SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PRODUCING AND IMPROVING IMAGES

• US 20070270642A1
• Filed: 05/21/2007
• Published: 11/22/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PSIP, LLC
• Original Assignee: Avantis Medical Systems, Inc.
• Inventors: Stewart, Michael, Bayer, Lex
• Granted Patent: US 8,197,399 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/109
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00006 of control signals
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/000094 extracting biological structures
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0005 combining images e.g. side-by-side, superimposed or tiled
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00179 for off-axis viewing
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00181 for multiple fixed viewing angles A61B1/00193 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/005 Flexible endoscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0051 with controlled bending of insertion part
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0125 Endoscope within endoscope
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/045 Control thereof
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/05 characterised by the image sensor, e.g. camera, being in the distal end portion
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0625 for multiple fixed illumination angles
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0655 Control therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0676 at distal tip of an endoscope
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 23/2423 of the distal end

Abstract

A method for displaying images includes adjusting at least one characteristic of an image from a first imaging device of an endoscope to match at least one corresponding characteristic of an image from a second imaging device of the endoscope. The at least one characteristic may be one or more of color, contrast and brightness. An endoscopic system includes an endoscope including a first imaging device and a second imaging device, and a display device that displays an image from the first imaging device of the endoscope and an image from the second imaging device of the endoscope, wherein the images are sized so that an object, when placed at the same distance from the imaging devices, appears to have about the same size in the images.

Claims

2-1. The system of claim 23, wherein the first and second characteristics are contrast and brightness.

13. A method for displaying images, comprising:

placing, side by side, an image from a first imaging device of an endoscope and an image from a second imaging device of the same or a different endoscope, wherein the imaging devices face each other; and

reversing one of the images left for right.

15. A method for sizing images, comprising:

placing an image from a first imaging device of an endoscope and an image from a second imaging device of the same or a different endoscope on a display device; and

sizing the images so that an object, when placed at the same distance from the imaging devices, appears to have about the same size in both images.

16. A method for processing images, comprising:

placing image data from first and second imaging devices of an endoscope in one computer file for simultaneous display on a display device.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the image data from the imaging devices are time-correlated.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

placing patient information data from only one of the images in the computer file for simultaneous display with the images on the display device.

19. An endoscopic system comprising:

a first imaging device;

a second imaging device; and

a controller that adjusts at least one characteristic of an image from the first imaging device to match at least one corresponding characteristic of an image from the second imaging device.

1. A method for displaying images, comprising:

adjusting at least one characteristic of an image from a first imaging device of an endoscope to match at least one corresponding characteristic of an image from a second imaging device of the same or a different endoscope.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the characteristic is color.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the characteristic is contrast.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the characteristic is brightness.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one characteristic includes first and second characteristics.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the first and second characteristics are color and contrast.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the first and second characteristics are color and brightness.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the first and second characteristics are contrast and brightness.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein the at least one characteristic includes first, second and third characteristics.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the first, second and third characteristics are color, contrast and brightness.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the adjustment is performed continuously in real time.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the adjusting step includes

creating a histogram for each of RGB colors for the image from the first imaging device and a histogram for each of the RGB colors for the image from the second imaging device;

adjusting the gamut of each histogram of the image from the first imaging device to match the gamut of the corresponding histogram of the image from the second imaging device; and

using gamma coefficients to adjust a color level of each histogram of the image from the first imaging device to match a color level of the corresponding histogram of the image from the second imaging device.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the characteristic is color.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein the characteristic is contrast.

22. The system of claim 19, wherein the characteristic is brightness.

23. The system of claim 19, wherein the at least one characteristic includes first and second characteristics.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the first and second characteristics are color and contrast.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein the first and second characteristics are color and brightness.

27. The system of claim 23, wherein the at least one characteristic includes first, second and third characteristics.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein the first, second and third characteristics are color, contrast and brightness.

29. The system of claim 19, wherein the controller

creates a histogram for each of RGB colors for the image from the first imaging device and a histogram for each of the RGB colors for the image from the second imaging device;

adjusts the gamut of each histogram of the image from the first imaging device to match the gamut of the corresponding histogram of the image from the second imaging device; and

uses gamma coefficients to adjust a color level of each histogram of the image from the first imaging device to match a color level of the corresponding histogram of the image from the second imaging device.

30. An endoscopic system comprising:

a first imaging device;

a second imaging device; and

a display device that displays, side by side, an image from the first imaging device and an image from the second imaging device, wherein the imaging devices face each other, and wherein one of the images is reversed left for right.

31. An endoscopic system comprising:

a first imaging device;

a second imaging device; and

a display device that displays an image from the first imaging device and an image from the second imaging device, wherein the images are sized so that an object, when placed at the same distance from the imaging devices, appears to have about the same size in the images.

32. An endoscopic system comprising:

a first imaging device;

a second imaging device; and

a controller that places image data from the first and second imaging devices in one computer file for simultaneous display on a display device.

33. The system of claim 32, wherein the image data from the imaging devices are time-correlated.

34. The system of claim 32, wherein the controller places patient information data from only one image in the computer file for simultaneous display with the images on the display device.

35. An endoscopic system comprising:

an endoscope including

a first imaging device, and

a second imaging device facing the first imaging device; and

a display device that displays a reversed image from the second imaging device.

36. An endoscopic system comprising:

an endoscope including

a first imaging device, and

a second imaging device facing the first imaging device,

wherein one of an image produced by the first imaging device and an image produced by the second imaging device is reversed to display the position of an object being viewed in the same general location on both images.