# US 2014/0155717 A1 · Endoscope system, processor device, and method for operating endoscope system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0155717 A1 - Document ID: US20140155717A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 14/172,565 - Filed: 2014-02-04 - Published: 2014-06-05 - Earliest claimed: 2011-09-05 - Assignees: FUJIFILM Corporation - Applicants: FUJIFILM Corporation - Inventors: Takaaki SAITO - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140155717A1 ## CPC - A61B 5/14542: {for measuring blood gases (A61B5/14551 takes precedence)} - A61B 1/000094: {extracting biological structures} - A61B 1/063: {for monochromatic or narrow-band illumination} - A61B 1/0638: {providing two or more wavelengths} - A61B 1/0646: {with illumination filters} - A61B 1/0653: {with wavelength conversion} - A61B 5/1459: invasive, e.g. introduced into the body by a catheter - A61B 5/7425: {Displaying combinations of multiple images regardless of image source, e.g. displaying a reference anatomical image with a live image} - G06T 7/0012: {Biomedical image inspection} - G06T 11/10: Texturing; Colouring; Generation of textures or colours (retouching, inpainting or scratch removal G06T5/77) - A61B 1/00186: {with imaging filters} - G06T 2207/10024: Color image - G06T 2207/10068: Endoscopic image - G06T 2207/30101: Blood vessel; Artery; Vein; Vascular - A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D) - G06T: IMAGE DATA PROCESSING OR GENERATION, IN GENERAL ## Abstract A color image sensor captures a reflected image of narrowband light having a wavelength range in which an extinction coefficient varies with a change in an oxygen saturation level of hemoglobin in blood. Thereby a first blue signal, a first green signal, and a first red signal are obtained. The color image sensor captures a reflected image of white light. Thereby a second blue signal, a second green signal, and a second red signal are obtained. Only an oxygen saturation level, out of two or more types of biological functional information including a blood volume and the oxygen saturation level, is obtained based on the first blue signal, the second green signal, and the second red signal. The oxygen saturation level is visualized to produce an oxygen saturation image. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An endoscope system comprising: an illuminating section for illuminating a subject; an image signal obtaining section for receiving and imaging reflection light from a subject illuminated by the illuminating section, to obtain a first image signal, a second image signal, and a third image signal, the first image signal corresponding to first reflection light including a first wavelength range in a blue region, an extinction coefficient varying in accordance with an oxygen saturation level of hemoglobin in blood in the first wavelength range, the second image signal corresponding to second reflection light including a second wavelength range in a red region, the third image signal being used for standardizing the first and the second image signals, the third image signal corresponding to third reflection light including a third wavelength range in a green region, the third wavelength range differing from the first and the second wavelength ranges; an image generator for producing ail oxygen saturation image based on the first to the third image signals, the oxygen saturation level being visualized in the oxygen saturation image; and a display section for displaying the oxygen saturation image. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The endoscope system of claim 1, further comprising: a standardization signal obtaining section for obtaining a first standardization signal and a second standardization signal, the first standardization signal being obtained by standardizing the first image signal with the third image signal, the second standardization signal being obtained by standardizing the second image signal with the third image signal, wherein the image generator uses a correlation between a first color information and a combination of the first and second standardization signals to produce the oxygen saturation image. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The endoscope system of claim 1, wherein the image generator further comprises an oxygen saturation calculator for obtaining the oxygen saturation level not dependent on the blood volume, based on the first to the third image signals, and an oxygen saturation image generator for producing the oxygen saturation image based on the oxygen saturation level obtained by the oxygen saturation calculator. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The endoscope system of one of claim 1, wherein the image signal obtaining section images the subject, illuminated with blue narrowband light, with a color image sensor to obtain the first image signal, and the image signal obtaining section images the subject, illuminated with white light, with the color image sensor to obtain the second and the third image signals. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The endoscope system of claim 4, wherein the white light is pseudo white light generated by applying excitation light of a predetermined wavelength to a wavelength converter. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The endoscope system of claim 1, wherein the illuminating section sequentially applies first illumination light, second illumination light, and third illumination light to the subject, and the first illumination light has the first wavelength range, and the second illumination light has the second wavelength range, and the third illumination light has the third wavelength range, and the image signal obtaining section receives and images reflection light of the sequentially applied first to third illumination light, with a monochrome image sensor, to sequentially obtain the first to the third image signals. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The endoscope system of claim 1, wherein the illuminating section simultaneously applies first illumination light and fourth illumination light to the subject, and the first illumination light has the first wavelength range, and the fourth illumination light has the second and the third wavelength ranges, and the image signal obtaining section receives and images reflection light of the simultaneously applied first and the fourth illumination light with a color image sensor, to obtain the first to the third image signals. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The endoscope system of claim 1, wherein the first wavelength range or the second wavelength range is within a range from 460 to 700 nm. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The endoscope system of claim 1, wherein the first wavelength range is from 460 to 480 nm, and the second wavelength range is from 590 to 700 nm, and the third wavelength range is from 540 to 580 nm. ### Claim 10 An endoscope system comprising: an illuminating section for illuminating a subject; an image signal obtaining section for receiving and imaging reflection light from a subject illuminated by the illuminating section, to obtain a first image signal, a second image signal, and a third image signal, the first image signal corresponding to first reflection light including a first wavelength range in a green region, an extinction coefficient varying in accordance with an oxygen saturation level of hemoglobin in blood in the first wavelength range, the second image signal corresponding to second reflection light including a second wavelength range in a red region, the third image signal being used for standardizing the first and the second image signals, the third image signal corresponding to third reflection light including a third wavelength range in a green region, the third wavelength range differing from the first and the second wavelength ranges; an image generator for producing an oxygen saturation image based on the first to the third image signals, the oxygen saturation level being visualized in the oxygen saturation image; and a display section for displaying the oxygen saturation image. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The endoscope system of claim 10, wherein the first wavelength range is from 530 to 550 nm, and the second wavelength range is from 590 to 700 nm, and the third wavelength range is from 555 to 565 nm. ### Claim 12 An endoscope system comprising: an illuminating section for illuminating a subject; an image signal obtaining section for receiving and imaging reflection light from a subject illuminated by the illuminating section, to obtain a first image signal, a second image signal, and a third image signal, the first image signal corresponding to first reflection light including a first wavelength range in a blue region, an extinction coefficient varying in accordance with an oxygen saturation level of hemoglobin in blood in the first wavelength range, the second image signal corresponding to second reflection light including a second wavelength range in a red region, the third image signal being used for standardizing the first and the second image signals, the third image signal corresponding to third reflection light including a third wavelength range in a green region, the third wavelength range differing from the first and the second wavelength ranges; a standardization signal obtaining section for obtaining a first standardization signal and a second standardization signal, the first standardization signal being obtained by standardizing the first image signal with the third image signal, the second standardization signal being obtained by standardizing the second image signal with the third image signal; an image generator for producing an oxygen saturation image with the use of a first correlation between the first standardization signal and first color information and for producing a blood volume image with the use of a second correlation between the second standardization signal and second color information, the oxygen saturation level being visualized in the oxygen saturation image, the blood volume being visualized in the blood volume image; and a display section for displaying the oxygen saturation image and the blood volume image. ### Claim 13 An endoscope system comprising: an illuminating section for illuminating a subject; an image signal obtaining section for receiving and imaging reflection light from a subject illuminated by the illuminating section, to obtain a first image signal and a third image signal, the first image signal corresponding to first reflection light including a first wavelength range in a blue region, an extinction coefficient varying in accordance with an oxygen saturation level of hemoglobin in blood in the first wavelength range, the third image signal corresponding to third reflection light including a third wavelength range in a green region, the third image signal being used for standardizing the first image signal, the third wavelength range differing from the first wavelength range; a standardization signal obtaining section for standardizing the first image signal with the third image signal to obtain a first standardization signal; an image generator for producing an oxygen saturation image with the use of a first correlation between the first standardization signal and first color information, the oxygen saturation level being visualized in the oxygen saturation image; and a display section for displaying the oxygen saturation image. ### Claim 14 A processor device used with an endoscope device for receiving and imaging reflection light from a subject illuminated with an illuminating section, to obtain first to third image signals, the first image signal corresponding to first reflection light including a first wavelength range in a blue region, an extinction coefficient varying in accordance with an oxygen saturation level of hemoglobin in blood in the first wavelength range, the second image signal corresponding to second reflection light including a second wavelength range in a red region, the third image signal being used for standardizing the first and the second image signals, the third image signal corresponding to third reflection light including a third wavelength range in a green region, the third wavelength range differing from the first and the second wavelength ranges; the processor device comprising: a receiver for receiving the first to the third image signals from the endoscope device; and an image generator for producing an oxygen saturation image based on the first to the third image signals, the oxygen saturation level being visualized in the oxygen saturation image. ### Claim 15 A method for operating an endoscope system comprising the steps of: applying illumination light from an illuminating section; obtaining first to third image signals, the first to the third image signals being obtained by receiving and imaging reflection light from a subject with an image signal obtaining section, the first image signal corresponding to first reflection light including a first wavelength range in a blue region, an extinction coefficient varying in accordance with an oxygen saturation level of hemoglobin in blood in the first wavelength range, the second image signal corresponding to second reflection light including a second wavelength range in a red region, the third image signal being used for standardizing the first and the second image signals, the third image signal corresponding to third reflection light including a third wavelength range in a green region, the third wavelength range differing from the first and the second wavelength ranges; producing an oxygen saturation image based on the first to the third image signals with the use of an oxygen saturation image generator, the oxygen saturation level being visualized in the oxygen saturation image; and displaying the oxygen saturation image on a display section.