplied to the second light source 32, and the horizontal axis indicating time (the supply time of power supplied to the second light source 32). In this embodiment, since the voltage value supplied to the second light source 32 is fixed, the vertical axis in FIG. 3(b), FIG. 4(b), and FIG. 5(b) corresponds to the current value supplied to the second light source 32. FIG. 3(c), FIG. 4(c), and FIG. 5(c) are diagrams showing the imaging control of the first image sensor 531, in which the vertical axis indicates the horizontal line of the first image sensor 531 (the top row indicates the uppermost horizontal line (the first horizontal line), and the bottom row indicates the lowermost horizontal line (the final line)), and the horizontal axis indicates time. The parallelogram region is the region that contributes to the generation of a fluorescent image in one field. FIG. 3(d), FIG. 4(d), and FIG. 5(d) are diagrams showing the dimming control, in which the vertical axis indicates the power value [W] supplied to the first light source 31, and the horizontal axis indicates time (the supply time of power supplied to the first light source 31). In this embodiment, since the voltage value supplied to the first light source 31 is fixed, the vertical axis in (d) of Figure 3, (d) of Figure 4, and (d) of Figure 5 corresponds to the current value supplied to the first light source 31. The problems with light adjustment control and imaging control, and the second process for solving these problems will be described below in order.

[0054] [Issues regarding dimming control and imaging control] First, issues regarding light adjustment control and imaging control will be described with reference to FIG. 3 and FIG. The imaging control unit 943 performs imaging control by a so-called rolling shutter method, in which exposure of the first and second imaging elements 531 and 532 in one field period is started for each horizontal line, and reading is performed for each horizontal line after a predetermined period (so-called shutter speed) has elapsed since the start of exposure. In this imaging control, in the case of the NTSC method, it is considered that one field is set to 1 / 60 [s] (FIG. 3(a) and FIG. 3(c)).

[0055] Incidentally, in a fluorescence image, the fluorescence from the observation subject is very weak, and the signal level is very low. In order to increase the signal level, it is possible to perform long-term exposure in which multiple fields are treated as one pseudo-field (FIGS. 4(a) and 4(c)). In the examples of FIG. 4(a) and FIG. 4(c), two fields are treated as one pseudo-field, and the one field is set to 1 / 30 [s].

[0056] In this embodiment, when the medical observation system 1 is in the normal observation mode, the imaging control unit 943 sets one field to 1 / 60 [s] and executes imaging control of only the second imaging element 532. On the other hand, when the medical observation system 1 is in the fluorescence observation mode, the imaging control unit 943 sets one field to 1 / 30 [s] and executes long-time exposure (imaging control) of the first and second imaging elements 531, 532. That is, the imaging control unit 943 executes a first process (long-time exposure) that changes the exposure period of the first and second imaging elements 531, 532.

[0057] When the medical observation system 1 is in the normal observation mode, the light adjustment control unit 942 executes the normal light adjustment control described below. That is, the dimming control unit 942 adjusts the normal light image to a reference brightness based on the brightness (average luminance value, etc.) of a specific region (detection region) in the normal light image. More specifically, the dimming control unit 942 adjusts the value of the current supplied to the second light source 32.

[0058] Moreover, when the medical observation system 1 is in the fluorescence observation mode, the light adjustment control unit 942 executes light adjustment control to maintain the light amount ratio shown below. That is, the dimming control unit 942 executes the above-mentioned normal dimming control to adjust the brightness of the normal light image, and also refers to ratio information indicating the light amount ratio stored in the memory unit 97, and adjusts the current value supplied to the first light source 31 in accordance with the adjustment of the current value supplied to the second light source 32 so that a specific ratio is maintained between the amount of white light emitted from the second light source 32 and the amount of near-infrared excitation light emitted from the first light source 31, thereby adjusting the brightness of the fluorescent image.

[0059] However, when the above-mentioned first process (long exposure time) and the above-mentioned dimming control for maintaining the light amount ratio are used in combination, the following problem may occur. That is, when the first process (long exposure) is performed, not only the signal level in the fluorescence image but also the signal level in the normal light image increases (about twice as much in the example of FIG. 4). That is, since the brightness of the normal light image increases, when dimming control to maintain the light intensity ratio is performed, the amount of white light is reduced in order to adjust the brightness of the normal light image to a reference brightness, and the amount of near-infrared excitation light is also reduced in accordance with the reduction in the amount of white light. This results in a first problem in that the brightness of the fluorescence image is reduced.

[0060] In order to solve the first problem, the following method can be considered. 4(b), a power of N / 2 [W], which is half the power originally assumed to be supplied to the second light source 32, is supplied to the second light source 32. In this way, the normal light image does not become brighter than necessary, and even when dimming control is performed to maintain the light amount ratio, the brightness of the fluorescent image does not decrease. However, this method has the following second problem.

[0061] Since the amount of white light emitted from the second light source 32 is greatly reduced, there is a small margin of the current value for adjusting the amount of white light emitted from the second light source 32. Furthermore, in the dimming control that maintains the light amount ratio, the amount of near-infrared excitation light is adjusted according to the amount of white light, so there is also a small margin of the current value for adjusting the amount of near-infrared excitation light emitted from the first light source 31.

[0062] In this embodiment, the imaging control unit 943 executes the second process described below to solve the second problem.

[0063] [Regarding the second process] Next, the second process executed by the imaging control unit 943 will be described with reference to FIG. The second process is a process of discarding image information generated by the second imaging element 532 in response to light reception during a part of the exposure period of the second imaging element 532. In this embodiment, the second process is a process of adjusting the aperture value of the electronic shutter of the second imaging element 532. That is, in this embodiment, the image information corresponds to the charge accumulated by the second imaging element 532 for each pixel. In the example of FIG. 5, the imaging control unit 943 fixes the aperture value of the electronic shutter of the second imaging element 532 to 1 / 60 [s]. Note that in FIG. 5(a), the dotted area Ar1 is an area indicating the sweeping away of charge by the electronic shutter. Also, the hatched area Ar2 is an area indicating a valid exposure period.

[0064] According to the present embodiment described above, the following effects are achieved. In the control device 9 according to the present embodiment, the imaging control section 943 executes the first and second processes described above. Therefore, the control device 9 according to the present embodiment can solve the first and second problems described above and appropriately perform dimming control of the light source device 3.

[0065] (Other embodiments) Although the embodiments for carrying out the present disclosure have been described above, the present disclosure should not be limited to only the above-described embodiments. The configurations of the following modified examples 1 to 11 may also be adopted.

[0066] (Variation 1) Fig. 6 and Fig. 7 are diagrams for explaining the first modified example of the embodiment. Specifically, Fig. 6 is a diagram corresponding to Fig. 2. Fig. 7 is a diagram corresponding to Fig. 5. Fig. 7(d) is a diagram showing dimming control, in which the vertical axis indicates the power value [W] supplied to the third light source 33, and the horizontal axis indicates time (the supply time of power supplied to the third light source 33). In the above-described embodiment, near-infrared excitation light used in a technique called IRI (Infra-Red Imaging) which is special light observation is adopted as the first light according to the present disclosure, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and special light used in other special light observations (such as a technique called NBI (Narrow Band Imaging), a technique called AFI (Auto Fluorescence Imaging), or a technique called PDD (Photodynamic Diagnosis)) may be adopted. Furthermore, multiple special lights may be adopted as the first light according to the present disclosure.

[0067] In this modification 1, two types of light are adopted as the first light according to the present disclosure: near-infrared excitation light and special light different from the near-infrared excitation light (hereinafter, referred to as second special light). That is, in the light source device 3A according to this modification 1, as shown in Fig. 6, a third light source 33 that emits the second special light is added to the light source device 3 described in the above embodiment.

[0068] In the present modified example 1, in addition to the normal observation mode and the fluorescent observation mode, a second special light observation mode is provided as a mode of the medical observation system 1. The second special light observation mode is a mode in which a second special light image and a normal light image are generated and the second special light image and the normal light image (or a superimposed image in which the second special light image and the normal light image are superimposed) are displayed on the display device 7. The second special light image is an image captured by the second imaging element 532 when the second special light is irradiated onto an observation target and the return light of the second special light passes through the observation target.

[0069] In the second special light observation mode, the control unit 94 simultaneously turns on the second and third light sources 32 and 33. The communication unit 54 alternately transmits the second special light image and the normal light image generated by the imaging unit 53 to the communication unit 91. The processing module 93 then performs image processing on the second special light image and the normal light image received by the communication unit 91, generates a video signal for displaying the second special light image and the normal light image (or a superimposed image in which the second special light image and the normal light image are superimposed) after the image processing, and outputs the video signal to the display device 7. As a result, the second special light image and the normal light image (or a superimposed image in which the second special light image and the normal light image are superimposed) are displayed on the display device 7.

[0070] In addition, in this modification 1, when performing the second process in the second special light observation mode, the imaging control unit 943 sets the aperture value of the electronic shutter of the second imaging element 532 to a different aperture value from that in the second process in the fluorescence observation mode, as shown in (a) of Fig. 7. In the example of Fig. 7, the imaging control unit 943 sets the aperture value of the electronic shutter of the second imaging element 532 to an aperture value larger than 1 / 60 [s]. That is, in the second process, the imaging control unit 943 sets the aperture value of the electronic shutter of the second imaging element 532 to an aperture value corresponding to the first light emitted from the light source device 3 among the multiple first light beams.

[0071] According to the present modified example 1 described above, even if the first light is changed, the same effects as those of the above-described embodiment can be achieved.

[0072] (Variation 2) 8 and 9 are diagrams for explaining the modified example 2 of the embodiment. Specifically, Fig. 8 and Fig. 9 correspond to Fig. 5. In the above-described embodiment, when the medical observation system 1 is in the fluorescence observation mode, to reduce the brightness of the fluorescence image and the normal light image, dimming control and imaging control may be performed as in Modification 2 shown in FIGS. 8 and 9.

[0073] Specifically, as shown in FIG. 8, the dimming control unit 942 reduces the current value supplied to the first and second light sources 31 and 32 (reducing the light amount of the near-infrared excitation light and the white light) while performing dimming control to maintain the light amount ratio.

[0074] 9, after the current value supplied to the first and second light sources 31 and 32 drops to the drive limit value Th, the imaging control unit 943 increases the aperture value of the electronic shutter of the first imaging element 531 and the aperture value of the electronic shutter of the second imaging element 532 while maintaining a specific ratio between the effective exposure period (period shown in area Ar2) of the first imaging element 531 and the effective exposure period (period shown in area Ar2) of the second imaging element 532. In the examples of FIGS. 8 and 9, in the initial state (state before the current value reaches the drive limit value Th), the effective exposure period of the first imaging element 531 is 1 / 30 [s], and the effective exposure period of the second imaging element 532 is 1 / 60 [s]. Therefore, while maintaining the ratio of each effective exposure period, the imaging control unit 943 sequentially increases the aperture value of the electronic shutter of the first imaging element 531 and the electronic shutter of the second imaging element 532 in the following manner: effective exposure period of the first imaging element 531: 1 / 60 [s] and the effective exposure period of the second imaging element 532: 1 / 120 [s] (state of Figure 9), to effective exposure period of the first imaging element 531: 1 / 120 [s] and the effective exposure period of the second imaging element 532: 1 / 240 [s], ...

[0075] Even when the configuration of the present modified example 2 described above is adopted, the same effects as those of the above-mentioned embodiment are achieved.

[0076] (Variation 3) 10 to 12 are diagrams for explaining the third modification of the embodiment. Specifically, FIG. 10 is a diagram corresponding to FIG. 2. FIGS. 11 and 12 are diagrams for explaining the functions of the dimming control unit 942 and the imaging control unit 943 according to the third modification. Here, (a) of FIG. 11 and (a) of FIG. 12 are diagrams showing the imaging control of the first imaging element 531, in which the vertical axis indicates the horizontal line of the first imaging element 531 (the top row indicates the uppermost horizontal line (the first horizontal line), and the bottom row indicates the lowermost horizontal line (the last line)), and the horizontal axis indicates time. The parallelogram regions are regions that contribute to the generation of a normal light image and a fluorescent image in one field, respectively. In addition, in FIGS. 11 and 12, the parallelogram region that contributes to the generation of a normal light image is described as a WLI (White Light Imaging) field, and the parallelogram region that contributes to the generation of a fluorescent image is described as an IR (Infra-Red) field. 11(b) and 12(b) are diagrams showing dimming control, with the vertical axis indicating the power value [W] supplied to the second light source 32, and the horizontal axis indicating time (the supply time of power supplied to the second light source 32). In this modification 3, as in the above-mentioned embodiment, the voltage value supplied to the second light source 32 is fixed, so in FIG. 11(b) and FIG. 12(b), the vertical axis corresponds to the current value supplied to the second light source 32. FIG. 11(c) and FIG. 12(c) are diagrams showing dimming control, with the vertical axis indicating the power value [W] supplied to the first light source 31, and the horizontal axis indicating time (the supply time of power supplied to the first light source 31). In addition, in this third variant, as in the above-described embodiment, the voltage value supplied to the first light source 31 is fixed, so in (c) of Figure 11 and (c) of Figure 12, the vertical axis corresponds to the current value supplied to the first light source 31.

[0077] In the above-described embodiment, the imaging section 53 has two imaging elements, the first and second imaging elements 531 and 532, but the present invention is not limited to this and may have only one imaging element. For example, the imaging section 53B according to the present modification 3 has only one first imaging element 531 and does not have the prism 52 as shown in FIG.

[0078] In the fluorescence observation mode according to the present modified example 3, the light adjustment control unit 942 and the imaging control unit 943 execute the following processes. The imaging control unit 943 performs long-time exposure (first process) in the same manner as in the above-described embodiment. In the example of Fig. 11 and Fig. 12, the imaging control unit 943 sets one pseudo-collected field to 1 / 30 [s]. When the medical observation system 1 is in the normal observation mode, the imaging control unit 943 sets one field to 1 / 60 [s] in the same manner as in the above-described embodiment.

[0079] As shown in Fig. 11, the dimming control unit 942 alternately causes the first light source 31 and the second light source 32 to emit light for each pseudo-grouped field. Specifically, the dimming control unit 942 causes the second light source 32 to emit light for the entire all-line exposure period TE1 (Fig. 11(b)) in the WLI field of the alternately repeated WLI fields and IR fields. On the other hand, the dimming control unit 942 causes the first light source 31 to emit light for the entire all-line exposure period TE2 (Fig. 11(c)) in the IR field of the alternately repeated WLI fields and IR fields. Here, the all-line exposure periods TE1 and TE2 are periods during which all horizontal lines in the effective pixel area of ​​the first imaging element 531 are exposed simultaneously.

[0080] Moreover, the dimming control unit 942 executes normal dimming control and dimming control for maintaining the light amount ratio, similarly to the above-described embodiment.

[0081] Here, when the dimming control unit 942 and the imaging control unit 943 perform the above-mentioned dimming control and imaging control (FIG. 11), the first and second problems described in the above-mentioned embodiment may occur.

[0082] Therefore, in this third modification, the imaging control unit 943 also executes the second process as shown in (a) of Fig. 12. Specifically, the imaging control unit 943 fixes the aperture value of the electronic shutter of the first imaging element 531 to a predetermined value in the WLI field. Note that in (a) of Fig. 12, the dotted area Ar1 is an area showing the sweeping away of electric charges by the electronic shutter. Also, the hatched area Ar2 is an area showing the effective exposure period.

[0083] Furthermore, in the WLI field, as a result of narrowing down the exposure period TE1 by the electronic shutter, the exposure period TE1 becomes shorter as shown in (b) of Fig. 12. Then, the dimming control unit 942 causes the second light source 32 to emit light throughout the entire shortened exposure period TE1.

[0084] Even when the configuration of the present modified example 3 described above is adopted, the same effects as those of the above-mentioned embodiment are achieved.

[0085] (Variation 4) 13 and 14 are diagrams for explaining the fourth modified example of the embodiment. Specifically, Fig. 13 and Fig. 14 correspond to Fig. 11 and Fig. 12. In the above-mentioned third variant, when the medical observation system 1 is in the fluorescence observation mode, the dimming control unit 942 causes the first light source 31 to emit light throughout the entire line exposure period TE2 in the IR field among the alternating WLI fields and IR fields, but this is not limited to this.

[0086] As shown in Figures 13 and 14, the dimming control unit 942 of this variant example 4 causes the first light source 31 to emit light for a period that includes a full line exposure period TE2 in the IR field among the alternating WLI fields and IR fields, at least a portion of the readout period TRB, and at least a portion of the readout period TRA.

[0087] Here, the readout period TRB is a readout period for reading out charges accumulated in multiple pixels of the first imaging element 531, adjacent to the all-line exposure period TE2, and a readout period chronologically preceding the all-line exposure period TE2. The readout period TRA is a readout period for reading out charges accumulated in multiple pixels of the first imaging element 531, adjacent to the all-line exposure period TE2, and a readout period chronologically following the all-line exposure period TE2.

[0088] In addition, in the above-mentioned third modification, when the medical observation system 1 is in the fluorescence observation mode, the imaging control unit 943 fixes the aperture value of the electronic shutter of the first imaging element 531 in the WLI field to a predetermined value, but this is not limited to this.

[0089] As shown in Fig. 14, the imaging control unit 943 according to the fourth modification fixes the aperture value of the electronic shutter of the first imaging element 531 to a predetermined value in the IR field. In Fig. 14(a), the dotted area Ar1' indicates the area where the electric charge is swept away by the electronic shutter. Also, the shaded area Ar2' indicates the effective exposure period.

[0090] Even when the configuration of the present modified example 4 described above is adopted, the same effects as those of the above-mentioned embodiment and modified example 3 are achieved.

[0091] (Variation 5) 15 is a diagram for explaining the fifth modified example of the embodiment. Specifically, FIG. 15 corresponds to FIG. In the above-described fourth modification, when the medical observation system 1 is in the fluorescence observation mode, the dimming control unit 942 may keep the first light source 31 on at all times, as in the present fifth modification shown in FIG.

[0092] Even when the configuration of the present modified example 5 described above is adopted, the same effects as those of the embodiment and modified examples 3 and 4 described above are achieved.

[0093] (Variation 6) In the above-described embodiment, the first and second image pickup elements 531 and 532 are configured by CMOS, but this is not limiting, and they may be configured by CCD (Charge Coupled Device). Even when the configuration of the above-described sixth modification is adopted, the same effects as those of the above-described embodiment are achieved.

[0094] (Variation 7) In the embodiment described above, the process of adjusting the aperture value of the electronic shutter of the second image sensor 532 is adopted as the second process according to the present disclosure, but the present invention is not limited to this. When the medical observation system 1 is in the fluorescence observation mode, the imaging control unit 943 according to the seventh modification performs long-time exposure only on the first imaging element 531, and sets one field to 1 / 60 [s] for the second imaging element 532, as in the normal observation mode. The imaging control unit 943 may be configured to control the operation of the communication unit 54 so as not to transmit one field of normal light images generated by the second imaging element 532 to the communication unit 91 once every two fields. The one field of normal light image that is not transmitted corresponds to image information according to the present disclosure.

[0095] Even when the configuration of the seventh modification described above is adopted, the same effects as those of the above-described embodiment are achieved.

[0096] (Variation 8) In the above-described embodiment, the read timing (hereinafter referred to as the first read timing) for reading out the charges accumulated in the multiple pixels of the first imaging element 531 and the read timing (hereinafter referred to as the second read timing) for reading out the charges accumulated in the multiple pixels of the second imaging element 532 are shifted, but this is not limited thereto. A configuration in which the first and second read timings are simultaneous may be adopted. Even when the configuration of the above-described eighth modified example is adopted, the same effects as those of the above-described embodiment are achieved.

[0097] (Variation 9) In the above embodiment, the NTSC system is exemplified and 1 / 60 [s] is used as the standard, but this is not limiting. In the case of the PAL system, 1 / 50 [s] or a high-speed imaging operation (for example, 1 / 240 [s]) may be used as the standard. Even when the configuration of the above-described modified example 9 is adopted, the same effects as those of the above-described embodiment are achieved.

[0098] (Variation 10) The medical observation system according to the present modification 10 is a medical observation system using a so-called videoscope (flexible endoscope) having an imaging unit at the tip side of an insertion part. For convenience of explanation, the medical observation system 1 according to the present modification 10 will be referred to as a medical observation system 1C below.

[0099] FIG. 16 is a diagram illustrating a tenth modification of the embodiment. As shown in FIG. 16, the medical observation system 1C includes an endoscope 100C that captures in-vivo images of an observation site by inserting an insertion portion 2C into a living body and outputs the captured images, a light source device 3 that generates illumination light to be emitted from the tip of the endoscope 100C, a control device 9 that processes the captured images output from the endoscope 100C, and a display device 7 that is connected to the control device 9 via a second transmission cable 8 and displays an image based on a video signal processed by the control device 9.

[0100] As shown in FIG. 16, the endoscope 100C includes an insertion portion 2C having a flexible, elongated shape, an operation unit 101 connected to the base end side of the insertion portion 2C and accepting various operations, and a universal cord 102 extending from the operation unit 101 in a direction different from the direction in which the insertion portion 2C extends and incorporating various cables connected to a light source device 3 and a control device 9. As shown in FIG. 16, the insertion section 2C includes a tip portion 22, a freely bendable bending section 23 connected to the base end side of the tip portion 22 and composed of a plurality of bending pieces, and a long, flexible tube section 24 connected to the base end side of the bending section 23 and having flexibility.

[0101] Although not specifically shown in the drawings, the tip portion 22 has a built-in configuration substantially similar to that of the camera head 5 described in the above embodiment. An image captured by the tip portion 22 (imaging unit) is output to the control device 9 via the operation unit 101 and the universal cord 102.

[0102] Even when the configuration of the present modified example 10 described above is adopted, the same effects as those of the above-mentioned embodiment are achieved.

[0103] (Variation 11) The medical observation system according to the present modification 11 is a medical observation system using a surgical microscope that enlarges and captures a predetermined field of view of the inside of a subject (inside a living body) or the surface of a subject (surface of a living body). For convenience of explanation, the medical observation system 1 according to the present modification 11 will be referred to as a medical observation system 1D below.

[0104] FIG. 17 is a diagram illustrating an eleventh modification of the embodiment. As shown in FIG. 17, the medical observation system 1D includes a surgical microscope 12 that captures images for observing a subject and outputs the captured images, a control device 9 that processes the captured images output from the surgical microscope 12, and a display device 7 that is connected to the control device 9 via a second transmission cable 8 and displays an image based on a video signal processed by the control device 9.

[0105] As shown in FIG. 17, the surgical microscope 12 comprises a microscope unit 121 that captures an image of a magnified portion of a subject and outputs the captured image, a support unit 122 that is connected to the base end of the microscope unit 121 and includes an arm that rotatably supports the microscope unit 121, and a base unit 123 that rotatably holds the base end of the support unit 122 and is movable across the floor. The control device 9 is mounted on a base unit 123 as shown in Fig. 17. Although not specifically shown in the drawings, the base unit 123 also has a light source device 3 mounted thereon, which generates illumination light to be irradiated from the surgical microscope 12 to the subject. The base portion 123 may be configured to support the support portion 122 by being fixed to a ceiling or a wall surface, rather than being provided so as to be movable on the floor surface.

[0106] Although not specifically shown in the drawings, the microscope unit 121 has a built-in configuration substantially similar to that of the camera head 5 described in the above embodiment. An image captured by the microscope unit 121 (imaging unit) is output to the control device 9 via a first transmission cable 6 wired along the support unit 122.

[0107] Even when the configuration of the present modified example 11 described above is adopted, the same effects as those of the above-mentioned embodiment are achieved.

[0108] Note that the following configurations also fall within the technical scope of the present disclosure. (1) A dimming control unit controls the operation of a light source device that emits a first light and a second light in a wavelength band different from the first light, and adjusts the amount of the first light and the amount of the second light, respectively. The imaging control unit controls the operation of an imaging device having at least one imaging element, in which the first light is irradiated onto an observation object, a return light of the first light passing through the observation object is captured to generate a first captured image, and the second light is irradiated onto the observation object, a return light of the second light passing through the observation object is captured to generate a second captured image. The imaging control unit executes a first process to change an exposure period of the imaging element, and a second process to discard image information generated by the imaging element in response to light received during a portion of the exposure period. (2) The medical control device described in (1), wherein the dimming control unit adjusts the amount of light of the first light and the amount of light of the second light, respectively, while maintaining a state in which the ratio between the amount of light of the first light and the amount of light of the second light is a specific ratio. (3) The medical control device according to (1) or (2), wherein the second process is a process of adjusting an aperture value of an electronic shutter of the imaging element. (4) The medical control device according to (1) or (2), wherein the second processing is executed when the first captured image and the second captured image are transmitted from the imaging device to the medical control device. (5) The medical control device according to any one of (1) to (4), wherein the first processing is a long-time exposure in which a plurality of fields are treated as one pseudo field. (6) The medical control device according to any one of (1) to (3) and (5), wherein the imaging element includes a first imaging element that generates the first captured image and a second imaging element that generates the second captured image, and the second process is a process of adjusting an aperture value of an electronic shutter of the first imaging element and an aperture value of an electronic shutter of the second imaging element, and when lowering brightness of the first captured image and the second captured image, the light adjustment control unit reduces the amount of light of the first light and the amount of light of the second light while maintaining a state in which a ratio between an amount of light of the first light and an amount of light of the second light is a specific ratio, and after the amount of light of the first light and the amount of light of the second light is reduced to a drive limit value, the imaging control unit increases the aperture value of the electronic shutter of the first imaging element and the aperture value of the electronic shutter of the second imaging element while maintaining a state in which a ratio between an effective exposure period of the first imaging element and an effective exposure period of the second imaging element is a specific ratio. (7) The medical control device according to any one of (1) to (6), wherein the first light is excitation light for generating fluorescence from the object of observation, and the second light is white light. (8) A medical control device as described in any one of (1) to (3) and (5) to (7), wherein the light source device emits a plurality of the first light beams each having a wavelength band different from one another, the second process is a process of adjusting an aperture value of an electronic shutter of the imaging element, and the imaging control unit, in the second process, sets the aperture value of the electronic shutter of the imaging element to an aperture value corresponding to the first light beam emitted from the light source device among the plurality of first light beams. (9) A medical observation system comprising: a light source device which emits a first light and a second light having a wavelength band different from that of the first light; an imaging device having at least one imaging element, the first light being irradiated onto an observation object, capturing an image of the return light of the first light passing through the observation object to generate a first captured image, and the second light being irradiated onto the observation object, capturing an image of the return light of the second light passing through the observation object to generate a second captured image; and a control device which controls operation of the light source device and the imaging device, the control device comprising a light adjustment control unit which controls the operation of the light source device and adjusts the amount of the first light and the amount of the second light, respectively, and an imaging control unit which controls the operation of the imaging device, the imaging control unit executing a first process of changing an exposure period of the imaging element, and a second process of discarding image information generated by the imaging element in response to light reception during a portion of the exposure period. [Explanation of symbols]

[0109] 1,1C,1D Medical Observation System 2,2C Insertion section 3,3A light source device 4 Light Guide 5 Camera Head 6 First Transmission Cable 7 Display device 8 Second Transmission Cable 9. Control Device 10. Third Transmission Cable 12 Surgical microscope 21 Eyepiece 22 Tip 23 Curved section 24 Flexible tube section 31 First Light Source 32 Second Light Source 33 The Third Light Source 51 Lens unit 52 Prism 53,53B Imaging section 54 Communications Department 91 Communications Department 92 Image Memory 93 Processing Module 94 Control Unit 95 Input section 96 Output section 97 Memory section 100C Endoscope 101 Operation section 102 Universal Code 121 Microscope Section 122 Support part 123 Base 531 First imaging element 532 Second imaging element 533 Signal Processing Unit 931 Memory Controller 932 First image processing unit 933 Second Image Processing Section 934 Display control section 941 Mode switching unit 942 Dimming control unit 943 Imaging control unit Ar1,Ar2 area CN1,CN2 connector TRA, TRB read period TE1,TE2 All line exposure period Th Drive limit value

Claims

1. A dimming control unit controls the operation of a light source device that emits a first light and a second light in a different wavelength band from the first light, and adjusts the light intensity of the first light and the light intensity of the second light, respectively. The imaging device comprises at least one image sensor, an imaging control unit that controls the operation of an imaging device which generates a first image by irradiating an object to be observed with a first light and capturing the reflected light of the first light through the object, and generates a second image by irradiating an object to be observed with a second light and capturing the reflected light of the second light through the object, The imaging control unit, A first process for changing the exposure period of the image sensor, A medical control device that performs a second process of discarding image information generated by the image sensor in response to light reception during a portion of the exposure period.

2. The dimming control unit, A medical control device according to claim 1, which adjusts the light intensity of the first light and the light intensity of the second light, respectively, while maintaining a state in which the ratio of the light intensity of the first light and the light intensity of the second light is a specific ratio.

3. The second process described above is: The medical control device according to claim 1, which is a process for adjusting the aperture amount of the electronic shutter of the image sensor.

4. The second process described above is: The medical control device according to claim 1, which is performed when transmitting the first captured image and the second captured image from the imaging device to the medical control device.

5. The first process is, A medical control device according to claim 1, which involves long exposure to make multiple fields appear as a single field.

6. The aforementioned imaging sensor is A first image sensor that generates the first captured image, The system comprises a second image sensor that generates the second captured image, The second process described above is: This process adjusts the aperture amount of the electronic shutter of the first image sensor and the aperture amount of the electronic shutter of the second image sensor. When reducing the brightness of the first captured image and the second captured image, The dimming control unit, While maintaining a state in which the ratio of the light intensity of the first light to the light intensity of the second light is a specific ratio, the light intensity of the first light and the light intensity of the second light are reduced. The imaging control unit, A medical control device according to claim 1, wherein, after the light intensity of the first light and the light intensity of the second light have decreased to a drive limit value, the aperture amount of the electronic shutter of the first image sensor and the aperture amount of the electronic shutter of the second image sensor are increased while maintaining a state in which the ratio of the effective exposure period of the first image sensor and the effective exposure period of the second image sensor is a specific ratio.

7. The first light is, This is excitation light for generating fluorescence from the aforementioned object of observation. The second light mentioned above is The medical control device according to claim 1, wherein the light is white.

8. The aforementioned light source device is Multiple first light sources with different wavelength bands are emitted from each other, The second process described above is: This process adjusts the aperture amount of the electronic shutter of the image sensor. The imaging control unit, The medical control device according to claim 1, wherein in the second process, the aperture amount of the electronic shutter of the image sensor is set to an aperture amount corresponding to the first light emitted from the light source device among the plurality of first lights.

9. The image information is The medical control device according to claim 1, which corresponds to the charge accumulated for each pixel of the image sensor.

10. A light source device that emits a first light and a second light having a different wavelength band from the first light, An imaging device having at least one image sensor, wherein the first light is irradiated onto the object to be observed, and the reflected light of the first light through the object to be observed is captured to generate a first image, and the second light is irradiated onto the object to be observed, and the reflected light of the second light through the object to be captured to generate a second image, The system includes a control device that controls the operation of the light source device and the imaging device, The control device is A dimming control unit controls the operation of the light source device and adjusts the light intensity of the first light and the light intensity of the second light, respectively. The system includes an imaging control unit that controls the operation of the imaging device, The imaging control unit, A first process for changing the exposure period of the image sensor, A medical observation system that performs a second process of discarding image information generated by the image sensor in response to light reception during a portion of the aforementioned exposure period.

Images