Provided are a measurement support device, an endoscope system, a processor for an endoscope system, and a measurement support method capable of easily and highly accurately measuring the size of a subject. In the measurement support device related to one aspect of the invention, the position of a spot by measurement auxiliary light is measured, and information indicating the actual size of a subject is acquired on the basis of the measurement result to create and display a marker. Moreover, an optical axis of the measurement auxiliary light has an inclination angle that is not 0 degrees with respect to an optical axis of the imaging optical system in a case where the optical axis of the measurement auxiliary light is projected on a plane including the optical axis of the imaging optical system.

An endoscope having an insertion tube with a distal optical module and a releasable handle. In a semi-robotic embodiment, the handle comprises haptic controllers and a computer configured for steering and/or adjusting physical properties of the insertion tube in response to one or more command inputs from the haptic controllers. The computer may also convert image data received from the optical module into two-dimensional images displayable on a monitor. The endoscope may have inertial measurement units (IMUs) for providing data to the computer for creating a digital three-dimensional image representation of an anatomy model and/or for facilitating handling properties of the endoscope.

TNE provides the opportunity to make the care of children with EoE and other gastrointestinal or aerodigestive conditions safer, more efficient, and less costly while simultaneously advancing our understanding of the pathophysiology and natural course of this condition. A pediatric endoscope was developed to facilitate TNE in children with EoE. The pediatric endoscope (combined gastroscope, bronchoscope, laryngoscope) includes a 3-4 mm flexible, fiber optic endoscope that allows HD TV viewing with the head of a pediatric bronchoscope that allows four way tip deflection, a scope stiffening apparatus to minimize the endoscopes flexibility when needed, a foot and hand activation to allow air/water insufflation and image/video capture, a light source, 2 mm biopsy channel.

There is provided a computer implemented method of providing a surgical controller with instructions to restrict a manipulation of an endoscopic tool during an endoscopic medical procedure in an intrabody cavity, comprising: inputting into classifier(s), indication(s) of instructions for manipulation of the endoscopic tool outputted by sensor(s), classifying by the classifier(s), the indication of instructions into an envelope defining a volume that restricts therein manipulation of the endoscopic tool, wherein the classifier(s) classifies the envelope based on previously obtained indications of instructions for manipulation of endoscopic tools during other endoscopic medical procedures performed in intrabody cavities of other patients, analyzing the indication of instructions for manipulation of the endoscopic tool according to the envelope to determine when the instructions are for manipulation of the endoscopic tool externally to the envelope, and providing the surgical controller with an indication of inappropriate manipulation according to the analysis.

In a method of using a structured-light based system, real-time 2D images of a portion of a field of view are captured using an endoscope. A portion of an object in the field of view is illuminated with a structured light pattern, and light reflected from the field of view is detected. From the reflected light, a 3D image of the field of view is constructed, and 3D locations of points on a surface of the object are determined. The real time 3D spatial position of the endoscope and/or a surgical tool is determined. If a distance between the surface the endoscope and/or surgical tool, as determined using the 3D spatial position, falls below a predetermined distance, an alert is generated to notify a user.

An endoscope system includes a processor including an image processing unit that obtains an inflammation evaluation value in which a degree of inflammation of a biological tissue is digitized on the basis of information of a color component of an image of the biological tissue, from the image that is obtained by imaging the biological tissue, and a monitor displaying the inflammation evaluation value. The image processing unit includes a blood vessel region determination unit obtaining certainty of a blood vessel region of the biological tissue in the image, a pixel evaluation value generation unit obtaining a pixel evaluation value by performing digitization processing with respect to each of the pixels of the image, a pixel evaluation value adjustment unit calculating an adjustment value in which the pixel evaluation value is reduced as the certainty of the blood vessel region increases.

A surgical system includes a surgical assist robot including a robot main body and a slave controller, and a console. The robot main body has an entry guide, an entry guide support device, and at least one manipulator having an end effector provided at a distal end. The entry guide includes an inner cylinder, an outer cylinder into which the inner cylinder is inserted in an insertion axial direction, and a guide advancing device that displaces the inner cylinder in the insertion axial direction with respect to the outer cylinder. While a position and a posture of the end effector that has advanced from the entry guide are maintained, the inner cylinder is caused to advance toward the end effector within a predetermined movable range along the insertion axial direction with respect to the outer cylinder.

A stereoscopic imaging apparatus for use in a robotic surgery system is disclosed and includes an elongate sheath having a bore. First and second image sensors are adjacently mounted at the distal end to capture high definition images from different perspective viewpoints for generating three-dimensional image information. The image sensors produce an unprocessed digital data signal representing the captured images. A wired signal line transmits the unprocessed digital data signals along the sheath to a proximal end to processing circuitry. The processing circuitry is configured to perform processing operations on the unprocessed digital data signals to produce respective video signals suitable for transmission to a host system or for driving a 3D display. A secondary camera is also disclosed and includes an elongate strip of circuit substrate sized for insertion through a narrow conduit, the strip of circuit substrate connecting between an image sensor and a processing circuit substrate.

A surgical robot for use in endoscopic surgery includes an arm device that holds a surgical instrument used in endoscopic surgery, a drive device that drives the arm device, a display section, and a display processor that displays, on the display section, a relative positional relationship between a trocar site and a distal end position of the surgical instrument.

An object of the present invention is to provide a medical image processing apparatus, an endoscope system, a medical image processing method, and a program that assist a user in estimating an accurate size of a region of interest. A medical image processing apparatus according to an aspect of the present invention is a medical image processing apparatus including a processor. The processor is configured to acquire images in time-series, make a determination of whether a region of interest in each of the images is suitable for size estimation, and report, by using a reporting device, a result of the determination and operation assistance information for improving the result of the determination.