System and method for in-vivo feature detection

• US 20070078335A1
• Filed: 09/30/2005
• Published: 04/05/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Given Imaging Limited (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Given Imaging Limited (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Horn, Eli
• Granted Patent: US 8,423,123 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/425
• 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 5/06 Devices, other than using radiation, for detecting or locating foreign bodies for removing same A61B17/50 ; determining position of probes within or on the body of the patient

Abstract

An in-vivo imaging system and method to screen for colorectal polyps in the GI tract may include an in-vivo imaging device for capturing a stream of image frames in a GI tract, a polyp detector for detecting and/or identifying one or more image frames from the stream of image streams that may show colorectal polyps, and a graphical user interface (GUI) to display image frames detected.

Claims

1. A method to automatically screen for the presence of a morphologic feature in a body lumen, said method comprising:

capturing at least one image frame from within the body lumen;

identifying automatically a predetermined geometric form in the at least one image frame; and

classifying automatically the form by a predetermined parameter.

2. The method according to claim 1 comprising generating a gradient map of the at least one image frame.

3. The method according to claim 1 wherein the predetermined parameter is a color of the geometric form.

4. The method according to claim 3 comprising comparing the color of the geometric form to a predefined color.

5. The method according to claim 1 comprising inserting an autonomous imaging device in-vivo.

6. The method according to claim 1 comprising tracking a location of where the at least one image frame was captured.

7. The method according to claim 1 comprising assigning a score to the at least one image frame wherein the score is based on the classifying.

8. The method according to claim 1 wherein the at least one image frame is an image stream.

9. The method according to claim 8 comprising:

selecting candidate image frames from the image stream; and

displaying the candidate image frames.

10. The method according to claim 9 comprising constructing a polyp screening movie wherein the polyp screening movie includes the candidate image frames.

11. The method according to claim 1 comprising:

displaying the at least one image frame; and

marking the geometric form identified.

12. A system to automatically screen for the presence of a polyp along a body lumen comprising:

an imaging device to provide at least one image frame of the body lumen;

a polyp detector to identify a geometric form in at least one image frame and to classify the form; and

a display unit

13. The system according to claim 12 wherein the polyp detector is to classify the geometric form by its color.

14. The system according to claim 12 where in the polyp detector is to generate a gradient map of the at least one image frame.

15. The system according to claim 12 wherein the image device provides a stream of image frames of the body lumen and wherein the polyp detector is to automatically select candidate image frames from the stream.

16. The system according to claim 15 comprising a processing unit wherein the processing unit is to construct a polyp screening movie from the candidate image frames selected by the polyp detector.

17. The system according to claim 15 wherein the display unit is to display candidate image frames selected by the polyp detector.

18. The system according to claim 12 wherein the polyp detector is included in the imaging device.

19. The system according to claim 12 wherein the polyp detector is included in an external receiving device wherein the external receiving device is to receive data from the imaging device.

20. The system according to claim 12 wherein the imaging device is an autonomous in-vivo device in the form of a capsule.

21. The system according to claim 20 comprising a tracking unit wherein the tracking unit is to track a location of the autonomous in-vivo imaging device within the body lumen.