System and Method for Displaying an Image Stream

• US 20070230893A1
• Filed: 12/29/2004
• Published: 10/04/2007
• 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, Hagai, Meron, Gavriel
• Granted Patent: US 8,164,672 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 386/248
• 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 (200), 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 in each time slot (210A-240D) may be variably adjusted based on a predetermined criterion. The images may be collected from an ingestible capsule traversing the GI tract.

Claims

1-23. -23. (canceled)

24. A method for displaying an in vivo image stream, said method comprising:

displaying a plurality of frames from the in vivo image stream substantially simultaneously;

assigning a score to each of the plurality of frames based on a predetermined criteria; and

positioning frames in a spatial order based on the score.

25. The method according to claim 24 comprising displaying the in vivo image stream as a multi-frame image stream.

26. The method according to claim 24 comprising adjusting a rate at which the multi-frame image stream is displayed based on the content of the frames.

27. The method according to claim 24 wherein the predetermined criteria includes a degree of variation of the displayed images as compared to a reference image.

28. The method according to claim 24 wherein the predetermined criteria includes a degree of color variation between the displayed images.

29. The method according to claim 24 comprising.

30. The method according to claim 29 comprising spatially positioning each of the frames displayed in an order based on the assigned scores.

31. The method according to claim 29 comprising adjusting the size of at least one of the frames displayed based on the assigned scores.

32. The method according to claim 24 wherein the in vivo image stream includes frames captured from more than one image sensor.

33. The method according to claim 24 comprising displaying sensor data from a sensor other than an image sensor substantially simultaneously with the frames from the in vivo image stream.

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

an in vivo imaging device to transmit an in vivo image stream;

a processor to generate a multi-frame image stream from the in vivo image stream, to assign a score to frames to be displayed substantially simultaneously based on a predetermined criteria and to determine a spatial position of frames in the multi-frame image stream based on the score; and

a display to display said multi-frame image stream.

35. The system of claim 34 wherein the in vivo imaging device is an autonomous capsule.

36. The system of claim 34 comprising a pH sensor.

37. The system of claim 34 wherein the predetermined criteria includes a sensor reading.

38. The system of claim 34 wherein the processor is to adjust the stream rate of the multi-frame image stream.

39. A method for displaying an in vivo image stream, the method comprising:

selecting a plurality of frames from an in vivo image stream;

positioning the plurality of frames in an order based on a criteria of interest; and

displaying the plurality of frames substantially simultaneously.

40. The method according to claim 39 comprising comparing a frame from the plurality of frames to a reference image.

41. The method according to claim 39 comprising assigning scores to the plurality of frames based on the criteria of interest.

42. The method according to claim 39 comprising displaying the plurality of frames in different sizes substantially simultaneously.

43. The method according to claim 39 wherein the criteria of interest is color variation between the plurality of frames.