JP7474571B2 - ENDOSCOPYRIGHT: 201002306344.2010023063 ... - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an endoscope system, a data processing device , a communication connection method, and a computer program.

Conventionally, an endoscope system has been proposed in which an endoscope and an endoscope processor are wirelessly connected. In such an endoscope system, image data of a subject captured by the endoscope is wirelessly transmitted to the endoscope processor.

On the other hand, Patent Document 1 discloses an endoscope system capable of wireless power supply, which optimally adjusts the power supply capacity of the wireless power supply according to the wireless power reception conditions and the battery state.

JP 2016-54968 A

For example, a single endoscopy examination room may have multiple sets of endoscopes and endoscope processors installed and used simultaneously, or a single endoscopy examination room may have more endoscopes than endoscope processors.
In such a case, if the combination of the endoscope and the endoscope processor is unclear, the endoscopic examination cannot be performed correctly.

However, the endoscope described in Patent Document 1 above does not address these problems and is therefore unable to solve them.

The present invention was made in consideration of the above circumstances, and its purpose is to provide an endoscope system that includes multiple endoscopes and a data processing device that wirelessly receives image data from one of the endoscopes and displays it on a display unit, and that can correctly receive image data of the imaging results from the desired endoscope.

The endoscope system according to the present invention includes a plurality of endoscopes and a data processing device that wirelessly receives image data from any one of the endoscopes and displays it on a display device, and each endoscope is provided with a transmitting unit that wirelessly transmits identification data that identifies the endoscope to the data processing device, and the data processing device is provided with a receiving unit that wirelessly receives the identification data from any one of the endoscopes, and a connection determining unit that determines whether or not a communication connection can be established with the endoscope that is the sender of the received identification data, based on the received identification data and pre-stored identification data.

In the present invention, in the data processing device, when the receiving unit wirelessly receives the identification data from one of the endoscopes, the connection determination unit compares the received identification data with pre-stored identification data to determine whether or not the device can communicate with the endoscope that is the sender of the received identification data.

The endoscope system according to the present invention is characterized in that each endoscope has a reception unit that receives an instruction to start processing related to a communication connection with the data processing device.

In the present invention, in each endoscope, processing related to a communication connection with the data processing device is started only when the reception unit receives an instruction from a user to start processing related to a communication connection with the data processing device.

The endoscope system according to the present invention is characterized in that the transmission unit of each endoscope wirelessly transmits management data related to its own maintenance to the data processing device, and the data processing device is provided with a usage determination unit that determines, based on the received management data, whether or not the endoscope that is the source of the received management data is suitable for use.

In the present invention, when the data processing device is connected to any one of the endoscopes for communication, the data processing device receives the management data from the endoscope connected for communication. At this time, the use determination unit determines whether or not the endoscope that is the sender of the received management data is suitable for use based on the received management data.

The endoscope system according to the present invention is characterized in that the data processing device issues a notification regarding maintenance of the endoscope that is the sender of the received management data based on the received management data.

In the present invention, the data processing device receives the management data from a communication-connected endoscope, and based on the received management data, notifies the user regarding maintenance of the endoscope that is the source of the management data.

The endoscope system according to the present invention is characterized in that the data processing device includes an oscillator that generates microwaves, and each endoscope includes a receiving antenna that receives microwaves and a battery that is charged using the microwaves received by the receiving antenna.

In the present invention, when the receiving antenna of each endoscope receives microwaves from the data processing device, the battery is charged using the microwaves received by the receiving antenna.

The data processing device according to the present invention is a data processing device that wirelessly receives image data from an endoscope and displays it on a display unit, and is characterized in that it includes a receiving unit that wirelessly receives identification data that identifies the endoscope from the endoscope, and a connection determination unit that determines whether or not a communication connection with the endoscope is possible based on the received identification data and pre-stored identification data.

In the present invention, when the receiving unit of the data processing device wirelessly receives the identification data from the one endoscope, the connection determination unit compares the received identification data with identification data stored in advance to determine whether or not a communication connection between the one endoscope and the device itself is possible.

The data processing device according to the present invention is characterized in that the receiving unit wirelessly receives management data related to the maintenance of the one endoscope from the one endoscope, and includes a usage determination unit that determines whether the one endoscope is suitable for use based on the received management data.

In the present invention, when communication is established with the one endoscope, the management data of the one endoscope is received from the one endoscope. At this time, the use determination unit determines whether or not the one endoscope is suitable for use based on the received management data.

The data processing device according to the present invention is characterized in that it issues a notification regarding maintenance of the one endoscope based on the received management data.

In the present invention, the management data is received from the one endoscope, and a user is notified regarding maintenance of the one endoscope based on the received management data.

The endoscope according to the present invention is characterized in that it is an endoscope that wirelessly transmits image data by establishing a communication connection with a data processing device, and that it includes a reception unit that receives an instruction to start processing related to the connection with the data processing device.

In the present invention, the process related to the communication connection with the data processing device is started only when the reception unit of the endoscope receives an instruction from a user to start the process related to the communication connection with the data processing device.

The endoscope according to the present invention is characterized by having a receiving antenna that receives microwaves from the data processing device, and a battery that is charged using the microwaves received by the receiving antenna.

In the present invention, when the receiving antenna receives microwaves from the data processing device, the battery is charged using the microwaves received by the receiving antenna.

The communication connection method according to the present invention wirelessly receives identification data from an endoscope that identifies the endoscope, and the data processing device executes a process to determine whether or not a communication connection with the endoscope is possible based on the received identification data and pre-stored identification data.

The computer program of the present invention causes a computer to execute a process of wirelessly receiving, from an endoscope, identification data that identifies the endoscope, and determining whether or not a communication connection with the endoscope is possible based on the received identification data and pre-stored identification data.

In the present invention, when the identification data is wirelessly received from the one endoscope, the received identification data is compared with pre-stored identification data to determine whether or not a communication connection with the one endoscope is possible.

According to the present invention, in an endoscope system including multiple endoscopes and a data processing device that wirelessly receives image data from one of the endoscopes and displays it on a display unit, it is possible to correctly receive image data of the imaging results from the desired endoscope.

1 is an external view of an endoscope system according to a first embodiment. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a main part of an endoscope system according to a first embodiment. 10 is an illustrative diagram showing an example of an identification data list stored in a processor of the endoscope system according to the first embodiment; FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram showing the configuration of the main parts of a control unit of the endoscope system according to the first embodiment. FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating transmission and reception of image data between a processor and an endoscope in the endoscope system according to the first embodiment. 4 is an exemplary diagram illustrating a connection status in a processor of the endoscope system according to the present embodiment. FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of requesting a user to transmit management data in the endoscope system according to the first embodiment. FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of a notification made by a processor based on reception management data in the endoscope system according to the first embodiment. FIG. FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a main part of an endoscope system according to a second embodiment.

The endoscope according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

(Embodiment 1)

Figure 1 is an external view of an endoscope system 1 according to the first embodiment. As shown in Figure 1, the endoscope system 1 has an endoscope 200-400 that is held and operated by a user (doctor), and a main body 100 that displays images captured by the endoscope 200-400.

The main body 100 includes a processor 20 (data processing device) that processes image data from the endoscopes 200-400, and a display unit 10 that displays an image based on the image data processed by the processor 20.

In the endoscope system 1 according to the first embodiment, the main body 100 (processor 20) is configured to be able to wirelessly connect to any one of the multiple endoscopes 200-400. That is, the processor 20 establishes a communication connection with any one of the multiple endoscopes 200-400 that have been set and registered in advance, and wirelessly receives and displays image data captured by the communication-connected endoscope.

For ease of explanation, the following will be described using an example in which the endoscope 200 establishes a communication connection with the processor 20 and transmits image data. The endoscope 200 is one of a number of endoscopes 200-400 that are preregistered in the processor 20, and the other endoscopes 300, 400 have the same configuration as the endoscope 200.

The endoscope 200 has an insertion section 250 and an operation section 270. The operation section 270 has a button 272 and a curved knob 271 that accept user operations, and a channel inlet provided in the substantially cylindrical case 230.

The insertion section 250 is inserted into the subject's body. The insertion section 250 is long and has, in order from one end of the tip, a tip section 280, a bending section 260, and a flexible section 290. The other end of the insertion section 250 is connected to the operation section 270 via a folding section 240. The bending section 260 bends in response to the operation of the bending knob 271.

The tip 280 is provided with an observation optical system (image sensor 202), an illumination optical system (LED 205), etc. (see Figure 2).

Figure 2 is a block diagram showing the main components of the endoscope system 1 according to embodiment 1. As shown in Figure 2, the main body 100 (processor 20) further includes a control unit 110, a power source 101, an image processing unit 102, a communication unit 103, and a storage unit 104.

Image data from the endoscope 200 is input to the image processing unit 102. After processing such as clamping, knee correction, gamma correction, interpolation processing, AGC (Auto Gain Control), and AD conversion, the image data is buffered in frame memories (not shown) for each of the R, G, and B colors for each color signal on a frame-by-frame basis. Each buffered color signal is swept out of the frame memory at a predetermined timing and converted into image data that conforms to a predetermined standard. The converted image data is input sequentially to the display unit 10 by the image processing unit 102, and an image of the subject is displayed on the display unit 10.

The storage unit 104 is composed of a non-volatile storage medium such as, for example, a flash memory, an EEPROM (registered trademark), a HDD, an MRAM (magnetic resistive memory), an FeRAM (ferroelectric memory), or an OUM. The storage unit 104 pre-stores a list of identification data (hereinafter referred to as an identification data list) of endoscopes that can be permitted to establish a communication connection with itself (the processor 20). The storage unit 104 also stores identification data and an authentication key that identify itself. Such identification data is, for example, the model number, MAC address, Bluetooth address, etc. of the endoscope 200-400.

3 is an exemplary diagram showing an example of an identification data list stored in the processor 20 of the endoscope system 1 according to the first embodiment. In the identification data list of FIG. 3, the model numbers "11111", "22222", and "33333" of the endoscope 200, the endoscope 300, and the endoscope 400 are listed. That is, the endoscope 200, the endoscope 300, and the endoscope 400 are set as endoscopes that can be permitted to communicate with the processor 20. The user can prepare the identification data list in advance by reading a barcode, a QR code (registered trademark), or the like displayed on the endoscope 200-400 using a reader. Alternatively, the user may input the data from his/her own PC, and the user's PC may transmit the data to the processor 20 via, for example, wireless Internet.
Furthermore, the storage unit 104 stores a threshold value used for determination by a use determination unit 115 (described later) and connection status information (described later). The connection status information indicates the status of the communication connection between the processor 20 and the endoscope.

The communication unit 103 (receiving unit) has a built-in antenna and performs short-range communication (RFID) with the endoscope 200. The communication unit 103 is compatible with, for example, Bluetooth (registered trademark) technology and performs wireless communication with other Bluetooth-compatible devices (for example, a communication unit 204 of the endoscope 200 described later) within a predetermined short distance. The communication unit 103 receives, from any one of the endoscopes, identification data for identifying the one endoscope, receives image data to be displayed on the display unit 10, and receives management data described later.
The communication unit 103 is not limited to a Bluetooth-compatible device, but may be, for example, an IEEE 802.11-compatible device. In this case, however, the communication unit 204 of the endoscope 200 also needs to be an IEEE 802.11-compatible device.

The display unit 10 is composed of an LCD or an EL (Electroluminescence) panel, etc., and displays an image based on image data from the endoscope 200.

The control unit 110 performs various processes using image data from the endoscope 200 based on the identification data of the endoscope 200. The control unit 110 controls the operation and timing of various parts within the processor 20 so that processing appropriate for the endoscope currently connected to the processor 20 is performed.

Figure 4 is a functional block diagram showing the main configuration of the control unit 110 of the endoscope system 1 according to the first embodiment. The control unit 110 includes a CPU 111, a ROM 112, a RAM 113, a connection determination unit 114, a use determination unit 115, and a notification unit 116.

Various control programs, essentially fixed data among parameters for calculation, etc. are stored in advance in the ROM 112, and the RAM 113 temporarily stores data and can read it out regardless of the storage order, storage location, etc. The RAM 113 also stores, for example, programs read out from the ROM 112, various data generated by executing the programs, parameters that change appropriately during the execution, etc.
The CPU 111 controls the various hardware components described above by loading a control program stored in advance in a ROM 112 onto a RAM 113 and executing the program.

The connection determination unit 114 determines whether or not a communication connection between the endoscope that is the sender of the received identification data and the processor 20 is possible based on the identification data received by the communication unit 103 (hereinafter referred to as the received identification data) and the identification data list pre-stored in the memory unit 104. The result of the determination by the connection determination unit 114 is displayed on the display unit 10.

When the management data is received by the communication unit 103, the usage determination unit 115 determines whether or not the use of the endoscope that is the source of the received management data (hereinafter referred to as the received management data) is appropriate, based on the received management data.

The notification unit 116 issues a notification related to the maintenance of the endoscope that is the sender of the received management data, based on the management data received by the communication unit 103. In detail, if the result of the judgment by the use judgment unit 115 is that the use of the endoscope that is the sender of the received management data is inappropriate due to a problem related to the maintenance of the endoscope, the notification unit 116 notifies the user of this fact and also notifies the user of how to solve the problem. Such a notification is issued, for example, via the display unit 10.

The processor 20 also has a front panel (not shown), which has hardware keys for each function mounted on the front surface of the processor 20, a touch-panel GUI (Graphical User Interface), etc.

On the other hand, the endoscope 200 further includes a control unit 201 (reception unit), an image sensor 202, a signal processing circuit 203, a communication unit 204, an LED 205, an LED driver 206, a battery 207, an IC tag 208, and a memory unit 209.

The imaging element 202 is, for example, a single-plate color CCD (Charge Coupled Device) image sensor, which accumulates the optical image formed at each pixel on the light receiving surface as an electric charge according to the amount of light, and converts it into an imaging signal corresponding to each color of R, G, or B. The converted imaging signal is output to the signal processing circuit 203 after being subjected to signal amplification, etc. Note that the imaging element 202 may also be a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) image sensor.

The signal processing circuit 203 drives and controls the image sensor 202 in accordance with a predetermined clock pulse, at a timing synchronized with the frame rate of the image data processed by the processor 20.

The storage unit 209 is composed of a non-volatile storage medium such as a flash memory, an EEPROM (registered trademark), a HDD, an MRAM (magnetic resistive memory), an FeRAM (ferroelectric memory), or an OUM. The storage unit 209 stores identification data for identifying itself (the endoscope 200). Such identification data is, for example, the model number, MAC address, Bluetooth address, etc. of the endoscope 200. The storage unit 209 also stores an authentication key.

The communication unit 204 (transmitter) has a built-in antenna and performs short-range communication (RFID) with the processor 20. The communication unit 204 is compatible with, for example, Bluetooth (registered trademark) technology and performs wireless communication with other Bluetooth-compatible devices (for example, the communication unit 103 of the processor 20) within a predetermined short distance. The communication unit 204 transmits identification data for identifying itself to the processor 20, transmits image data captured by the image sensor 202, and transmits management data.

The LED 205 is driven by an LED driver 206 in response to an instruction from the control unit 201. The LED 205 emits light having a spectrum that mainly extends from the visible light region to the invisible infrared light region.
An object is illuminated with light emitted from the LED 205. Light reflected from the object passes through an objective lens (not shown) and forms an optical image at each pixel on the light receiving surface of the image sensor 202.

The IC tag 208 stores cleaning status data included in the management data of the endoscope 200. After use, the endoscope 200 is stored in a dedicated cleaning device and cleaned. Such a cleaning device is equipped with a reader/writer compatible with the IC tag 208, and each time cleaning is performed, the cleaning history, such as the date and whether or not cleaning has been performed, is written to the IC tag 208. In other words, the IC tag 208 currently stores cleaning status data indicating whether or not the endoscope 200 has been cleaned.

The control unit 201 includes, for example, a CPU or a GPU, and controls various hardware components of the endoscope 200 to operate the entire apparatus as the endoscope 200 of the present invention.
Furthermore, the control unit 201 creates management data related to its own maintenance and transmits it to the processor 20 via the communication unit 204. Such management data includes, for example, battery remaining amount data indicating the remaining amount of the battery 207, the cleaning status data, and usage time data indicating the usage time (or number of uses) of the device itself, etc. The usage time data is obtained by a timer unit (not shown) measuring the time that the battery 207 is ON.

Figure 5 is a flowchart explaining the transmission and reception of image data between the processor 20 and the endoscope 200 in the endoscope system 1 according to the first embodiment. For ease of explanation, it is assumed below that the processor 20 and the endoscope 200 are within a distance where Bluetooth communication is possible between them.

The communication unit 103 of the processor 20 searches for other Bluetooth-compatible terminals within a predetermined distance range (step S101). Based on the search results of the communication unit 103, the CPU 111 determines whether there is a terminal with which communication can be established within the predetermined distance range (step S102).

When CPU 111 determines that there is no terminal capable of communication connection within the predetermined distance range (step S102: NO), it instructs communication unit 103 to repeat the search.
In the case of this embodiment, since the processor 20 and the endoscope 200 are within a distance where Bluetooth communication is possible between them, the CPU 111 determines that there is a contactable terminal.
When the CPU 111 determines that there is a terminal with which communication can be established within the predetermined distance range (step S102: YES), it prompts the user to perform a predetermined operation of the endoscope (step S103). Such a prompt is performed via the display unit 10. For example, the CPU 111 causes the display unit 10 to display a character string such as "Please press the XX button on the endoscope."

At this time, the user of the endoscope 200, in response to a prompt from the main body 100, for example, presses the button 272 of the endoscope 200. This causes the control unit 201 of the endoscope 200 to receive an instruction via the button 272 to start processing related to a communication connection with the main body 100 (processor 20) (step S201).

Next, the control unit 201 transmits data requesting pairing to the processor 20 via the communication unit 204 (step S202). The communication unit 103 of the processor 20 receives the data requesting pairing from the endoscope 200.

At this time, the CPU 111 of the processor 20 reads its own identification data from the memory unit 104 and transmits it to the endoscope 200 via the communication unit 103 (step S104). The communication unit 204 of the endoscope 200 receives the identification data of the processor 20 from the processor 20.

The control unit 201 reads its own identification data from the memory unit 209 and transmits it to the processor 20 via the communication unit 204 (step S203). The communication unit 103 of the processor 20 receives the identification data of the endoscope 200 from the endoscope 200. Furthermore, the processor 20 and the endoscope 200 may transmit and receive authentication keys to each other.

The connection determination unit 114 of the processor 20 determines whether or not it is possible to establish communication with the endoscope 200 that is the sender of the received identification data, based on the identification data of the endoscope 200 received by the communication unit 103 (step S105). Such a determination is made by the connection determination unit 114 comparing the received identification data with the identification data list stored in the memory unit 104.

The button 272 is originally a button for operating the endoscope 200 to perform operations such as freeze and release. As described above, when pairing is performed, an instruction to start processing related to communication connection is received from the user via the button 272, but when pairing is completed, the button is used for its original functions such as freeze and release.

If the received identification data is not present in the identification data list, the connection determination unit 114 determines that it is not possible to establish a communication connection with the endoscope 200 (step S105: NO). In this case, the CPU 111 displays an error message on the display unit 10 indicating that it is not possible to establish a communication connection with the endoscope 200 (step S111). After this, the process ends.

If the received identification data exists in the identification data list, the connection determination unit 114 determines that communication with the endoscope 200 is possible (step S105: YES). After that, pairing requests from other endoscopes 300, 400 are invalidated.

6 is an exemplary diagram illustrating the connection status in the processor 20 of the endoscope system 1 according to the present embodiment. The connection status is information that indicates the status of the communication connection between the processor 20 and the endoscopes 200-400.
6, the connection status information includes the ID (N1-N3) of the endoscope connected to the processor 20, the connection date, and the connection (start/end) time, as well as the results of judgment based on the management data as to whether or not cleaning has been completed, the remaining battery charge, the deterioration state of the parts, etc., which are written in the "Cleaning", "Battery" and "Deterioration" columns, respectively. That is, the judgment result based on the remaining battery charge data and the threshold value of the memory unit 104 is written in the "Battery" column, the judgment result based on the cleaning state data is written in the "Cleaning" column, and the judgment result based on the usage time data and the threshold value of the memory unit 104 is written in the "Deterioration" column.
Here, N1, N2, and N3 are endoscope IDs used to respectively identify the endoscope 200, the endoscope 300, and the endoscope 400. In addition, image data obtained from a communicatively connected endoscope is associated with the endoscope.

For example, if the answer is YES in step S105 described above, the connection time (start time) of the communication connection between the processor 20 and the endoscope 200 and the ID (N1) representing the endoscope 200 are written into the connection status information (see the arrows in FIG. 6). Thereafter, the "Cleaning", "Battery" and "Deterioration" columns are written based on the determination result in step S107 described below.

In the endoscope system 1 according to this embodiment, the endoscope 200 among the multiple endoscopes in the identification data list can be selectively connected to the processor 20 by simply pressing the button 272. In other words, one processor 20 can handle multiple endoscopes in the identification data list.

If the connection determination unit 114 determines that communication with the endoscope 200 is possible, the CPU 111 requests the user to transmit management data (step S106).

The request for management data is made, for example, via the display unit 10. Fig. 7 is an explanatory diagram for explaining an example of requesting a user to transmit management data in the endoscope system 1 according to the embodiment 1. For example, the CPU 111 causes the display unit 10 to display a character string requesting transmission of the management data.
In FIG. 7, the display unit 10 displays the message "Endoscope N1 has been recognized. If you wish to use it, press the XX button."

At this time, the user of the endoscope 200, for example, presses the button 272 of the endoscope 200 again. This causes the control unit 201 of the endoscope 200 to receive an instruction to transmit its own management data to the processor 20 via the button 272 (step S204).

As described above, the control unit 201 creates management data including battery remaining amount data, cleaning status data, and usage time data, and transmits the management data to the processor 20 via the communication unit 204 (step S205). The communication unit 103 of the processor 20 receives the management data from the endoscope 200.

The use determination unit 115 of the processor 20 determines whether or not use of the endoscope 200 is appropriate based on the management data of the endoscope 200 received by the communication unit 103 (step S107). Such a determination is made by the use determination unit 115 comparing the received management data with a threshold value stored in the memory unit 104.

For example, the usage determination unit 115 compares the remaining battery charge and usage time of the endoscope 200 with the thresholds stored in the memory unit 104 based on the remaining battery charge data, cleaning status data, and usage time data contained in the received management data, and checks whether the endoscope 200 has been cleaned.

If the remaining battery charge of the endoscope 200 is below a threshold, if the usage time is above a threshold, or if the endoscope 200 has not been cleaned, the usage determination unit 115 determines that use of the endoscope 200 is inappropriate (step S107: NO).

At this time, the notification unit 116 notifies the user that the endoscope 200 that sent the reception management data has a maintenance problem and how to solve the problem (step S108). After this, the process ends.

Figure 8 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of a notification made by the processor 20 based on reception management data in the endoscope system 1 according to embodiment 1. Figure 8A is an example of a notification based on cleaning state data of the endoscope 200, Figure 8B is an example of a notification based on remaining battery power data of the endoscope 200, and Figure 8C is an example of a notification based on usage time data of the endoscope 200.

For example, if the endoscope 200 is in an uncleaned state based on the cleaning state data of the endoscope 200, the notification unit 116 causes the display unit 10 to display text indicating that the endoscope 200 is in an uncleaned state and encouraging the user to perform cleaning (see FIG. 8A).

In addition, when the remaining battery charge of the endoscope 200 is equal to or less than a threshold based on the remaining battery charge data of the endoscope 200, the notification unit 116 displays on the display unit 10 a message indicating that the remaining battery charge is low and a message urging the user to replace the battery (see FIG. 8B). In addition, FIG. 8B also displays an illustration indicating that the remaining battery charge is low.

Then, if deterioration of a specific part of the endoscope 200 is predicted based on the usage time data of the endoscope 200, the notification unit 116 causes the display unit 10 to display text indicating that the specific part has deteriorated and urging the user to replace the part (see Figure 8C).
For example, such specific parts include the LED 205, the image sensor 202, the battery 207, etc., which deteriorate in proportion to the time the endoscope 200 is used.

On the other hand, if the remaining battery charge of the endoscope 200 is equal to or greater than the threshold, the usage time is equal to or less than the threshold, and the endoscope 200 has been cleaned, the usage determination unit 115 determines that it is appropriate to use the endoscope 200 (step S107: YES).

Thereafter, the CPU 111 performs the predetermined processing as described above on the image data received from the endoscope 200 by the communication unit 103, and then displays an image based on the image data on the display unit 10 (step S109).
An image captured by the endoscope 200 is displayed in real time on the display unit 10. A user (e.g., a doctor) operates the endoscope 200 while viewing the image.

At this time, the control unit 201 of the endoscope 200 writes to the IC tag 208 the fact that the endoscope 200 has been used, i.e., the usage history of the endoscope 200. In other words, the control unit 201 writes to the IC tag 208 cleaning status data indicating that the endoscope 200 is in an uncleaned state.

During imaging by the endoscope 200, the CPU 111 monitors the hardware keys on the front panel or the communication unit 103 to determine whether or not an instruction to end imaging has been received (step S110).
When the CPU 111 determines that an instruction to end image capture has not been received (step S110: NO), the process returns to step S109. When the CPU 111 determines that an instruction to end image capture has been received (step S110: YES), the process ends.

As a result of the above, in the endoscope system 1 according to this embodiment, before using the endoscope 200, the maintenance status, etc. is checked to see if it is in a suitable condition for use, and the user is notified of this. This allows the subject to be photographed more accurately.

When button 272 is pressed during imaging, the image captured at that time is obtained as a still image, and image data relating to the obtained still image is transmitted to processor 20 and stored in memory unit 104 in association with the identification data of endoscope 200. This allows the data to be used as traceability data to confirm which endoscope was used for which patient (see Figure 6).

In the above, a case has been described in which an instruction is received from the user via the button 272 in steps S201 and S204, but the present invention is not limited to this.
For example, the endoscope 200 or the processor 20 may be provided with a voice instruction receiving unit for receiving voice instructions, and instructions may be received via the user's voice. That is, the user's voice instructions collected via a microphone are converted into an electrical signal (audio signal) and then converted into digital voice data. The voice instructions can be recognized based on the voice data.

In the above, the endoscope 200 and the processor 20 have been described as performing wireless communication via Bluetooth, but this is not limiting. For example, UWB (Ultra-Wideband), ZigBee, NFC (Near Field Communication), etc. may be used. Furthermore, wireless Internet technologies such as WLAN (Wireless LAN), Wi-Fi Direct (Wireless Fidelity Direct), DLNA (Digital Living Network Alliance, registered trademark), Wibro (Wireless Broadband), and WiMAX (Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access) may also be used.

The endoscope 200-400 may be configured to be disposable as well. For example, after pairing is complete, a determination is made as to whether the endoscope connected for communication is disposable, and if it is disposable, a determination is not made based on the cleaning state data and the usage time data in the management data.
Furthermore, the result of the determination as to whether the connected endoscope is disposable or not may be stored as the connection status information in Fig. 6. In this case, the next time the processor 20 connects to an endoscope, it can determine whether the endoscope is disposable and whether it is the second time it is connected by comparing the identification data of the endoscope with the history of the connection status information. This makes it possible to prevent unsanitary reuse of disposable endoscopes.

(Embodiment 2)
In the endoscope system 1 according to the second embodiment, the endoscope 200 is configured to be powered wirelessly.

Figure 9 is a block diagram showing the main components of an endoscope system 1 according to embodiment 2. The main body 100 includes a display unit 10, a control unit 110, a power source 101, an image processing unit 102, a communication unit 103, and a storage unit 104, as in embodiment 1. The endoscope 200 includes a control unit 201, an image sensor 202, a signal processing circuit 203, a communication unit 204, an LED 205, an LED driver 206, an IC tag 208, a storage unit 209, and a button 272, as in embodiment 1. These components have been described in embodiment 1, and will not be described in detail.

On the other hand, in the second embodiment, the processor 20 further includes a microwave antenna 108, a microwave oscillator 106, and a microwave control unit 107, and the endoscope 200 further includes a rectenna 210 and a pilot signal generating unit 211.

The microwave antenna 108 of the processor 20 radiates microwaves toward the endoscope 200. The microwave antenna 108 has an adjustment mechanism (not shown) for adjusting its orientation, i.e., the direction in which the microwaves are radiated.

The microwave oscillator 106 receives commercial AC voltage from the power source 101 and radiates microwaves of, for example, 2 to 10 GHz via the microwave antenna 108.

The microwave control unit 107 drives the adjustment mechanism of the microwave antenna 108 to control the microwaves radiated from the microwave antenna 108 to reach the endoscope 200. The microwave control unit 107 adjusts the orientation of the microwave antenna 108 based on the pilot signal from the endoscope 200.

The pilot signal generating unit 211 of the endoscope 200 generates a pilot signal for guiding microwaves from the processor 20. The pilot signal generated by the pilot signal generating unit 211 is transmitted to the processor 20 via the communication unit 204. While the endoscope 200 is capturing an image of a subject, the pilot signal generating unit 211 continues to generate a pilot signal, and the pilot signal is continuously transmitted to the processor 20.

The rectenna 210 (receiving antenna) receives microwaves from the processor 20, rectifies them, converts them into DC power, and outputs the DC power to the battery 207A. The rectenna 210 includes an antenna and a number of so-called rectenna elements. Each rectenna element is connected to the antenna, rectifies the microwaves received by the antenna, and converts them into DC power.

The endoscope 200 is equipped with a rechargeable battery 207A, which is charged by DC power output from the rectenna 210.

Hereinafter, wireless power supply in the endoscope system 1 according to the second embodiment will be described.
As described above, the pilot signal is continuously transmitted to the processor 20 while the endoscope 200 is imaging the subject.
When the communication unit 103 of the processor 20 receives a pilot signal from the endoscope 200, the microwave oscillator 106 starts emitting microwaves via the microwave antenna 108. At this time, the control unit 110 (CPU 111) calculates the arrival direction of the received pilot signal (hereinafter referred to as a received pilot signal). Based on the calculation result by the CPU 111, the microwave control unit 107 adjusts the emission direction of microwaves from the microwave antenna 108 to the arrival direction of the received pilot signal.

As the user operates the endoscope 200, the direction of arrival of the pilot signal from the endoscope 200 changes, but the CPU 111 of the processor 20 sequentially calculates the direction of arrival of the pilot signal. Therefore, the processor 20 can radiate microwaves to the endoscope 200 in response to changes in the position of the endoscope 200.

This allows the endoscope 200 (rectenna 210) to stably receive microwaves and charge the battery 207A.
Thereafter, the control unit 201 monitors the battery 207A, and when the remaining charge of the battery 207A is equal to or greater than the threshold, the control unit 201 instructs the pilot signal generating unit 211 to stop generating the pilot signal. This causes the endoscope 200 to stop transmitting the pilot signal, and the charging of the battery 207A is stopped. Thus, the overcharging of the battery 207A can be prevented.

The control unit 201 also monitors the battery 207A, and if the remaining charge of the battery 207A is equal to or lower than another threshold, instructs the pilot signal generating unit 211 to resume generating the pilot signal. This resumes charging the battery 207A. This makes it possible to prevent the battery from running out while the endoscope 200 is in use.

In the second embodiment, the case where the microwave antenna 108 is provided on the processor 20 has been described as an example, but the present invention is not limited to this. The microwave antenna 108 may be provided separately from the processor 20 (for example, on a ceiling, a wall, etc.).

The above-mentioned connection determination unit 114, use determination unit 115, and notification unit 116 may be configured using hardware logic, or may be constructed using software by the CPU 111 executing a predetermined program.

Parts similar to those in the first embodiment are given the same reference numerals and detailed explanations are omitted.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Endoscope system 10 Display unit 20 Processor 100 Main body 103 Communication unit 106 Microwave oscillator unit 110 Control unit 111 CPU
116 Notification unit 200-400 Endoscope 201 Control unit 204 Communication unit 207A Battery 210 Rectenna

Claims (8)

An endoscope system including a plurality of endoscopes and a data processing device that is separate from the plurality of endoscopes and wirelessly receives image data from any one of the endoscopes and displays the image data on a display unit,
Each endoscope is
a transmitting unit that wirelessly transmits identification data for identifying the device to the data processing device,
The data processing device includes:
a receiving unit that wirelessly receives the identification data from any one of the endoscopes;
a connection determination unit that determines whether or not a communication connection with an endoscope that is a source of the received identification data can be established by comparing the received identification data with identification data stored in advance ,
the transmitting unit of each endoscope wirelessly transmits management data indicating its own cleaning status, usage time, or usage count to the data processing device;
The data processing device includes a usage determination unit that determines, based on the received management data, whether or not an endoscope that is a source of the received management data is suitable for use . The endoscope system according to claim 1, characterized in that each endoscope is provided with a reception unit that receives an instruction to start processing related to a communication connection with the data processing device. The endoscope system according to claim 1 , wherein the data processing device issues a notification relating to maintenance of an endoscope that is a source of the received management data, based on the received management data. The data processing device includes:
It has an oscillator that emits microwaves,
Each endoscope is
A receiving antenna for receiving microwaves;
The endoscope system according to any one of claims 1 to 3 , further comprising: a battery that is charged by the microwaves received by the receiving antenna. A data processing device that wirelessly receives image data from a remote endoscope and displays the image data on a display unit,
a receiving unit that wirelessly receives identification data for identifying the one endoscope from the one endoscope;
a connection determination unit that determines whether or not a communication connection with the one endoscope is possible by comparing the received identification data with identification data stored in advance ,
the receiving unit wirelessly receives management data indicating a cleaning status, a usage time, or a number of uses of the one endoscope from the one endoscope,
A data processing device comprising : a usage determination unit that determines suitability for use of the one endoscope based on received management data . 6. The data processing apparatus according to claim 5 , further comprising: a notification relating to maintenance of said one endoscope based on the received management data. A data processing device comprising:
receiving, wirelessly from an endoscope remote from the data processing device, identification data for identifying the endoscope;
determining whether or not a communication connection with the one endoscope is possible by comparing the received identification data with identification data stored in advance ;
wirelessly receiving management data indicating a cleaning status, a usage time, or a number of usages of the endoscope from the endoscope;
A communication connection method for executing a process for determining suitability for use of the one endoscope based on the received management data . A computer included in the data processing device includes :
receiving, wirelessly from an endoscope remote from the data processing device, identification data for identifying the endoscope;
determining whether or not a communication connection with the one endoscope is possible by comparing the received identification data with identification data stored in advance ;
wirelessly receiving management data indicating a cleaning status, a usage time, or a number of usages of the endoscope from the endoscope;
A computer program that executes a process of determining whether the one endoscope is suitable for use based on the received management data .

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