An endoscope observation assistance apparatus includes an image information acquiring part to acquire and display a captured image of a luminal organ captured by the endoscope device on a display, a lesion information acquisition part to detect a predetermined lesion based on the captured image and to acquire lesion information regarding the lesion, a lesion disappearance determination part to track the lesion based on the captured image and the lesion information and to determine whether or not the lesion has disappeared from the captured image, and a notification part to notify a determination result when the lesion disappearance determination part determines that the lesion has disappeared from the captured image. Alternatively, the notification part may notify a lesion detection when a short time period passes after the lesion detection by the lesion information acquisition part.

This disclosure relates to instruments and methods of performing an endoscopy. An endoscope for producing images of a surgery in vivo may include a hub and an imaging rod extending from the hub, the imaging rod being configured to receive light and direct the light to an imaging sensor located adjacent to a distal end of the imaging rod, the hub and the imaging rod being attached to form an assembly having a center of mass established distally of the hub. In other implementations, the hub may be omitted.

The present disclosure relates to visualizing an operative field in the context of a dental operating theater, and more specifically, to a portable, modular, multifunctional intraoral imaging system to assist a practitioner in performing a medical or dental procedure in a confined space (e.g., intraoral cavity or mouth of a patient). The system may include an intraoral camera apparatus having a camera unit equipped with a wireless transmitter, and a viewscreen mounted to an articulated stand or dental delivery unit, wherein the camera wirelessly may transmit an image to a viewscreen located directly in front of a dental practitioner. The practitioner may look directly ahead at a high-definition screen to view the operative field. A dental practitioner may use the apparatus to perform micro-surgical procedures in a confined operative area with less-than-ideal visibility and access, without the present, though generally accepted, physical difficulties and limitations.

A system for controlling a medical image capture device during surgery is provided, the system including circuitry configured to acquire first image data from the medical image capture device, the first image data being of an appearance of a surgical scene at a first instance of time; determine, based on a predicted appearance of the surgical scene based on the first image data at a second instance of time after the first instance of time, one or more desired image capture properties of the medical image capture device; and control the medical image capture device at a third instance of time, the third instance of time being between the first instance of time and the second instance of time, in accordance with the one or more desired image capture properties of the medical image capture device.

A processing device includes a processor, the processor being configured to: acquire a captured image of an inside of a lumen; acquire lumen structure information indicating a structure of the lumen; determine whether the captured image can be analyzed or not and output analysis allowability/non-allowability information indicating whether the captured image is in an analysis allowable state or not based on the captured image and first determination criteria; associate the analysis allowability/non-allowability information with the structure of the lumen based on the analysis allowability/non-allowability information and the lumen structure information to identify an analyzable portion and an unanalyzable portion of the structure of the lumen; and determine that the identified unanalyzable portion is a missed portion based on position and orientation information of a distal end of an insertion section to be inserted in the lumen and second determination criteria.

A processing device includes a processor, the processor being configured to: acquire a captured image of an inside of a lumen; acquire lumen structure information indicating a structure of the lumen; determine whether the captured image can be analyzed or not and output analysis allowability/non-allowability information indicating whether the captured image is in an analysis allowable state or not based on the captured image and first determination criteria; associate the analysis allowability/non-allowability information with the structure of the lumen based on the analysis allowability/non-allowability information and the lumen structure information to identify an analyzable portion and an unanalyzable portion of the structure of the lumen; and determine that the identified unanalyzable portion is a missed portion based on position and orientation information of a distal end of an insertion section to be inserted in the lumen and second determination criteria.

A control device includes: a power source configured to supply a predetermined power-supply voltage to an imaging element; a voltage detector configured to detect an output voltage value of the power-supply voltage supplied by the power source; and a processor comprising hardware, the processor being configured to supply an adjusted voltage value from the power source to the imaging element based on a voltage value of the power-supply voltage detected in the imaging element and on the output voltage value detected by the voltage detector, calculate a delay time from timing when the voltage value of the power-supply voltage is detected in the imaging element until timing when the power source supplies the adjusted voltage value to the imaging element, and control supply timing when the power source supplies the adjusted voltage value based on the delay time.

A signal processing device includes a processor including at least one or more pieces of hardware. The processor is configured to: when a first synchronization signal from a first synchronization signal generation circuit, the first synchronization signal generation circuit receiving a first clock signal and outputting the first synchronization signal, and a second synchronization signal output from a second synchronization signal generation circuit are not synchronized, reset the first synchronization signal generation circuit, and in a period in which the first synchronization signal generation circuit is reset, set a frequency of the first clock signal to be higher than a frequency in another period.

An image selection support device supports the selection of a still image based on captured image data obtained by an endoscope. By using a first still image acquired based on the captured image data at a time when an operator of the endoscope performs an acquisition operation of the still image, and one or more second still images acquired from the captured image data at a time different from the time when the acquisition operation is performed, the image selection support device extracts a third still image having an imaging time point that satisfies a predetermined condition with an imaging time point of the first still image from among the second still images, and associates the first still image with the third still image.

A signal processing device includes: a processor including at least one or more pieces of hardware, the processor being configured to: switch to one of a first state in which an input of a clock signal for operating an imager to the imager is permitted and a second state in which the input of the clock signal to the imager is prohibited, and temporarily switch from the first state to the second state when a first synchronization signal output from a first synchronization signal generation circuit and a second synchronization signal output from a second synchronization signal generation circuit are not synchronized.