Endoscope Offset Marker for Convex Surface Measurement
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing endoscope apparatuses face challenges in accurately measuring the size of subjects with convex portions due to shifts in the irradiation position of auxiliary measurement light, leading to complications in calibration for each unique concave/convex feature, resulting in potential underestimation of sizes.
Innovation Solution
An endoscope apparatus with an illumination light source, auxiliary measurement light source, image acquisition unit, position specifying section, distance calculation section, offset setting section, and display control unit that generates an offset measurement marker to adjust for the height of convex portions, allowing for more accurate size measurement by superimposing the marker on the picked-up image.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If calibration is performed for every concave/convex portion to achieve accurate measurement, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity and ease of operation deteriorate due to complicated calibration procedures
Solution Approach 1:
A virtual reference plane is introduced as an intermediary between the auxiliary measurement light and the actual subject. The system calculates the position of this virtual plane based on the irradiated region position and convex portion height, then performs measurement calibration relative to this virtual plane rather than directly on the complex convex surface. This mediator simplifies the calibration process while maintaining measurement accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the reference parameter from the physical convex surface position to a calculated virtual plane position. By computing the offset distance based on the irradiated region position and convex height, the system transforms the measurement reference frame to account for surface irregularities without requiring physical recalibration for each convex portion.
2Adaptability or versatility
If auxiliary measurement light is used to measure subjects with convex portions, then measurement capability is improved, but measurement precision deteriorates due to irradiation position shifts
Solution Approach 1:
The system replaces direct physical measurement on the convex surface with an optical calculation approach. Instead of mechanically adjusting the measurement reference to match the convex surface, the system uses light irradiation position detection and mathematical calculation to determine the virtual plane position, thereby eliminating irradiation position shift errors.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary calculation of the virtual reference plane position before actual size measurement. By computing the offset distance based on the irradiated region position and convex height in advance, the system prepares the corrected reference frame that compensates for surface irregularities before the measurement is taken.
3Measurement precision
If offset calculation is performed for each convex portion to achieve accurate measurement, then measurement precision is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates due to complex measurement procedures
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs self-service by automatically calculating the virtual reference plane position and offset distance based on detected irradiated region position and convex height. The measurement apparatus autonomously compensates for surface irregularities without requiring manual intervention or complex user operations, thereby maintaining measurement precision while preserving ease of operation.
Data Source
AI summary
A position specifying section obtains an observation distance by specifying the position of an irradiated region from a picked-up image that is obtained from the image pickup of a subject on which the irradiated region is formed by auxiliary measurement light. An image processing section sets the amount of offset, which corresponds to a height of the irradiated region of a convex portion of the subject, for the observation distance, and generates an offset measurement marker on the basis of the offset distance that obtained by adding the amount of offset to the observation distance. A specific image in which the offset measurement marker is superimposed on the picked-up image is displayed on a display unit.