阅读说明：本技术 光源控制装置、内窥镜系统和调光控制方法 (Light source control device, endoscope system, and light control method ) 是由 山崎隆一 于 2018-09-06 设计创作，主要内容包括：作为内窥镜处理器(20)和光源装置(30)的内窥镜用的光源控制装置具有调光运算部(25)、判定部(26)和光源控制部(33)。调光运算部(25)至少根据来自内窥镜(10)的摄像元件(11)的摄像信号,生成表示供给到内窥镜(10)的照明光量的过多/不足的调光控制信号。判定部(26)至少根据调光控制信号,判定内窥镜(10)是否被放置。光源控制部(33)至少根据调光控制信号,在被设定的控制范围内对向内窥镜(10)供给的照明光量进行控制。在第1范围被设定为控制范围的状态下由判定部(26)判定为内窥镜(10)被放置的情况下,光源控制部(33)将具有比第1范围的上限低的上限的第2范围设定为控制范围。(A light source control device for an endoscope, which is an endoscope processor (20) and a light source device (30), is provided with a dimming operation unit (25), a determination unit (26), and a light source control unit (33). A light control calculation unit (25) generates a light control signal indicating excess/deficiency of the amount of illumination light supplied to an endoscope (10) on the basis of at least an image pickup signal from an image pickup element (11) of the endoscope (10). The determination unit (26) determines whether or not the endoscope (10) is placed, based on at least the light control signal. The light source control unit (33) controls the amount of illumination light supplied to the endoscope (10) within a set control range at least in accordance with the dimming control signal. When the determination unit (26) determines that the endoscope (10) is placed in the state in which the 1 st range is set as the control range, the light source control unit (33) sets, as the control range, the 2 nd range having an upper limit lower than the upper limit of the 1 st range.)

1. A light source control device for an endoscope, comprising:

a light control calculation unit that generates a light control signal indicating excess/deficiency of the amount of illumination light supplied from the light source control device to an endoscope, based on at least an image pickup signal from an image pickup device of the endoscope;

a determination unit that determines whether or not the endoscope is placed, based on at least the light control signal; and

and a light source control unit that controls the amount of illumination light to be supplied from the light source control device to the endoscope within a set control range at least in accordance with the dimming control signal, wherein the light source control unit sets, as the control range, a 2 nd range having an upper limit lower than an upper limit of the 1 st range when the determination unit determines that the endoscope is placed in a state where the 1 st range is set as the control range.

2. The light source control apparatus according to claim 1,

the determination unit determines whether or not the endoscope is left in place, based on at least the dimming control signal and information on the illumination light amount supplied from the light source control device to the endoscope or to be supplied from the light source control device to the endoscope, when the 1 st range is set as the control range.

3. The light source control apparatus according to claim 1 or 2,

the determination unit determines whether or not a state in which the illumination light amount supplied from the light source control device to the endoscope or the illumination light amount to be supplied from the light source control device to the endoscope is a predetermined amount or more and the dimming control signal indicating that the illumination light amount is insufficient is generated is maintained for a predetermined time or more when the 1 st range is set as the control range,

the determination unit determines that the endoscope is placed when it is determined that the state is maintained for the predetermined time or longer.

4. The light source control apparatus according to claim 3,

the predetermined amount is an illumination light amount corresponding to an upper limit of the 1 st range.

5. The light source control device according to any one of claims 2 to 4,

the light source control device further includes:

a light source that emits illumination light supplied to the endoscope; and

an optical sensor for measuring the amount of illumination light emitted from the light source,

the light source control unit generates information of the illumination light amount supplied from the light source control device to the endoscope, based on the illumination light amount measured by the light sensor.

6. The light source control device according to any one of claims 2 to 4,

the light source control device further includes:

a light source that emits illumination light supplied to the endoscope; and

a light source driving part which drives the light source,

the light source control unit generates information on the amount of illumination light supplied from the light source control device to the endoscope, based on the amount of illumination light instructed to the light source drive unit.

7. The light source control device according to any one of claims 1 to 6,

when the determination unit determines that the endoscope is not placed in the state where the 2 nd range is set as the control range, the light source control unit sets the 1 st range as the control range.

8. The light source control apparatus according to claim 7,

the determination unit determines that the endoscope is placed under a determination criterion stricter than that in a case where the 2 nd range is set as the control range than that in a case where the 1 st range is set as the control range.

9. The light source control apparatus according to claim 7 or 8,

The determination unit determines whether or not the state in which the illumination light amount is equal to or greater than a predetermined amount and the dimming control signal indicating that the illumination light amount is insufficient is generated is maintained for a predetermined time or longer when the 2 nd range is set as the control range,

the determination unit determines that the endoscope is not left in place when it is determined that the state is not maintained for the predetermined time or longer.

10. The light source control device according to any one of claims 7 to 9,

the light source control device further includes an image processing unit that processes the image pickup signal,

the determination unit determines whether or not the image processing unit detects a change in the image pickup signal when the 2 nd range is set as the control range,

the determination unit determines that the endoscope is not placed when the image processing unit determines that the change in the image pickup signal is detected.

11. The light source control device according to any one of claims 7 to 10,

the determination unit determines whether or not the sensor unit of the endoscope detects an operation on the endoscope when the 2 nd range is set as the control range,

The determination unit determines that the endoscope is not placed when it is determined that the sensor unit has detected an operation on the endoscope.

12. The light source control device according to any one of claims 1 to 11,

the light control calculation unit generates the light control signal based on at least an evaluation value of brightness of an image calculated based on the image pickup signal and a target value of the brightness of the image.

13. The light source control device according to any one of claims 1 to 12,

the light source control device further includes a model identification unit that identifies a model of the endoscope based on information of the endoscope read out from a memory included in the endoscope,

the light source control unit sets the 2 nd range as the control range when the determination unit determines that the endoscope is placed in a state where the model identification unit identifies that the model of the endoscope is a predetermined model and the 1 st range is set as the control range,

when the model identification unit identifies that the model of the endoscope is a model other than the predetermined model, the light source control unit does not set the 2 nd range as the control range.

14. The light source control device according to any one of claims 1 to 12,

the light source control device further includes a model identification unit that identifies a model of the endoscope based on information of the endoscope read out from a memory included in the endoscope,

the light source control unit determines an upper limit of the 2 nd range according to the model of the endoscope recognized by the model recognition unit.

15. The light source control device according to any one of claims 1 to 12,

the light source control unit determines the upper limit of the 2 nd range based on information read from a memory included in the endoscope.

16. The light source control device according to any one of claims 1 to 15,

the light source control device also has a plurality of light sources which respectively emit illumination lights of different wave bands,

the light source control unit maintains a light quantity ratio of the illumination light emitted from the plurality of light sources between a case where the 1 st range is set as the control range and a case where the 2 nd range is set as the control range.

17. A light source control device for an endoscope, comprising:

A light control calculation unit that generates a light control signal indicating excess/deficiency of the amount of illumination light supplied from the light source control device to an endoscope, based on at least an image pickup signal from an image pickup device of the endoscope;

a determination unit that determines whether or not the endoscope is placed, based on at least the light control signal; and

and a light source control unit that controls the amount of illumination light to be supplied from the light source control device to the endoscope within a set control range at least in accordance with the dimming control signal, wherein the light source control unit sets a 1 st range having an upper limit higher than an upper limit of a 2 nd range as the control range when the determination unit determines that the endoscope is not in a set state with the 2 nd range set as the control range.

18. An endoscope system, characterized in that the endoscope system has:

the light source control device according to any one of claims 1 to 17;

the endoscope; and

and a display device that displays a notice screen that notifies in advance that the control range is changed from the 1 st range to the 2 nd range.

19. An endoscope system, characterized in that the endoscope system has:

The light source control device according to any one of claims 1 to 17;

the endoscope; and

and a display device which displays a screen indicating that the amount of illumination light is suppressed during a period in which the 2 nd range is set.

20. A light control method for a light source control device for an endoscope,

generating a light control signal indicating excess/deficiency of an illumination light amount supplied from the light source control device to an endoscope, based on at least an image pickup signal from an image pickup element of the endoscope;

determining whether the endoscope is positioned according to at least the dimming control signal; and

controlling the amount of illumination light to be supplied from the light source control device to the endoscope within a set control range at least in accordance with the dimming control signal,

when it is determined that the endoscope is placed in the state where the 1 st range is set as the control range, the 2 nd range having an upper limit lower than an upper limit of the 1 st range is set as the control range.

Technical Field

The disclosure of the present specification relates to a light source control device, an endoscope system, and a dimming control method.

Background

In recent years, the use of endoscope systems capable of early detection and early treatment of lesions has been expanding mainly in the medical field.

A conventional endoscope system has a light control function of automatically adjusting the amount of illumination light supplied to an endoscope. The dimming function is to make the brightness of the image obtained by the endoscope close to the target brightness or to maintain the brightness of the image obtained by the endoscope.

However, in the endoscopic examination, the endoscope may be temporarily placed on the scope hanger in a state where the illumination function is activated. In this state, since the illumination light is irradiated to the ground, the distance from the endoscope to the surface to be irradiated is generally longer than that in a state where the endoscope is inserted into the body cavity. Therefore, the amount of reflected light from the irradiated surface incident on the image pickup device of the endoscope decreases, and the brightness of the image decreases.

Therefore, in a state where the endoscope is left in place, the light control function is operated to increase the illumination light amount when the brightness of the image is to be increased, but even if the illumination light amount is increased, the brightness of the image is not sufficiently increased. As a result, the illumination light amount continues to increase to the upper limit value, and the upper limit value is maintained after the illumination light amount reaches the upper limit value. When the illumination light amount is maintained at the upper limit value for a long time, the distal end of the endoscope becomes high in temperature, which causes failure of the endoscope, deterioration of image quality, and the like.

As described above, the conventional dimming function of the endoscope system has the following technical problems: in a state where the endoscope is placed outside the body cavity, the light amount cannot be appropriately controlled.

Techniques related to such technical problems are described in patent documents 1 and 2, for example. Patent document 1 describes a technique of reducing the light amount when the image signal does not change for a predetermined time. Patent document 2 describes a technique of setting an upper limit value of the light amount of the outgoing light to be small when it is determined that the insertion section of the endoscope is in a standby state outside the body cavity.

Documents of the prior art

Patent document

Patent document 1: japanese laid-open patent publication No. 2006-334076

Patent document 2: international publication No. 2011/102200

Disclosure of Invention

Problems to be solved by the invention

However, in the above-described technique, it is difficult to accurately recognize the state in which the endoscope is placed outside the body cavity. For example, in patent document 1, the state of the endoscope is determined based on the presence or absence of a change in the image signal. Therefore, even if the endoscope is inserted into the body cavity, the light amount is suppressed without changing the image. In patent document 2, when the amount of light of the outgoing light reaches the upper limit value and continues for a predetermined time, it is determined that the state is in a standby state. Therefore, even when the endoscope is inserted into the body cavity, the light quantity is suppressed when the observation is continued while the object is irradiated with the light quantity of the upper limit value.

In view of the above circumstances, an object of one aspect of the present invention is to provide a technique for performing appropriate dimming control according to the state of an endoscope.

Means for solving the problems

A light source control device according to an aspect of the present invention is a light source control device for an endoscope, including: a light control calculation unit that generates a light control signal indicating excess/deficiency of the amount of illumination light supplied from the light source control device to an endoscope, based on at least an image pickup signal from an image pickup device of the endoscope; a determination unit that determines whether or not the endoscope is placed, based on at least the light control signal; and a light source control unit that controls the amount of illumination light to be supplied from the light source control device to the endoscope within a set control range at least in accordance with the dimming control signal, wherein the light source control unit sets, as the control range, a 2 nd range having an upper limit lower than an upper limit of the 1 st range when the determination unit determines that the endoscope is placed in a state where the 1 st range is set as the control range.

A light source control device according to another aspect of the present invention is a light source control device for an endoscope, including: a light control calculation unit that generates a light control signal indicating excess/deficiency of the amount of illumination light supplied from the light source control device to an endoscope, based on at least an image pickup signal from an image pickup device of the endoscope; a determination unit that determines whether or not the endoscope is placed, based on at least the light control signal; and a light source control unit that controls the amount of illumination light to be supplied from the light source control device to the endoscope within a set control range at least in accordance with the dimming control signal, wherein the light source control unit sets, as the control range, a 1 st range having an upper limit higher than an upper limit of a 2 nd range when the determination unit determines that the endoscope is not in a set state with the 2 nd range set as the control range.

An endoscope system according to an aspect of the present invention includes: the light source control device according to any one of the above embodiments; the endoscope; and a display device that displays a notice screen that notifies in advance that the control range is changed from the 1 st range to the 2 nd range.

An endoscope system according to another aspect of the present invention includes: the light source control device according to any one of the above embodiments; the endoscope; and a display device for displaying a screen indicating that the amount of illumination light is suppressed during a period in which the 2 nd range is set.

A light control method according to an aspect of the present invention is a light control method for a light source control device for an endoscope, wherein a light control signal indicating excess/deficiency of an illumination light amount supplied from the light source control device to the endoscope is generated at least based on an image pickup signal from an image pickup device of the endoscope; determining whether the endoscope is positioned according to at least the dimming control signal; and controlling the amount of illumination light to be supplied from the light source control device to the endoscope within a set control range at least according to the dimming control signal, and setting a 2 nd range having an upper limit lower than an upper limit of a 1 st range as the control range when it is determined that the endoscope is left in a state where the 1 st range is set as the control range.

Effects of the invention

According to the above aspect, it is possible to perform appropriate light control according to the state of the endoscope.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of an endoscope system 1 according to embodiment 1.

Fig. 2 is a diagram for explaining a control range of the illumination light amount.

Fig. 3 is an example of a flowchart of the light control process performed by the endoscope system 1.

Fig. 4 is an example of a flowchart of the dimming control signal generation process.

Fig. 5 is an example of a flowchart of the placement determination process 1.

Fig. 6 is an example of a flowchart of the suppression determination process.

Fig. 7 is an example of a flowchart of the placement determination process 2.

Fig. 8 is an example of a flowchart of the cancellation judgment processing.

Fig. 9 is a diagram showing an example of the suppression notice display screen.

Fig. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a suppressed display screen.

Fig. 11 is an external view of the endoscope system 1.

Fig. 12 is a diagram illustrating a structure of a light source device 30a of a modification.

Fig. 13 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of the endoscope system 2 according to embodiment 2.

Fig. 14 is an example of a flowchart of the dimming control process performed by the endoscope system 2.

Fig. 15 is another example of a flowchart of the dimming control process performed by the endoscope system 2.

Fig. 16 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of the endoscope system 3 according to embodiment 3.

Fig. 17 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of the endoscope system 4 according to embodiment 4.

Detailed Description

[ embodiment 1 ]

Fig. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of an endoscope system 1 according to the present embodiment. Fig. 2 is a diagram for explaining a control range of the illumination light amount. The endoscope system 1 is a medical endoscope system including a flexible endoscope, and as shown in fig. 1, includes an endoscope 10, an endoscope processor 20, a light source device 30, and a display device 40. In the present specification, the endoscope processor 20 and the light source device 30 are collectively referred to as a light source control device for an endoscope.

In the light source control device and the endoscope system 1, appropriate dimming control is performed according to the state of the endoscope 10. Specifically, the light source control device and the endoscope system 1 determine the state of the endoscope 10 based on at least a dimming control signal described later, and switch the illumination mode between a normal illumination mode in which the amount of illumination light supplied from the light source device 30 to the endoscope 10 is controlled within a 1 st range and a suppressed illumination mode in which the amount of illumination light is controlled within a 2 nd range, as shown in fig. 2, based on the state of the endoscope 10. Additionally, range 2 has an upper limit U2 that is lower than the upper limit U1 of range 1, and range 1 has an upper limit U1 that is higher than the upper limit U2 of range 2. The upper limit U2 is, for example, half of the upper limit U1. This realizes appropriate dimming control according to the state of the endoscope 10.

First, the configuration of the light source control device and the endoscope system 1 will be described with reference to fig. 1 and 2.

The endoscope 10 is, for example, a flexible endoscope used for observation and diagnosis in each region of the trachea and the bronchi. The endoscope 10 includes an insertion portion to be inserted into a subject, an operation portion to be operated by an operator, a universal cable portion extending from the operation portion, and a connector portion provided at an end portion of the universal cable portion. The endoscope 10 outputs an imaging signal generated by imaging the subject in a state where the insertion portion is inserted into the body cavity of the subject to the endoscope processor 20.

More specifically, the endoscope 10 includes an image pickup device 11 and a light guide 15. The endoscope 10 may further include a signal processing unit 12, an endoscope memory 13, and a sensor unit 14.

The imaging element 11 includes a two-dimensional image sensor such as a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) image sensor or a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) image sensor. The imaging element 11 is provided in the insertion portion, receives light from the object on a light receiving surface via an optical system not shown, and converts the received light into an electric signal to generate an imaging signal of the object.

The signal processing unit 12 is a circuit that processes an image pickup signal. The signal processing unit 12 performs predetermined processing (noise removal processing, clamp processing) on the image pickup signal, which is an analog signal generated by the image pickup device 11. Further, the signal processing unit 12 performs analog-digital conversion, and outputs the image pickup signal converted into digital data to the endoscope processor 20.

The endoscope memory 13 is a nonvolatile memory. Parameters corresponding to the endoscope 10 are stored in the endoscope memory 13. Specifically, identification information about the endoscope and various parameters for image processing are stored in the endoscope memory 13. The identification information related to the endoscope includes, for example, identification information for identifying the endoscope 10, identification information for identifying a model of the endoscope 10, and the like. Examples of the parameters for image processing include parameters for white balance, parameters for color correction, and parameters for aberration correction.

The sensor portion 14 includes a sensor for detecting the operation of the endoscope 10 by the surgeon. For example, since the sensor unit 14 includes a pressure sensor, it is possible to detect that the operator holds the endoscope 10. Further, since the sensor unit 14 includes an acceleration sensor, it is possible to detect that the operator moves the endoscope 10. Further, buttons or the like provided in the operation unit may be regarded as components of the sensor unit 14, and the sensor unit 14 may detect button operations performed by the surgeon.

The light guide 15 is disposed from the connector portion to the insertion portion via the universal cable portion and the operation portion, and guides the illumination light supplied from the light source device 30 to the subject.

The endoscope processor 20 is a control device that controls the operation of the endoscope system 1. The endoscope processor 20 causes the display device 40 to display an image of the subject based on, for example, the image pickup signal output from the endoscope 10. In addition, the endoscope processor 20 performs various processes. For example, the endoscope processor 20 performs processing associated with automatic dimming control, and outputs at least a dimming control signal described later and a result of placement determination processing to the light source device 30. In the following, description will be given mainly on a configuration related to automatic dimming control for controlling the amount of illumination light.

The endoscope processor 20 includes a processor memory 21, a parameter setting unit 22, an image processing unit 23, and a processor control unit 24. The parameter setting unit 22, the image processing unit 23, and the processor control unit 24 (the light adjustment calculation unit 25 and the determination unit 26) may be configured by using a general-purpose processor such as a CPU, or may be configured by using a dedicated processor such as an ASIC or FPGA, for example.

The processor memory 21 is a non-volatile memory. Various parameters for image processing and control processing are stored in the processor memory 21. Examples of the parameters for the control processing include a target value of brightness of an image to be described later, parameters (an illumination light amount and a duration) used for the leaving determination processing, and a control range (1 st range and 2 nd range) of the illumination light amount. The target value of the brightness may be plural. For example, 5 target values corresponding to the brightness of 5 stages that can be selected by the surgeon by a button operation or the like provided in the operation section of the endoscope 10 may be included.

The parameter setting unit 22 outputs the parameters and the identification information read from the processor memory 21 and the endoscope memory 13 to the image processing unit 23 and the processor control unit 24.

The image processing unit 23 performs OB subtraction processing, WB correction processing, demosaicing processing, color matrix processing, and the like on the image pickup signal output from the signal processing unit 12, and outputs the processed image pickup signal to the processor control unit 24. For example, in the OB subtraction processing, Optical Black (OB) values due to dark current or the like of the image pickup element 11 are respectively subtracted from pixel values of respective pixels calculated from the image pickup signal. In the WB correction processing, the pixel values of the respective colors (e.g., R, B) are amplified using the parameters for white balance (e.g., R gain, B gain) read from the endoscope memory 13, and the white balance of the image pickup signal is corrected. In the demosaicing process, data of a color that the peripheral pixel has is interpolated for each pixel included in the image pickup signal, thereby calculating data of a color that the pixel does not have. In the color matrix processing, the image pickup signal subjected to the demosaicing processing is multiplied by a parameter for color correction (for example, a color matrix coefficient) read out from the endoscope memory 13, thereby correcting the color of the image pickup signal. In addition, the image processing unit 23 may perform an electronic zoom process, an edge emphasis process, a gamma correction process, and the like on the image pickup signal.

The processor control unit 24 outputs the calculation result to an external device, thereby controlling the operation of the external device connected to the endoscope processor 20. The processor control unit 24 has, for example, a dimming operation unit 25 and a determination unit 26 as components related to automatic dimming control, and outputs a dimming control signal and a result of placement determination processing, which will be described later, to the light source device 30.

The dimming operation unit 25 generates a dimming control signal from at least the image pickup signal and outputs the dimming control signal to the light source device 30. The dimming control signal is a signal indicating excess/deficiency of the amount of illumination light supplied from the light source device 30 to the endoscope 10. In the endoscope system 1, the dimming control signal indicating that the amount of illumination light is insufficient functions as an instruction to increase the amount of illumination light with respect to the light source device 30 (Up instruction), and the dimming control signal indicating that the amount of illumination light is excessive functions as an instruction to decrease the amount of illumination light with respect to the light source device 30 (Down instruction), thereby performing automatic dimming. The dimming control signal is also referred to as an EE signal, and may include information on the degree of excess/deficiency in addition to information on excess/deficiency.

Specifically, the light control calculation unit 25 generates the light control signal based on at least the evaluation value of the brightness of the video image calculated based on the image pickup signal and the target value of the brightness of the image. More specifically, first, the light control operation unit 25 may calculate an evaluation value of the brightness of the image from the image pickup signal output from the image processing unit 23. The evaluation value of the brightness of the image can be calculated from a brightness signal included in the image pickup signal, for example. Further, the light control calculation unit 25 may obtain a target value of the brightness of the image. The light control calculation unit 25 may acquire a target value corresponding to the level of brightness designated by the surgeon from the processor memory 21 via the parameter setting unit 22. The light control calculation unit 25 that has obtained the evaluation value and the target value may generate the light control signal according to a ratio of the evaluation value and the target value. The dimming control signal may be calculated by using, for example, an "evaluation value/target value" or may be calculated by using a "target value/evaluation value". By generating the dimming control signal using the target value in this way, dimming control can be performed so that the brightness of the image approaches the target value.

The determination unit 26 determines whether or not the endoscope 10 is set, based on at least the dimming control signal, and outputs the result of the set determination process to the light source device 30. Specifically, the determination unit 26 determines whether or not the endoscope 10 is placed based on at least the dimming control signal and the information of the illumination light amount when the normal illumination mode, that is, when the 1 st range is set as the control range. The information on the illumination light amount may be information on the illumination light amount supplied from the light source device 30 to the endoscope 10, or may be information on the illumination light amount supplied from the light source device 30 to the endoscope 10. Both of them are obtained from a light source control unit 33 described later. The light source control unit 33 may generate information of the amount of illumination light to be supplied to the endoscope 10, based on the amount of illumination light measured by the optical sensor 34, which will be described later. The light source control unit 33 may generate information on the amount of illumination light to be supplied to the endoscope 10, based on the amount of illumination light instructed to the light source driving unit 32 described later, for example.

More specifically, in the case of the normal illumination mode, the determination unit 26 first determines whether or not the predetermined state is maintained for a predetermined time or longer, based on at least the dimming control signal and the information on the illumination light amount. Then, the determination unit 26 determines that the endoscope 10 is left in place when it is determined that the predetermined state is maintained for a predetermined time or longer, and determines that the endoscope 10 is not left in place when it is determined otherwise. Then, the determination unit 26 outputs the result of the placement determination process to the light source control unit 33. The predetermined state is, for example, a state in which the amount of illumination light is equal to or larger than a predetermined amount and a dimming control signal indicating that the amount of illumination light is insufficient is generated. The predetermined light amount is, for example, a light amount corresponding to the upper limit of the 1 st range shown in fig. 2, and the predetermined time is, for example, 120 seconds.

In the case of the suppression illumination mode, that is, in the case where the 2 nd range is set as the control range, the determination unit 26 may determine whether or not the lighting mode is set, based on a criterion different from that in the case of the normal illumination mode. More specifically, when the 2 nd range is set as the control range in the suppression illumination mode, the determination unit 26 may determine whether or not the endoscope 10 is set, based on a determination criterion stricter than that in the case of the 1 st range in the normal illumination mode. In this way, by making the placement determination criterion in the suppressed illumination mode stricter than that in the normal illumination mode, it is possible to prevent the following: even if the operator does not quickly shift to the normal illumination mode while operating the endoscope 10, the illumination light amount is still small without recovery. This can avoid the situation in which the operator views a still dark image and erroneously recognizes that the endoscope 10 is malfunctioning.

For example, the determination unit 26 may determine whether or not the image processing unit 23 detects a change in the imaging signal, and if it is determined that a change is detected, it is determined that the endoscope 10 is not placed. The presence or absence of a change in the image pickup signal may be determined based on, for example, a motion vector calculated based on the image pickup signal, or may be determined based on the contrast of an image calculated based on the image pickup signal. The determination may be made based on the brightness of the image calculated based on the image pickup signal, that is, the evaluation value of the brightness of the image. In addition, this is substantially the same as the determination made from the change in the dimming control signal. The determination unit 26 may determine whether or not the sensor unit 14 of the endoscope 10 has detected an operation on the endoscope 10, and if it is determined that the operation has been detected, it is determined that the endoscope 10 is not in a set position. Further, the determination unit 26 may determine whether or not the predetermined state is maintained for a predetermined time or longer, as in the case of the normal illumination mode, and may determine that the endoscope 10 is not in a stand-by state when it is determined that the predetermined state is not maintained for the predetermined time. In addition, the prescribed amount in the inhibited illumination mode may be different from the prescribed amount in the normal illumination mode. The predetermined amount in the suppressed illumination mode may be, for example, an amount of light corresponding to the upper limit of the 2 nd range shown in fig. 2.

That is, the determination criterion used in the case of the suppressed illumination mode, which is stricter than that in the case of the normal illumination mode, may be, for example, the following criterion: a plurality of determination processes are performed more frequently than in the case of the normal illumination mode, and it is determined that the lighting device is not placed as long as not all of them are determined to be placed. The plurality of determination processes that are more than the normal illumination mode may include one or more of the plurality of determination processes described above, such as a determination process relating to a change in an image pickup signal, a determination process relating to an evaluation value of brightness of an image, a determination process relating to operation detection, and a determination process relating to a predetermined state and a predetermined time.

The light source device 30 is a device that supplies illumination light to the endoscope 10, and performs automatic dimming control using at least a dimming control signal acquired from the endoscope processor 20 and a result of the placement determination processing. The endoscope 10 is detachably attached to the light source device 30.

The light source device 30 includes a light source 31, a light source driving unit 32, and a light source control unit 33. The light source device 30 may also have a photosensor 34.

The light source 31 is a light source that emits illumination light supplied to the endoscope 10. In the following, a case where the Light source 31 is a white LED (Light Emitting Diode) Light source will be described as an example, but the Light source 31 is not limited to an LED Light source, and may be a lamp Light source such as a xenon lamp or a halogen lamp, or may be a laser Light source. The light source 31 may include a plurality of LED light sources that emit illumination light of different colors.

The light source driving unit 32 is a driver for driving the light source 31, and is, for example, an LED driver. The light source driving unit 32 drives the light source 31 in accordance with an instruction value (for example, a current value or a voltage value) from the light source control unit 33. The instruction value input from the light source control unit 33 indirectly instructs the amount of illumination light to be supplied to the endoscope 10. For example, if the light source 31 is an LED light source, the instruction value (current value) and the illumination light amount are approximately in a proportional relationship.

The light source control unit 33 performs automatic dimming control by controlling the amount of illumination light supplied from the light source device 30 to the endoscope 10 within a set control range at least based on the dimming control signal. Specifically, the light source control unit 33 controls the illumination light amount so that the illumination light amount increases within the control range when the dimming control signal indicates Up. Further, the light source control section 33 controls the illumination light amount so that the illumination light amount decreases within the control range when the dimming control signal is the Down instruction. The light source control unit 33 may be configured by using a general-purpose processor such as a CPU, or may be configured by using a dedicated processor such as an ASIC or FPGA.

The light source control unit 33 sets one of the 1 st range and the 2 nd range shown in fig. 2 as a control range according to the state of the endoscope 10. Thus, the illumination mode is switched between the normal illumination mode and the suppression illumination mode in accordance with the state of the endoscope 10, and appropriate dimming control is performed.

Specifically, when the determination unit 26 determines that the endoscope 10 is placed in the state where the 1 st range is set as the control range, the light source control unit 33 sets the 2 nd range as the control range and switches the illumination mode from the normal illumination mode to the suppressed illumination mode.

When the determination unit 26 determines that the endoscope 10 is not in the rest state with the 2 nd range set as the control range, the light source control unit 33 sets the 1 st range as the control range and switches the illumination mode from the inhibited illumination mode to the normal illumination mode.

The optical sensor 34 measures the amount of illumination light emitted from the light source 31, and outputs the measurement result to the light source control unit 33.

Fig. 3 is an example of a flowchart of the light control process performed by the endoscope system 1. Fig. 4 is an example of a flowchart of the dimming control signal generation process. Fig. 5 is an example of a flowchart of the placement determination process 1. Fig. 6 is an example of a flowchart of the suppression determination process. Fig. 7 is an example of a flowchart of the placement determination process 2. Fig. 8 is an example of a flowchart of the cancellation judgment processing.

Next, a method of controlling the light adjustment of the light source control device included in the endoscope system 1 will be specifically described with reference to fig. 3 to 8. In the endoscope system 1, when the automatic dimming function of the endoscope system 1 is activated, the dimming control process shown in fig. 3 is started.

After the start of the dimming control process, the endoscope processor 20 first performs a dimming control signal generation process (step S10). After the light control signal generation process shown in fig. 4 is started, the light control operation unit 25 calculates an evaluation value of brightness from the image pickup signal output from the image processing unit 23 (step S11). Further, the dimming arithmetic unit 25 acquires the target value of the brightness from the processor memory 21 via the parameter setting unit 22 (step S12). Finally, the dimming operation unit 25 generates a dimming control signal from the evaluation value calculated in step S11 and the target value acquired in step S12 (step S13), and outputs the dimming control signal to the determination unit 26 and the light source control unit 33. The dimming control signal is generated, for example, according to a ratio of the target value to the evaluation value.

In addition, although fig. 4 shows an example in which step S12 is performed after step S11, step S11 and step S12 may be performed before step S13. That is, step S11 may be performed after step S12, and step S11 and step S12 may be performed in parallel.

After the light control signal is generated, the endoscope processor 20 obtains the current setting of the control range (step S20), and determines whether or not the set control range is the 1 st range (step S30). When the 1 st range is set, the endoscope processor 20 performs the 1 st placement determination process (step S40), and then the light source device 30 performs the suppression determination process (step S50). On the other hand, when the 2 nd range is set, the endoscope processor 20 performs the 2 nd placement determination process (step S60), and then the light source device 30 performs the cancellation determination process (step S70).

After the 1 st placement determination process shown in fig. 5 is started, the determination unit 26 acquires the dimming control signal from the dimming operation unit 25 (step S41), and determines whether or not the content of the acquired dimming control signal is an Up instruction, that is, whether or not the lighting amount is insufficient (step S42). If it is determined in step S42 that the dimming control signal is not the Up instruction, the determination unit 26 determines that the endoscope 10 is not set (step S47), and ends the 1 st set determination process.

When it is determined in step S42 that the dimming control signal indicates Up, the determination unit 26 acquires information on the illumination light amount from the light source control unit 33 (step S43), and determines whether or not the illumination light amount is equal to or greater than a predetermined amount (step S44). Here, the information on the illumination light amount may be information on the illumination light amount measured by the optical sensor 34, or may be information on the illumination light amount generated based on an instruction value output from the light source control unit 33 to the light source driving unit 32. Preferably, the predetermined amount is a light amount corresponding to the upper limit of the 1 st range. When it is determined in step S44 that the illumination light amount is not equal to or larger than the predetermined amount, the determination unit 26 determines that the endoscope 10 is not set (step S47), and ends the 1 st set determination process.

When it is determined in step S44 that the illumination light amount is equal to or greater than the predetermined amount, the determination unit 26 determines whether or not the state in which the dimming control signal is indicated by Up and the illumination light amount is equal to or greater than the predetermined amount continues for a predetermined time or longer (step S45). If it is determined in step S45 that the predetermined time period or longer has not elapsed, the determination unit 26 determines that the endoscope 10 is not placed (step S47), and ends the 1 st placement determination process.

When it is determined in step S45 that the predetermined time period or longer has elapsed, the determination unit 26 determines that the endoscope 10 is set (step S46), and ends the 1 st set determination process.

In fig. 5, the endoscope 10 is determined to be placed by performing the processing in the order of step S41 to step S45, but the order of the processing is not limited to the order shown in fig. 5. If the dimming control signal is an Up instruction, the illumination light amount is equal to or greater than a predetermined amount, and these 2 conditions are maintained for a predetermined time or longer, it can be determined that the endoscope 10 is left in place. Therefore, it is also possible to determine that the endoscope 10 is placed by performing the processing in a different order from the processing shown in fig. 5.

After the 1 st placement determination process is completed, the light source device 30 performs a suppression determination process (step S50). After the suppression determination process shown in fig. 6 is started, if the determination result of the 1 st placement determination process shown in fig. 5 is "not placed" (no in step S51), the light source control unit 33 ends the suppression determination process.

When the determination result of the 1 st placement determination process shown in fig. 5 is "placed" (yes in step S51), the light source control unit 33 sets the 2 nd range as the control range of the illumination light amount (step S52), and ends the suppression determination process.

On the other hand, when the placement determination process 2 shown in fig. 7 is started, the determination unit 26 acquires the dimming control signal from the dimming operation unit 25 (step S61), and determines whether or not the content of the acquired dimming control signal is an Up instruction, that is, whether or not the lighting amount is insufficient (step S62). If it is determined in step S62 that the dimming control signal is not the Up instruction, the determination unit 26 determines that the endoscope 10 is not set (step S69), and ends the 2 nd set determination process.

When it is determined in step S62 that the dimming control signal indicates Up, the determination unit 26 acquires information on the illumination light amount from the light source control unit 33 (step S63), and determines whether or not the illumination light amount is equal to or greater than a predetermined amount (step S64). Here, the information on the illumination light amount may be information on the illumination light amount measured by the optical sensor 34, or may be information on the illumination light amount generated based on an instruction value output from the light source control unit 33 to the light source driving unit 32. Preferably, the predetermined amount is a light amount corresponding to the upper limit of the 1 st range. When it is determined in step S64 that the illumination light amount is not equal to or larger than the predetermined amount, the determination unit 26 determines that the endoscope 10 is not set (step S69), and ends the 2 nd set determination process.

When it is determined in step S64 that the illumination light amount is equal to or greater than the predetermined amount, the determination unit 26 determines whether or not the state in which the dimming control signal is indicated by Up and the illumination light amount is equal to or greater than the predetermined amount continues for a predetermined time or longer (step S65). If it is determined in step S65 that the time period has not continued for the predetermined time or more, the determination unit 26 determines that the endoscope 10 is not placed (step S69), and ends the placement determination process 2.

When it is determined in step S65 that the predetermined time period or longer has elapsed, the determination unit 26 further determines whether or not the image processing unit 23 has detected a change in the image pickup signal (step S66). When it is determined in step S66 that the change has been detected, the determination unit 26 determines that the endoscope 10 is not placed (step S69), and ends the placement 2 nd determination process.

When it is determined in step S66 that the change in the image pickup signal has not been detected, the determination unit 26 further determines whether or not the sensor unit 14 has detected an operation with respect to the endoscope 10 (step S67). When it is determined in step S67 that the operation has been detected, the determination unit 26 determines that the endoscope 10 is not placed (step S69), and ends the placement 2 nd determination process. If it is determined in step S67 that no operation has been detected, the determination unit 26 determines that the endoscope 10 is set (step S68), and ends the 2 nd placement determination process.

After the 2 nd placement determination process is completed, the light source device 30 performs a cancellation determination process (step S70). When the determination result of the 2 nd placement determination process shown in fig. 7 is "not placed" (no in step S71) after the release determination process shown in fig. 8 is started, the light source control unit 33 sets the 1 st range as the control range of the illumination light amount (step S72), and ends the release determination process.

When the determination result of the No. 2 placement determination process shown in fig. 7 is "placed" (yes in step S71), the light source control unit 33 ends the cancellation determination process.

After the suppression determination process or the release determination process is completed, the light source device 30 performs dimming in accordance with the dimming control signal generated in step S10 (step S80). Here, the light source control section 33 determines the illumination light amount based on the dimming control signal within the control range currently set, and outputs an instruction value corresponding to the determined illumination light amount to the light source driving section 32. Thereby, the illumination light amount corresponding to the instruction value is emitted from the light source 31 and irradiated to the object via the endoscope 10.

As described above, the light source control device and the endoscope system 1 of the present embodiment perform the placement determination process using the dimming control signal. When the endoscope 10 is used in a body cavity, the following is not generally caused: although the amount of illumination light reaches the upper limit, the image is not bright enough, and the shortage of brightness with respect to the target value continues for a predetermined time or longer. This state is a state unique to the case where the endoscope 10 is placed outside the body cavity, and can be detected by using the dimming control signal. The light source control device and the endoscope system 1 of the present embodiment perform the placement determination process using the dimming control signal, thereby making it possible to determine the placement state with higher accuracy than in the conventional endoscope system. Therefore, it is possible to perform appropriate dimming control according to the state of the endoscope.

The illumination light amount as a reference for the setting determination is preferably a light amount corresponding to the upper limit of the 1 st range, but is not limited to a light amount corresponding to the upper limit of the 1 st range as long as it is a light amount sufficient to obtain a bright image.

In addition, the light source control device and the endoscope system 1 of the present embodiment determine whether or not the endoscope is in the placed state on different criteria when the illumination mode is the normal illumination mode and when the illumination mode is the suppressed illumination mode. More specifically, in the case of the suppressed illumination mode, the "placement state" is strictly determined as compared with the case of the normal illumination mode. Therefore, in a state where the control range is somewhat suspected of not being left in the standing state during the operation in the suppression illumination mode, the suppression of the control range is automatically canceled. Therefore, according to the light source control device and the endoscope system 1 of the present embodiment, it is possible to reliably prevent the illumination light amount from being limited when the endoscope 10 is used.

Fig. 9 is a diagram showing an example of the suppression notice display screen. Fig. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a suppressed display screen. The endoscope system 1 of the present embodiment may display a notice screen for noticing a change of the control range on the display device 40 before changing the control range from the 1 st range to the 2 nd range. As shown in fig. 9, it is preferable that the notice display screen displays the remaining time until the control range is changed. This can prevent the image from being sharply darkened when the operator does not notice it, and thus can avoid the operator from doubting about a failure of the device. Further, the endoscope system 1 of the present embodiment may display, for example, a suppression display screen showing that the amount of illumination light is suppressed as shown in fig. 10 on the display device 40 in a period (suppression illumination mode) in which the 2 nd range is set as the control range. By showing the reason why the image is dark to the surgeon in this way, the surgeon can be prevented from being suspected of a device failure or the like.

Fig. 11 is an external view of the endoscope system 1. As shown in fig. 11, the endoscope system 1 according to the present embodiment may have an endoscope hanger 50, and may further have a sensor for detecting that the endoscope 10 is suspended from the endoscope hanger 50. This sensor detects that the endoscope 10 is suspended from the endoscope hanger 50, and the endoscope processor 20 can thereby detect the placement state.

Fig. 12 is a diagram illustrating a structure of the light source device 30 a. A light source device 30a shown in fig. 12 is a modification of the light source device 30 included in the endoscope system 1, and the endoscope system 1 may include the light source device 30a instead of the light source device 30.

The light source device 30a includes a plurality of light sources (light source 31a, light source 31b, light source 31c, light source 31d, and light source 31e) that emit illumination light of different wavelength bands. The plurality of light sources are, for example, LED light sources that emit illumination light in wavelength bands of violet (V), blue (B), green (G), red (R), and the like. The light source device 30a further includes a plurality of light source driving units (a light source driving unit 32a, a light source driving unit 32b, a light source driving unit 32c, a light source driving unit 32d, and a light source driving unit 32e) for driving the plurality of light sources, respectively. The illumination light emitted from the plurality of light sources is synthesized by the plurality of dichroic mirrors (dichroic mirror 35a, dichroic mirror 35b, dichroic mirror 35c, and dichroic mirror 35d), and then enters the light guide 15.

In the light source device 30a, the light source control unit 33 outputs an instruction value to each light source driving unit to control the amount of illumination light supplied from the light source device 30a to the endoscope 10. The light source control unit 33 may cause all 5 light sources to emit light when performing observation (WLI) using white light, for example, and may cause at least 1 light source of the 5 light sources to emit light when performing special light observation (NBI, AFI, or the like, for example).

In the light source device 30a, the light source control unit 33 may maintain the light quantity ratio of the illumination light emitted from the plurality of light sources when the 1 st range is set as the control range and when the 2 nd range is set as the control range. Thus, the color balance can be maintained by the illumination light emitted in the state where the 2 nd range is set and the illumination light emitted in the state where the 1 st range is set. In the state where the 2 nd range is set, observation is not normally performed. Therefore, in the light source device 30a, the light source control unit 33 may suppress the amount of illumination light from the specific light source when the 2 nd range is set as the control range, thereby suppressing the amount of light supplied from the light source device 30 to the endoscope 10.

[ 2 nd embodiment ]

Fig. 13 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of the endoscope system 2 according to the present embodiment. The endoscope system 2 shown in fig. 13 differs from the endoscope system 1 in that an endoscope processor 20a is provided instead of the endoscope processor 20. The other structure is the same as that of the endoscope system 1.

The endoscope processor 20a differs from the endoscope processor 20 in that a processor control unit 24a is provided instead of the processor control unit 24. The processor control unit 24a is different from the processor control unit 24 in that it includes a model identification unit 27 in addition to the dimming operation unit 25 and the determination unit 26.

The model identification unit 27 is a circuit for identifying the model of the endoscope 10 connected to the light source device 30. The model identification unit 27 identifies the model of the endoscope 10 based on the information of the endoscope 10, more specifically, the model information of the endoscope 10, read from the endoscope memory 13 via the parameter setting unit 22.

Fig. 14 is an example of a flowchart of the dimming control process performed by the endoscope system 2. In the light control process shown in fig. 14, when the light control computing unit 25 generates the light control signal in step S10, the model identification unit 27 acquires endoscope information (step S1), and determines whether the model of the endoscope 10 is a predetermined model based on the acquired endoscope information (step S2).

In step S2, the model identification unit 27 determines whether or not the model of the endoscope 10 is a model in which the insertion portion is thin and heat is easily accumulated, for example, a model facing the trachea or the bronchus. The information of the prescribed model can be stored in the processor memory 21, for example.

When it is determined in step S2 that the endoscope 10 is of the predetermined model, the endoscope system 2 performs the processing of step S20 to step S80. The processing of step S20 to step S80 is the same as the processing of step S20 to step S80 shown in fig. 3. When it is determined in step S2 that the endoscope 10 is not of the predetermined model, the endoscope system 2 omits the processing in steps S20 to S70, and performs the processing in step S80. That is, dimming control is performed without changing the control range of the illumination light amount from the 1 st range.

The light source control device and the endoscope system 2 according to the present embodiment can also provide the same effects as those of the light source control device and the endoscope system 1 according to embodiment 1. Further, according to the light source control device and the endoscope system 2 of the present embodiment, the control range of the illumination light amount can be adjusted only when an endoscope of a predetermined model whose tip is likely to become a high temperature is used. This can further reduce the possibility that the control range is unnecessarily restricted and the convenience of the surgeon is impaired.

Fig. 15 is another example of a flowchart of the dimming control process performed by the endoscope system 2. The endoscope system 2 may perform the light control process shown in fig. 15 instead of the light control process shown in fig. 14.

In the light control process shown in fig. 15, after the light control calculation unit 25 generates the light control signal in step S10, the model identification unit 27 acquires the endoscope information (step S1), and determines the upper limit of the 2 nd range based on the acquired endoscope information (step S3).

In step S3, the model identification unit 27 identifies the model of the endoscope from the endoscope information. Then, the upper limit of the 2 nd range is determined according to the identified model. The upper limit of the 2 nd range for each model may be stored in the processor memory 21, for example.

Then, the endoscope system 2 performs the processing of step S20 to step S80. The processing of step S20 to step S80 is the same as the processing of step S20 to step S80 shown in fig. 3.

The light source control device and the endoscope system 2 according to the present embodiment can also obtain the same effects as those of the light source control device and the endoscope system 1 according to embodiment 1 by performing the light control processing shown in fig. 15. Further, according to the light source control device and the endoscope system 2 of the present embodiment, by performing the light control processing shown in fig. 15, the upper limit of the 2 nd range can be changed according to the model of the endoscope to be used. Thus, for example, the upper limit of the control range of the illumination light amount can be limited to be lower as the front end is more likely to become a high-temperature predetermined model. That is, the illumination light amount can be limited within a necessary range according to the model of the endoscope.

As described above, the light source control device and the endoscope system 2 according to the present embodiment are described as examples of performing different control according to the model of the endoscope, but may be controlled differently according to the endoscope instead of the model of the endoscope. For example, the upper limit of the 2 nd range may be changed in accordance with the upper limit of the 2 nd range read from the endoscope memory 13 by storing the upper limit of the 2 nd range suitable for the endoscope in the endoscope memory 13 in advance. This allows setting the illumination range in consideration of individual differences of the endoscope.

[ embodiment 3 ]

Fig. 16 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of the endoscope system 3 according to the present embodiment. The endoscope system 3 shown in fig. 16 differs from the endoscope system 2 in that an endoscope processor 20b is provided instead of the endoscope processor 20a, and a light source device 30b is provided instead of the light source device 30. The other structure is the same as that of the endoscope system 2.

The endoscope processor 20b is different from the endoscope processor 20a in that it includes a processor control section 24b not including the determination section 26, and the light source device 30b is different from the light source device 30 in that it includes a light source control section 33a including the determination section 36. The determination unit 36 is a circuit that determines whether or not the endoscope 10 is placed based on at least the dimming control signal, and is the same as the determination unit 26 of the endoscope system 2. That is, the endoscope system 3 differs from the endoscope system 2 in that a determination section that determines whether or not the endoscope 10 is placed is included in the light source device 30, not in the endoscope processor 20.

The light source control device and the endoscope system 3 according to the present embodiment can also provide the same effects as those of the light source control device and the endoscope system 2 according to embodiment 2.

[ 4 th embodiment ]

Fig. 17 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of the endoscope system 4 according to the present embodiment. The endoscope system 4 shown in fig. 17 differs from the endoscope system 2 in that a light source device-integrated endoscope processor 20c is provided instead of the endoscope processor 20a and the light source device 30. The other structure is the same as that of the endoscope system 2. The endoscope processor 20c has the same configuration as the endoscope processor 20a and the light source device 30.

The light source control device and the endoscope system 4 according to the present embodiment can also provide the same effects as those of the light source control device and the endoscope system 2 according to embodiment 2.

The above embodiments show specific examples for facilitating understanding of the invention, and the embodiments of the invention are not limited to these examples. The light source control device, the endoscope system, and the light control method can be variously modified and changed without departing from the scope of the claims.

For example, although the case where the endoscope system and the light source control device are a medical endoscope system and a medical light source control device has been described as an example, the endoscope system and the light source control device are not limited to the medical endoscope system and the medical light source control device. For example, even in an industrial endoscope system and a light source control device, when the light amount is not appropriately controlled in a state where the endoscope is placed, the distal end of the endoscope becomes high in temperature, which is the same point. Therefore, the same effect can be obtained by applying the dimming control. Further, although the description has been given by taking as an example a case where the endoscope is a flexible endoscope, the endoscope is not limited to the flexible endoscope. The endoscope may also be a rigid endoscope, for example.

In fig. 7, the condition for determining that the endoscope is not placed is exemplified by a change in the image pickup signal, an operation of the endoscope, and the like, but the condition may be determined that the endoscope is not placed by another condition. For example, the suppression of the control range may be cancelled by determining that the lighting device is not left after a predetermined time has elapsed since the suppression of the control range and a change in the amount of illumination light detected by the light sensor 34 has occurred. Further, it may be determined that the vehicle is not left by a combination of several of the above conditions being satisfied, and the suppression may be released. Further, when the surgeon explicitly instructs cancellation of the suppression of the control range, the suppression of the control range may be cancelled.

In fig. 5, an example in which the dimming control signal and the illumination light amount are used is shown as the condition for determining that the vehicle is left, but the vehicle may be determined to be left by combining with other conditions. For example, the control range may be restricted when the predetermined state is maintained for a predetermined time, and further, when conditions such as no change in image or no endoscope operation are satisfied. Further, the control range may be suppressed when the surgeon explicitly instructs suppression of the control range.

Although fig. 1, 13, 16, and 17 show an example in which the endoscope processor or the light source device determines whether or not the endoscope 10 is placed, the determination may be performed by the endoscope 10 that receives the dimming control signal from the endoscope processor.

Description of the reference symbols

1. 2, 3, 4 endoscope system

10 endoscope

11 image pickup element

12 Signal processing part

13 endoscope memory

14 sensor unit

15 light guide

20. 20a, 20b, 20c endoscope processor

21 processor memory

22 parameter setting unit

23 image processing part

24. 24a, 24b processor control unit

25 light control operation part

26. 36 determination unit

27 model identification part

30. 30a, 30b light source device

31. 31a, 31b, 31c, 31d, 31e light source

32. 32a, 32b, 32c, 32d, 32e light source driving section

33. 33a light source control unit

34 optical sensor

35a, 35b, 35c, 35d dichroic mirror

40 display device

50 endoscope hanging rack