# US 10,441,147 B2 · Endoscope system and analyzing apparatus > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,441,147 B2 - Document ID: US10441147B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/765,773 - Filed: 2016-11-02 - Published: 2018-10-04 - Granted: 2019-10-15 - Earliest claimed: 2015-11-02 - Assignees: Hoya Corporation - Applicants: Hoya Corporation - Inventors: Yoshimi Obara - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10441147B2 ## CPC - A61B 1/000094: {extracting biological structures} - A61B 1/00096: {Optical elements} - A61B 1/043: {for fluorescence imaging} - A61B 1/045: Control thereof - A61B 1/05: characterised by the image sensor, e.g. camera, being in the distal end portion - A61B 1/0638: {providing two or more wavelengths} - A61B 1/0646: {with illumination filters} - A61B 1/0669: {at proximal end of an endoscope} - A61B 1/0676: {at distal tip of an endoscope} - A61B 1/07: using light-conductive means, e.g. optical fibres - A61B 5/14546: {for measuring analytes not otherwise provided for, e.g. ions, cytochromes} - A61B 5/14551: {for measuring blood gases} - A61B 1/00117: {Optical cables in or with an endoscope} - A61B 5/1459: invasive, e.g. introduced into the body by a catheter - A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D) ## Abstract An endoscope system includes: a light source apparatus; an endoscope having an imaging unit that includes an image sensor configured to generate color image data imaging biological tissue illuminated by light emitter by the light source apparatus; and a processor that has a first parameter generation unit configured to generate a first parameter that has sensitivity to a first feature amount of the biological tissue but does not have sensitivity to light scattering by the biological tissue based on the color image data, and a first feature amount acquisition unit configured to acquire the first feature amount based on the first parameter. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An endoscope system comprising: a light source apparatus configured to emit first special light that has a different wavelength region from white light and is absorbed by biological tissue differently according to a first feature amount of the biological tissue; an endoscope having an imaging unit that comprises an image sensor configured to generate color image data by imaging the biological tissue illuminated by light emitted by the light source apparatus; and a processor that has a first parameter generation unit and a first feature amount acquisition unit, the first parameter generation unit configured to generate, based on the color image data, a first parameter that is a ratio W/R of a first special observation image data W and a first normal observation image data R, the first special observation image data W being obtained by imaging the biological tissue illuminated by the first special light, and being color image data X of an image that has a component in a wavelength region that has sensitivity to the first feature amount of the biological tissue and has sensitivity to light scattering by the biological tissue; and the first normal observation image data R being an R component of normal observation image data in an RGB color space obtained by imaging the biological tissue illuminated by the white light, and being color image data Y of an image that has a component in a wavelength region that does not have sensitivity to the first feature amount of the biological tissue but has sensitivity to light scattering by the biological tissue, the first feature amount acquisition unit configured to acquire the first feature amount based on the first parameter. ### Claim 2 An endoscope system comprising: a light source apparatus configured to emit first special light that has a different wavelength region from white light and is absorbed by biological tissue differently according to a first feature amount of the biological tissue; an endoscope having an imaging unit that comprises an image sensor configured to generate color image data by imaging the biological tissue illuminated by light emitted by the light source apparatus; and a processor that has a first parameter generation unit and a first feature amount acquisition unit, the first parameter generation unit configured to generate, based on the color image data, a first parameter that is a ratio W/(αR) of a first special observation image data W and a data αR, the first special observation image data W being obtained by imaging the biological tissue illuminated by the first special light, and being color image data X of an image that has a component in a wavelength region that has sensitivity to the first feature amount of the biological tissue and has sensitivity to light scattering by the biological tissue; and the data αR being obtained by multiplying a first normal observation image data R by a coefficient set in advance, the first normal observation image data R being an R component of normal observation image data in an RGB color space obtained by imaging the biological tissue illuminated by the white light, and being color image data Y of an image that has a component in a wavelength region that does not have sensitivity to the first feature amount of the biological tissue but has sensitivity to light scattering by the biological tissue, the first feature amount acquisition unit configured to acquire the first feature amount based on the first parameter. ### Claim 3 An endoscope system comprising: a light source apparatus configured to emit first special light that has a different wavelength region from white light and is absorbed by biological tissue differently according to a first feature amount of the biological tissue; an endoscope having an imaging unit that comprises an image sensor configured to generate color image data by imaging the biological tissue illuminated by light emitted by the light source apparatus; and a processor that has a first parameter generation unit and a first feature amount acquisition unit, the first parameter generation unit configured to generate, based on the color image data, a first parameter that is a ratio W/(R+G) of a first special observation image data W and a sum R+G, the first special observation image data W being obtained by imaging the biological tissue illuminated by the first special light, and being color image data X of an image that has a component in a wavelength region that has sensitivity to the first feature amount of the biological tissue and has sensitivity to light scattering by the biological tissue; and the sum R+G being a sum of first normal observation image data R and second normal observation image data G that are respectively an R component and a G component of normal observation image data in an RGB color space obtained by imaging the biological tissue illuminated by the white light, and being color image data Y of an image that has a component in a wavelength region that does not have sensitivity to the first feature amount of the biological tissue but has sensitivity to light scattering by the biological tissue, the first feature amount acquisition unit configured to acquire the first feature amount based on the first parameter. ### Claim 4 An endoscope system comprising: a light source apparatus configured to emit first special light that has a different wavelength region from white light and is absorbed by biological tissue differently according to a first feature amount of the biological tissue; an endoscope having an imaging unit that comprises an image sensor configured to generate color image data by imaging the biological tissue illuminated by light emitted by the light source apparatus; and a processor that has a first parameter generation unit and a first feature amount acquisition unit, the first parameter generation unit configured to generate, based on the color image data, a first parameter that is a ratio W/(βR+γG) of a first special observation image data W and a sum βR+γG, the first special observation image data W being obtained by imaging the biological tissue illuminated by the first special light, and being color image data X of an image that has a component in a wavelength region that has sensitivity to the first feature amount of the biological tissue and has sensitivity to light scattering by the biological tissue; and the sum βR+γG being a sum of obtained by using a coefficient β and a coefficient γ that are set in advance to perform weighted addition on first normal observation image data R and second normal observation image data G that are respectively an R component and a G component of normal observation image data in an RGB color space obtained by imaging the biological tissue illuminated by the white light, and being color image data Y of an image that has a component in a wavelength region that does not have sensitivity to the first feature amount of the biological tissue but has sensitivity to light scattering by the biological tissue, the first feature amount acquisition unit configured to acquire the first feature amount based on the first parameter. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The endoscope system according to claim 1, wherein the imaging unit comprises an R color filter configured to filter light into an R wavelength region in the RGB color space before the light is received by the image sensor, and the first normal observation image data R is data of an image captured via the R color filter of the image sensor. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The endoscope system according to claim 1, wherein the light source apparatus comprises: a white light source that emits white light; and a first optical filter configured to obtain the first special light from the white light, and the light source apparatus switches between emitting the white light and the first special light. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The endoscope system according to claim 1, wherein the processor comprises a storage unit that stores data expressing a quantitative relationship between the first parameter and the first feature amount, and the first feature amount acquisition unit is configured to obtain the first feature amount by referencing the data expressing the quantitative relationship. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The endoscope system according to claim 1, wherein the first feature amount is a total hemoglobin amount. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The endoscope system according to claim 1, wherein the first feature amount is a total hemoglobin amount, and the first special observation image data W is data regarding a wavelength region identical to a G wavelength region in the RGB color space. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The endoscope system according to claim 9, wherein the imaging unit comprises a G color filter configured to filter light into a G wavelength region in the RGB color space before the light is received by the image sensor, and the first special observation image data W is data of an image captured by the image sensor via the G color filter. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The endoscope system according to claim 1, wherein the processor comprises: a second parameter generation unit configured to generate a second parameter that has sensitivity to a second feature amount of the biological tissue but does not have sensitivity to the light scattering based on the color image data; and a second feature amount acquisition unit configured to acquire the second feature amount based on the first feature amount and the second parameter. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The endoscope system according to claim 1, wherein the feature amount acquisition unit comprises: a second parameter generation unit configured to generate a second parameter that has sensitivity to a second feature amount of the biological tissue but does not have sensitivity to the light scattering based on the color image data; and a second feature amount acquisition unit configured to acquire the second feature amount based on the first feature amount and the second parameter, the light source apparatus is configured to emit second special light that has a different wavelength region from white light, and is absorbed by the biological tissue differently according to the second feature amount, and the second parameter is a ratio N/W of second special observation image data N obtained by imaging the biological tissue illuminated by the second special light and first special observation image data W obtained by imaging the biological tissue illuminated by the first special light. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The endoscope system according to claim 12, wherein a wavelength region of the first special light is set such that absorption of the first special light by the biological tissue is dependent on the first feature amount but not dependent on the second feature amount. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The endoscope system according to claim 13, wherein a wavelength region of the second special light is set such that absorption of the second special light by the biological tissue is dependent on both the first feature amount and the second feature amount. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The endoscope system according to claim 11, wherein the second feature amount is a degree of oxygen saturation. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The endoscope system according to claim 15, wherein the second special observation image data N is image data regarding a wavelength region identical to a G wavelength region in the RGB color space. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The endoscope system according to claim 16, wherein the imaging unit comprises a G color filter configured to filter light into a G wavelength region in the RGB color space before the light is received by the image sensor, and the second special observation image data N is data of an image captured via the G color filter. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The endoscope system according to claim 1, comprising a feature amount distribution image generation unit configured to generate a feature amount distribution image that expresses a distribution of the first feature amount in the biological tissue based on the first feature amount. ### Claim 19 (depends on 11) The endoscope system according to claim 11, comprising a feature amount distribution image generation unit configured to generate a feature amount distribution image that expresses a distribution of the second feature amount in the biological tissue based on the second feature amount.