Medical signal processing apparatus and medical observation system

Abstract

A medical signal processing apparatus processes image signals input from an imaging device. The image signals corresponds to a result of examining a subject, and the imaging device sequentially outputs the image signals from multiple pixels arrayed in a matrix according to a raster to the medical signal processing apparatus. The medical image signal processing apparatus includes: a signal divider configured to divide the image signals according to the raster sequentially output from the imaging device into first divided image signals each according to a pixel group consisting of multiple pixels arrayed in connected multiple columns; and a plurality of pre-processors configured to process, in parallel, sets of pixel information of the multiple first divided image signals divided by the signal divider.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A medical signal processing apparatus for processing image signals input from an imaging device, the image signals corresponding to a result of examining a subject, and the imaging device sequentially outputting the image signals from multiple pixels arrayed in a matrix according to a raster to the medical signal processing apparatus, the medical image signal processing apparatus comprising:
 a signal divider configured to divide the image signals according to the raster sequentially output from the imaging device into first divided image signals each according to a pixel group consisting of multiple pixels arrayed in connected multiple columns; and   a plurality of pre-processors configured to process, in parallel, sets of pixel information of the multiple first divided image signals divided by the signal divider.   
     
     
         2 . The medical signal processing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the pre-processors are configured to execute, in parallel, sets of detection processing for controlling the imaging device based on the sets of pixel information of the multiple first divided image signals. 
     
     
         3 . The medical signal processing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the pre-processors are configured to execute, in parallel, sets of detection processing for calculating operation parameters used in image processing performed on the image signals based on the sets of pixel information of the multiple first divided image signals. 
     
     
         4 . The medical signal processing apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a memory configured to sequentially store the image signals; and   a plurality of post-processors configured to read, from the memory, multiple second divided image signals corresponding to respective different multiple areas in a whole image area of the image signals corresponding to one frame and execute, in parallel, image processing on the multiple second divided image signals.   
     
     
         5 . The medical signal processing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the imaging device is configured to capture an image containing a subject image loaded by an endoscope,   the signal divider is configured to divide the image signals from multiple pixels corresponding to two unnecessary areas excluding the subject image in the captured image into two of the multiple first divided image signals, and   the pre-processors are configured to remove the two first divided image signals from the multiple pixels corresponding to the two unnecessary areas among the multiple first divided signals and process, in parallel, the sets of pixel information of the multiple first divided image signals excluding the two first divided image signals.   
     
     
         6 . A medical observation system comprising:
 an imaging device configured to image a subject and sequentially output image signals from multiple pixels arrayed in a matrix according to a raster; and   the medical signal processing apparatus according to  claim 1  configured to process the image signals according to the raster that are sequentially output from the imaging device.