Endoscopic system, method of operating the endoscopic system, processor

Abstract

To provide an endoscope system, a method for operating an endoscope system, and a processor that can reduce processing load during endoscopic examination.SOLUTION: An endoscope system 10 includes an endoscope 12 and a processor device 20. The processor device 20 functions as a lesion detection unit 74 and an anomaly detection unit 76. The lesion detection unit 74 analyzes an image filmed by the endoscope 12, detects a lesioned part, and displays a detection result on a display 16. The anomaly detection unit 76 analyzes an image filmed by the endoscope 12, detects an anomaly, and stores an image from which an anomaly is detected in a final storage unit 64 after the end of endoscopic examination (P2).SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an endoscope system including an endoscope and a processor, a method for operating the endoscope system, and a processor.

Background Art

[0002] In an endoscope system having an endoscope and a processor device (processor), or an image processing processor device (processor) connected to an endoscope, an inspection (endoscopic inspection) is performed using an image taken by the endoscope (endoscopic image). The endoscopic image is preferably obtained in a state where the endoscope and the imaging environment are in good condition. However, when the endoscope is malfunctioning or the imaging environment is not good, such as when dirt is attached, abnormalities occur in the endoscopic image. When such an abnormality occurs, repair or maintenance is required.

[0003] The following Patent Document 1 describes a configuration in which an endoscopic image is analyzed to detect an abnormality and notified to a server. By notifying such an abnormality, maintenance can be performed at an appropriate timing.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] However, Patent Document 1 mentioned above had a problem in that it placed a heavy processing load on the endoscope during the endoscopic examination. In other words, when detecting an abnormality as in Patent Document 1, in addition to detecting the abnormality, the endoscopic image in which the abnormality was detected is stored for the purpose of determining the cause (stored in the final storage device (first storage device)). Furthermore, during the endoscopic examination, processes such as detecting lesions by analyzing the endoscopic image and outputting the detection results (displaying them on a monitor) are also performed. Performing all of these processes during the endoscopic examination places a heavy processing load on the endoscope.

[0006] This invention has been made in view of the above background, and aims to provide an endoscope system, a method for operating the endoscope system, and a processor that can reduce the processing load during endoscopic examinations. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] To solve the above problems, the endoscopic system of the present invention comprises an endoscope for imaging the inside of a body cavity and a processor. The processor detects lesions from endoscopic images captured by the endoscope, displays the detection results of lesions on a monitor during an endoscopic examination using the endoscope, detects abnormalities in the endoscopic images, and stores the endoscopic images in which abnormalities were detected in a first storage device after the endoscopic examination is completed.

[0008] The processor may also store endoscopic images in a second storage device for temporary storage during the endoscopic examination, and after the endoscopic examination is completed, use the endoscopic images stored in the second storage device to detect abnormalities.

[0009] The processor may also be one that detects abnormalities during endoscopic examinations.

[0010] When detecting abnormalities during an endoscopic examination, it is preferable that the processor detects the abnormality before detecting the lesion and excludes the endoscopic image in which the abnormality was detected from the target of lesion detection.

[0011] It is preferable that the processor detects lesions in an endoscopic image from which some of the multiple endoscopic images have been selectively filtered.

[0012] Preferably, the processor stores the endoscopic image in which an abnormality has been detected in a first storage device in a form that can be accessed from an external device.

[0013] The endoscopic image contains personal information, which includes at least one of the subject information regarding the person undergoing the endoscopic examination and the practitioner information regarding the person performing the endoscopic examination. Preferably, the processor erases the personal information from the endoscopic image in which an abnormality is detected and stores it in the first storage device.

[0014] It is preferable that the processor sets the range in which it allows access to endoscopic images in which an anomaly has been detected to a different range from the endoscopic images used for the endoscopic examination.

[0015] It is preferable that the processor sets the type of editing allowed for endoscopic images in which abnormalities have been detected to a different type than that used for endoscopic examinations.

[0016] The abnormalities include abnormalities based on internal factors, such as malfunctions in the endoscope body, and abnormalities based on external factors outside the endoscope body. Preferably, the processor detects abnormalities based on internal factors.

[0017] Furthermore, in order to solve the above problems, the method of operating the endoscope system of the present invention comprises the steps of detecting a lesion from an endoscopic image taken with the endoscope and displaying the detection result of the lesion on a monitor during an endoscopic examination using the endoscope, and detecting an abnormality that has occurred in the endoscopic image and storing the endoscopic image in which the abnormality was detected in a first storage device after the endoscopic examination is completed.

[0018] Also, in order to solve the above problems, the processor of the present invention is connected to an endoscope system having an endoscope for imaging inside a body cavity, and during an endoscopy using the endoscope, an endoscope image captured by the endoscope is input. In the processor, during the endoscopy, a lesion is detected from the endoscope image, the detection result of the lesion is input to the endoscope system, an abnormality occurring in the endoscope image is detected, and after the endoscopy is completed, the endoscope image in which the abnormality is detected is stored in a first storage device for storage.

Effect of the Invention

[0019] According to the present invention, the processing load during endoscopy can be reduced.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0020] [Figure 1] It is a block diagram showing the configuration of an endoscope system. [Figure 2] It is a block diagram showing the configuration and functions of a processor device. [Figure 3] It is an explanatory diagram showing the flow of processing of a processor device. [Figure 4] It is a flowchart showing the flow of processing of a processor device. [Figure 5] It is an explanatory diagram showing the flow of processing of a processor device. [Figure 6] It is a flowchart showing the flow of processing of a processor device. [Figure 7] It is a block diagram showing the configuration and functions of an image processing processor device.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0021] [First Embodiment] As shown in FIG. 1, the endoscope system 10 of the first embodiment includes an endoscope 12, a light source device 14, a display 16 (monitor), a user interface 18, and a processor device 20 (processor).

[0022] In the endoscope system 10, the endoscope 12 is optically connected to the light source device 14 and electrically connected to the processor device 20. In addition, the processor device 20 is electrically connected to each part of the endoscope system 10 (endoscope 12, light source device 14, display 16, user interface 18).

[0023] The endoscope 12 includes an insertion section 30 that is inserted into the body (body cavity) of the object to be observed, an operating section 32 connected to the proximal end of the insertion section 30, and a bending section 34 and a tip section 36 provided at the tip of the insertion section 30. The operating section 32 is provided with an entrance 38 for a forceps channel for passing treatment instruments such as forceps. The operating section 32 is also provided with various operating members that accept user input, such as bending of the bending section 34, zooming when photographing a subject, still image / video shooting instructions, switching of shooting modes, and air and water supply. In this embodiment, the aforementioned operating members include rotary dials 40, 42, and 44 that are rotated, and push buttons 46, 48, and 50 that are pressed.

[0024] The tip section 36 is equipped with an illumination window for emitting illumination light, an observation window for capturing reflected light that has been illuminated from the illumination window and reflected by the subject, an outlet for the forceps channel, and an air / water inlet. An image sensor 60 is also provided behind the observation window on the tip section 36. The image sensor 60 is an image sensor that outputs captured images as digital image signals, such as a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) or CMOS (Complementary MOS). The image (endoscopic image) captured by the image sensor 60 is input to the processor unit 20.

[0025] The light source device 14 supplies illumination light to the endoscope 12. The display 16 is, for example, a well-known liquid crystal display, and displays images taken by the endoscope 12 (image sensor 60) and detection results when detecting lesions, which will be described later. The user interface 18 is an input device that provides input to the processor device 20, and is a keyboard, mouse, foot pedal, touch panel, microphone, and / or motion sensor.

[0026] As shown in Figure 2, the processor unit 20 is provided with a temporary storage unit 62 (second storage device) and a final storage unit 64 (first storage device). Both the temporary storage unit 62 and the final storage unit 64 store images captured by the endoscope 12 (image sensor 60), but the temporary storage unit 62 is used for temporary storage of information such as images, and the final storage unit 64 is used for long-term storage of information such as images.

[0027] The final storage unit 64 is provided with an examination image storage area 66 and an abnormal image storage area 68. The examination image storage area 66 stores still images / videos taken based on instructions to take still images / videos during an endoscopic examination using the endoscope 12, when such instructions are given. The examination image storage area 66 also stores images showing the detection results of lesions performed by the lesion detection unit 74 (described later) and recorded images of the display screen of the display 16. On the other hand, the abnormal image storage area 68 stores images in which abnormalities have been detected by the abnormality detection unit 76 (described later).

[0028] The final storage unit 64 is provided to be accessible from external devices (for example, terminals of doctors at medical institutions where the endoscope 12 is located, or terminals of repair personnel at the manufacturer of the endoscope 12) (not shown) that are connected to the processor device 20 via a well-known network (not shown), such as a LAN (Local Area Network) or the Internet. By accessing the final storage unit 64 from such external devices, the stored information can be viewed and managed.

[0029] The processor unit 20 includes the aforementioned temporary storage unit 62 and final storage unit 64, as well as a program storage unit 70 and a central control unit 72. The program storage unit 70 stores programs related to various processes or controls. The central control unit 72 functions as a lesion detection unit 74 and an anomaly detection unit 76 by operating the programs stored in the program storage unit 70.

[0030] The lesion detection unit 74 detects lesions by analyzing images taken by the endoscope 12 (image sensor 60) and displays the detection results on the display 16. Lesions include tumors, inflamed areas (including areas with changes such as bleeding or atrophy in addition to so-called inflammation), colonic diverticula, treatment scars (EMR (Endoscopic mucosal resection) scars, ESD (Endoscopic Submucosal Dissection) scars, clipping sites), bleeding points, perforations, vascular dysplasia, cauterization marks due to heating, or marked areas colored with colorants, fluorescent agents, etc., or biopsy sites where a biological examination (so-called biopsy) has been performed.

[0031] The detection results of the lesion are displayed, for example, by generating a lesion-enhanced image that highlights the lesion and displaying it on the display 16. The lesion-enhanced image is an image (supervised image) in which information indicating the lesion (such as an image with the lesion colored, an outline of the lesion, a marker surrounding the lesion, or an indicator such as an arrow pointing to the lesion) is superimposed on the original image (original image), or an image (switched image) that switches between the original image and the supervised image over time. Of course, the detection results of the lesion may also be displayed by displaying the lesion-enhanced image (supervised image or switched image) alongside the original image. Alternatively, the detection results of the lesion may also be displayed on the display 16 by displaying textual information indicating the location or presence of the lesion.

[0032] The lesion detection unit 74 may perform lesion detection on all images captured by the endoscope 12, but since tens of images are captured every second during an endoscopic examination, detecting lesions on all of them would place a heavy processing load on the system. Therefore, in this embodiment, the lesion detection unit 74 is configured to thin out some of the images captured by the endoscope 12 and perform lesion detection on the remaining images. Specifically, for example, lesion detection is performed once every 0.2 seconds (for 5 images per second), or lesion detection is performed once for every 5 input images (every 4 images). This reduces the processing load during an endoscopic examination.

[0033] The anomaly detection unit 76 detects anomalies by analyzing images captured by the endoscope 12 (image sensor 60). Anomalies include those based on internal factors in the main body of the endoscope 12 and those based on external factors outside the main body of the endoscope 12. Anomalies based on internal factors are those caused by a malfunction of the endoscope, such as burnout of the image sensor 60, pixel loss, damage to the path (circuits and cables) that transmits image signals, and scratches on the optical path (scratches on the observation window or imaging lens). Anomalies based on internal factors cannot be resolved by normal maintenance such as cleaning (which can be done at the medical institution where the endoscope 12 is installed), and require more advanced maintenance such as repair by the manufacturer of the endoscope 12. On the other hand, anomalies based on external factors are such as dirt (body fluids, residue, etc.) adhering to the observation window, and can be resolved by normal maintenance.

[0034] Thus, since abnormalities can be categorized into those based on internal factors and those based on external factors, the abnormality detection unit 76 may detect both types of abnormalities. However, detecting both types of abnormalities can lead to problems such as overreacting to abnormalities, for example, by requesting repairs from the manufacturer of the endoscope 12, even though the problem could be resolved through normal maintenance, because the endoscope 12 is considered to be malfunctioning. For this reason, this embodiment is configured to detect only abnormalities based on internal factors. In other words, the abnormality detection unit 76 in this embodiment does not detect abnormalities that can be resolved through normal maintenance, but detects abnormalities that require more advanced maintenance. This prevents overreacting to abnormalities.

[0035] The following describes the processing flow of the processor device 20 using Figures 3 and 4. Upon the start of the endoscopic examination (T1), images are captured by the endoscope 12 (image sensor 60) (S001), and the captured images are input to the processor device 20 (S002). During the endoscopic examination (P1), images are captured in cycles of several tens of times per second (S001), and the captured images are sequentially input to the processor device 20 (S002).

[0036] During the endoscopic examination (P1), the processor unit 20 stores all input images in the temporary storage unit 62 (S003), and also thins out some of the input images (S004), inputting the thinned-out images to the lesion detection unit 74. The lesion detection unit 74 analyzes the input images to detect lesions (S005) and displays the detection results on the display 16 (S006). The storage of images in the temporary storage unit 62 (S003), the detection of lesions by the lesion detection unit 74 (S005), and the display of the detection results (S006) are repeated during the endoscopic examination (P1), that is, from the start of the endoscopic examination (T1) (start of image input from the endoscope 12) to the end of the endoscopic examination (T2) (stop of image input from the endoscope 12).

[0037] In this embodiment, the end of the endoscopic examination (T1) is considered to have ended when the image input from the endoscope 12 stops, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the end of the endoscopic examination (T1) may be considered to have ended when an operation or process performed when ending the endoscopic examination is detected, such as pressing an examination end button provided on the endoscope 12 or the processor device 20.

[0038] Upon completion of the endoscopic examination (T1), that is, after the endoscopic examination is completed (P2), the processor unit 20 activates the abnormality detection unit 76 to detect abnormalities. The abnormality detection unit 76 reads the images stored in the temporary storage unit 62 (S007) and uses the read images to detect abnormalities (S008). If an abnormality is detected, the image in which the abnormality was detected (hereinafter referred to as the abnormal image) is stored in the abnormal image storage area 68 of the final storage unit 64 (S009). Abnormality detection is performed for all images stored in the temporary storage unit 62. Thus, in this embodiment, since the detection of abnormalities and the storage of abnormal images in the final storage unit 64 (abnormal image storage area 68) are performed after the completion of the endoscopic examination (P2), the processing load during the endoscopic examination (P1) can be reduced.

[0039] In addition to the abnormal image, information regarding the detected abnormality (information indicating the type of abnormality, etc., hereinafter referred to as abnormality information) may be stored in the final storage unit 64 (abnormal image storage area 68) in association with the abnormal image. In this case, the abnormality information may be stored as supplementary information to the abnormal image. Alternatively, the abnormality information may be stored separately from the abnormal image. In this case, correspondence information indicating the correspondence between the abnormal image and the abnormality information may be stored attached to the abnormal image or abnormality information, or stored independently.

[0040] [Second Embodiment] In the first embodiment described above, both the detection of abnormalities (S008) and the storage of abnormal images in the final storage unit 64 (abnormal image storage area 68) (S009) are performed after the endoscopy is completed (P2). However, in the second embodiment, the detection of abnormalities (S008) is performed during the endoscopy (P1), and the storage of abnormal images in the final storage unit 64 (abnormal image storage area 68) (S009) is performed after the endoscopy is completed (P2). In the following description, components similar to those in the first embodiment described above are denoted by the same reference numerals and their descriptions are omitted.

[0041] As shown in Figures 5 and 6, in the second embodiment, during endoscopic examination (P1), the processor device 20 stores all images input from the endoscope 12 in the temporary storage unit 62 (S003). The processor device 20 (anomaly detection unit 76) also detects anomalies in all images input from the endoscope 12 (S008). If an anomaly is detected, the anomaly information is stored in the temporary storage unit 62 in association with the anomaly image (S100). As mentioned above, the anomaly information is information related to the detected anomaly (information indicating the type of anomaly, etc.), and may be stored attached to the anomaly image as supplementary information to the anomaly image, or it may be stored separately from the anomaly image. When storing the anomaly information separately from the anomaly image, correspondence information indicating the correspondence between the anomaly image and the anomaly information may be stored attached to the anomaly image or anomaly information, or stored independently.

[0042] Furthermore, the processor unit 20 (lesion detection unit 74) thins out a portion of the image input from the endoscope 12 (S004), analyzes the thinned image to detect lesions (S005), and displays the detection results on the display 16 (S006). These processes, specifically, storing images in the temporary storage unit 62 (S003), detecting abnormalities and storing abnormality information in the temporary storage unit 62 (S008, S100), detecting lesions and displaying the detection results (S004-S006), are repeated during the endoscopic examination (P1) (from the start of the endoscopic examination (T1) to the end of the endoscopic examination (T2)).

[0043] Upon completion of the endoscopic examination (T1), that is, after the endoscopic examination is completed (P2), the processor device 20 refers to the abnormal information stored in the temporary storage unit 62, reads the abnormal image associated with the abnormal information from the temporary storage unit 62 (S101), and stores it in the final storage unit 64 (abnormal image storage area 68) (S009). Of course, in addition to the abnormal image, the abnormal information may also be read from the temporary storage unit 62, associated with the abnormal image, and stored in the final storage unit 64 (abnormal image storage area 68). Thus, in the second embodiment, since the storage of abnormal images in the final storage unit 64 (abnormal image storage area 68) is performed after the completion of the endoscopic examination (P2), the processing load during the endoscopic examination (P1) can be reduced.

[0044] Furthermore, as in the second embodiment, when detecting abnormalities during an endoscopic examination (P1), it is preferable to exclude abnormal images from the detection of lesions. Specifically, the abnormality detection unit 76 performs abnormality detection (S008) prior to the detection of lesions by the lesion detection unit 74 (S005) (detecting abnormalities before detecting lesions). Then, the lesion detection unit 74 performs lesion detection (S005) on the remaining images (hereinafter referred to as normal images) after excluding the images in which abnormalities have been detected by the abnormality detection unit 76 (i.e., abnormal images) from the images input from the endoscope 12. This makes it possible to detect lesions more accurately. Of course, lesion detection may also be performed on the filtered images after some of the normal images have been filtered out.

[0045] Furthermore, although the first and second embodiments described above have shown an example in which the final storage unit 64 is integrated with the processor device 20 (built into the processor device 20), the present invention is not limited thereto. The final storage unit 64 (either or both of the inspection image storage area 66 and the abnormal image storage area 68) may be provided separately from the processor device 20 and connected to the processor device 20 via a network such as a LAN or the Internet.

[0046] The information stored in the final storage unit 64 includes personal information such as information about the person being examined (person information) and information about the person performing the examination (performer information). For this reason, it is preferable to restrict access to the final storage unit 64, for example, by allowing access only to pre-configured persons (or terminals). Of course, the accessible ranges for the examination image storage area 66 and the abnormal image storage area 68 may be set differently, for example, by allowing access to the examination image storage area 66 only to doctors at the medical institution where the endoscope 12 is located, and by allowing access to the abnormal image storage area 68 only to repair personnel at the manufacturer of the endoscope 12.

[0047] Furthermore, since the information stored in the examination image storage area 66 is used for endoscopic examinations and subsequent procedures, there is a high probability that it will be necessary to refer to the aforementioned personal information (such as subject information and practitioner information) after the endoscopic examination. In contrast, since the information stored in the abnormal image storage area 68 is used for the repair and maintenance of the endoscope 12, there is a low probability that it will be necessary to refer to personal information after the endoscopic examination. For this reason, when storing information in the abnormal image storage area 68, it is preferable to remove personal information from the information to be stored.

[0048] Furthermore, as mentioned above, the information stored in the inspection image storage area 66 and the information stored in the abnormal image storage area 68 have different purposes of use. Consequently, the editing functions (display (playback), move, cut (copy), paste, delete, etc.) required when managing the information also differ. For this reason, it is preferable to differentiate the types of editing functions implemented when managing information stored in the inspection image storage area 66 and the editing screens, such as the display menus that show the editing functions implemented when managing the information, when managing information stored in the abnormal image storage area 68.

[0049] [Third Embodiment] In the first and second embodiments described above, the processor device 20 constituting the endoscope system 10 was described as functioning as the processor of the present invention. However, as shown in Figure 7, in the third embodiment, an image processing processor device 102 that functions as the processor of the present invention is provided separately from the endoscope system 100.

[0050] The endoscope system 100 consists of an endoscope 10 (see Figure 1), a light source device 12 (see Figure 1), a display 16 (see Figure 1), and the like. The image processing processor device 102 is equipped with a temporary storage unit 62, a final storage unit 64, a program storage unit 70, and a central control unit 72. The program storage unit 70 stores programs related to various processing or control, and the central control unit 72 functions as a lesion detection unit 74 and an anomaly detection unit 76 by operating the programs stored in the program storage unit 70.

[0051] Images captured by the endoscope system 100 (endoscope 10) are input to the image processing processor 102. The image processing processor 102 uses the input images to detect lesions using the lesion detection unit 74 during the endoscopic examination (P1), and inputs the results to the endoscope system 100. The endoscope system 100 displays the lesion detection results input from the image processing processor 102 on the display 16. The image processing processor 102 also uses the images input from the endoscope system 100 (endoscope 10) to detect abnormalities during the endoscopic examination (P1) or after the endoscopic examination (P2). After the endoscopic examination (P2), the abnormal images are stored in the final storage unit 64.

[0052] Thus, in the third embodiment, in which a processor (image processing processor device 102) is provided separately from the endoscope system 100, the processing load during endoscopic examination (P1) can be reduced, similar to the first and second embodiments described above. In this embodiment, the example was described in which the image processing processor device 102 functions as the processor of the present invention on its own, but it is also possible to configure the image processing processor device 102 and the processor device 20 of the endoscope system 100 (see Figure 1) to cooperate in functioning as the processor of the present invention.

[0053] In the above embodiment, the hardware structure of the processing unit that performs various processes such as the central control unit 72, the lesion detection unit 74, and the anomaly detection unit 76 is a variety of processor as shown below. These 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 manufacturing, such as an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array); and a dedicated electrical circuit, which is a processor with a circuit configuration specifically designed to perform various processes.

[0054] A single processing unit may be composed of one of these various processors, or it may be composed of a combination of two or more processors of the same or different types (for example, multiple FPGAs, or a combination of a CPU and an FPGA). Alternatively, multiple processing units may be composed of a single processor. Examples of composing multiple processing units with a single processor include, firstly, a configuration where one or more CPUs and software are combined to form a single processor, and this processor functions as multiple processing units, as is typical of computers such as client and server systems. Secondly, a configuration using a processor that realizes the functions of the entire system, including multiple processing units, on a single IC (Integrated Circuit) chip, as is typical of System-on-a-Chip (SoC) systems. Thus, various processing units are configured, in terms of hardware structure, using one or more of the above-mentioned various processors.

[0055] Furthermore, the hardware structure of these various processors is, more specifically, an electrical circuit in the form of a combination of circuit elements such as semiconductor devices. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0056] 10,100 Endoscopy Systems 12 Endoscopes 14 Light source device 16. Displays (Monitors) 18. User Interface 20. Processor device (processor) 30 Insertion part 32 Operation section 34 Curved section 36 Tip 38 Entrance 40, 42, 44 rotary dial 46, 48, 50 Press-button 60 Image Sensors 62 Temporary storage unit (second storage device) 64 Final storage unit (first storage device) 66. Inspection image storage area 68 Abnormal Image Storage Area 70 Program storage unit 72 Central Control Unit 74 Lesion detection unit 76 Anomaly detection unit 102 Image Processing Processor Device

Claims

1. It comprises an endoscope for imaging the inside of the body cavity and a processor, The aforementioned processor, The system detects the lesion from the endoscopic images taken with the endoscope, and displays the detection result of the lesion on a monitor during the endoscopic examination using the endoscope. An endoscope system that detects abnormalities in the endoscopic image and stores the endoscopic image in which the abnormality was detected in a first storage device after the endoscopic examination is completed.

2. The aforementioned processor, The endoscopic system according to claim 1, wherein during the endoscopic examination, the endoscopic images are stored in a second storage device for temporary storage, and after the endoscopic examination is completed, the abnormality is detected using the endoscopic images stored in the second storage device.

3. The aforementioned processor, The endoscopic system according to claim 1, which detects the abnormality during the endoscopic examination.

4. The aforementioned processor, The abnormality is detected before the lesion is detected, The endoscopic system according to claim 3, wherein the endoscopic image in which the abnormality was detected is excluded from the detection target of the lesion.

5. The aforementioned processor, The endoscopic system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the detection of the lesion is performed on an endoscopic image obtained by selectively removing some of multiple endoscopic images.

6. The aforementioned processor, The endoscopic system according to claim 5, wherein the endoscopic image in which the abnormality was detected is stored in the first storage device in a form accessible from an external device.

7. The endoscopic images include personal information, which includes at least one of the subject information relating to the person being examined in the endoscopic examination, and the practitioner information relating to the person performing the endoscopic examination. The aforementioned processor, The endoscope system according to claim 6, wherein the personal information is deleted from the endoscope image in which the abnormality was detected and stored in the first storage device.

8. The aforementioned processor, The endoscopic system according to claim 6, wherein the range in which access to the endoscopic image in which the abnormality is detected is set to a range different from the endoscopic image used for the endoscopic examination.

9. The aforementioned processor, The endoscopic system according to claim 6, wherein the type of editing permitted for the endoscopic image in which the abnormality is detected is set to a different type from that of the endoscopic image used for the endoscopic examination.

10. The aforementioned abnormalities include abnormalities based on internal factors, such as malfunctions occurring in the main body of the endoscope, and abnormalities based on external factors outside the main body of the endoscope. The aforementioned processor, The endoscopic system according to claim 6, which detects abnormalities based on the aforementioned internal factors.

11. The steps include detecting a lesion from an endoscopic image taken with an endoscope, and displaying the detection result of the lesion on a monitor during an endoscopic examination using the endoscope, A method for operating an endoscope system, comprising the steps of detecting an abnormality in the endoscopic image and, after the endoscopic examination is completed, storing the endoscopic image in which the abnormality was detected in a first storage device.

12. In a processor connected to an endoscopic system having an endoscope for imaging the inside of a body cavity, and which receives endoscopic images taken by the endoscope during an endoscopic examination using the endoscope, During the endoscopic examination, the system detects the lesion from the endoscopic image and inputs the detection result of the lesion into the endoscopic system. A processor that detects abnormalities in the endoscopic image and stores the endoscopic image in which the abnormality was detected in a first storage device after the endoscopic examination is completed.

Images