System and method for displaying an image stream

• US 20030151661A1
• Filed: 02/12/2003
• Published: 08/14/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Given Imaging Limited (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Given Imaging Limited (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Davidson, Tal, Schreiber, Reuven
• Granted Patent: US 7,505,062 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/65
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00045 Display arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0005 combining images e.g. side-by-side, superimposed or tiled
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/041 Capsule endoscopes for imaging

Abstract

A system and method may display an image stream, where an original image stream may be divided into two or more subset images streams, each subset image stream being displayed simultaneously or substantially simultaneously. The images may be collected from an ingestible capsule traversing the GI tract.

Claims

1. A method for displaying an image stream, the method comprising:

displaying an original image stream as a plurality of subset image streams, at least one of the plurality of the subset image streams including at least a portion of the original image stream.

2. The method according to claim 1 comprising the step of displaying the plurality of subset image streams substantially simultaneously.

3. The method according to claim 1 wherein each of the plurality of subset image streams includes at least a portion of the original image stream.

4. The method according to claim 1 comprising the steps of

obtaining an original image stream;

dividing the original image stream into a plurality of subset image streams; and

displaying at least two of the subset image streams.

5. The method according to claim 4 comprising the step of displaying at least two of the subset image streams substantially simultaneously.

6. The method according to claim 1 wherein at least two of the plurality of subset image streams comprise consecutive frames from the original image stream.

7. The method according to claim 1 wherein the original image stream is obtained from within a body lumen.

8. The method according to claim 7 wherein the body lumen is in the gastrointestinal tract.

9. A method for displaying an image stream, the method comprising:

receiving an original image stream acquired by an ingestible capsule, the images forming an original image stream; and

displaying substantially simultaneously on a monitor at least two subset image streams, each subset image stream including at least a set of images from the original image stream.

10. The method according to claim 9 wherein the step of displaying substantially simultaneously on a monitor at least two subset image streams includes at least displaying corresponding images in each subset image stream that were adjacent in the original image stream.

11. A system for displaying an image stream, the system comprising:

an image storage memory capable of accepting images acquired by an image capture device, the images forming an original image stream; and

an image display controller capable of displaying substantially simultaneously at least two subset image streams, each subset image stream including at least images from the original image stream.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the image display controller capable of separating the original image stream into two or more secondary image streams.

13. The system of claim 11 wherein the image capture device is an ingestible capsule.

14. The system of claim 11 wherein the images are images from a body lumen.

15. The system of claim 11 wherein the images are images from a gastrointestinal tract.

16. The system according to claim 11 comprising a display.

17. A system for displaying an image stream, the system comprising:

an image storage means for accepting an original image stream; and

an image display means for displaying substantially simultaneously at least two subset image streams, each subset image stream including at least a set of images from the original image stream.

18. A display for displaying substantially simultaneously at least two subset image streams, each subset image stream including at least images from an original image stream.

19. A method for displaying an image stream, the method comprising:

accepting a plurality of image streams acquired by an image capture device; and

displaying simultaneously or substantially simultaneously the image streams.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the image capture device is an ingestible capsule.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the image capture device includes more than one imager.

22. A method for displaying an image stream, the method comprising:

receiving a plurality of image streams, each image stream acquired by an imager; and

displaying substantially simultaneously a set of the image streams.