Patent ID: 8257247
Filing Date: 2012-09-04
Classification: A61B

Abstract:
1. An endoscope insertion shape detecting device comprising: an insertion shape detection portion for detecting an insertion shape of an endoscope insertion portion provided with an image pickup portion at the distal end, which can pick up an image of a photographic subject existing inside a subject; an insertion shape image generation portion for generating an insertion shape figure of the endoscope insertion portion according to the insertion shape; a marking processing portion for carrying out a control to add a mark to a portion corresponding to the distal end of the insertion shape figure for output as a control for the insertion shape image generation portion when an instruction to obtain a still image according to the image of the photographic subject is detected in a first observation for the subject, wherein during the first observation, the insertion shape detection portion detects the shape of the endoscope insertion portion in a body cavity portion; a memory portion for storing information associated with subject information, which is information relating to the subject, the insertion shape figure, mark position information, which is information of a position to which the mark is added in the insertion shape figure in the first observation; and a position detection information output portion, the position detection information output portion comparing the position of the endoscope insertion portion in a second observation with the same subject with the position of the endoscope insertion portion in the first observation, and outputting position detection information indicating that the distal end portion in the second observation is reaching the location where the instruction is made in the first observation when the position detection information output portion detects during the second observation that information of the body cavity portion where time was required because of a difficulty for insertion of the endoscope insertion portion during the first observation stored in the memory portion, the position detection information output portion outputs position detection information indicating that the distal end portion is reaching the body cavity portion.