System and method for displaying an image stream

• US 20060164511A1
• Filed: 02/22/2006
• Published: 07/27/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Given Imaging Limited (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Given Imaging Limited (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Krupnik, Hagal
• Granted Patent: US 9,072,442 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/65
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00009 of image signals during a use of endoscope
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0005 combining images e.g. side-by-side, superimposed or tiled
• 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 2560/045 with a separable interface unit, e.g. for communication
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0008 Temperature signals
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/036 by means introduced into body tracts A61B5/032 and A61B5/035 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/073 Intestinal transmitters
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/145 Measuring characteristics of blood in vivo, e.g. gas concentration, pH value; Measuring characteristics of body fluids or tissues, e.g. interstitial fluid, cerebral tissuemeasuring of blood pressure or blood flow A61B5/02; non-radiation detecting or locating of foreign bodies in blood A61B5/06
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14539 for measuring pH
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7435 Displaying user selection data, e.g. icons in a graphical user interface
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7445 Display arrangements, e.g. multiple display units
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7475 User input or interface means, e.g. keyboard, pointing device, joystick
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 30/20 for handling medical images, e.g. DICOM, HL7 or PACS
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources

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 spatial position of the images displayed substantially simultaneously in each time slot may be variably adjusted based on a predetermined criterion. The images may be collected from an ingestible capsule traversing the GI tract.

Claims

1. A method for displaying an image stream captured in-vivo, said method comprising:

sorting a plurality of image frames captured in-vivo; and

displaying the sorted plurality of image frames in the sorted order as an image stream.

2. The method according to claim 1 comprising selecting a subset of the plurality of image streams.

3. The method according to claim 1 wherein the sorting is based on a color content of the plurality of image frames.

4. The method according to claim 1 wherein the sorting is based on comparison to a selected image frame.

5. The method according to claim 1 wherein the sorting is based on a degree of color variation between the plurality of the image frames.

6. The method according to claim 1 wherein the sorting is based on a reading from a non-image sensor.

7. The method according to claim 1 comprising adjusting a rate at which the image stream is displayed.

8. The method according to claim 7 wherein the adjusting is based on correspondence of the plurality of image frames to a pre-defined criterion of interest.

9. The method according to claim 1 wherein the sorting is based on a user selected criterion.

10. A system for displaying an image stream captured in vivo, the system comprising:

an in vivo imaging device to transmit a plurality of image frames;

a processor to sort the plurality of image frames and to control display of the sorted plurality of image frames in the sorted order as an image stream; and

a display to display the image stream.

11. The system according to claim 10 wherein the in vivo imaging device is an autonomous capsule.

12. The system according to claim 10 wherein the sorting is based on a pre-defined criterion.

13. The system according to claim 10 comprising a user input device wherein the user input device is to select a sorting criterion.

14. The system according to claim 10 wherein the processor is to adjust the stream rate of the multi-frame image stream.

15. The system according to claim 10 wherein the plurality of image frames is captured in the GI tract.