SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR DISPLAYING AN IMAGE STREAM

• US 20120038762A1
• Filed: 10/24/2011
• Published: 02/16/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Given Imaging Limited (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Given Imaging Limited (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Rabinovitz, Raphael, Skala, Michael, Krupnik, Hagai, Horn, Eli, Iddan, Gavriel J., DAVIDSON, Tal
• Granted Patent: US 8,982,205 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/77
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00045 Display arrangement
• 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

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 images may be displayed fused. The images may be collected from an ingestible capsule traversing the GI tract.

Claims

1. A method for displaying an image stream obtained from a swallowable capsule, the method comprising:

receiving images of an original image stream, the images captured having a first image shape;

transforming the images from the first image shape to an alternate image shape;

arranging a plurality of images having the alternate image shape for display in a single time slot; and

displaying the arranged images across a plurality of consecutive time slots, wherein in each time slot a set of consecutive images from the original image stream is displayed, each image within the set being displayed at the same time;

wherein the set of consecutive images displayed in each time slot is immediately consecutive, in the original image stream, to the set of consecutive images in the immediately previous time slot.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein transforming the images from the first shape to the alternate shape comprises one or more of:

distorting, convoluting, re-mapping, stretching or truncating the images.

3. The method according to claim 1 wherein the alternate image shape is a hexagonal shape.

4. The method according to claim 1 comprising fusing the plurality of images displayed in a single time slot into a single image.

5. The method according to claim 1 comprising post-processing an area near the touching edges between the plurality of images displayed in a single time slot, wherein post-processing comprises smoothing, mirroring, overlapping, fade-out, fade-in, truncation, shape distortion or normalization of intensity.

6. A system for displaying an image stream obtained from a swallowable capsule, the system comprising:

a memory; and

a processor to;

receive images of an original image stream, the images captured having a first image shape;

transform the images from the first image shape to an alternate image shape;

arrange a plurality of images having the alternate image shape for display in a single time slot; and

display the arranged images across a plurality of consecutive time slots, wherein in each time slot a set of consecutive images from the original image stream is displayed, each image within the set being displayed at the same time;

wherein the set of consecutive images displayed in each time slot is immediately consecutive, in the original image stream, to the set of consecutive images in the immediately previous time slot.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein transforming the images from the first shape to the alternate shape comprises one or more of:

distorting, convoluting, re-mapping, stretching or truncating the images.

8. The system of claim 6 wherein the alternate image shape is a hexagonal shape.

9. The system of claim 6 wherein the processor is to fuse the plurality of images displayed in a single time slot into a single image.

10. The system of claim 6 wherein the processor is to post-process an area near the touching edges between the plurality of images displayed in a single time slot, wherein post-processing comprises smoothing, mirroring, overlapping, fade-out, fade-in, truncation, shape distortion or normalization of intensity.