Examined body interior information observing apparatus by using photo-pulses controlling gains for depths

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. An examined body interior information observing apparatus comprising:

a photo-pulse generating means for generating light energy in the form of photo-pulses for observing the interior of an examined body;

a time-analytical reflected light detecting means for time-analytically measuring in response to a depth from a surface of the examined body light energy emitted from said photo-pulse generating means and reflected within said examined body to produce an output signal; and

a detection sensitivity varying means for varying detection sensitivity so that a level of at least the output signal of said time-analytical reflected light detecting means may vary in response to said light energy reflected from different depths within said examined body.

2. An examined body interior information observing apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said detection sensitivity varying means inputs into said time-analytical reflected light detecting means a detection sensitivity controlling signal for controlling the detection sensitivity of said time-analytical reflected light detecting means.

3. An examined body interior information observing apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising an objective optical system for radiating/condensing said photo-pulses from said photo-pulse generating means to said examined body and said detection sensitivity varying means varies a focus position of said objection optical system in response to said light energy reflected from the depth of said examined body.

4. An examined body interior information observing apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said time-analytical reflected light detecting means has a beam splitting means for branching said photo-pulses emitted from said photo-pulse generating means into two pluses consisting of a first photo-pulse proceeding to said examined body surface and a second photo-pulse used as a reference, a delaying means for delaying said second photo-pulse branched by said beam splitting means and a photo-mixing means for photo-mixing a reflected light energy of said first photo-pulse reflected on a side of said examined body and returning said second photo-pulse delayed by said delaying means and substantially extracting only a reflected component of said first photo-pulse which is synchronized by said time-analytical reflected light detecting means with an input minute time of said second photo-pulse to produce a photo-mixed output light.

5. An examined body interior information observing apparatus according to claim 4 wherein said time-analytical reflected light detecting means has a photoelectrically converting and amplifying means for outputting the output light of said photo-mixing means as an amplified electric signal.

6. An examined body interior information observing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said detection sensitivity varying means outputs a detection sensitivity controlling signal for controlling the level of the output signal of said photoelectrically converting and amplifying means in response to the above mentioned depth.

7. An examined body interior information observing apparatus according to claim 5 wherein said detection sensitivity varying means applies to said photoelectrically converting and amplifying means a detection sensitivity controlling signal which exponentially increases the detection sensitivity of said photoelectrically converting and amplifying means with said depth.

8. An examined body interior information observing apparatus according to claim 5 wherein said photoelectrically converting and amplifying means is a photo-multiplier tube and said detection sensitivity varying means applies a controlling signal controlling a photo-multiplying rate of said photo-multiplier tube.

9. An examined body interior information observing apparatus according to claim 5 wherein said photo-mixing means has a neutral density filter arranged in front of said photoelectrically converting and amplifying means and having a transmittivity distributed in a peripheral direction and motor for rotating and driving said neutral density filter in the peripheral direction and said detection sensitivity varying means controls a rotation of said motor in response to said depth.

10. An examined body interior information observing apparatus according to claim 4 wherein said photo-mixing means has a transmitting filter for selectively transmitting a predetermined wavelength range component in the photo-mixed output light.

11. An examined body interior information observing apparatus according to claim 10 wherein said photo-mixing means has a photoelectrically converting and amplifying means outputting as an electric signal said output light passed through said filter.

12. An examined body interior information observing apparatus according to claim 4 wherein said delaying means includes a mirror oriented to be opposed to said beam splitting means for delaying said second photo-pulse from entering a side of said photo-mixing means for a time corresponding to the distance from said beam splitting means to said mirror in said delaying means.

13. An examined body interior information observing apparatus according to claim 12 wherein said delaying means has an adjusting means for varying the distance between said mirror and said beam splitting means.

14. An examined body interior information observing apparatus according to claim 4 wherein said photo-mixing means includes a non-linear optical device having a non-linear input and output characteristic for entering light energy.

15. An examined body interior information observing apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said time-analytical reflected light detecting means has a beam splitting means for branching each said photo-pulse emitted from said photo-pulse generating means into two photo-pulses consisting of a first photo-pulse proceeding to said examined body surface and a second photo-pulse, a delaying means for delaying said second photo-pulse branched by said beam splitting means and a shutter means for selectively extracting a reflected light component of said first photo-pulse synchronized by said time-analytical reflected light detecting means with the timing of a reference signal corresponding to a reflected light of said first photo-pulse reflected from a side of said examined body and said second photo-pulse delayed by said delaying means with said reference signal.

16. An examined body interior information observing apparatus according to claim 15 wherein said time-analytical reflected light extracting means has a streak camera which the light having passed through said shutter means enters.

17. An examined body interior information observing apparatus according to claim 16 wherein detection sensitivity of said streak camera is controlled by said detection sensitivity varying means.

18. An examined body interior information observing apparatus according to claim 15 wherein said shutter means includes an optical shutter and a controlling apparatus controlling said optical shutter, said optical shutter being optically opened and closed by the application of a controlling signal output from said controlling apparatus, said controlling signal corresponding to an input of said reference signal to said controlling apparatus.

19. An examined body interior information observing apparatus according to claim 15 wherein said delaying means includes a photoelectric converting means for photoelectrically converting said second photo-pulse branched by said beam splitting means and an electric delaying device for delaying an output signal of said photoelectric converting means.

20. An examined body interior information observing apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising a scanning means for two-dimensionally scanning said photo-pulses radiated to said examined body.

21. An examined body interior information observing apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising a signal processing means processing the output signal of said time-analytical reflected light detecting means to produce a video signal.

22. An examined body interior information observing apparatus according to claim 21 further comprising a monitor means for displaying said video signal output from said signal processing means.

23. An examined body interior information observing apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said photo-pulse generating means includes a solid state laser emitting a laser light having a short pulse width.

24. An examined body interior information observing apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said photo-pulse generating means includes a solid state laser emitting a laser light having a short pulse width and a dye laser photo-excited by the laser light emitted from said solid state laser for emitting a laser light having a wide wavelength bandwidth.

25. An examined body interior information observing apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising at least one observing optical system for forming an optical image of said examined body.

26. An examined body interior information observing apparatus according to claim 25 further comprising a microscope having two said observing optical systems.

27. An examined body interior information observing apparatus according to claim 25 wherein said at least one observing optical system includes a relay lens system.

28. An examined body interior information observing apparatus according to claim 25 further comprising an illuminating optical system for illuminating said examined body with an illuminating light having a wavelength in a visible range.

29. An examined body interior information observing apparatus according to claim 28, further comprising an elongate insertable section, wherein said observing optical system and said illuminating optical system are provided at a tip of said elongate insertable section.

30. An examined body interior information observing apparatus according to claim 28, further comprising an endoscope wherein said observing optical system and said illuminating optical system are provided at a tip of an elongate insertable section of the endoscope.

31. An examined body interior information observing apparatus according to claim 30 wherein the thickness of said insertable part is small enough to be insertable into a blood vessel.

32. An examined body interior information observing apparatus according to claim 30 wherein said endoscope includes a channel, said photo-pulse generating means includes an elongate light guide for leading said photo-pulses emitted from said photo-pulse generating means, wherein said light guide is inserted through said channel and said photo-pulses radiated to a first end surface of said light guide are emitted to a side of said examined body from a second end surface of said light guide.

33. An examined body interior information observing apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said photo-pulse generating means includes an elongate light guide means for leading said photo-pulses emitted from said photo-pulse generating means to a first end surface of said light guide and emanating said photo-pulse from a second end surface of said light guide to said examined body.

34. An examined body interior information observing apparatus according to claim 33 wherein said light guide is formed of a fiber bundle in which respective optical fibers are cylindrically arranged and the photo-pulses are emitted in a radial direction of said cylinder from said second end surface and said photo-pulse generating means has a scanning means for successively radiating said photo-pulses to said first end surface of each said optical fiber.

35. An examined body interior information observing apparatus according to claim 34 wherein said light guide includes a single fiber bundle and has a driving means for two-dimensionally driving said second end surface of said single fiber bundle and two-dimensionally scanning the radiation position of said photo-pulses radiated to said examined body.

36. An examined body interior information observing apparatus according to claim 35 further comprising a signal processing means for processing the output signal of said time-analytical reflected light detecting means in the respective states driven by said driving means to produce a two-dimensional cross-sectioned image.

37. An examined body interior information observing apparatus according to claim 34 further comprising a signal processing means for processing the output signal of said time-analytical reflected light detecting means in the respective states scanned by said scanning means to produce a two-dimensional cross-sectioned image.

38. An examined body interior information observing apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said photo-pulse generating means includes an expanding means for expanding said photo-pulses emitted from said photo-pulse generating means and an optical fiber bundle transmitting the photo-pulses expanded by said expanding means and entering a first end surface of said fiber bundle, emitting the same to said examined body side from a second end surface of said fiber bundle, receiving on said second end surface the light reflected by said examined body and emitting the same to said time-analytical reflected light detecting means from said first end surface.

39. An examined body interior information observing apparatus according to claim 38 wherein said time-analytical reflected light detecting means includes an imaging device for receiving reflected light emitted through each optical fiber from said first end surface of said fiber bundle and converting the same to an electric signal.

40. An examined body interior information observing apparatus according to claim 39 further comprising a signal processing means for processing said electric signal output from said imaging device to produce a video signal corresponding to a cross-sectioned image of said interior of said examined body.

41. An examined body interior information observing apparatus according to claim 40 further comprising a monitor means for displaying said video signal.

42. An examined body interior information observing apparatus according to claim 39 wherein said time-analytical reflected light detecting means includes a reference pulse generating timing producing means for delaying said photo-pulses for a time corresponding to a light path length in which said photo-pulses emitted from said photo-pulse generating means and reflected at any depth in said examined body return to produce a reference pulse corresponding to said depth and a reflected light extracting means for extracting only a reflected light component substantially synchronized by said time-analytical reflected light detecting means with a time when said reference pulse in the light reflected by said examined body is output.

43. An examined body interior information observing apparatus according to claim 42 wherein said reference pulse generating timing producing means includes a signal processing means for processing said electric signal output from said imaging device when a output timing of said reference pulse is varied to produce a video signal corresponding to a three-dimensional cross-sectioned image.

44. An examined body interior information observing apparatus according to claims 38 or 39 further comprising a photo-shutter for controlling the passage/interception of the reflected light emitted from said first end surface of said optical fiber bundle.

45. An examined body interior information observing apparatus according to claim 38 wherein said time-analytical reflected light detecting means has a reference pulse generating timing producing means for delaying said photo-pulses for a time corresponding to a light path length in which said photo-pulses emitted from said photo-pulse generating means and reflected at any depth in said examined body return to produce a reference pulse corresponding to said depth and a reflected light extracting means for extracting only a reflected light component substantially synchronized by said time-analytical reflected light detecting means with a time when said reference pulse in the light reflected by said examined body is output.

46. An examined body interior information observing apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising a light transmitting means for radiating to said examined body said photo-pulses emitted from said photo-pulse generating means, and for leading light energy reflected by said examined body to said time-analytical reflected light detecting means, wherein said light transmitting means comprises an optical system divided into a means for memorizing only a reflected information signal corresponding to the reflected light energy reaching a surface of said optical system detected by said time-analytical reflected light detecting means, and an operating means for removing the reflected information signal memorized by said memorizing means from all information signals corresponding to all reflected light energy, including the light energy from said light transmitting means detected by said time-analytical reflected light detecting means and the returning light energy from an observed part of said examined body and producing the reflected information signal corresponding to a reflected light energy component actually reflected by said examined body.

47. An examined body interior information observing apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said photo-pulse generating means includes a solid state laser emitting a laser light having a short pulse width and a titanium sapphire laser photo-excited by the laser light emitted from said solid state laser for emitting a laser light having a wide wavelength bandwidth.

48. An examined body interior information observing apparatus comprising:

a photo-pulse generating means for generating light energy in the form of photo-pulses for observing the interior of an examined body;

a detecting timing setting means for delaying said photo-pulses generated by said photo-pulse generating means and producing a reference signal;

a time-analytical reflected light energy detecting means for time-analytically detecting the light energy reflected within said examined body; and

a detection sensitivity/detecting level varying means for varying a detection sensitivity/detecting level so that a level of at least an output signal of said time-analytical reflected light energy detecting means may vary.

49. An examined body interior information observing apparatus according to claim 48 wherein said detecting sensitivity/detecting level varying means includes means for variably-controlling said photo-pulse generating means.

50. An examined body interior information observing apparatus according to claim 48 wherein said detection sensitivity/detecting level varying means inputs into said time-analytical reflected light detecting means a detection sensitivity controlling signal for controlling a detection sensitivity of said time-analytical reflected light detecting means.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to an examined body interior information observing apparatus high in sensitivity and favorable in S/N by using photo-pulses for obtaining information of an examined body interior.

2. Description of Related Art

Recently, the importance of vein contrasting has increased along with the increase of circulatory system and brain vein system diseases and the prevalence of the utilization of images in the diagnosis. However, although the vein contrasting has become comparatively easy with the progress of digital radiography, in case it is applied to a human body, the danger and the pain of the examinee should not be neglected.

The information within an examined body such as a living body has been non-invasively measured mostly by X-rays without contact. However, regarding the use of X-rays, there are known problems regarding the influence of radioactive rays and the difficulty of imaging the living body functions. There are also problems in that the apparatus of the NMR-CT method is large and costly and the perspective obtained by ultrasonic waves is low in spatial resolution.

Now, it is known that a hemoglobin (Hb) in blood shows a peculiar spectral variation in response to the oxygenizing degree against the light in the near infrared ray region. By utilizing this feature, as shown, for example, in the article "Living Body Measurement by Using Light" mentioned in the magazine "O plus E", May 1987 to March 1988, the research relating to such non-invasive measurement of living body interior information, such as the blood oxygen saturated degree measurement, are being actively made. It is also shown in the article "Basic Investigation Relating to Visualizing Veins within Living Bodies by Near Infrared Rays" in the Technical Research Report of Electronic Information Communication Society that the hemoglobin (Hb) in blood is so high in the degree of extinction in the infrared ray region than living body tissue as to be able to detect the vein in the tissue as an image by using light.

Aside from the above-mentioned method of observing the interior of a living body from outside the body by using a transmitted light, as shown in the publication of Japanese Patent Application Laid Open No. 85417/1988 and in the article "Femtosecond Optical Ranging in Biological System" in the Optics Letters, Vol. 11, No. 3, 1986, pp. 150 to 152, the interior can be measured also by reflected light. Therein, a light of a pulse width so short as to be of a half value width of several hundred femto- to several pico-second is radiated from a light source to an examined body and the variation over time of the intensity of the reflected light is measured to observe the interior of a living body. In other words, as the lapse of time until the light reflected from a structure at a certain depth from the surface of the living body returns corresponds to the depth, the state of the blood distribution and structure of the living body interior tissue can be measured.

However, it is disclosed in the article "Application of the 1-D diffusion approximation to the optics of tissues and tissue phantoms" in the Appl. Opt., Vol. 28, 1989, pp 2311 to 2317 that near infrared light rays are higher in transmittivity than visible light rays, but the intensity of the transmitted light will attenuate by about 1 to 2 figures even in case the transmitted light passes through a thickness of 1 cm of a muscular tissue, for example, within a living body. In other words, in the above-described method of detecting the reflected light, the deeper in the living body, the lower the intensity of the reflected light due to the absorption and dispersion by the living body tissue and the detected reflected light intensity will no longer correspond to the actual light intensity from the deep part. Also, light intensity from the deeper part will be so low that, with an ordinary detector, the sensitivity will be low and the S/N will be severely attenuated. In such case, it will be considered easy to increase the sensitivity of the detector to detect a feeble signal from the deeper area. However, the strong reflected light from the part near the surface will be simultaneously detected, therefore the signals will be saturated over the allowable detectable range of the detector and, in the worst case, the detector wills seize.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An object of the present invention is to provide an examined body interior information observing apparatus whereby internal information high in precision and favorable in S/N can be detected without being influenced by the light intensity with the. depth of the examined body in the case of detecting the reflected light from deep within such examined body as a living body.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an examined body interior information observing apparatus whereby a measurement at a high sensitivity can be made without seizure of the detector in the case of detecting the reflected light from deep within such examined body.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an examined body interior information observing apparatus whereby cross-sectioned images of the interior of such examined body can be obtained.

An examined body interior information observing apparatus, according to the present invention, comprises a photo-pulse radiating means for radiating photo-pulses for observing the interior of an examined body, a time-analytical detecting means for time-analytically measuring the reflected light radiated by the above-mentioned photo-pulse radiating means and reflected within the examined body in response to the depth of the examined body and at least one of a variable sensitivity means for making variable the detection sensitivity of the above-mentioned time-analytical detecting means in response to the depth of the examined body and a variable positioning means for making variable the position of the lens system so that the reflected light from the observing position may be used to indicate the depth of the observing position of the examined body.

In this formation, whenever the light radiated by the photo-pulse radiating means is reflected within the examined body and this reflected light is detected by the time-analytical detecting means, by using at least one of the variable sensitivity means for making variable the detection sensitivity of the above-mentioned time-analytical detecting means in response to the depth of the examined body, and the variable positioning means for making variable the position of the lens system so that the reflected light from the observing position may be used to indicate the depth of the observing position of the examined body, and internal information of the examined body having a favorable S/N will be able to be detected without being influenced by the light intensity varying with the depth.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIGS. 1 to 4 relate to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 1 is a formation diagram showing the schematic formation of an examined body interior information observing apparatus.

FIG. 2 shows explanatory diagrams showing characteristics by the signal processing of an examined body interior information observing apparatus.

FIG. 3 shows characteristics diagrams showing the sensitivity of a time-analytically measuring apparatus.

FIG. 4 is a concrete formation diagram of the examined body interior information observing apparatus in FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a formation diagram showing a modification of the first embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a formation diagram relating to the second embodiment of the present invention.

FIGS. 7 to 11 relate to the third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a formation diagram showing the scheme of an examined body interior information observing apparatus varying the lens position.

FIG. 8 is an explanatory view showing the measuring principle of the examined body interior information observing apparatus in FIG. 7.

FIG. 9 is a concrete formation diagram of the examined body interior information observing apparatus in FIG. 7.

FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram relating to a dispersed light suppressing means.

FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram relating to a dispersed light suppressing means different from than in FIG. 10.

FIGS. 12 to 15 relate to the fourth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 12 is an explanatory diagram showing the formation of an operation observing system.

FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing the formation of an optical cross-sectioned image observing apparatus.

FIG. 14 is an explanatory view showing a displayed example of a monitor.

FIG. 15 shows waveform diagrams for explaining the operation of an optical cross-sectioned image observing apparatus.

FIGS. 16 and 17 relate to the fifth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 16 is an explanatory view showing the formation of an operation observing system.

FIG. 17 is an explanatory view showing the formation of a rubber scope.

FIGS. 18 to 20 show the sixth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 18 is a formation diagram of a cross-sectioned image observing photo-scanning apparatus.

FIG. 19 is an explanatory view showing an arrangement of optical fibers.

FIG. 20 is an explanatory view showing a tip form of optical fibers.

FIGS. 21 and 22 show a modification of the sixth embodiment.

FIG. 21 is an explanatory view showing a tip form of optical fibers.

FIG. 22 is a formation diagram of a cross-sectioned image observing photo-scanning apparatus.

FIGS. 23 to 27 relate to the seventh embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 23 is an explanatory diagram showing the formation of an optical cross-sectioned vein endoscope apparatus.

FIG. 24 is an explanatory diagram showing a scanning driving apparatus.

FIG. 25 is an explanatory diagram showing the formation of an optical cross-sectioned vein endoscope apparatus as being used.

FIG. 26 is an explanatory diagram showing a scanning method for photographing optical cross-sections.

FIG. 27a is a waveform diagram showing an incident photo-pulse.

FIG. 27b is a waveform diagram showing time-analyzed waveforms of a reflected light intensity.

FIG. 27c is an explanatory view showing a cross-section displaying example.

FIG. 27d is an explanatory view showing a three-dimensional displaying example.

FIGS. 28 to 30 relate to the eighth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 28 is an explanatory diagram showing the formation of an optical cross-sectioned vein endoscope apparatus.

FIG. 29 is a cross-sectioned view of a tip part of a probe.

FIG. 30 is a characteristics diagram showing the characteristics of the respective filters of an optical cross-sectioned vein endoscope apparatus.

FIG. 31 is an explanatory diagram showing the formation of an essential part of the optical cross-sectioned vein endoscope apparatus of the ninth embodiment of the present invention.

FIGS. 32 to 42 relate to the tenth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 32 is a system formation diagram of an optical three-dimensional image observing apparatus.

FIG. 33 is an explanatory view showing an observing example within a body cavity with an optical three-dimensional image observing apparatus.

FIG. 34 is an explanatory view showing the relation between the time of the reflected light and the depth of the tissue.

FIG. 35 is an explanatory diagram showing a time-analyzed waveform of a reflected light intensity.

FIG. 36 is a time chart showing a light switching controlling timing.

FIG. 37 is an explanatory diagram showing measurement results.

FIG. 38 is an explanatory view showing the formation of an endoscope tip for suppressing dispersed lights.

FIG. 39 is an explanatory diagram of a light switching operation by a non-linear optical device.

FIG. 40 is an explanatory view showing an optical fiber bundle for widening the observing region angle.

FIG. 41 is an explanatory view showing a lens array for widening the observing region angle.

FIG. 42 is an elevation of the lens array.

FIGS. 43 and 44 relate to the 12th embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 43 is an explanatory diagram showing the formation of a rigid electronic endoscope apparatus.

FIG. 44 is an output waveform diagram of a detecting means.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

As shown in FIG. 1, an examined body interior information observing apparatus 1 of the first embodiment comprises a photo-pulse generating apparatus 3 for radiating photo-pulses P1 of about several hundred femto to several picoseconds to an examined body which is, for example, a living body, a beam splitter 4 arranged on the optical axis of the photo-pulse generating apparatus 3, a time-analytical measuring apparatus 5 wherein the reflected light from the examined body 2 reflected in the direction at right angles with the above-mentioned optical axis by the beam splitter 4 is time-analyzed and detected and this time analyzed and detected signal is output, a controlling apparatus 6 as a variable sensitivity means for making variable the detection sensitivity of the time-analytical measuring apparatus 5 and a signal processing apparatus 7 for converting the output signal of the time-analytical measuring apparatus 5 to an image signal of the examined body interior information. A monitor 8 displays the internal information of the examined body 2 by the image signal of the above-mentioned signal processing apparatus 7.

The operation of the examined body interior information observing apparatus 1 shall be explained with reference to FIG. 2. (In FIGS. 2a to 2c, the a