Medical image processing apparatus and medical observation system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11510549-B2
Application number	US-202016790752-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 14, 2020
Priority date	Mar 22, 2019
Publication date	Nov 29, 2022
Grant date	Nov 29, 2022

Abstract

A medical image processing apparatus includes: image signal acquiring circuitry configured to acquire: a first image signal generated by capturing light of a first wavelength band with an image sensor; and a second image signal generated by capturing light of a second wavelength band different from the first wavelength band with the image sensor, the first image signal and the second image signal being not subjected to the demosaic processing, and the image sensor including a color filter in which filter groups having spectroscopic properties different from each other are arranged in a specific form; a first signal path including a demosaic processor configured to execute the demosaic processing to the first image signal; and a second signal path diverged from the first signal path on a path former part from the demosaic processor, in which the demosaic processing is not executed to the second image signal.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A medical image processing apparatus comprising:
image signal acquiring circuitry configured to acquire:
a first image signal generated by capturing light of a first wavelength band with an image sensor; and
a second image signal generated by capturing light of a second wavelength band different from the first wavelength band with the image sensor, the first image signal and the second image signal being not subjected to demosaic processing, and the image sensor including a color filter in which a plurality of filter groups having spectroscopic properties different from each other are arranged in a specific form on a light receiving surface of the image sensor; and image processing circuitry including
a first signal path including a demosaic processor configured to execute the demosaic processing to the first image signal acquired by the image signal acquiring circuitry and input into the first signal path;
a second signal path diverged from the first signal path on a path separate from the demosaic processor, in which the demosaic processing is not executed to the second image signal acquired by the image signal acquiring circuitry and input into the second signal path; and
a converged signal path after the demosaic processor in which the first and second signal paths are converged and provided to signal generating circuitry configured to generate luminance signals.

2. The medical image processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the image signal acquiring circuitry is configured to acquire:
the first image signal generated by capturing the light of the first wavelength band with the image sensor including the color filter in which a first filter group that most transmits light of a first visible wavelength band in the first wavelength band that is a visible wavelength band, and transmits the light of the second wavelength band that is a wavelength band other than a visible range, and a second filter group that most transmits light of a second visible wavelength band different from the first visible wavelength band in the first wavelength band, and transmits the light of the second wavelength band are arranged in the specific form; and
the second image signal generated by capturing the light of the second wavelength band with the image sensor.

3. The medical image processing apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the second signal path includes
output circuitry configured to output a plurality of the second image signals that are identical to each other, wherein the signal generating circuitry is configured to generate a luminance color difference signal from the plurality of second image signals that are output from the output circuitry.

4. The medical image processing apparatus according to claim 3 , further comprising a selector, wherein
in the first signal path, a plurality of demosaic image signals corresponding to each filter group of the plurality of filter groups are generated by the demosaic processor,
the second signal path is converged into the first signal path on a path latter part from the demosaic processor,
the selector is disposed in the converged signal path,
the plurality of demosaic image signals and the plurality of second image signals are input into the selector,
the selector is configured to output any one image signal of the plurality of demosaic image signals and the plurality of second image signals, and
the signal generating circuitry is configured to generate a luminance color difference signal based on the image signal output from the selector.

5. The medical image processing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a white balance adjustment processor configured to execute white balance adjustment processing, the white balance adjustment processor being provided in a path before being diverged into the first signal path and the second signal path.

6. The medical image processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the second signal path includes
output circuitry configured to output a plurality of the second image signals that are identical to each other, and
signal generating circuitry configured to generate a luminance color difference signal from the plurality of second image signals that are output from the output circuitry.

7. The medical image processing apparatus according to claim 6 , further comprising a selector, wherein
in the first signal path, a plurality of demosaic image signals corresponding to each filter group of the plurality of filter groups are generated by the demosaic processor,
the second signal path is converged into the first signal path on a path latter part from the demosaic processor,
the selector is disposed in the converged signal,
the plurality of demosaic image signals and the plurality of second image signals are input into the selector,
the selector is configured to output any one image signal of the plurality of demosaic image signals and the plurality of second image signals, and
the signal generating circuitry is configured to generate a luminance color difference signal based on the image signal output from the selector.

8. The medical image processing apparatus according to claim 7 , further comprising a white balance adjustment processor configured to execute white balance adjustment processing, the white balance adjustment processor being provided in a path before being diverged into the first signal path and the second signal path.

9. The medical image processing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
an imaging device including
the image sensor configured to generate the first image signal by capturing light of the first wavelength band, and generate the second image signal by capturing light of the second wavelength band, and

the color filter provided on the light receiving surface of the image sensor, in which the plurality of filter groups having spectroscopic properties different from each other are arranged in the specific form.

10. The medical image processing apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein
the color filter includes;
a first filter group that most transmits light of a first visible wavelength band in the first wavelength band that is a visible wavelength band, and transmits the light of the second wavelength band that is a wavelength band other than a visible range; and
a second filter group that most transmits light of a second visible wavelength band different from the first visible wavelength band in the first wavelength band, and transmits the light of the second wavelength band are arranged in the specific form, and

the image signal acquiring circuitry is configured to acquire
the first image signal that is generated by receiving the light of the first visible wavelength band and the light of the second visible wavelength band from a subject with the image sensor, and is not subjected to the demosaic processing, and
the second image signal that is generated by receiving the light of the wavelength band other than the visible range from the subject with the image sensor, and is not subjected to the demosaic processing.

11. The medical image processing apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the second signal path includes
output circuitry configured to output a plurality of the second image signals that are identical to each other, wherein
the signal generating circuitry is configured to generate a luminance color difference signal from the plurality of second image signals that are output from the output circuitry.

12. The medical image processing apparatus according to claim 11 , further comprising a selector, wherein
in the first signal path, a plurality of demosaic

Assignees

• Sony Olympus Medical Solutions Inc
• Sony Corp

Inventors

• Michihata Taihei
• Mitsui Satoshi

Classifications

• A61B1/00009 Primary

  of image signals during a use of endoscope · CPC title

• A61B1/0638

  providing two or more wavelengths · CPC title

• A61B1/0005

  combining images e.g. side-by-side, superimposed or tiled · CPC title

• A61B1/00186

  with imaging filters · CPC title

• A61B1/045

  Control thereof · CPC title