Image orientation for endoscopic video displays

• US 7,037,258 B2
• Filed: 03/08/2002
• Issued: 05/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Karl Storz Imaging, Inc (Karl Storz Se & Co. Kg)
• Original Assignee: Karl Storz Imaging, Inc (Karl Storz Se & Co. Kg)
• Inventors: Amling, Marc R., Chatenever, David, Mattsson-Boze, Daniel
• Primary Examiner(s): Leubecker, John P.
• Application Number:
  US10/093,650
• Publication Number:
  US 20020161280A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,516 Days
• Field of Search: 600/117, 600/118, 600/109, 600/112, 600/173, 348/65, 348/73, 348/74, 348/208.1, 348/208.6, 348/208.16, 348/583
• 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 a video camera system associated with an endoscope as it is moved through various orientations are described. The received optical image is converted to an electrical signal with an image sensor that can be a CCD or a CMOS detector. The endoscope video camera system 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.

Claims

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

a) an image sensor mounted to the camera system and having a sensor optical axis, said sensor being aligned to receive said image and provide image signals representative of said image;

b) an image analysis unit which compares image signals representative of a first image with image signals representative of a second image to provide a rotation signal representative of angular rotation of said image sensor;

c) a processor responsive to said image signals and the rotation signal; and

d) said processor including an image rotator processor for rotating the image represented by the image signals by an amount effectively determined by said rotation signal and producing display signals indicative of the rotated image.

2. A video camera system for modifying the orientation of a display of an image received by an endoscope, comprising:

a) an image sensor having a sensor optical axis aligned to receive the image to provide image signals representative of said image and having a vertical reference;

b) an image analysis unit which compares image signals representative of a first image with image signals representative of a second image to provide a rotation signal representative of angular orientation of said image sensor around said sensor optical axis; and

c) an image rotator responsive to said rotation signal to produce display signals for a display of said image with a rotation in a direction that establishes a desired orientation of said display of said image signals;

wherein said image rotator comprises an image rotator processor for rotating the image represented by the image signals by an amount effectively determined by said rotation signal.