JPH04150845A - Early cancer diagnosis device - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] This bulletin contains application data before electronic filing, so abstract data is not recorded.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to an early cancer diagnostic device for diagnosing early cancer using an endoscope.

[Conventional technology]

It is not easy to detect early-stage cancer by ordinary endoscopy, that is, by simple visual inspection.

Conventionally, tumor-friendly photosensitizers such as hematoporphyrin derivatives tend to collect in cancer cells and emit fluorescence when irradiated with laser light. Fluorescence was observed while irradiating laser light with a scope.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

However, since hematoporphyrin derivatives and the like have side effects on the human body, it is generally not preferable to use them for mere testing.

Moreover, in order to use laser light, an expensive laser light generating device must be prepared, and a dedicated endoscope may be required, resulting in a substantial cost for the device.

Furthermore, in addition to the fluorescence generated by hematoporphyrin derivatives, autofluorescence generated from normal cells other than cancer cells interferes, making it impossible to make an accurate diagnosis.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an early cancer diagnostic device that eliminates these conventional drawbacks, has no side effects, is inexpensive, and can accurately diagnose early cancer.

[Means to solve the problem]

In order to achieve the above object, the early cancer diagnosis device of the present invention irradiates the subject with illumination light sent from the illumination light source of the endoscope through the illumination window formed at the tip of the insertion section. An image of the object is formed by an objective optical system provided at the tip of the insertion section, and the image is transmitted to the outside of the insertion section by an image transmission means so that it can be observed outside the insertion section. A first wavelength selective transmission filter that transmits excitation light with a wavelength that generates fluorescence is provided in the illumination optical path between the light source and the subject, and light with a wavelength that is transmitted by the first wavelength selective transmission filter. The present invention is characterized in that a second wavelength selective transmission filter that does not transmit the fluorescent light but transmits the fluorescent light is provided in the observation optical path between the subject and the outside of the insertion section.

[Effect]

In recent years, it has been known that living tissues emit fluorescence when they are irradiated with short-wavelength visible light or ultraviolet light. This fluorescence 7 of the living tissue itself is called autofluorescence. This autofluorescence is generated from the entire body tissue, but is less generated from cancer cells.

In the illumination light generated by the illumination light source of the present invention, only the light (excitation light) with a wavelength that passes through the first wavelength selective transmission filter is irradiated onto the subject (biological tissue surface), and the subject (biological tissue surface) is illuminated by the excitation light. (autofluorescence).

Then, the fluorescence is transmitted through the objective optical system and image transmission means.
Observed outside the insertion section of the endoscope. However, since the excitation light is cut by the second wavelength selective transmission filter and does not reach the observation section outside the insertion section, only the autofluorescence can be observed there without being interfered with by the excitation light.

Therefore, if there are early cancer cells within the subject, only those cells have weak autofluorescence and are observed darkly.

〔Example〕

Examples will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment of the invention.

In the figure, IO is an endoscope, and 30 is a light source device.

Reference numeral 11 denotes an insertion section made of a flexible tube, and an operating section 12 is connected to the proximal end thereof. Reference numeral 13 denotes an eyepiece section attached to the operation section 12.

At the tip of the insertion section 11, an illumination window 15 for illuminating the subject 100 and an observation window 1 for observing the subject 100 are provided.
6 are provided side by side.

The output end of the illumination light guide fiber bundle 21 is arranged inside the illumination window 15. An objective lens 22 of the observation optical system is disposed inside the observation window 16, and the incident end of an image guide fiber bundle 23 for image transmission is disposed at the position where the object 100 is imaged by the objective lens 22. There is.

The input end 21a of the light guide fiber bundle 21 is connected to the light source device 30, and the illumination light generated by the light source lamp 31 is condensed by the condenser lens 32 and enters the input end 21a of the light guide fiber bundle 2I. .

A first wavelength selective transmission filter l is provided in the illumination optical path between the light source lamp 31 and the condenser lens 32, which transmits only light having a wavelength of 400 nm to 500 nm. Therefore, the light guide fiber bundle 21
The illumination light that passes through the illumination window 15 and irradiates the subject 100 is limited to light having a wavelength of 400 nm to 500 nm.

As shown in Figure 2, when normal living tissue is irradiated with light in this wavelength range, the living tissue itself is excited and
Fluorescence (autofluorescence) with a wavelength of nm to 600 nm is generated.

Returning to FIG. 1, image guide fiber bundle 23
The output end of is an eyepiece lens 25 provided in the eyepiece section 13.
It is placed in a magnified observation position. In addition, the eyepiece section 1
At the outer end of 3 is 50011! A second wavelength selective transmission filter 2 that transmits only light having a wavelength of D or eoonto.
is installed.

Therefore, the image of the subject 100 observed from outside the eyepiece 13 through the observation window 16, the objective lens 22, and the image guide fiber bundle 23 is based on the wavelength of 500 nm to 600 nm transmitted by the second wavelength selective transmission filter 2. limited to light only.

When using the early cancer diagnostic device configured in this manner, the insertion section 11 of the endoscope 10 is inserted into the human body's bronchus or digestive system, and the living tissue of that region is exposed to the subject 10.
becomes 0.

As mentioned above, the subject 100 is irradiated with only light of 400 nm to 500 nm, thereby making the subject 100
00, autofluorescence of 500ron to 60011[+1] is generated.

From outside the eyepiece 13, the wavelength is 500 nm to 600 nm.
Only nm fluorescence images are observed. However, the subject 100
If there are cancer cells in the area, the fluorescence in that area is weak and dark (observed), while the normal area is observed bright.

Note that if sufficient brightness of fluorescence cannot be obtained, the eyepiece 13 may be connected to an image intensifier (dark field scope) or the like to amplify the brightness of the observed image for observation.

Further, the first wavelength selective transmission filter l is the light source lamp 31
The second wavelength selective transmission filter 2 may be provided anywhere in the illumination optical path between the object 10 and the object 10.
It may be provided anywhere in the observation optical path between 0 and the outside of the eyepiece section 13.

FIG. 3 shows a second embodiment of the invention, in which an image guide fiber bundle 2 is used to transmit the observation image.
An example is shown in which a solid-state image sensor 41 is used instead of 3.
The second wavelength selective transmission filter 2 is arranged between the objective lens 22 and the solid-state image sensor 41. 42 is a video processor for processing image signals sent from the solid-state image sensor 41; 43 is a monitor for displaying images.

〔Effect of the invention〕

According to the early cancer diagnostic device of the present invention, there is no need to use any drugs or chemicals such as hematoporphyrin derivatives, so there is no risk of side effects, and there is no need for a laser device, so it can be used for normal endoscopic examination. Since it is only necessary to add two wavelength selective transmission filters to the mirror device, the device cost is extremely low and it is very economical.

Moreover, since only the autofluorescence emitted by the living body can be observed, early cancer can be diagnosed accurately without being affected by other excitation light or fluorescence.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of the first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG.
The characteristic diagram of excitation light and autofluorescence, FIG. 3, is the second characteristic diagram of the present invention.
It is a block diagram of an Example. 1... First wavelength selective transmission filter, 2... Second wavelength selective transmission filter, 10... Endoscope, 11... Insertion section, 13... Eyepiece section, 15... - Illumination window, 16... Observation window, 21... Light guide fiber bundle, 22...
Objective lens, 23... Image guide fiber bundle, 31...
- Light source lamp, 41... solid-state image sensor.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] Illumination light sent from an illumination light source of an endoscope is irradiated onto a subject through an illumination window formed at the tip of the insertion section, and an image of the subject is formed at the tip of the insertion section. An image is formed by an objective optical system, and the image is transmitted to the outside of the insertion section by an image transmission means so that it can be observed outside the insertion section, which transmits excitation light of a wavelength at which the living body generates fluorescence. A first wavelength-selective transmission filter is provided in the illumination optical path between the light source and the subject, and the first wavelength-selective transmission filter does not transmit light of the wavelength that is transmitted, but the fluorescence transmits the first wavelength-selective transmission filter. 1. An early cancer diagnostic device, characterized in that a second wavelength selective transmission filter is provided in an observation optical path between the subject and the outside of the insertion section.