SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR DISPLAYING AN IMAGE STREAM CAPTURED IN-VIVO

• US 20110164126A1
• Filed: 01/05/2010
• Published: 07/07/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Given Imaging Limited (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Given Imaging Limited (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Ambor, Iddo, Skala, Michael, Frisch, Mordechai, Horn, Eli
• Granted Patent: US 8,446,465 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/65
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0005 combining images e.g. side-by-side, superimposed or tiled
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/041 Capsule endoscopes for imaging
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/185 from a mobile camera, e.g. for remote control

Abstract

A system and method may allow automatic display of un-viewed images of an image stream, which may be produced by an ingestible capsule. A set of images acquired by an in-vivo device disposed within a body lumen is received by a receiver or workstation, and a portion of the set of images is selected for display as an image stream. The selected portion of images is displayed as a first image stream, and a complementary portion of the set of images is displayed as a second image stream. The complementary portion includes unselected images from the set of images, and/or images which are indicated as unviewed images. A graphical user interface is provided for selecting a viewing mode which is determined based on previously viewed images and users'"'"' review history.

Claims

1. A method for displaying a complementary view of an image stream, the method comprising:

receiving a set of images acquired by an in-vivo device disposed within a body lumen;

displaying to a user on a monitor at least a portion of the set of images as an image stream;

associating, using a processor, a review descriptor with every image which has been displayed, the review descriptor including at least an indication that the image has been displayed to a user;

storing the review descriptors in a storage unit;

generating a complementary image stream, the complementary image stream including images from the set of images which are indicated as unviewed, based on the review descriptors; and

displaying the complementary image stream.

2. The method of claim 1, comprising:

associating a review descriptor with each image.

3. The method of claim 1, comprising:

providing a graphical user interface to select a display method.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the display method is selected from:

viewing a portion of images from the image stream, wherein said images are indicated as unviewed, viewing all images of the image stream, and viewing a summarized portion of the image stream.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the device is a swallowable capsule.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the images are from a gastrointestinal tract.

7. The method of claim 1 comprising selecting at least a portion of the set of images according to an editing method.

8. The method of claim 1 comprising calculating the complementary set of images substantially upon a request of a user to view the complementary image stream.

9. The method of claim 1 comprising hiding one or more previous users'"'"' review history.

10. A system for displaying a complementary view of an image stream, the system comprising:

a storage unit for storing a set of images acquired by an in-vivo device;

a processor to create and associate a review descriptor to one or more images, the review descriptor including at least an indication if the one or more images have been viewed by a user;

a storage unit to store the review descriptors;

the processor to generate a complementary image stream, the complementary image stream including images from the set of images which are indicated as unviewed based on the review descriptor; and

a display unit for displaying the complementary image stream.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the display unit is for displaying the image stream or portions thereof.

12. The system of claim 10 comprising a graphical user interface for selecting a viewing mode.

13. The system of claim 12 comprising a control for selecting a viewing mode based on one or more previous users'"'"' review history.

14. The system of claim 10 wherein the processor is to indicate an image as a viewed image upon initial display of the image on the display unit or substantially immediately thereafter.

15. A system for displaying portions of an image stream, the system comprising:

a storage unit for storing images acquired by an in-vivo device;

a processor to select images for display according to at least one criterion;

wherein the processor to generate a first image stream from the selected images, and a second image stream from unselected images;

wherein the processor to create and associate a review descriptor to one or more images, the review descriptor including at least an indication if the one or more images have been viewed by a user;

a storage unit to store the review descriptors;

wherein the processor to generate a complementary image stream corresponding to the first or the second image stream, the complementary image stream correlating to the first image stream including images from the first image stream which are indicated as unviewed based on review descriptors, and the complementary image stream correlating to the second image stream including images from the second image stream which are indicated as unviewed based on review descriptors; and

a display for displaying the first and second image streams and their corresponding complementary image streams.

16. The system of claim 15 comprising a graphical user interface for selecting images for display according to one or more criteria.

17. The system of claim 15 comprising a graphical user interface for selecting images for display according to one or more previous users'"'"' review history.

18. The system of claim 15 wherein the processor is to indicate an image as a viewed image upon initial display of the image on the display unit or substantially immediately thereafter.