Image orientation for endoscopic video displays

• US 6,471,637 B1
• Filed: 09/21/2000
• Issued: 10/29/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Karl Storz Imaging, Inc (Karl Storz Se & Co. Kg)
• Original Assignee: Karl Storz Imaging, Inc (Karl Storz Se & Co. Kg)
• Inventors: Green, Daniel, Ibach, Robert, Fablanowski, Jan
• Primary Examiner(s): MULCAHY, JOHN M
• Application Number:
  US09/666,692
• Time in Patent Office: 768 Days
• Field of Search: 600/109, 600/112, 600/137, 600/160, 600/173, 348/65, 348/66, 348/68-70, 348/75, 348/82, 356/241.1
• US Class Current: 600/109
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00045 Display arrangement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/042 characterised by a proximal camera, e.g. a CCD camera

Abstract

An apparatus and technique for compensating the display of an image obtained from an endoscope as it is moved through various orientations are described. The endoscope received optical image is converted to an electrical signal with an image sensor that can be a CCD or a CMOS detector. The endoscope has an inertial sensor to sense rotations of the received image about the optical axis of the endoscope and the sensor'"'"'s output signals are used to rotate either the image or the image sensor. In case of rotation of the image sensor the rotation sensor can be a gyroscope or a pair of accelerometers. In case of a rotation of the image obtained with the image sensor the inertial sensor, which can be an accelerometer or a gyroscope, the image is rotated within a microprocessor for subsequent viewing on a video display. The signal processing to achieve compensatory rotations of the displayed image as an operator of the endoscope moves it about is described.

Claims

1. A video camera system for modifying an image received by an endoscope, comprising:

a) an image sensor attached to said video camera system, and having a sensor optical axis and a vertical reference, said sensor providing image signals representative of said image;

b) an optical image rotator rotatably attached to said endoscope between said received image and said image sensor;

c) at least one inertial sensor for providing a rotation signal representative of angular orientations of said image sensor;

d) a processor to receive said rotation signal and provide a compensating rotator driver signal derived from said rotation signal and to receive and store a user supplied rotational offset signal to alter said vertical reference of said image sensor; and

e) an optical image rotator driver being effectively responsive to said compensating rotator driver signal to rotate said optical image rotator to obtain a desired orientation of a display of the image signals.

2. The video camera system of claim 1 wherein said inertial sensor is an accelerometer.

3. The video camera system of claim 1 wherein said inertial sensor includes a plurality of accelerometers, positioned in a predetermined spatial relationship with said image sensor, said spatial relationship being so arranged that at least one of said accelerometers provides a rotation signal for diverse orientations of said image sensor;

and

wherein said processor derives said compensating rotator driver signal from said rotation signals from said accelerometers.

4. The video camera system of claim 3 wherein said plurality of accelerometers comprises two accelerometers.

5. The video camera system of claim 1 wherein said inertial sensor includes at least one gyroscope, having an axis of rotation bearing a predetermined angle relative to said sensor optical axis for providing a rotation signal representative of angular rotation of said image sensor.

6. The video camera system of claim 1 wherein said optical image rotator is a prism.

7. The video camera system of claim 6 wherein said prism is a Pechan prism.

8. The video camera system of claim 1 wherein said inertial sensor includes at least one accelerometer, and wherein said processor derives said compensating rotator driver signal from said rotation signals from said at least one accelerometer.

9. The video camera system of claim 1 wherein said inertial sensor includes at least one gyroscope and at least one accelerometer.