Endoscope System

Abstract

To provide an endoscope system which can highly accurately determine the seriousness or progress of a disease in an endoscopic examination.SOLUTION: An image signal acquisition unit 54 acquires a normal image signal by normal light and a special image signal by special light. A symptom score calculation unit 71 calculates a symptom score expressing the symptom of an observation object on the basis of each of the normal image signal and the special image signal. A symptom comparison unit 73 compares each symptom score by the instruction of a comparison object selection unit 72. A display processing unit 74 generates a high score display image by the special image when the symptom score by the special image is higher than the symptom score by the normal image. A display control unit 62 controls the display of the high score display image.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 11

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an endoscope system. [Background technology]

[0002] In the medical field, endoscope systems that capture images of objects in vivo are widely used. The endoscope system includes an endoscope that is inserted into the body, captures images of the object, and outputs image signals, and an endoscope processor (hereinafter, referred to as the processor) that generates an observation image of the object based on the image signal and outputs the image to a monitor.

[0003] In diagnosis using observation images, the severity or progression (stage or disease stage, etc.) of a disease may be determined. The severity of a disease is an index showing the extent of the disease, and the progression of a disease is an index showing the progression of the disease. Standards for these indexes are set for each disease or each viewpoint, etc.

[0004] An example of the severity of a disease related to diagnosis using an observation image is the Mayo Score, which is one of the endoscopic indices for ulcerative colitis. In the Mayo Score, the disease is judged as mild (grade 0 or 1), moderate (grade 2), or severe (grade 3) based on the presence or absence and the degree of disease characteristics, etc., according to the findings of the affected part of the large intestine using an endoscope. In addition, an example of the progression of a disease related to diagnosis using an observation image is the stage of gastric cancer. The stage of gastric cancer is classified into stages I to IV by comprehensively judging the depth of the tumor and the state of metastasis through observation of the lesion and biopsy, etc. The severity or progression of a disease is an important factor in determining a treatment plan, etc. In particular, for ulcerative colitis, etc., which is mainly treated by internal medicine according to the severity, accurate diagnosis at an early stage of onset is important, so it is beneficial to determine the severity with high accuracy by endoscopic examination.

[0005] Some endoscope systems have a normal mode in which an observation site in a living body is irradiated with normal white light to observe the overall characteristics of the surface of living tissue, and a special mode in which the observation site is irradiated with special light to perform observation. In the special mode, by irradiating the affected area with special light, for example, light of a narrow band with a limited wavelength, it is possible to capture disease characteristics such as unique blood vessel shapes or mucosal irregularities that cannot be seen with normal white light.

[0006] Therefore, depending on the case, this special mode allows detailed observation of the condition of the affected area or the characteristics of the disease that are the basis for judging the severity or progression of the disease. Therefore, the special mode can provide a more accurate judgment result of the severity or progression than the normal mode in which observation is performed under normal light. Here, high accuracy specifically means that the actual severity or progression of the affected area coincides with the severity or progression judged by endoscopic examination at a high rate.

[0007] As an example of using the special mode, an image processing device that uses a normal mode and a special mode to obtain a fluorescent image with less blur to analyze the progress of a disease is disclosed (Patent Document 1). Also, an endoscope system is disclosed that performs more accurate and detailed diagnosis by displaying information based on a disease condition score related to oxygen saturation on a display unit in the special mode (Patent Document 2). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0008] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. 2017 / 175452 [Patent Document 2] JP 2015-085152 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0009] In endoscopic examinations, the normal mode, which allows images to be viewed in natural colors, is usually used, and the special mode described above is often used for areas where the doctor wants to observe with special attention. However, in this case, the special mode is not switched to unless the doctor intends it. Therefore, even if the observation area is one where disease characteristics can be captured when observed in the special mode, the disease characteristics cannot be captured when observed in the normal mode, and a problem occurs in which the accuracy of determining the severity or progression of the area is low when the diagnosis is made only in the normal mode.

[0010] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an endoscope system that can determine the severity or progression of a disease with high accuracy in an endoscopic examination. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] The endoscope system of the present invention includes a light source unit that emits first illumination light and second illumination light having different emission spectra, an image signal acquisition unit that images an object of observation illuminated with the first illumination light to acquire a first image signal, and an image of the object of observation illuminated with the second illumination light to acquire a second image signal, a feature calculation unit that calculates a first feature based on the first image signal and calculates a second feature based on the second image signal, a disease condition score calculation unit that calculates a first disease condition score representing a disease condition of the object of observation based on the first image signal and calculates a second disease condition score representing a disease condition of the object of observation based on the second image signal, and a disease condition ratio calculation unit that compares the first feature amount with the second feature amount or compares the first disease condition score with the second disease condition score. the display control unit controls the monitor to display a first image based on the first image signal when the first image signal is displayed on the monitor, and when the high score display image is generated, controls the monitor to switch from the first image to display the high score display image, or controls the monitor to display both the first image and the high score display image, and a comparison target selection unit specifies whether the first feature amount and the second feature amount, or the first disease condition score and the second disease condition score, are to be used as targets for comparison by the disease condition comparison unit. The endoscope system of the present invention includes a light source unit that emits first illumination light and second illumination light having different emission spectra, an image signal acquisition unit that images an object being observed illuminated with the first illumination light to acquire a first image signal, and an image signal acquisition unit that images an object being observed illuminated with the second illumination light to acquire a second image signal, a feature amount calculation unit that calculates a first feature amount based on the first image signal and a second feature amount based on the second image signal, and Based on the calculated first feature A first disease state score representing a disease state of the observation subject is calculated based on the second image signal. The calculated second featurea disease condition score calculation unit that calculates a second disease condition score representing a disease condition of an observation target; a disease condition comparison unit that compares the first characteristic amount with the second characteristic amount or compares the first disease condition score with the second disease condition score; and a disease condition comparison unit that displays a high score display image using a second image signal when the second characteristic amount is greater than the first characteristic amount or when the second disease condition score is greater than the first disease condition score. Generate A display processing unit and a display control unit that controls to display a first image based on one image signal on the monitor and to hide a second image based on a second image signal on the monitor, and when a high score display image is generated, controls to switch from the first image to display the high score display image on the monitor, or controls to display both the first image and the high score display image on the monitor; Equipped with The high score display image is a second image based on the second image signal, a first emphasized image generated by processing the first image signal with the second image signal, or a second emphasized image generated by processing the second image signal with the second image signal. do.

[0012] It is preferable that the first illumination light is white light and the second illumination light is special light.

[0013] It is preferable that the disease condition comparison unit includes a comparison object selection unit that specifies whether to use the first feature amount and the second feature amount, or the first disease condition score and the second disease condition score, as the objects to be compared.

[0014] Preferably, the first and second disease condition scores comprise a measure of disease severity or disease progression.

[0015] The first feature amount and the second feature amount preferably include a value based on a blood vessel, a gland duct, or a mucosa.

[0019] It is preferable that the display control unit notifies the user of the presence of the high score display image before displaying the high score display image.

[0020] The notification is preferably an indication of a warning.

[0021] It is preferable that the device has a notification unit that generates sound, light or vibration, and the notification is the generation of sound, light or vibration by the notification unit.

[0022] It is preferable that the game device further includes an instruction unit that receives an instruction to display the high score display image, and that after receiving the notification, the display control unit displays the high score display image in accordance with the instruction from the instruction unit.

[0027] The display control unit When controlling to display both the first image and the high score display image on the monitor,It is preferable that the first image based on the first image signal is displayed in a larger display area than the high score display image.

[0028] The display control unit When controlling to display both the first image and the high score display image on the monitor, It is preferable that the first image based on the first image signal is displayed in a display area smaller than that of the high score display image.

[0029] the display control unit controls to display a second image based on the second image signal on the monitor. When a high score display image is generated, It is preferable to control the display device so that the second image based on the second signal is continuously displayed. Effect of the Invention

[0030] The endoscope system of the present invention can accurately determine the severity or progression of a disease in an endoscopic examination. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0031] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is an external view of an endoscope system. [Diagram 2] 2 is a block diagram showing the functions of the endoscope system. FIG. [Diagram 3] 1 is a graph showing the spectrum of normal light. [Figure 4] 1 is a graph showing the spectrum of normal light. [Diagram 5] 1 is a graph showing the spectrum of special light. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the functions of an image processing unit. [Figure 7] 4 is a block diagram showing functions of a determination mode processing unit; FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing functions of a feature amount calculation unit. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the functions of a disease condition score calculation unit. [Figure 10] 3 is a block diagram showing functions of a display processing unit. FIG. [Figure 11] FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing the relationship between an image, a feature amount, and a disease condition score. [Figure 12] FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing the relationship between an image, a feature amount, and a disease condition score. [Figure 13] FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing the relationship between an acquired image and a display image. [Figure 14] FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing the relationship between an acquired image and a display image. [Figure 15] FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing the relationship between an acquired image and a display image. [Figure 16] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of an image displayed on a monitor. [Figure 17] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of an image displayed on a monitor. [Figure 18] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of an image displayed on a monitor. [Figure 19] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of an image displayed on a monitor. [Figure 20] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of an image displayed on a monitor. [Figure 21] FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing a process flow in a determination mode. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0032] As shown in FIG. 1, the endoscope system 10 includes an endoscope 12, a light source device 14, a processor device 16, a monitor 18, and a user interface 19. The endoscope 12 irradiates an observation target in a living body with illumination light, captures the observation target illuminated with the illumination light, and outputs an image signal. The light source device 14 supplies the endoscope 12 with illumination light to be irradiated onto the observation target. The processor device 16 generates an observation image of the observation target based on the image signal, and performs system control and image processing of the endoscope system 10. The monitor 18 is a display unit that displays the image output from the processor device 16. The user interface 19 is an input device for inputting settings to the processor device 16, etc., and is composed of a keyboard KB, a mouse MS, etc. The processor device 16 is electrically connected to the monitor 18 and the user interface 19.

[0033] The endoscope 12 has an insertion section 12a to be inserted into the subject, an operation section 12b provided at the base end of the insertion section 12a, a bending section 12c provided on the tip side of the insertion section 12a, and a tip section 12d. The bending section 12c is bent by operating an angle knob 13a of the operation section 12b. The bending section 12c is bent so that the tip section 12d faces a desired direction. The tip section 12d is provided with an injection port (not shown) for injecting air, water, etc. toward the observation target.

[0034] In addition to the angle knob 13a, the operation unit 12b is provided with a mode switching unit 13b used to switch between observation modes, a display instruction unit 13c which is an instruction unit that accepts instructions for the image to be displayed on the monitor 18, a scope switch 13e for performing various other selections, instructions, etc., and a zoom operation unit 13d.

[0035] By pressing the mode switching unit 13b, the normal mode, special mode, and judgment mode of the endoscope system 10 are switched in order. When the observation mode is the normal mode, normal light obtained by combining multiple colors of light at a light intensity ratio Lc for the normal mode is emitted, and a normal image obtained by imaging an observation target illuminated with this normal light is displayed on the monitor 18. When the observation mode is the special mode, special light obtained by combining multiple colors of light at a light intensity ratio Ls for the special mode is emitted, and a special image obtained by imaging an observation target illuminated with this special light is displayed on the monitor 18. Since the light intensity ratio Lc and the light intensity ratio Ls are different, the normal light and the special light have different emission spectra. The image displayed on the monitor 18 can be set appropriately.

[0036] Moreover, when the observation mode is the judgment mode, normal light and special light are alternately emitted. Then, a normal image is obtained by capturing an image of the observation target illuminated with normal light, and a special image is obtained by capturing an image of the observation target illuminated with special light. In the judgment mode, the normal image is displayed on the monitor 18 first. Furthermore, the endoscope system 10 controls the image displayed on the monitor 18 according to the respective feature amounts or disease state scores calculated based on the normal image and the special image. The feature amounts are numerical values ​​or classifications that enable comparison of predetermined image features of the image signal. The disease state score is an index indicating the disease state of the observation target, and includes the severity or progression of the disease.

[0037] By operating the display instruction unit 13c, it is possible to give instructions such as switching the image displayed on the monitor 18. By operating the zoom operation unit 13d, it is possible to enlarge or reduce the observation target and capture an image. In addition, a forceps channel (not shown) for inserting a treatment tool or the like is provided from the insertion section 12a to the tip section 12d. The treatment tool is inserted into the forceps channel from the forceps inlet 12e. The endoscope 12 is optically connected to the light source device 14 and electrically connected to the processor device 16.

[0038] 2, the light source device 14 includes a light source section 20 that emits illumination light used to illuminate an object to be observed, and a light source control section 22 that controls the light source section 20. The light source section 20 is a semiconductor light source of LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes) of multiple colors. The light source control section 22 controls the amount of illumination light by turning the LEDs on and off and adjusting the driving current and driving voltage of the LEDs.

[0039] The light source unit 20 has four color LEDs, a V-LED (Violet Light Emitting Diode) 20a, a B-LED (Blue Light Emitting Diode) 20b, a G-LED (Green Light Emitting Diode) 20c, and an R-LED (Red Light Emitting Diode) 20d, and a wavelength cut filter 23.

[0040] As shown in FIG. 3, the V-LED 20a emits violet light V in a wavelength band of 380 nm to 420 nm. The B-LED 20b emits blue light B in a wavelength band of 420 nm to 500 nm. At least the wavelength longer than the peak wavelength of 450 nm of the blue light B emitted from the B-LED 23b is cut by the wavelength cut filter 23. As a result, the blue light Bx after passing through the wavelength cut filter 23 has a wavelength range of 420 to 460 nm. The reason why the light in the wavelength range longer than 460 nm is cut in this way is because the light in the wavelength range longer than 460 nm reduces the vascular contrast of the blood vessels to be observed. Note that the wavelength cut filter 23 may attenuate the light in the wavelength range longer than 460 nm instead of cutting the light in the wavelength range longer than 460 nm.

[0041] The G-LED 20c emits green light G with a wavelength band of 480 nm to 600 nm. The R-LED 20d emits red light R with a wavelength band of 600 nm to 650 nm. The light emitted from each of the LEDs 20a to 20d may have the same center wavelength and peak wavelength, or may have different center wavelengths and peak wavelengths.

[0042] The light source control unit 22 adjusts the timing of emitting the illumination light, the duration of emitting light, the amount of light, and the spectrum by independently controlling the on / off and the amount of light emitted when emitting light of each of the LEDs 20a to 20d. The control of on / off in the light source control unit 22 differs for each observation mode. The reference brightness can be set by the user interface 19, etc.

[0043] In the normal mode, the light source control unit 22 turns on all of the V-LED 20a, the B-LED 20b, the G-LED 20c, and the R-LED 20d. At this time, as shown in FIG. 4, the light amount ratio Lc between the purple light V, the blue light Bx, the green light G, and the red light R is set so that the peak of the light intensity of the blue light Bx is greater than the peak of the light intensity of any of the purple light V, the green light G, and the red light R. As a result, in the normal mode, the light source device 14 emits multi-color light for the normal mode, including the purple light V, the blue light Bx, the green light G, and the red light R, as normal light. The normal light has a certain level of intensity from the blue band to the red band, and is therefore almost white light. Note that the white light includes not only broadband light including all of the wavelength bands of the blue component, the green component, and the red component, such as the white light emitted by a xenon lamp, but also illumination light that is a mixture of light of at least three wavelength bands of the blue component, the green component, and the red component.

[0044] In the special mode, the light source control unit 22 turns on all of the V-LED 20a, the B-LED 20b, the G-LED 20c, and the R-LED 20d. At this time, as shown in FIG. 5, the light amount ratio Ls between the purple light V, the blue light Bx, the green light G, and the red light R is set so that the peak of the light intensity of the purple light V is greater than the peak of the light intensity of any of the blue light Bx, the green light G, and the red light R. As a result, in the special mode, the light source device 14 emits multi-color light for the special mode including the purple light V, the blue light Bx, the green light G, and the red light R as the special light. The special light is bluish light because the proportion of the purple light V is large. Note that the special light does not need to include all four colors of light, and may include light from at least one of the four colors of the LEDs 20a to 20d. The light intensity is the density of the light flux within a unit solid angle, and the amount of light is a value obtained by evaluating the radiant energy of light based on human sensation (visibility).

[0045] In the determination mode, the light source control unit 22 controls the V-LED 20a, the B-LED 20b, the G-LED 20c, and the R-LED 20d so that the normal light and the special light are alternately emitted for each frame. That is, the light source control unit 22 turns on all of the V-LED 20a, the B-LED 20b, the G-LED 20c, and the R-LED 20d, and controls the light amount ratio Lc and the light amount ratio Ls between the purple light V, the blue light Bx, the green light G, and the red light R to be alternately switched for each frame. The number of frames per second (number of still images) is, for example, 60 fps (Frames per second). Therefore, in the determination mode, the light source control unit 22 controls so that the normal light and the special light are switched every 1 / 60 seconds. As described above, the light source unit 20 emits the normal light (white light (first illumination light)) and the special light (second illumination light) having different emission spectra.

[0046] As shown in Fig. 2, the illumination light emitted by the light source unit 20 enters a light guide 41. The light guide 41 is built in the endoscope 12 and a universal cord (not shown), and propagates the illumination light to the tip 12d of the endoscope 12. The universal cord is a cord that connects the endoscope 12 to the light source device 14 and the processor device 16. Note that a multimode fiber can be used as the light guide 41. As an example, a thin-diameter fiber cable with a core diameter of 105 µm, a cladding diameter of 125 µm, and a diameter of φ0.3 to 0.5 mm including a protective layer serving as an outer cover can be used.

[0047] An illumination optical system 30a and an imaging optical system 30b are provided at the tip 12d of the endoscope 12. The illumination optical system 30a has an illumination lens 45, and illumination light is emitted toward the observation object through this illumination lens 45. The imaging optical system 30b has an objective lens 46, a zoom lens 47, and an image sensor 48. The image sensor 48 captures an image of the observation object using reflected light of the illumination light returning from the observation object through the objective lens 46 and the zoom lens 47 (including reflected light, scattered light, fluorescence emitted by the observation object, or fluorescence caused by a drug administered to the observation object, etc.).

[0048] The zoom lens 47 is moved by operating the zoom operation unit 13d, and the object to be observed, the image of which is captured by the image sensor 48, is enlarged or reduced.

[0049] The image sensor 48 is, for example, a color sensor having a primary color filter, and includes three types of pixels: a B pixel (blue pixel) having a blue color filter, a G pixel (green pixel) having a green color filter, and an R pixel (red pixel) having a red color filter. The blue color filter transmits mainly purple to blue light. The green color filter transmits mainly green light. The red color filter transmits mainly red light. When an object to be observed is captured using the primary color image sensor 48 as described above, a maximum of three types of images can be simultaneously obtained: a B image (blue image) obtained from the B pixel, a G image (green image) obtained from the G pixel, and an R image (red image) obtained from the R pixel.

[0050] As the image sensor 48, a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) sensor or a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) sensor can be used. Although the image sensor 48 of this embodiment is a primary color sensor, a complementary color sensor can also be used. The complementary color sensor has, for example, a cyan pixel provided with a cyan color filter, a magenta pixel provided with a magenta color filter, a yellow pixel provided with a yellow color filter, and a green pixel provided with a green color filter. When a complementary color sensor is used, the images obtained from the pixels of each color can be converted into B images, G images, and R images by performing complementary color-primary color conversion. Instead of a color sensor, a monochrome sensor without a color filter can be used as the image sensor 48. In this case, the image of each color can be obtained by sequentially capturing an image of the observation target using illumination light of each color such as BGR.

[0051] The processor device 16 has a central control unit 52, an image signal acquisition unit 54, an image processing unit 61, and a display control unit 62. The central control unit 52 performs overall control of the endoscope system 10, such as controlling the synchronization of the illumination light irradiation timing and the imaging timing by controlling the light source control unit 22 and the image sensor 48. In the normal mode, normal light is emitted as the illumination light, and a normal image signal is input to the image signal acquisition unit 54. In the special mode, special light is emitted as the illumination light, and a special image signal is input to the image signal acquisition unit 54. In the determination mode, switching is performed every frame between inputting a normal image signal that captures an image of an observation target illuminated with normal light as the illumination light to the image signal acquisition unit 54, and inputting an image of an observation target illuminated with special light as the illumination light to the image signal acquisition unit 54. In addition, when various settings are input using the endoscope 12 or the user interface 19, the central control unit 52 inputs the various input settings to each part of the endoscopic system 10, such as the light source control unit 22, the image sensor 48, or the image processing unit 61.

[0052] The image signal acquisition unit 54 acquires an image signal of an object to be observed from the image sensor 48. Specifically, under the control of the central control unit 52, a normal image signal is acquired by imaging an object to be observed under normal light illumination, and a special image signal is acquired by imaging an object to be observed under special light illumination as illumination light. Acquisition of the normal image signal and the special image signal is switched every frame. The image signal acquisition unit 54 has a DSP (Digital Signal Processor) 56, a noise reduction unit 58, and a conversion unit 59, and performs various processes on the acquired image signal as necessary using these. The DSP 56 performs various processes on the acquired image signal as necessary, such as defect correction processing, offset processing, gain correction processing, linear matrix processing, gamma conversion processing, demosaic processing, and YC conversion processing.

[0053] The defect correction process is a process for correcting the pixel value of a pixel corresponding to a defective pixel of the image sensor 48. The offset process is a process for reducing dark current components from an image signal that has been subjected to defect correction process and setting an accurate zero level. The gain correction process is a process for adjusting the signal level of each image by multiplying the image signal that has been subjected to offset processing by a gain. The linear matrix process is a process for improving the color reproducibility of the image signal that has been subjected to offset processing, and the gamma conversion process is a process for adjusting the brightness and saturation of the image signal after linear matrix processing.

[0054] In addition, when the image sensor 48 is a color sensor, demosaic processing is performed. Demosaic processing (also called isotropic processing or synchronization processing) is processing for interpolating pixel values ​​of missing pixels, and is performed on the image signal after gamma conversion processing. Missing pixels are pixels that have no pixel value due to the arrangement of color filters (because pixels of other colors are arranged in the image sensor 48). For example, since the B image is an image obtained by capturing an observation target at the B pixel, pixels at positions corresponding to the G pixel and R pixel have no pixel value. The demosaic processing interpolates the B image to generate pixel values ​​of pixels at the positions of the G pixel and R pixel of the image sensor 48. The YC conversion processing is processing for converting the image after demosaic processing into a luminance channel Y, a color difference channel Cb, and a color difference channel Cr.

[0055] The noise reduction unit 58 performs noise reduction processing on the luminance channel Y, the chrominance channel Cb, and the chrominance channel Cr using, for example, a moving average method or a median filter method. The conversion unit 59 reconverts the luminance channel Y, the chrominance channel Cb, and the chrominance channel Cr after the noise reduction processing into image signals of each color of BGR again.

[0056] 6, the image processing unit 61 includes a normal mode processing unit 63, a special mode processing unit 64, and a determination mode processing unit 65. The normal mode processing unit 63 operates when the normal mode is set, and performs color conversion processing, color enhancement processing, and structure enhancement processing on the received normal image signal. In the color conversion processing, the RGB image is subjected to color conversion processing by 3×3 matrix processing, tone conversion processing, and 3D LUT (Look Up Table) processing, etc.

[0057] The color enhancement process is performed on the RGB image signal that has already been subjected to the color conversion process. The structure enhancement process is a process for enhancing the structure of the object of observation, and is performed on the RGB image signal after the color enhancement process. By performing various image processing such as those described above, a normal image is obtained. The normal image is an image obtained based on normal light that is emitted in a well-balanced manner, including purple light V, blue light Bx, green light G, and red light R, and therefore has natural coloring. The normal image is input to the display control unit 62.

[0058] The special mode processing unit 64 operates when the special mode is set. The special mode processing unit 64 performs color conversion processing, color enhancement processing, and structure enhancement processing on the received special image signal. The processing contents of the color conversion processing, color enhancement processing, and structure enhancement processing are the same as those of the normal mode processing unit 63. By performing various image processing as described above, a special image is obtained. The special image is an image obtained based on special light in which the purple light V, which has a high absorption coefficient of hemoglobin in blood vessels, emits a larger amount of light than the other colors of blue light Bx, green light G, and red light R, so that the resolution of the blood vessel structure and glandular duct structure is higher than other structures. The special image is input to the display control unit 62.

[0059] 7, the judgment mode processing unit 65 includes a feature amount calculation unit 70, a disease condition score calculation unit 71, a comparison target selection unit 72, a disease condition comparison unit 73, and a display processing unit 74. The judgment mode processing unit 65 operates when the judgment mode is set.

[0060] The feature amount calculation unit 70 has a feature amount calculation function of calculating feature amounts (first feature amount and second feature amount) based on a normal image signal (first image signal) and a special image signal (second image signal). The disease condition score calculation unit 71 calculates disease condition scores (first disease condition score and second disease condition score) representing the disease condition of the observation subject by the feature amounts calculated based on the normal image signal and the special image signal. The comparison target selection unit 72 selects and specifies whether to use the feature amount or the disease condition score as the target for comparison by the disease condition comparison unit 73.

[0061] The disease condition comparison unit 73 compares the feature amount of the normal image signal with the feature amount of the special image signal, or the disease condition score of the normal image signal with the disease condition score of the special image signal, according to an instruction from the comparison target selection unit 72. If the result of the comparison by the disease condition comparison unit 73 shows that the feature amount of the special image signal is greater than that of the normal image signal, or if the disease condition score of the special image signal is greater than that of the normal image signal, the display processing unit 74 generates a high score display image by performing image processing such as emphasis processing using the image based on the special image signal. Note that if the feature amount or disease condition score of the normal image signal is greater than the feature amount or disease condition score of the special image signal, the display processing unit 74 generates a high score display image using the image based on the normal image signal. Moreover, these processes in the judgment mode processing unit 65 are performed automatically.

[0062] As shown in Fig. 8, the feature amount calculation unit 70 has a normal image feature amount calculation unit 75 and a special image feature amount calculation unit 76. The normal image feature amount calculation unit 75 calculates a feature amount of a normal image signal (hereinafter referred to as a normal feature amount). The special image feature amount calculation unit 76 calculates a feature amount of a special image signal (hereinafter referred to as a special feature amount). The feature amount is used to calculate a disease condition score and to create a high score display image by comparing the normal feature amount with the special feature amount.

[0063] Specifically, in the present embodiment, for example, a lower endoscope is used as the endoscope 12, and the observation target is ulcerative colitis, which is an inflammatory bowel disease of the large intestine. In the present embodiment, the feature amount includes a feature based on blood vessels, gland ducts, or mucosa as a predetermined image feature of the image signal. The feature amount based on blood vessels, gland ducts, or mucosa uses a value obtained by quantifying or classifying the state of blood vessels, the state of gland ducts, or the state of mucosa. The state of blood vessels includes the degree of visibility of blood vessels, the thickness of blood vessels, the density of blood vessels, the shape of blood vessels, the degree of branching of blood vessels, the color of blood vessels, or the distribution thereof. The state of gland ducts includes the degree of visibility of gland ducts, the thickness of gland ducts, the density of gland ducts, the shape of gland ducts, the degree of branching of gland ducts, the color of gland ducts, or the distribution thereof. The state of mucosa includes the color of mucosa, the roughness of the surface of the mucosa, the unevenness of the surface of the mucosa, or the distribution thereof.

[0064] In this embodiment, three types of feature values ​​are calculated: the degree of blood vessel transparency, the color of the mucous membrane, and the roughness or unevenness of the mucous membrane. The feature values ​​are obtained by image processing of the normal image signal (first image signal) or the special image signal (second image signal). The feature value of the degree of blood vessel transparency is obtained by detecting blood vessels in the normal image signal or the special image signal. The feature value of the color of the mucous membrane is obtained from the color itself and the area occupied by the color in the normal image signal or the special image signal. Furthermore, the feature value of the roughness or unevenness of the mucous membrane is obtained by matching the normal image signal or the special image signal with a pattern prepared in advance.

[0065] These feature amounts are calculated by quantifying the features, or by storing a template of specific feature amounts as image features of the observation target in advance and determining whether the extracted image feature amount matches the feature amount of the template. Here, "matching" includes not only that the feature amounts to be compared match each other, but also that the difference between the feature amounts to be compared falls within a certain range. The degree of matching can be quantified to obtain the feature amount. In this embodiment, in the special image signal, in order to make it easier to grasp the feature amounts as described above, an illumination light is selected that provides a higher resolution for the vascular structure and the glandular structure than for other structures.

[0066] The number of types of feature amounts may be, for example, the number of types that can calculate a disease state score, and may be appropriately determined depending on the difference in the observation target or the difference in the disease, and one type or two or more types may be used. In addition, the emission spectrum of the illumination light can be changed so that the feature amount can be clearly grasped depending on the type of feature amount. In addition, after calculating multiple types of feature amounts, these may be summed up to obtain the feature amount of each image, or each feature amount may be weighted and then summed up to obtain the feature amount of each image. In addition, the same type of feature amount may be calculated for each image, or different types of feature amounts may be calculated. In addition, the feature amount may be calculated by image recognition processing using machine learning, other than image processing.

[0067] 9, the disease condition score calculation unit 71 includes a normal image score calculation unit 77, a normal score table 78, a special image score calculation unit 79, and a special score table 80. The normal image score calculation unit 77 calculates a disease condition score of a normal image (first disease condition score) based on the feature amount of the normal image obtained by the normal image feature amount calculation unit 75 and the normal score table 78. Similarly, the special image score calculation unit 79 calculates a disease condition score of a special image (second disease condition score) based on the special feature amount obtained by the special image feature amount calculation unit 76 and the special score table 80.

[0068] The disease condition score of the normal image (hereinafter referred to as the normal score) may be calculated directly using the pixel values ​​of the normal image signal, etc., in addition to being calculated from the normal feature amount. Similarly, the disease condition score of the special image (hereinafter referred to as the special score) may be calculated directly using the pixel values ​​of the special image signal, etc., in addition to being calculated from the special feature amount.

[0069] As described above, the disease condition score is, for example, the Mayo Score, which is one of the endoscopic indices of the severity of ulcerative colitis. The normal image score calculation unit 77 determines the Mayo score of the normal image, which is the normal score, to either mild grade 0 or 1, moderate grade 2, or severe grade 3, based on the normal feature amount and the normal score table 78. Similarly, the special image score calculation unit 79 determines and classifies the Mayo score of the special image, which is the special score, to either mild grade 0 or 1, moderate grade 2, or severe grade 3, based on the special feature amount and the special score table 80.

[0070] The comparison target selection unit 72 specifies whether the feature amount or the disease condition score is to be used as the target for comparison by the disease condition comparison unit 73. The specification is made by the scope switch 13e (see FIG. 1) or the user interface 19. Note that this specification can be appropriately set, for example, by specifying one of the options when the endoscope system is started, or by setting the specification so that once specified, it will not be changed until the next time the specification is changed. It is also possible to specify both the feature amount and the disease condition score as targets for comparison. In this case, the disease condition comparison unit 73 performs both a comparison between the normal feature amount and the special feature amount and a comparison between the normal disease condition score and the special disease condition score, and sends the results to the disease condition comparison unit 73.

[0071] The disease condition comparison unit 73 compares the normal feature amount with the special feature amount, or compares the normal score with the special score, according to the selection made by the comparison target selection unit 72. Alternatively, if both the feature amount comparison and the disease condition score comparison are selected, the disease condition comparison unit 73 compares both the normal feature amount with the special feature amount and the normal disease condition score with the special disease condition score. The comparison result is used in the generation of a high score display image in the display processing unit 74.

[0072] The display processing unit 74 creates a high score display image when a difference occurs between the normal feature amount and the special feature amount, or when the difference is equal to or exceeds a predetermined range, or when the normal score and the special score are different, as a result of the comparison between the normal feature amount and the special feature amount or the normal score and the special score by the disease condition comparison unit 73. The high score display image is an image for encouraging the observer to recognize the image with a high feature amount or disease condition score when the feature amount or disease condition score calculated for the normal image and the special image are different. Therefore, the high score display image can be the image itself with the higher feature amount or disease condition score between the normal image and the special image.

[0073] The comparison target selection unit 72 specifies both the feature amount and the disease condition score as targets for comparison, and if a difference occurs in either or both of the feature amount and the disease condition score as a result of the comparison by the disease condition comparison unit 73, a high score display image is generated based on the normal image or the special image, whichever has the higher feature amount or disease condition score. If the image with a high feature amount and the image with a high disease condition score are different, for example, in the case where the normal feature amount is higher than the special feature amount and the disease condition score is higher than the normal score, it is possible to specify whether the high score display image is to be generated based on the normal image or the special image.

[0074] As shown in FIG. 10, the display processing unit 74 includes a normal image generating unit 81, a special image generating unit 82, a first emphasized image generating unit 83, and a second emphasized image generating unit 84. As a result of the comparison by the disease condition comparing unit 73, for example, when the special disease condition score based on the special image signal (second image signal) is greater than the normal disease condition score based on the normal image signal (first image signal), a high score display image is generated in the special image generating unit 82, the first emphasized image generating unit 83, and the second emphasized image generating unit 84. The special image generating unit 82 has a function similar to that of the special mode processing unit 64, and generates a special image as the high score display image. The first emphasized image generating unit 83 generates an image (first emphasized image) in which a normal image is emphasized by a special image signal as the high score display image. The second emphasized image generating unit 84 generates an image (second emphasized image) in which a special image is emphasized by a normal image signal as the high score display image. Note that when the normal score is equal to or greater than the special score, the high score display image is not generated. The high score display image will be described later.

[0075] The generation of a high score display image will be specifically described with reference to FIG. 11. FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram for explaining a case where a feature amount and a disease state score are calculated for each of a normal image and a special image, and a case where a high score image is determined to exist and a case where a high score image is determined to not exist. A normal image 85 and a special image 86 are images obtained by photographing the same observation site. This observation site is a site where the actual MayoScore (hereinafter referred to as Mayo) is a mild disease. The feature amount of the normal image 85 is calculated to be 30, and the disease state score is calculated to be Mayo 0, as indicated by "Mayo 0" in FIG. 11. For the same observation site, the feature amount of the special image 86 is calculated to be 30, and the disease state score is calculated to be Mayo 0. The comparison target is set to the disease state score by the comparison target selection unit 72, and in this case, the disease state score does not differ between the normal image 85 and the special image 86, so a high score display image is not created. Therefore, the normal image is displayed unchanged on the monitor 18.

[0076] Next, for another observation site that is actually mild and has a Mayo score of 1, the feature amount of the normal image 85 is calculated as 30 and the disease condition score is calculated as Mayo 0. For the same observation site, the feature amount of the special image 86 is calculated as 40 and the disease condition score is calculated as Mayo 1. The comparison target is set to the disease condition score by the comparison target selection unit 72, and in this case, the disease condition scores are different between the normal image 85 and the special image 86, so a high-score display image is created. In this way, the surface irregularities that are not displayed in the normal image and cannot be grasped are displayed as images in the special image, so the calculation results of the feature amount are different, and the disease condition score based on the feature amount is also calculated as a value different from that of the normal image. By creating a high-score display image, the observer can accurately determine the severity of the disease.

[0077] Next, for another observation site that is actually moderately ill and has a Mayo score of 2, the feature amount of the normal image 85 is calculated as 60, and the condition score is calculated as Mayo 2. For the same site, the feature amount of the special image 86 is calculated as 65, and the condition score is calculated as Mayo 2. Similarly, for another observation site that is severely ill and has a Mayo score of 3, the feature amount of the normal image 85 is calculated as 90, and the condition score is calculated as Mayo 3. For the same site, the feature amount of the special image 86 is calculated as 95, and the condition score is calculated as Mayo 3. The comparison target is set to the condition score by the comparison target selection unit 72, and in this case, the condition score does not differ between the normal image and the special image, so a high score display image is not created. Therefore, the normal image is displayed unchanged on the monitor 18.

[0078] A case will be described where the comparison target is set as a feature by the comparison target selection unit 72. As shown in Fig. 12, for another observation site with moderate disease and Mayo of 2, the feature amount of the normal image 85 is calculated to be 60, and for the same site, the feature amount of the special image 86 is calculated to be 65, so a high score display image based on the special image is created. Similarly, for another observation site with severe disease and Mayo of 3, the feature amount of the normal image 85 is calculated to be 90, and for the same site, the feature amount of the special image 86 is calculated to be 95, so a high score display image based on the special image is created.

[0079] The high score display image will be specifically described. As shown in Fig. 13, when the special score is higher between the normal image 85 and the special image 86, the special image 86 (second image) generated by the special image generating unit 82 is set as the high score display image. The high score display image is displayed on the monitor 18.

[0080] In addition, the high score display image can be generated by processing the image with a lower disease condition score (hereinafter referred to as the low score image) using the image with a higher disease condition score (hereinafter referred to as the high score image) between the normal image and the special image.

[0081] The first emphasized image generating unit 83 (see FIG. 10) generates an image that emphasizes and displays the feature amount that is the basis for calculating the disease condition score of the high score image, and generates a high score display image (first emphasized image) that is superimposed on the low score image to set it as the high score display image. As shown in FIG. 14, when the special score is high between the normal image 85 and the special image 86, first, an image is generated that emphasizes and displays the feature amount that is the basis for calculating the special score. Then, by superimposing this image on the normal image 85, a first emphasized image 87 having a feature portion 87a that emphasizes and displays the feature amount in the normal image 85 is created. This image is set as the high score display image. The high score display image is displayed on the monitor 18.

[0082] Similarly, the high score display image can be generated by processing the high score image with the high score image out of the normal image and the special image. The second emphasized image generating unit 84 (see FIG. 10) generates an image that emphasizes and displays the feature amount that is the basis of the calculation of the disease condition score of the high score image, and generates a high score display image (second emphasized image) superimposed on the low score image to obtain the high score display image. As shown in FIG. 15, when the special score is high between the normal image 85 and the special image 86, first, an image is generated that emphasizes and displays the feature amount that is the basis of the calculation of the special score. Then, by superimposing this image on the special image 86, a second emphasized image 88 having a feature portion 88a that further emphasizes and displays the feature amount in the special image 86 is generated. This image is the high score display image. The high score display image is displayed on the monitor 18.

[0083] The display control unit 62 controls the display of the high score display image generated by the display processing unit 74. The display is performed by displaying it on the monitor 18. Controlling the display means determining whether or not to display the high score display image, or the display mode of the high score display image, and issuing an instruction to display it on the monitor 18.

[0084] Regarding the presence or absence of display, the display control unit 62 can determine whether or not to display the high score display image based on both the high score image and the image displayed on the monitor 18 when the high score display image is created. Specifically, for example, if the special image is a high score image and the normal image is displayed on the monitor 18 when the high score display image is created from the special image, the display control unit 62 displays the high score display image on the monitor 18. On the other hand, when the special image is displayed on the monitor 18, the display control unit 62 does not change the display on the monitor 18. Also, for example, if the normal image is a high score image and the special image is displayed on the monitor 18 when the high score display image is created from the normal image, the display control unit 62 displays the high score display image on the monitor 18. On the other hand, when the normal image is displayed on the monitor 18, the display control unit 62 does not change the display on the monitor 18. That is, in this case, when the normal image (first image) is displayed, the display control unit 62 continues to display the normal image (first image).

[0085] The display mode of the high score display image may be any mode in which the high score display image is displayed on the monitor 18. For example, when the high score display image is created, the image displayed on the monitor 18 (hereinafter referred to as the original image) can be switched to the high score display image. Also, both the original image and the high score display image can be displayed. In this case, the original image and the high score display image may be displayed side by side on the monitor 18 with the same display area on the monitor 18, or the original image and the high score display image may be displayed on two screens with different display areas. That is, the original image and the high score display image may be displayed separately as a so-called main image and sub-image.

[0086] Specifically, as shown in FIG. 16, when a normal image 85 (first image) is displayed on the monitor 18, if the disease condition score of the special image 86 is higher than that of the normal image 85 and the special image 86, the display control unit 62 switches the screen displayed on the monitor 18 to the special image 86. Also, as shown in FIG. 17, in a similar case, the screen displayed on the monitor 18 is displayed so that the display areas of the normal image 85 (first image) and the special image 86 are the same on the monitor 18, and two screens are displayed side by side on the monitor 18. Also, as shown in FIG. 18, in a similar case, the screen displayed on the monitor 18 is displayed so that the normal image 85 (first image) is a main image with a large display area, and the special image 86 is a sub-image with a small display area, and two screens are displayed side by side on the monitor 18. Also, as shown in FIG. 19, in a similar case, the screen displayed on the monitor 18 is displayed so that the special image 86 is a main image with a large display area, and the normal image 85 (first image) is a sub-image with a small display area, and two screens are displayed side by side on the monitor 18.

[0087] Note that the display control unit 62 notifies the observer of the presence of the high score display image before controlling the display of the high score display image by the display control unit 62. The notification of the presence of the high score display image is a notification for making the observer aware that a high score display image has been generated. The notification is made in a manner that allows the observer to recognize that a high score display image has been generated.

[0088] The notification is performed by displaying a warning on the monitor 18. The warning can be displayed, for example, by displaying a warning sentence or figure in the display area of ​​the monitor 18, or by changing the color tone of the image on the monitor 18, etc.

[0089] The notification can be made by causing the notification unit 17 (see FIG. 2) to generate sound, light, or vibration. The notification unit 17 notifies the observer of the presence of the high score display image by generating sound, light, or vibration. Specifically, the notification unit 17 can be a speaker included in the monitor 18. Alternatively, the notification unit 17 can be a small wireless device that generates light or vibration.

[0090] The notification will be described in detail below. As shown in Fig. 20, a warning is displayed on the monitor 18 to notify the observer that a high score display image is present. When a high score display image is generated while a normal image 85 is being displayed, a text warning display 89 is displayed on the monitor 18. The warning display 89 is in the form of text such as "High score image present - changing observation mode".

[0091] The display control unit 62 automatically displays the high score display image after notifying the user of the presence of the high score display image for a predetermined time. After automatically displaying the high score display image, the display control unit 62 may automatically switch to the image that was displayed before the high score display image was displayed after a predetermined time has elapsed, or may switch after receiving an instruction. After the notification, the high score display image can be displayed according to an instruction from the instruction unit. The instruction unit receives an instruction from the observer to display the high score display image on the monitor 18. Therefore, for example, the instruction unit is the display instruction unit 13c of the endoscope 12. Specifically, after the above notification, the display control unit 62 does not display the high score display image on the monitor 18 until an instruction is given by the display instruction unit 13c. On the other hand, after the above notification, when an instruction is given by the display instruction unit 13c, the display control unit 62 displays the high score display image on the monitor 18.

[0092] As shown in FIG. 21, the flow of the processing procedure in the judgment mode will be described with a flow diagram. As shown in steps S100 and S140, the image signal acquisition unit 54 acquires a normal image signal and a special image signal in order. First, in step S110, a normal image is displayed on the monitor 18. In the normal image feature amount calculation unit 75, a normal feature amount is calculated from the normal image signal (step S120). In the normal image score calculation unit 77, a normal score is calculated from the normal feature amount (step S130). Similarly, in the special image feature amount extraction unit 76, a special feature amount is calculated from the special image signal (step S150). In the special image score calculation unit 79, a special score is calculated from the special feature amount (step S160). When the normal score and the special score are calculated, in this embodiment, since the pathology score is selected by the comparison target selection unit 72, the pathology scores of both are compared by the pathology comparison unit 73 (step S170). As a result of the comparison, it is determined whether or not a high-score image exists (step S180). If a high score image exists (YES in step S180), the process proceeds to creating a high score display image in step S190. If a high score image does not exist (NO in step S180), the process returns to image acquisition in step S100.

[0093] In step S190, the display processing unit 74 creates a high score display image. Then, in step S200, the display control unit 62 determines whether or not to display and the display mode. When the normal score is higher than the special score, in step S200, whether or not to display is determined. Since the normal image is displayed on the monitor 18, if the normal image is a high score image, the high score image is not displayed, and the process returns to image acquisition in step S100. If the special image is a high score image (NO in step S200), the process proceeds to display mode determination in step S210. In step S220, the notification unit 74 notifies the observer that a high score image has been generated. After the notification, in step S230, it is determined whether an instruction to display has been given. If an instruction to display has been given, the high score display image in step S240 is displayed on the monitor 18. If no instruction to display has been given, the process returns to normal image acquisition in step S100. When the observer ends the display of the high score display image (YES in step S240), the display of the high score display image ends.

[0094] It is possible to omit the notification in step S220 and the determination of whether or not a display instruction is given in step S230. In that case, after the display mode determination in step S210, the process proceeds to displaying the high score image in step S240.

[0095] As described above, by configuring the endoscope system 10, even when observation is performed by displaying a normal image, a special image, which is an image with a different emission spectrum from the normal image, is always acquired, and the feature amount and the disease condition score are calculated for each of the normal image and the special image, so that an image with a high feature amount of the observation site or an image with a high disease severity or disease progression can be observed without missing, and the accuracy of diagnosis such as the severity of the disease can be prevented from decreasing. In addition, since the disease condition score, which is the disease severity or disease progression, is calculated, variation in diagnosis depending on the observer is prevented, and an objective diagnosis is possible. In addition, when a high score display image is generated and automatically displayed on the monitor 18, no instruction from the observer is required. On the other hand, when the display on the monitor 18 is not to be switched, the display of the high score display image can be controlled by an instruction from the observer.

[0096] In this embodiment, the disease condition score is calculated from the calculated feature amount for the normal image and the special image, but the disease condition score may be calculated by image processing without using the feature amount. For example, the disease condition score may be calculated directly from each of the normal image and the special image by image recognition technology based on machine learning. Furthermore, the feature amount itself may be calculated by image recognition technology based on machine learning.

[0097] The operation method of the above-mentioned endoscope system 10 includes an emission step in which the light source unit 20 emits a first illumination light and a second illumination light having different emission spectra; an image signal acquisition step in which the image signal acquisition unit 54 images an object being observed illuminated with the first illumination light to acquire a first image signal, and also images an object being observed illuminated with the second illumination light to acquire a second image signal; a feature calculation step in which the feature calculation unit 70 calculates a first feature based on the first image signal and calculates a second feature based on the second image signal; a disease condition score calculation step in which the disease condition score calculation unit 71 calculates a first disease condition score representing the disease condition of the object being observed based on the first image signal, and calculates a second disease condition score representing the disease condition of the object being observed based on the second image signal; The method includes a disease condition comparison step of comparing the first disease condition score with a second disease condition score, a high score display image generation step in which the display processing unit 74 generates a high score display image using the second image signal when the second disease condition score is greater than the first disease condition score, a display step in which, when the display control unit 62 controls the first image based on the first image signal to be displayed on the monitor, and when the high score display image has been generated, the display control unit 62 controls the first image based on the first image signal to be displayed on the monitor instead of the high score display image, or controls the first image and both the high score display image to be displayed on the monitor, and a comparison target selection step in which the disease condition comparison unit specifies whether to use the first feature amount and the second feature amount, or the first disease condition score and the second disease condition score, as targets for comparison. The operation method of the endoscope system 10 described above includes a light emission step in which the light source unit 20 emits a first illumination light and a second illumination light having different emission spectra, an image signal acquisition step in which the image signal acquisition unit 54 images an object being observed illuminated with the first illumination light to acquire a first image signal, and an image signal acquisition step in which the image signal acquisition unit 54 images an object being observed illuminated with the second illumination light to acquire a second image signal, a feature amount calculation step in which the feature amount calculation unit 70 calculates a first feature amount based on the first image signal and calculates a second feature amount based on the second image signal, and a disease condition score calculation step in which the disease condition score calculation unit 71 calculates a feature amount based on the first image signal. Based on the calculated first feature A first disease state score representing a disease state of the observation subject is calculated based on the second image signal. The calculated second featureA disease condition score calculation step of calculating a second disease condition score representing a disease condition of the observation subject; Comparing the first feature and the second feature, or a disease condition comparison step of comparing the first disease condition score with the second disease condition score; a high score display image generation step of the display processing unit 74 generating a high score display image using the second image signal when the second feature amount is greater than the first feature amount or when the second disease condition score is greater than the first disease condition score, and generating a high score display image using the first image signal when the first feature amount is greater than the second feature amount or when the first disease condition score is greater than the second disease condition score; In the case where a first image based on a first image signal is displayed on a monitor and a second image based on a second image signal is controlled not to be displayed on the monitor, when a high score display image is generated, the display device controls so that the high score display image is displayed on the monitor instead of the first image, or controls so that both the first image and the high score display image are displayed on the monitor. Display step and The high score display image is a second image based on the second image signal, a first emphasized image generated by processing the first image signal with the second image signal, or a second emphasized image generated by processing the second image signal with the second image signal.

[0098] In the above, the hardware structure of the processing units that execute various processes, such as the image signal acquisition unit 54, the central control unit 52, the image processing unit 61, the display control unit 62, etc., is various processors as shown below. The various processors include a CPU (Central Processing Unit), which is a general-purpose processor that executes software (programs) and functions as various processing units, a programmable logic device (PLD), which is a processor whose circuit configuration can be changed after manufacture, such as an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), and a dedicated electrical circuit (Graphical Processing Unit: GPU), which is a processor having a circuit configuration designed exclusively for executing various processes.

[0099] One processing unit may be configured with one of these various processors, or may be configured with a combination of two or more processors of the same type or different types (for example, multiple FPGAs, a combination of a CPU and an FPGA, or a combination of a GPU and a CPU). Also, multiple processing units may be configured with one processor. As an example of configuring multiple processing units with one processor, first, as represented by a computer such as a client or a server, there is a form in which one processor is configured with a combination of one or more CPUs and software, and this processor functions as multiple processing units. Second, as represented by a system on chip (SoC), there is a form in which a processor is used that realizes the functions of the entire system including multiple processing units with one IC (Integrated Circuit) chip. In this way, the various processing units are configured using one or more of the above various processors as a hardware structure.

[0100] 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. [Explanation of symbols]

[0101] 10 Endoscope System 12 Endoscopy 12a Insertion part 12b Operation section 12c Curved section 12d Tip 13a Angle knob 13b Mode switching section 13c Display instruction section 13d Zoom operation section 12e Forceps entrance 14 Light source device 16 Processor Unit 17 Notification Department 18 Monitors 19 User Interface 20 Light source section 20a V-LED 20b B-LED 20c G-LED 20d R-LED 22 Light source control unit 23 Wavelength cut filter 30a illumination optical system 30b Imaging optical system 41 Light Guide 45 Lighting Lens 46 Objective Lens 47 Zoom Lens 48 Image Sensor 52 Central Control Unit 54 Image signal acquisition unit 61 Image processing section 62 Display control unit 63 Normal mode processing unit 64 Special mode processing section 65 Processing section for judgment mode 70 Feature Calculation Unit 71 Disease score calculation section 72 Comparison Selection Section 73 Disease Comparison Section 74 Display processing section 75 Normal image feature calculation unit 76 Special Image Feature Calculation Unit 77 Normal image score calculation section 78 Regular Score Table 79 Special Image Score Calculation Unit 80 Special Score Tables 81 Normal image generation unit 82 Special Image Generation Unit 83 1st emphasized image generation section 84 Second emphasized image generation section 85 Normal Images 86 Special Images 87 Enhanced image of normal image (first enhanced image) 87a Features 88 Special image emphasis image (second emphasis image) 88a Features 89 Warning display S100~S250 Step

Claims

1. a light source unit that emits a first illumination light and a second illumination light having different emission spectra; an image signal acquisition unit that acquires a first image signal by capturing an image of an observation target illuminated with the first illumination light, and acquires a second image signal by capturing an image of the observation target illuminated with the second illumination light; a feature amount calculation unit that calculates a first feature amount based on the first image signal and calculates a second feature amount based on the second image signal; a disease condition score calculation unit that calculates a first disease condition score representing a disease condition of the observation target based on the first image signal, and calculates a second disease condition score representing a disease condition of the observation target based on the second image signal; a disease condition comparison unit that compares the first feature amount with the second feature amount, or compares the first disease condition score with the second disease condition score; a display processing unit that generates a high score display image using the second image signal when the second feature amount is greater than the first feature amount or when the second disease condition score is greater than the first disease condition score; a display control unit that controls to display a first image based on the first image signal on a monitor, and when the high score display image is generated, controls to switch from the first image to display the high score display image on the monitor, or controls to display both the first image and the high score display image on the monitor; An endoscopic system comprising a comparison object selection unit that specifies whether the first feature amount and the second feature amount, or the first disease condition score and the second disease condition score, should be used as the objects to be compared by the disease condition comparison unit.

2. a light source unit that emits a first illumination light and a second illumination light having different emission spectra; an image signal acquisition unit that acquires a first image signal by capturing an image of an observation target illuminated with the first illumination light, and acquires a second image signal by capturing an image of the observation target illuminated with the second illumination light; a feature amount calculation unit that calculates a first feature amount based on the first image signal and calculates a second feature amount based on the second image signal; a disease condition score calculation unit that calculates a first disease condition score representing a disease condition of the observation target based on the first feature amount, and calculates a second disease condition score representing a disease condition of the observation target based on the second feature amount; a disease condition comparison unit that compares the first feature amount with the second feature amount or compares the first disease condition score with the second disease condition score; a display processing unit that generates a high score display image using the second image signal when the second feature amount is greater than the first feature amount or when the second disease condition score is greater than the first disease condition score; a display control unit that controls to display a first image based on the first image signal on a monitor and to hide the second image based on the second image signal on the monitor, and when the high score display image is generated, controls to switch from the first image to display the high score display image on the monitor, or controls to display both the first image and the high score display image on the monitor; Equipped with an endoscope system in which the high score display image is a second image based on the second image signal, a first emphasized image generated by processing the first image signal using the second image signal, or a second emphasized image generated by processing the second image signal using the second image signal.

3. The endoscope system according to claim 1 , wherein the first illumination light is white light, and the second illumination light is special light.

4. The endoscope system according to claim 1 , wherein the first disease condition score and the second disease condition score include a disease severity or a disease progression.

5. The endoscope system according to claim 1 , wherein the first feature amount and the second feature amount include values ​​based on a blood vessel, a gland duct, or a mucosa.

6. The endoscope system according to claim 1 , wherein the display control unit performs a notification relating to the presence of the high score display image before displaying the high score display image.

7. The endoscope system according to claim 6 , wherein the notification is a display of a warning.

8. A notification unit that generates sound, light, or vibration is provided, The endoscope system according to claim 6 or 7, wherein the notification is generated by the notification unit through generation of sound, light, or vibration.

9. an instruction unit that receives an instruction to display the high score display image, The endoscope system according to claim 6 , wherein the display control unit displays the high score display image in accordance with the instruction by the instruction unit after the notification.

10. An endoscopic system according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein when the display control unit controls to display both the first image and the high score display image on the monitor, the display control unit displays the first image based on the first image signal in a display area larger than that of the high score display image.

11. An endoscopic system according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein when the display control unit controls to display both the first image and the high score display image on the monitor, the display control unit displays the first image based on the first image signal in a display area smaller than that of the high score display image.

12. The endoscopic system according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the display control unit controls the display of a second image based on the second image signal on a monitor, and when the high score display image is generated, controls the display of the second image based on the second signal to continue.

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