Endoscope position identifying apparatus, endoscope position identifying method, and recording medium having an endoscope position identifying program recorded therein
First Claim
1. An endoscope position identifying apparatus, comprising:
- a processor configured to;
sequentially obtain actual endoscope images that represent the inner walls of a lumen structure, generated by an endoscope which is inserted into the lumen structure having a plurality of branched structures within a subject by imaging the surface of the inner walls of the lumen structure by the endoscope;
generate a plurality of virtual endoscope images that represent the surface of the inner walls of the lumen structure from a three dimensional image that includes the lumen structure of the subject, the plurality of virtual endoscope images including a plurality of virtual endoscope branch images that represent the branched structures at the surface of the inner walls of the lumen structure for each of a plurality of viewpoint positions from which the plurality of branched structures are viewed;
determine a corresponding virtual endoscope image that corresponds to a branched structure of the surface of the inner walls of the lumen structure closest to a current position of the endoscope, through which the endoscope has passed, from the plurality of virtual endoscope branch images;
match a plurality of virtual endoscope path images generated from the three dimensional image, the plurality of virtual endoscope path images representing the surface of the inner walls of the lumen structure of each of a plurality of paths which are present at least in a direction of movement of the endoscope from a corresponding branch viewpoint position for which the corresponding virtual endoscope image was generated, for each of a plurality of viewpoint positions, and a plurality of actual endoscope path images that represent the inner walls of the lumen structure and that are obtained along a path from the branched structure through which the endoscope has passed to the current position of the endoscope by imaging the surface of the inner walls of the lumen structure by the endoscope, for each of a plurality of paths; and
identify a path of the current position of the endoscope from among the plurality of paths, based on results of matching, wherein the path of the current position of the endoscope is a path where a virtual endoscope path image having a maximum degree of the matching with the plurality of actual endoscope path images is obtained.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An image obtaining unit obtains actual endoscope images, and a virtual endoscope image generating unit generates virtual endoscope images including a plurality of virtual endoscope branch images. A corresponding virtual endoscope image determining unit obtains a plurality of actual endoscope images which were obtained within a predetermined amount of time before the endoscope reached its current position, compares the plurality of actual endoscope images and the plurality of virtual endoscope branch images, and determines a corresponding virtual endoscope image that corresponds to the branch structure closest to the current position of the endoscope, through which the endoscope has passed. A matching unit performs matching between each of a plurality of actual endoscope path images and a plurality of virtual endoscope path images for each of a plurality of paths. A position identifying unit identifies the current position of a leading end of the endoscope based on the results of matching.
14 Citations
12 Claims
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1. An endoscope position identifying apparatus, comprising:
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a processor configured to; sequentially obtain actual endoscope images that represent the inner walls of a lumen structure, generated by an endoscope which is inserted into the lumen structure having a plurality of branched structures within a subject by imaging the surface of the inner walls of the lumen structure by the endoscope; generate a plurality of virtual endoscope images that represent the surface of the inner walls of the lumen structure from a three dimensional image that includes the lumen structure of the subject, the plurality of virtual endoscope images including a plurality of virtual endoscope branch images that represent the branched structures at the surface of the inner walls of the lumen structure for each of a plurality of viewpoint positions from which the plurality of branched structures are viewed; determine a corresponding virtual endoscope image that corresponds to a branched structure of the surface of the inner walls of the lumen structure closest to a current position of the endoscope, through which the endoscope has passed, from the plurality of virtual endoscope branch images; match a plurality of virtual endoscope path images generated from the three dimensional image, the plurality of virtual endoscope path images representing the surface of the inner walls of the lumen structure of each of a plurality of paths which are present at least in a direction of movement of the endoscope from a corresponding branch viewpoint position for which the corresponding virtual endoscope image was generated, for each of a plurality of viewpoint positions, and a plurality of actual endoscope path images that represent the inner walls of the lumen structure and that are obtained along a path from the branched structure through which the endoscope has passed to the current position of the endoscope by imaging the surface of the inner walls of the lumen structure by the endoscope, for each of a plurality of paths; and identify a path of the current position of the endoscope from among the plurality of paths, based on results of matching, wherein the path of the current position of the endoscope is a path where a virtual endoscope path image having a maximum degree of the matching with the plurality of actual endoscope path images is obtained. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. An endoscope position identifying method, comprising:
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sequentially obtaining actual endoscope images that represent the inner walls of a lumen structure, generated by an endoscope which is inserted into a lumen structure having a plurality of branched structures within a subject by imaging the surface of the inner walls of the lumen structure by the endoscope; generating a plurality of virtual endoscope images that represent the surface of the inner walls of the lumen structure from a three dimensional image that includes the lumen structure of the subject, the plurality of virtual endoscope images including a plurality of virtual endoscope branch images that represent the branched structures at the surface of the inner walls of the lumen structure for each of a plurality of viewpoint positions from which the plurality of branched structures are viewed; determining a corresponding virtual endoscope image that corresponds to a branched structure of the surface of the inner walls of the lumen structure closest to the current position of the endoscope, through which the endoscope has passed, from the plurality of virtual endoscope branch images; matching a plurality of virtual endoscope path images generated from a three dimensional image, the plurality of virtual endoscope path images representing the surface of the inner walls of the lumen structure of each of a plurality of paths which are present at least in the direction of movement of the endoscope from a corresponding branch viewpoint position for which the corresponding virtual endoscope image was generated, for each of a plurality of viewpoint positions, and a plurality of actual endoscope path images that represent the inner walls of the lumen structure and that are obtained along a path from the branched structure through which the endoscope has passed to the current position of the endoscope by imaging the surface of the inner walls of the lumen structure by the endoscope, for each of a plurality of paths; and identifying a path of the current position of the endoscope from among the plurality of paths, based on the results of matching, wherein the path of the current position of the endoscope is a path where a virtual endoscope path image having a maximum degree of the matching with the plurality of actual endoscope path images is obtained.
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12. A non transitory recording medium having an endoscope position identifying program recorded therein, the program causing a computer to execute the procedures of:
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sequentially obtaining actual endoscope images that represent the inner walls of a lumen structure, generated by an endoscope which is inserted into a lumen structure having a plurality of branched structures within a subject by imaging the surface of the inner walls of the lumen structure by the endoscope; generating a plurality of virtual endoscope images that represent the surface of the inner walls of the lumen structure from a three dimensional image that includes the lumen structure of the subject, the plurality of virtual endoscope images including a plurality of virtual endoscope branch images that represent the branched structures at the surface of the inner walls of the lumen structure for each of a plurality of viewpoint positions from which the plurality of branched structures are viewed; determining a corresponding virtual endoscope image that corresponds to a branched structure of the surface of the inner walls of the lumen structure closest to the current position of the endoscope, through which the endoscope has passed, from the plurality of virtual endoscope branch images; matching a plurality of virtual endoscope path images generated from a three dimensional image, the plurality of virtual endoscope path images representing the surface of the inner walls of the lumen structure of each of a plurality of paths which are present at least in the direction of movement of the endoscope from a corresponding branch viewpoint position for which the corresponding virtual endoscope image was generated, for each of a plurality of viewpoint positions, and a plurality of actual endoscope path images that represent the inner walls of the lumen structure and that are obtained along a path from the branched structure through which the endoscope has passed to the current position of the endoscope by imaging the surface of the inner walls of the lumen structure by the endoscope, for each of a plurality of paths; and identifying a path of the current position of the endoscope from among the plurality of paths, based on the results of matching, wherein the path of the current position of the endoscope is a path where a virtual endoscope path image having a maximum degree of the matching with the plurality of actual endoscope path images is obtained.
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Specification