Image processing apparatus, image processing method, navigation method and endoscope system

1 . An image processing apparatus comprising:

a processor including hardware, the processor being configured to:

set a first acquisition condition and a second acquisition condition for a video processor configured to acquire:

a first image that is based on a display-purpose acquisition condition for acquiring an image for display at a frame rate for viewing; and

a second image that is based on an analysis-purpose acquisition condition for acquiring an image for image analysis at a frame rate that is lower than the frame rate for viewing, in a mixed manner, the first acquisition condition including the display-purpose acquisition condition, the second acquisition condition including the display-purpose acquisition condition and the analysis-purpose acquisition condition;

obtain an image analysis result by performing image analysis of one or more of the first image and the second image acquired by the video processor, the image analysis result including blood vessel information relating to blood vessels located in a mucosal deep layer and submucosa;

generate support information based on the image analysis result; and

control switching between the first acquisition condition and the second acquisition condition according to the image analysis result.

2 . An image processing method comprising:

setting a first acquisition condition and a second acquisition condition for a video processor configured to acquire a first image that is based on a display-purpose acquisition condition for acquiring an image for display at a frame rate for viewing and a second image that is based on an analysis-purpose acquisition condition for acquiring an image for image analysis at a frame rate that is lower than the frame rate for viewing, in a mixed manner, the first acquisition condition including the display-purpose acquisition condition, the second acquisition condition including the display-purpose acquisition condition and the analysis-purpose acquisition condition;

obtaining an image analysis result by performing image analysis of an image acquired by the video processor, the image analysis result including blood vessel information relating to blood vessels located in a mucosal deep layer and submucosa, wherein the display-purpose acquisition condition includes information that enables acquiring the image for display at a rate that is equal to or higher than a predetermined frame rate;

generating support information based on the image analysis result; and

controlling switching between the first acquisition condition and the second acquisition condition according to the image analysis result.

3 . An image processing apparatus comprising:

one or more processors, each comprising hardware, the one or more processors being configured to set first, second and third acquisition conditions for a video processor configured to:

acquire a first image based on acquisition conditions for display at a frame rate according to the acquisition conditions for display for acquiring an image suitable for display; and

acquire a combination of the first image and a second image or a third image based on acquisition conditions for analysis for acquiring an image suitable for image analysis at a frame rate lower than the frame rate according to the acquisition conditions for display, wherein the one or more processors are configured to set:

the first acquisition conditions including the above-mentioned acquisition conditions for display;

the second acquisition conditions including the above-mentioned acquisition conditions for display and acquisition conditions for analysis; and

the third acquisition conditions including the above-mentioned acquisition conditions for display and acquisition conditions for analysis in which a wavelength of illumination light is different from that of the above-mentioned second acquisition conditions;

an image analysis device configured to perform image analysis on each of the first to third images acquired by the video processor, to obtain image analysis results including blood vessel information relating to blood vessels located in a mucosal deep layer and submucosa;

a support information generation device configured to generate support information based on the image analysis results of the image analysis device; and

the one or more processors are further configured to switch from the first acquisition condition to the second acquisition condition based on the image analysis results and to further switch from the second acquisition condition to the third acquisition condition.

4 . The image processing apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the video processor is configured to set at least one parameter from among a first parameter for control of at least one of an optical system or an image pickup device of an image pickup apparatus, a second parameter for control of illuminating light for a target of image pickup by the image pickup apparatus and a third parameter for signal processing of the first and second images, based on at least one of the display-purpose acquisition condition or the analysis-purpose acquisition condition.

5 . The image processing apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the display-purpose acquisition condition includes information that enables acquiring the image for display at a rate that is equal to or higher than a predetermined frame rate.

6 . The image processing apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the analysis-purpose acquisition condition includes information that enables limiting the wavelength band of the illuminating light to a predetermined band.

7 . The image processing apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein: the display-purpose acquisition condition includes information for making the video processor perform signal processing for display, for one or more of the first image and the second image; and

the analysis-purpose acquisition condition includes information for preventing the video processor from performing signal processing for display.

8 . The image processing apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein:

the first and second acquisition conditions are prescribed conditions; and

the third acquisition condition is a condition that adaptively changes.

9 . The image processing apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to determine the third acquisition condition based on a comparison between a value included in the image analysis result and a predetermined reference value.

10 . The image processing apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to determine the third acquisition condition based on a comparison between the image analysis result of an image acquired based on the first acquisition condition and the image analysis result of an image acquired based on the second acquisition condition.

11 . An endoscope system comprising:

an endoscope comprising an illumination apparatus and an image pickup apparatus; and the image processing apparatus of claim 3 .

12 . The image processing apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein, under the display-purpose acquisition condition, the frame rate is at least 30 frames per second, and under the analysis-purpose acquisition condition, the frame rate is at least 1 frame per second.

13 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a program for image processing, the program being configured to cause a computer to execute:

setting a first acquisition condition and a second acquisition condition for a video processor configured to acquire a first image that is based on a display-purpose acquisition condition for acquiring an image for display at a frame rate for viewing and a second image that is based on an analysis-purpose acquisition condition for acquiring an image for image analysis at a frame rate that is lower than the frame rate for viewing, in a mixed manner, the first acquisition condition including the display-purpose acquisition condition, the second acquisition condition including the display-purpose acquisition condition and the analysis-purpose acquisition condition;

obtaining an image analysis result by performing image analysis of an image acquired by the video processor, the image analysis result including blood vessel information relating to blood vessels located in a mucosal deep layer and submucosa, wherein the display-purpose acquisition condition includes information that enables acquiring the image for display at a rate that is equal to or higher than a predetermined frame rate;

generating support information based on the image analysis result; and

controlling switching between the first acquisition condition and the second acquisition condition according to the image analysis result.