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JP-2026075383-A - Endoscopic system, bending control method, and program

JP2026075383AJP 2026075383 AJP2026075383 AJP 2026075383AJP-2026075383-A

Abstract

[Problem] To provide an endoscope system, a bending control method, and a program that can reduce the processing load required for bending control of the insertion section. [Solution] The endoscope system comprises an insertion section and a control section. The insertion section is bendable and acquires an optical image of the inside of an object to be observed. The control section receives position information from a device indicating a position within a bending operation area that includes two or more sub-regions. The control section obtains a control value from a storage medium associated with a sub-region corresponding to the position indicated by the position information among the two or more sub-regions, and bends the insertion section based on the control value. [Selection Diagram] Figure 10

Inventors

  • 八木 幸喜

Assignees

  • ワブテック・インスペクション・テクノロジーズ・ジャパン株式会社

Dates

Publication Date
20260508
Application Date
20241022

Claims (18)

  1. An insertable section that is flexible and acquires an optical image of the inside of the object being observed, A control unit, The device receives positional information indicating the location within a curved operation area that includes two or more sub-regions. A control value associated with the sub-region corresponding to the position indicated by the position information, among the two or more sub-regions, is obtained from the storage medium. The control unit curves the insertion portion based on the control value, An endoscopic system having [a specific feature/feature].
  2. The control unit, At the first timing, the reception of the location information is initiated. The reception of the position information is terminated at a second timing different from the first timing. The endoscope system according to claim 1, wherein the position information is continuously received between the first timing and the second timing.
  3. The control unit, The device receives second position information indicating the position on the display screen, The endoscope system according to claim 1, wherein the bending operation area is set on the display based on the second position information.
  4. Two or more control values, including the aforementioned control value, are associated with the two or more subregions. The endoscope system according to claim 3, wherein the control unit sets the bending operation area such that the sub-region associated with the smallest amount of bending and the corresponding control value is located near the position indicated by the position information.
  5. The endoscope system according to claim 1, wherein the storage medium stores a lookup table containing control values associated with each of the two or more subregions.
  6. The aforementioned bending operation area is rectangular, The endoscope system according to claim 1, wherein each of the two or more subregions is rectangular.
  7. The endoscope system according to claim 1, wherein the control unit sets the bending operation area to more than half of the display screen.
  8. The bending operation region includes a first region and a second region that are different from each other. Each of the first region and the second region includes one or more subregions from the two or more subregions, When the position indicated by the position information is included in the first region, the control unit does not bend the insertion portion. The endoscope system according to claim 1, wherein when the position indicated by the position information is included in the second region, the control unit curves the insertion portion.
  9. The bending operation region includes a first region and a second region that are different from each other. Each of the first region and the second region includes one or more subregions from the two or more subregions, When the position indicated by the position information is included in the first region, the control unit shall A first control value is calculated based on the control value obtained from the storage medium. Based on the first control value, the insertion portion is curved. When the position indicated by the position information is included in the second region, the control unit shall A second control value is calculated based on the control value obtained from the storage medium. The endoscope system according to claim 1, wherein the insertion portion is curved based on the second control value.
  10. The bending operation region includes a third region that is different from both the first region and the second region. The third region includes one or more subregions of the two or more subregions, The endoscope system according to claim 9, wherein when the position indicated by the position information is included in the third region, the control unit calculates the first control value or the second control value according to the position indicated by the position information received in the past.
  11. The third region is located between the first region and the second region. When the position indicated by the previously received position information is included in the first region, the control unit, A first control value is calculated based on the control value obtained from the storage medium. Based on the first control value, the insertion portion is curved. When the position indicated by the previously received position information is included in the second region, the control unit, A second control value is calculated based on the control value obtained from the storage medium. The endoscope system according to claim 10, wherein the insertion portion is curved based on the second control value.
  12. The position information indicates a position within the bending operation area or a position outside the bending operation area. The control unit, When the position information indicates a position outside the bending operation area, the position within the bending operation area is calculated based on the position outside the bending operation area. The endoscope system according to claim 1, wherein a control value associated with the position within the bending operation area and the corresponding sub-region is obtained from the storage medium.
  13. The endoscopic system according to claim 1, comprising an endoscopic apparatus having the insertion section, the device, and the control unit.
  14. An endoscope device having the aforementioned insertion section, An operating device that is separated from the endoscope device and communicates with the endoscope device, It has, The endoscope system according to claim 1, wherein the operating device comprises the device and the control unit.
  15. The aforementioned device is a touch panel, The endoscope system according to claim 1, wherein the control unit receives the position information indicating the position where the object has come into contact with the touch panel.
  16. The aforementioned device is a mouse, The endoscope system according to claim 1, wherein the control unit receives position information indicating the position of the bending operation region corresponding to the position of the mouse.
  17. A bending control method for controlling the bending motion of an insertion part that is bendable and acquires an optical image of the inside of an object to be observed, The steps include receiving position information from a device indicating a position within a curved operation area that includes two or more sub-regions, A step of obtaining from a storage medium a control value associated with the subregion corresponding to the position indicated by the position information, among the two or more subregions; A step of curving the insertion portion based on the control value, A method for controlling curvature, having the following characteristics.
  18. A program for causing a computer to perform a process to control the bending motion of an insertion part that is bendable and acquires an optical image of the inside of an object being observed, The steps include receiving position information from a device indicating a position within a curved operation area that includes two or more sub-regions, A step of obtaining from a storage medium a control value associated with the subregion corresponding to the position indicated by the position information, among the two or more subregions; A step of curving the insertion portion based on the control value, A program to cause the aforementioned computer to execute.

Description

This invention relates to an endoscope system, a bending control method, and a program. Industrial endoscopes are used to inspect the internal components of boilers, pipes, and aircraft engines for abnormalities and corrosion. The endoscope has an insertion tube for acquiring images. The user inserts the insertion tube into the object and acquires images of the area to be inspected. The user observes these images and inspects the area. The insertion tube has a bending section that allows it to bend. The user can bend the insertion tube by performing a bending operation. The technology disclosed in Patent Document 1 controls the orientation of a borescope in response to a specific operation performed on a screen. Specifically, the technology curves the connecting portion of the borescope according to the distance between the center of the screen and the position of the tap. Special table 2018-523869 publication This block diagram shows an example of the configuration of an endoscope system according to a first embodiment of the present invention.This figure shows an example of a bending operation region in the first embodiment of the present invention.This figure shows an example of the configuration of the bending operation region in the first embodiment of the present invention.This figure shows an example of a curvature control value in the first embodiment of the present invention.This figure shows an example of the relationship between the position within the curvature operation region and the curvature control value in the first embodiment of the present invention.This figure shows the direction of movement of the user's fingers in the first embodiment of the present invention.This is an enlarged view of the bending operation area in the first embodiment of the present invention.This figure shows an example of the change in the position of the touch area in the first embodiment of the present invention.This figure shows an example of a curvature control value in the first embodiment of the present invention.This flowchart shows an example of the procedure for determining the curvature control value in the first embodiment of the present invention.This figure shows an example of a bending operation region in the first embodiment of the present invention.This flowchart shows an example of the procedure for determining the curvature control value in the first embodiment of the present invention.This is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of an endoscope system according to a first modification of the first embodiment of the present invention.This is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of an endoscope system according to a second modification of the first embodiment of the present invention.This figure shows an example of the configuration of the bending operation region in a second embodiment of the present invention.This figure shows an example of a curvature control value in a second embodiment of the present invention.This figure shows an example of a bending operation region in a third embodiment of the present invention.This figure shows an example of a bending operation region in a modified example of the third embodiment of the present invention.This figure shows an example of a bending operation region in a modified example of the third embodiment of the present invention.This flowchart shows an example of a procedure for determining the curvature control value in a modified example of the third embodiment of the present invention.This figure shows an example of a bending operation region in the fourth embodiment of the present invention.This figure shows an example of the change in the position of the touch area in the fourth embodiment of the present invention.This figure shows an example of a bending mode in a fourth embodiment of the present invention.This flowchart shows an example of the procedure for determining the curvature control value in the fourth embodiment of the present invention.This figure shows an example of a bending operation region in the first modified example of the fourth embodiment of the present invention.This figure shows an example of a bending operation region in the first modified example of the fourth embodiment of the present invention.This figure shows an example of a bending operation region in a second modified example of the fourth embodiment of the present invention.This figure shows an example of a change in the position of the touch area in a second modification of the fourth embodiment of the present invention.This figure shows an example of a bending mode in a second modified example of the fourth embodiment of the present invention.This flowchart shows an example of a procedure for determining the curvature control value in a second modified example of the fourth embodiment of the present invention.This figure shows an example of a bending operation region in a third modified example of the fourth embodiment of the