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Endoscope position identifying apparatus, endoscope position identifying method, and recording medium having an endoscope position identifying program recorded therein

  • US 10,561,338 B2
  • Filed: 09/14/2016
  • Issued: 02/18/2020
  • Est. Priority Date: 09/16/2015
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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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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