Ito Takumi1, Hiroshi Kawahira2, Toshiya Nakaguchi2, Zenbutsu Satoki2, Nakashima Hirotaka3, Masahito Inoue4, Youichi Miyake2. 1Department of Medical System,Division of Artificial Systems Science,Graduate School of Engineering,Chiba Univesity, 2Center for Frontier Medical Engineering,Chiba University, 3Foundation for Detection of Early Gastric carcinoma, 4Department of Endoscopic Diagnostics and Therapeutics,Chiba University Hospital
INTRODUCTION: In the current endoscopic examination, there is an electronic endoscope system of FICE to improve the accuracy of diagnosis by an image processing. FICE selects wavelengths from the spectral image obtained by the spectral estimation processing and reconstructs the endoscopic image. It stressed such as a blood vessel image and pit · pattern by FICE, has enabled support for diagnosis. However, when the shade of the image is changed extremely, it would hinder the exact diagnosis. In this study, it is an object to establish a standard of wavelength combinations in consideration of the shade of the image.
METHOD: We conducted 5 stages of the subjective evaluation experiment that compares 100 sheets of FICE image created by random and normal with naked eyes. The subjects were 7 people, two MDs (one expert endoscopist and one gastrointestinal surgeon) and five non-health care volunteers (three males and two females in early twenties). About evaluating items, we defined "visibility" to evaluate the unnaturalness of the image and "diagnostic ability" to evaluate the diagnostic capability of the image. About analyzing item, we defined the color difference between background frame (organization of normal body) of the normal endoscopic image and the background frame of the FICE image as color difference of background. In addition, we defined the color difference between the target frame (blood vessels and lesions) of the normal endoscopic image and the background frame of the normal endoscopic image and the color difference between the target frame of the FICE image and the background frame of the FICE image as FICE image color difference over normal endoscopic image color difference (Fdond). We analyzed the relationship between subjective evaluation value, the background change color difference and Fdond, the wavelength combination.
RESULTS: There was some possibility to have a relationship among "Visibility", "diagnostic ability", the color difference, the wavelength combination. In addition, we had different results in the MDs and non- health care volunteers.
CONCLUSION: We speculated that the shade of the endoscopic image might affect the diagnosis. We increase the evaluator, such as MDs, and will consider a valid wavelength region in the future.