ENDOSCOPIC DEVICE, METHOD FOR VERIFYING AN IDENTITY OF A COMPONENT OF AN ENDOSCOPIC DEVICE, AND COMPUTER PROGRAM PRODUCT

Abstract

The invention relates to an endoscopic device, in particular medical or industrial endoscopic device, wherein the endoscopic device comprises, as components, a light source, an optical fiber, a camera, and an endoscope comprising an optical element or a plurality of optical elements, and at least one optical element comprises an optical marking for verifying an identity of the optical element and/or of the endoscope such that the optical marking can be detected by the camera for verifying the identity and/or a configuration of the endoscopic device. The invention furthermore relates to a method for verifying an identity of a component of an endoscopic device, and a computer program product for evaluating an image acquisition of an optical marking of an optical element and for identifying an endoscope of an endoscopic device.

Claims

1. An endoscopic device, in particular medical or industrial endoscopic device, wherein the endoscopic device comprises, as components, a light source, an optical fiber, a camera and an endoscope having an optical element or a plurality of optical elements, wherein at least one optical element comprises an optical marking for verifying an identity of the optical element and/or of the endoscope such that the optical marking can be detected by the camera for verifying the identity and/or a configuration of the endoscopic device.

2. The endoscopic device according to claim 1, wherein two optical elements, three optical elements and/or a plurality of optical elements each comprise one optical marking.

3. The endoscopic device according to claim 1, wherein the optical element and/or the optical elements is or are an eyepiece, a lens, in particular a rod lens and/or a cover glass.

4. The endoscopic device according to claim 1, wherein the camera comprises a zoom lens having an adjustment means for changing a focal length, such that it is possible to detect the optical marking or the optical markings in a region from a proximal end to a distal end of the endoscope, in each case in a defined marking zoom position, using the zoom lens.

5. The endoscopic device according to claim 4, wherein the zoom lens can be adjusted, using the adjustment means, such that, in an object zoom position for viewing an object to be examined, an image of the camera in the object zoom position is free of the optical marking or the optical markings.

6. The endoscopic device according to claim 1, wherein the optical marking and/or the optical markings is or are a line marking, a color marking, a QR code, a serial number and/or plain text.

7. The endoscopic device according to claim 1, wherein the optical marking is etched, engraved, lasered, printed and/or written in and/or on the optical element or the optical elements.

8. The endoscopic device according to claim 1, wherein the optical marking is arranged in the center, on the outer edge, and/or transversely over a surface of the optical element or the optical elements.

9. The endoscopic device according to claim 1, wherein the optical marking comprises a dye, in particular a UV and/or fluorescence dye.

10. The endoscopic device according to claim 1, wherein the endoscopic device is associated with an image and/or data processing means for evaluating and processing a recorded image and/or identifying the relevant optical marking of the optical element and/or the optical elements, or the endoscopic device comprises the image and/or data processing means.

11. A method for verifying an identity of a component of an endoscopic device, wherein the endoscopic device comprises, as components, a light source, an optical fiber, a camera and an endoscope comprising an optical element or a plurality of optical elements, said method comprising the following steps of: configuring the endoscopic device by arranging and/or connecting the light source, the optical fiber, the camera and the endoscope comprising an optical element or a plurality of optical elements, focusing the camera on at least one optical marking of one of the optical elements, recording an image of the at least one optical marking by means of the camera, analyzing the recorded image and identifying the at least one optical marking and/or the optical element of the endoscope, repeating the focusing, recording, analyzing and identifying of a further optical marking of a further optical element and/or outputting a result of the identification for a medical or industrial application of the configured endoscopic device.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein focusing the camera on an object to be examined, the optical marking or optical markings is or are not visible.

13. The method according to claim 11, wherein the focusing of the camera is carried out automatically upon connection with the endoscope or upon activation of the endoscope.

14. A computer program product for evaluating an image acquisition of an optical marking of an optical element and for identifying an endoscope of an endoscopic device, wherein the computer program product comprises commands which, upon execution of the computer program product by an image and/or data processing means, perform an identification of the optical marking in the image acquisition, an association of the identified optical marking with a particular optical element and/or with a particular endoscope, and thus an identification of the particular optical element and/or of the particular optical endoscope, and/or an output of a notification to the user of the endoscopic device.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0088] The invention will be described in more detail in the following with reference to embodiments in which:

[0089] FIG. 1 is a highly schematic view of an endoscopic device comprising a camera and an endoscope directed to a tissue;

[0090] FIG. 2 shows an image acquisition of the camera when looking through the endoscope, having in each case a sharply focused barcode, QR code and serial number, and an unfocussed view of the tissue;

[0091] FIG. 3 shows an image acquisition of the camera when looking through the endoscope, having a focus on the visible tissue free of the codes from FIG. 2;

[0092] FIG. 4 shows the method for verifying the configuration/identity; and

[0093] FIG. 5 is a three-dimensional view of the endoscopic device.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0094] An endoscopic device 101 comprises a camera 103 having a camera zoom 105, a light source 133 adjusted to the camera 103, and an endoscope 107 (FIGS. 1 and 5). The camera 103 and the camera zoom 105 is followed, in the distal direction, by an eyepiece 109 of the endoscope 107. In addition to the eyepiece 109, the endoscope 107 comprises an elongate shaft 111.

[0095] Together with the endoscope 107, an optical fiber 119 is guided in a supply tube 127 by means of an optical fiber connection, and the camera 103 is connected to an image and data processing means 135 via a video cable 129 (FIG. 5). The optical fiber 119 is connected to the light source 133 for feeding light into the optical fiber 119. In the interior, inside the shaft 111, the endoscope 107 comprises two rod lenses 113. The shaft 111 is closed at the distal end by means of a cover glass 115. The eyepiece 109 comprises a serial number 121 as the identification code. Furthermore, in the distal direction, at the distal side thereof, the first rod lens 113 comprises a barcode 123, and the cover glass 115 comprises a QR code 125 at the proximal side thereof. The endoscopic device 101 is already fully configured for the planned use for examining a tissue 130 (FIG. 1).

[0096] By means of the camera zoom 105 the camera is now focused on a first marking zoom position for detecting the serial number 121 of the eyepiece 109, the serial number 121 on the edge of the eyepiece 109 is detected, and the image data are evaluated, and the serial number 121 identified by means of the image and data processing means 135. Subsequently, the camera 103 focusses, by means of the camera zoom 105, on a second marking zoom position for detecting the barcode 123 at the distal side of the first rod lens 113. The correspondingly recorded image data as in the case of the serial number 121 are also evaluated and identified for the barcode 123. In the next step focusing on a third marking zoom position for detecting the QR code 125 on the proximal side of the cover glass 115 is carried out by means of the camera zoom 105. The evaluation and identification are performed in an equivalent manner for the QR code 125 (in this respect, it is noted that in FIG. 3 all three marking zoom positions, entered in succession, are shown together, with the corresponding image acquisition of the relevant code in the field of view 137, but are seen in succession by the user).

[0097] The identification of the serial number 121 of the eyepiece 109, the barcode 123 of the first rod lens 113, and the QR code 125 of the cover glass 115 reveals that the endoscope 107 is optimally suitable for the planned endoscopic intervention on the tissue 130, and is suitable for use together with the camera 103 and the light source 133. Thereupon, a user immediately begins the examination of the tissue 130, said user moving the distal end of the shaft 111 of the endoscope 107 towards the tissue 130. In this case, the tissue 130 is clearly visible for the user, without the serial number 121, the barcode 123, and the QR code 125 being visible in the image acquisition in the field of view 137 (see FIG. 3).

[0098] Consequently, a method for configuration/identity verifying 201 is provided, in which firstly a configuration 203 of the endoscopic device 101 for a planned, particular endoscopic use is carried out. Subsequently focusing 205 of the camera 103 by means of the camera zoom 105 is carried out, in the case of which, in a defined marking zoom position, an image acquisition 207 of an optical marking 121, 123 or 125 is performed using the camera 103. In the next step, the recorded image 209 is analyzed using an image and/or data processing means (step 209), and identification 211 of the optical marking takes place. In the case of further optical markings in the endoscopic device 101, there is a repetition 213 of steps 205 to 211, or the result of the identification 211 is output to the user (step 215). The output 215 to the user can take place in the form a warning signal, a display, and/or enabling or blocking of a function of the endoscopic device 101.

[0099] As a result, an endoscopic device 101 is provided in which the already configured endoscopic device 101 promptly directly verifies the identity of the endoscope 107, using the imaging camera 103, before the actually planned use, and, in the case of a positive identification, directly enables the endoscopic device 101 for the use that is now to be performed. Consequently, it is possible to identify the individual components of the endoscope 107, and thus the endoscope 107 itself, as well as to perform the specified examination of the tissue 130, using the same endoscopic device 101.

LIST OF REFERENCE CHARACTERS

[0100] 101 endoscopic device [0101] 103 camera [0102] 105 camera zoom [0103] 107 endoscope [0104] 109 eyepiece [0105] 111 shaft [0106] 113 rod lens [0107] 115 cover glass [0108] 119 optical fiber [0109] 121 serial number [0110] 123 barcode [0111] 125 QR code [0112] 127 supply tube [0113] 129 video cable [0114] 130 tissue [0115] 133 light source [0116] 135 image and data processing means [0117] 137 field of view [0118] 201 method for verifying the configuration/identity [0119] 203 configuring [0120] 205 focusing the camera [0121] 207 image acquisition of an optical marking [0122] 209 analyzing the image [0123] 211 identifying [0124] 213 repeating using a further optical marking [0125] 215 output to the user