Medical endoscope device and medical observation system

Abstract

There is provided a medical endoscope device including: an encoding processing unit configured to compression-encode RAW image data of a medical captured image of an observation target captured by an imaging device that is inserted into a body of a patient and captures an image of an inside of the body; and a transmission unit configured to wirelessly transmit the compression-encoded RAW image data.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A medical imaging system, comprising:
 an imaging device including an image sensor configured to capture a medical image of an observation target and output RAW image data of the medical image;   circuitry configured to
 compression-encode the RAW image data of the medical image of the observation target captured by the imaging device, and 
 simultaneously transmit, using a transmitter, the compression-encoded RAW image data via a plurality of communication links; and 
   a receiving device including
 a receiver configured to receive the compression-encoded RAW image data transmitted from the transmitter via the plurality of communication links, and 
 a decoder configured to decode the compression-encoded RAW image data. 
   
     
     
         2 . The medical imaging system according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the plurality of communication links comprise at least one wireless communication link and at least one wired communication link.   
     
     
         3 . The medical imaging system according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the plurality of communication links comprise a plurality of wireless communication links.   
     
     
         4 . The medical imaging system according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the circuitry is configured to wirelessly transmit, using the transmitter, the compression-encoded RAW image data via the plurality of communication links simultaneously and at a plurality of different frequencies.   
     
     
         5 . The medical imaging system according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the circuitry is configured to compression-encode the RAW image data of the medical image of the observation target captured by the imaging device at a plurality of different compression ratios.   
     
     
         6 . The medical imaging system according to  claim 3 , wherein
 the circuitry is configured to change a way of compression-encoding the RAW image data based on a wireless transmission state.   
     
     
         7 . The medical imaging system according to  claim 6 , wherein
 the circuitry is configured to change the way of compression-encoding the RAW image data based on the wireless transmission state, by changing a compression ratio used to compression-encode the RAW image data to a compression ratio corresponding to the wireless transmission state.   
     
     
         8 . The medical imaging system according to  claim 6 , wherein
 the circuitry is configured to change the way of compression-encoding the RAW image data based on the wireless transmission state, by changing a predetermined unit used to compression-encode the RAW image data to a unit corresponding to the wireless transmission state.   
     
     
         9 . The medical imaging system according to  claim 6 , wherein
 the circuitry is configured to change the way of compression-encoding the RAW image data based on the wireless transmission state, by switching whether an error correction code is to be added in accordance with the wireless transmission state.   
     
     
         10 . The medical imaging system according to  claim 6 , wherein
 the circuitry is configured to change the way of compression-encoding the RAW image data based on the wireless transmission state, by referring to a table stored in a memory.   
     
     
         11 . The medical imaging system according to  claim 10 , wherein
 each of a plurality of wireless transmission states is associated with data indicating a way of compression-encoding in the table.   
     
     
         12 . The medical imaging system according to  claim 6 , wherein
 the circuitry is configured to specify the wireless transmission state, based on a result of bidirectional communication with the receiving device.   
     
     
         13 . The medical imaging system according to  claim 1 , wherein the circuitry is configured to compression-encode the RAW image data at a compression ratio corresponding to a state of electronic zoom of the imaging device. 
     
     
         14 . The medical imaging system according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the circuitry is configured to compression-encode each of first RAW image data of the medical image for a right eye and second RAW image data of the medical image for a left eye, and
 the transmitter transmits each of the compression-encoded first RAW image data and the compression-encoded second RAW image data. 
   
     
     
         15 . The medical imaging system according to  claim 14 , wherein
 the transmitter stops transmission of the compression-encoded first RAW image data or the compression-encoded second RAW image data based on a transmission state.   
     
     
         16 . The medical imaging system according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the circuitry is configured to compression-encode the RAW image data without performing a demosaic process.   
     
     
         17 . A medical imaging device, comprising:
 an imaging device including an image sensor configured to capture a medical image of an observation target and output RAW image data of the medical image; and   circuitry configured to
 compression-encode the RAW image data of the medical image of the observation target captured by the imaging device, and 
 simultaneously transmit, using a transmitter, the compression-encoded RAW image data via a plurality of communication links. 
   
     
     
         18 . The medical imaging device according to  claim 17 , wherein
 the plurality of communication links comprise at least one wireless communication link and at least one wired communication link.   
     
     
         19 . The medical imaging system according to  claim 17 , wherein
 the plurality of communication links comprise a plurality of wireless communication links.   
     
     
         20 . The medical imaging system according to  claim 17 , wherein
 the circuitry is configured to wirelessly transmit, using the transmitter, the compression-encoded RAW image data via the plurality of communication links simultaneously and at a plurality of different frequencies.   
     
     
         21 . The medical imaging system according to  claim 17 , wherein
 the circuitry is configured to compression-encode the RAW image data of the medical image of the observation target captured by the imaging device at a plurality of different compression ratios.   
     
     
         22 . The medical imaging system according to  claim 19 , wherein
 the circuitry is configured to change a way of compression-encoding the RAW image data based on a wireless transmission state.