Device, method, and system for reduced transmission imaging

• US 20050025368A1
• Filed: 06/25/2004
• Published: 02/03/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Given Imaging Limited (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Given Imaging Limited (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Glukhovsky, Arkady
• Granted Patent: US 7,492,935 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/236
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/04 combined with photographic or television appliances
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/041 Capsule endoscopes for imaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0031 Implanted circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/507 using conditional replenishment

Abstract

An in-vivo device, system, and method are described where an in-vivo device may transmit an image stream to an external receiving device. Reducing the size of the image data necessary for transmission may conserve energy consumed by the in-vivo device during transmission. An image data comparator unit incorporated within the in-vivo device may compare a captured image to a previously transmitted image and transmit, for example, only captured images that are substantially dissimilar to a previously captured image.

Claims

1. A method for reduced transmission of an image stream captured in-vivo, the method comprising:

determining similarity between captured image data and image data previously transmitted; and

reducing transmission of the captured image data if the captured image data is substantially similar to the image data previously transmitted.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein the determining similarity is by comparing sub-samples of image pixels from the captured image data and the image data previously transmitted.

3. The method according to claim 1 wherein the determining similarity is by comparing a HSV property of the captured image data and the image data previously transmitted.

4. The method according to claim 1 wherein the determining similarity is by comparing a FFT transform of at least a sub-sample of the captured image data and the image data previously transmitted.

5. The method according to claim 1 wherein the determining similarity is by comparing a data signature of the captured image data and the image data previously transmitted.

6. The method according to claim 1 wherein the determining similarity is by determining if a difference between the captured image data and the image data previously transmitted is above a threshold.

7. The method according to claim 1 wherein the reducing transmission is by skipping transmission of the captured image data.

8. The method according to claim 1 wherein the reducing transmission is by transmitting a difference between the captured image data and the image data previously transmitted.

9. The method according to claim 1 wherein the reducing transmission is by transmitting a header and by skipping the transmission of the captured image data.

10. The method according to claim 9 wherein the header comprises a time of transmission.

11. The method according to claim 1 comprising transmitting a synchronization signal.

12. The method according to claim 1 wherein the determining similarity is by an in-vivo imaging device.

13. The method according to claim 12 wherein the in-vivo imaging device is an autonomous device.

14. The method according to claim 1 wherein the image data previously transmitted is temporarily stored in an in-vivo device.

15. The method according to claim 1 comprising:

capturing image data of a body lumen; and

storing the image data.

28. The system according to claim 3 wherein the in-vivo imaging device is to image the GI tract.

29. The system according to claim 3 wherein the transmitter is a RF transmitter.

30. The system according to claim 3 comprising a location detection system.

31. The system according to claim 3 wherein the transmitter is to transmit in a variable rate.

32. The system according to claim 3 wherein the image display unit is to display an image stream.

16. An in-vivo device for transmitting image data, the device comprising:

an imager;

an illumination source;

an image data comparator;

a memory unit; and

a transmitter.

17. The in-vivo device according to claim 16 wherein the imager is a CMOS imager.

18. The in-vivo device according to claim 16 wherein the image data comparator is to compare whole images.

19. The in-vivo device according to claim 16 wherein the image data comparator is to compare FFT coefficients of image data.

20. The in-vivo device according to claim 16 wherein the memory is to store one line of image data.

21. The in-vivo device according to claim 16 wherein the memory is to store a plurality of images.

22. The in-vivo device according to claim 16 wherein the memory is to store image parameters.

23. The in-vivo device according to claim 16 wherein the image data comparator is integral to the transmitter.

24. The in-vivo device according to claim 16 wherein the device is an autonomous in-vivo device.

25. The in-vivo device according to claim 16 wherein the device is to image the GI tract.

26. The in-vivo device according to claim 16 comprising:

a means for determining similarity between captured image data and image data previously transmitted; and

a means for reducing transmission of the captured image data if the captured image data is substantially similar to the image data previously transmitted.

27. A system for displaying in-vivo images, the system comprising:

an in-vivo imaging device comprising;

an imager;

an image data comparator; and

a transmitter;

a receiver; and

a image display unit.