In vivo autonomous camera with on-board data storage or digital wireless transmission in regulatory approved band

• US 7,983,458 B2
• Filed: 09/19/2006
• Issued: 07/19/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CapsoVision, Inc.
• Original Assignee: CapsoVision, Inc.
• Inventors: Wilson, Gordon, Wang, Kang-Huai
• Primary Examiner(s): PERUNGAVOOR, SATHYANARAYA V
• Application Number:
  US11/533,304
• Publication Number:
  US 20070098379A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,764 Days
• Field of Search: 382/128
• US Class Current: 382/128
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00009 of image signals during a use of endoscope
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00016 using wireless means
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0002 provided with data storages
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00029 externally powered, e.g. wireless
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00032 internally powered
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00036 Means for power saving, e.g. sleeping mode
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/041 Capsule endoscopes for imaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0684 using light emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0031 Implanted circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/01 Measuring temperature of body parts ; Diagnostic temperature sensing, e.g. for malignant or inflamed tissue clinical contact thermometers G01K13/20
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/03 Detecting, measuring or recording fluid pressure within the body other than blood pressure, e.g. cerebral pressure; Measuring pressure in body tissues or organs A61B5/205 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/073 Intestinal transmitters
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14539 for measuring pH
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7232 involving compression of the physiological signal, e.g. to extend the signal recording period
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/105 Selection of the reference unit for prediction within a chosen coding or prediction mode, e.g. adaptive choice of position and number of pixels used for prediction
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/137 Motion inside a coding unit, e.g. average field, frame or block difference
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/172 the region being a picture, frame or field
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/423 characterised by memory arrangements H04N19/433 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/555 for picking-up images in sites, inaccessible due to their dimensions or hazardous conditions, e.g. endoscopes or borescopes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/60 Control of cameras or camera modules

Abstract

A capsule camera apparatus includes a swallowable housing, a light source within the housing, a camera within the housing for capturing a first digital image and a second digital image of a view of the camera illuminated by the light source, a a motion detector that detects a motion of the housing the first digital image and the second digital image, and a motion evaluator that selects a disposition of the second digital image, based on a metric on the motion. The disposition may include writing the second image into an archival storage or providing the second digital image to the outside by a wireless communication link.

Claims

1. A capsule camera apparatus, comprising:

a housing adapted to be swallowed;

a light source within the housing;

a camera within the housing for capturing a first digital image and a second digital image of a scene illuminated by the light source;

a processing circuit within the housing that processes the first digital image and the second digital image, at least a portion of each digital image having a higher resolution than the remainder of that digital image;

a motion detector within the housing that detects a motion based on a difference between the higher resolution portion of the first digital image provided in a first partial frame buffer and the higher resolution portion of the second digital image provided in a partial frame buffer; and

a motion evaluator within the housing that designates the second digital image for further processing based on a metric on the motion.

2. A capsule camera apparatus as in claim 1, wherein the motion evaluator designates the second digital image to be deleted.

3. A capsule camera apparatus as in claim 1, further comprising an archival storage device, wherein the motion evaluator designates the second digital image to be stored into the archival storage device.

4. A capsule camera apparatus as in claim 3, further comprising a register for storing the metric, the register being accessible by the motion evaluator during operation and being initialized with a value provided in the archival storage device.

5. A capsule camera apparatus as in claim 3, further comprising a register for storing the metric, the register being accessible by the motion evaluator during operation and being updated according to free space available in the archival storage device.

6. A capsule camera apparatus as in claim 3, wherein the archival storage device comprises a semiconductor memory device.

7. A capsule camera apparatus as in claim 6, wherein the semiconductor memory device comprises a flash memory device.

8. A capsule camera apparatus as in claim 3, further comprising an output port for accessing the archival storage device.

9. A capsule camera apparatus as in claim 8, wherein the output port is accessed through a connector.

10. A capsule camera apparatus as in claim 8, wherein the output port is accessed at a feed-through on the housing.

11. A capsule camera apparatus as in claim 8, wherein the capsule is capable of receiving power from an external power source.

12. A capsule camera apparatus as in claim 1, wherein a portion of the first digital image is stored in a first partial frame buffer and a portion of the second digital image is stored in a second partial frame buffer and the motion evaluator determines which of the first and second partial frame buffers is to be overwritten by a third digital image according to the motion detected.

13. A capsule camera apparatus as in claim 1, wherein the motion detector computes motion vectors between a portion of the first digital image and a portion of the second digital image.

14. A capsule camera apparatus as in claim 1, wherein the motion detector computes average absolute differences between corresponding portions of the first digital image and the second digital image.

15. A capsule camera apparatus as in claim 14, wherein the metric depends on a variance computed from the average absolute differences.

16. A capsule camera apparatus as in claim 1, wherein the motion detector computes for the first digital image and the second digital image each a center-of-mass.

17. A capsule camera apparatus as in claim 16, wherein the metric depends on a difference between the centers-of-mass computed.

18. A capsule camera apparatus as in claim 1, further comprising one or more sensors for detecting one or more environmental parameters.

19. A capsule camera apparatus as in claim 1, further comprising a transmitter within the housing for transmitting data over a wireless link.

20. A capsule camera apparatus as in claim 19, wherein the motion evaluator causes the designated digital image to be transmitted over the wireless link.

21. A capsule camera apparatus as in claim 19, further comprising a protocol encoder for encoding data for transmission by the transmitter.

22. A capsule camera apparatus as in claim 19, wherein the capsule camera apparatus is designed to communicate with a base station, the base station comprising a receiver that receives data over the wireless link.

23. A capsule camera apparatus as in claim 22, wherein the base station further comprises an interface to a workstation.

24. A capsule camera apparatus as in claim 22, wherein the base station further comprises an archival storage system.

25. A capsule camera apparatus as in claim 22, further comprising a transmitter in the base station to allow bidirectional communication over the wireless link.

26. A capsule camera apparatus as in claim 25, further comprising a register for storing the metric, the register being accessible by the motion evaluator during operation and being initialized with a value provided over the wireless link.

27. A capsule camera apparatus as in claim 1, wherein the designated digital image is compressed using an image compression algorithm.

28. A capsule camera apparatus as in claim 27, wherein the first compression ratio is provided to the designated digital image when operated upon by the motion detector which is different from a second compression ratio provided to the designated digital image for further processing.

29. A capsule camera apparatus as in claim 1, further comprising a register for storing the metric, the register being accessible by the motion evaluator during operation.

30. A capsule camera apparatus as in claim 1, wherein the metric is designed to prefer motion in the forward direction along the length of the GI tract.

31. A capsule camera apparatus as in claim 1, wherein the motion detector accords little or no weight to retrograde motion.

32. A capsule camera apparatus, comprising:

a housing adapted to be swallowed, said housing enclosing;

a light source;

a camera for capturing a first digital image and a second digital image of a scene illuminated by the light source;

a motion detector that detects a motion based on computed motion vectors each representing a difference between a portion of the first digital image provided in a first partial frame buffer and a portion of the second digital image provided in a partial frame buffer; and

a motion evaluator that designates the second digital image for further processing, based on a metric on the detected motion, wherein the metric has a value that depends on (i) a count of zero-valued motion vectors, (ii) an average of the absolute differences between corresponding portions of the first digital image and the second digital image, or (iii) a variance computed from the average absolute differences.

33. A method for operating a capsule camera, comprising:

providing a housing adapted to be swallowed;

providing a light source and a camera within the housing;

capturing a first digital image and a second digital image of a scene illuminated by the light source;

processing, within the housing, the first digital image and the second digital image, at least a portion of each digital image having a higher resolution than the remainder of that digital image;

detecting, within the housing, a motion based on a difference between the higher resolution portion of the first digital image provided in a first partial frame buffer and the higher resolution portion of the second digital image provided in a second partial frame buffer, and

evaluating, within the housing, the motion to designate the second digital image for further processing based on a metric on the motion.

34. A method as in claim 33, wherein the motion evaluator designates the second digital image to be deleted.

35. A method as in claim 33, wherein the evaluating comprises designating the second digital image to be stored into an archival storage device.

36. A method as in claim 35, further comprising accessing the archival storage device through an output port.

37. A method as in claim 36, wherein the output port is accessed through a connector.

38. A method as in claim 36, wherein the output port is accessed at a feed-through on the housing.

39. A method as in claim 36, wherein capsule receives power from an external power source.

40. A method as in claim 35, further comprising storing the metric in a register, the register being accessible by the motion evaluator during operation and being initialized with a value provided in the archival storage device.

41. A method as in claim 35, further comprising storing the metric in a register, the register being accessible by the motion evaluator during operation and being updated according to free space available in the archival storage device.

42. A method as in claim 33, wherein the archival storage device comprises a semiconductor memory device.

43. A method as in claim 42, wherein the semiconductor memory device comprises a flash memory device.

44. A method as in claim 33, wherein a portion of the first digital image is stored in a first partial frame buffer and a portion of the second digital image is stored in a second partial frame buffer and the evaluating determines which of the first and second partial frame buffers is to be overwritten by a third digital image according to the motion detected.

45. A method as in claim 33, wherein the detecting comprises computing motion vectors between a portion of the first digital image and a portion of the second digital image.

46. A method as in claim 33, wherein the detecting comprises computing average absolute differences between corresponding portions of the first digital image and the second digital image.

47. A method as in claim 46, wherein the metric depends on a variance computed from the average absolute differences.

48. A method as in claim 33, wherein the detecting comprises computing for the first digital image and the second digital image each a center-of-mass.

49. A method as in claim 48, wherein the metric depends on a difference between the centers-of-mass computed.

50. A method as in claim 33, further comprising providing one or more sensors for detecting one or more environmental parameters.

51. A method as in claim 33, further comprising providing a transmitter within the housing for transmitting data over a wireless link.

52. A method as in claim 51, wherein the evaluating designates the second digital image to be transmitted over the wireless link.

53. A method as in claim 51, further comprising encoding in a protocol encoder the data to be transmitted.

54. A method as in claim 51, further comprising providing a base station that receives data over the wireless link.

55. A method as in claim 54, further comprising providing an interface to a workstation in the base station.

56. A method as in claim 54, further comprising providing an archival storage in the base station.

57. A method as in claim 54, further comprising transmitting from the base station in bidirectional communication over the wireless link.

58. A method as in claim 57, further comprising storing the metric in a register, the register being accessible by the motion evaluator during operation and being initialized with a value provided over the wireless link.

59. A method as in claim 33, further comprising compressing the designated digital image using an image compression algorithm.

60. A method as in claim 59, wherein the first compression ratio is provided to the designated digital image when operated upon by the motion detector which is different from a second compression ratio provided to the designated digital image for further processing.

61. A method as in claim 33, further comprising a register for storing the metric, the register being accessible by the motion evaluator during operation.

62. A method as in claim 33, wherein the metric is designed to prefer motion in the forward direction along the length of the GI tract.

63. A method as in claim 33, wherein the motion detector accords little or no weight to retrograde motion.

64. A method for operating a capsule camera, comprising:

providing a housing adapted to be swallowed;

providing a light source, a camera and a motion circuit within the housing;

capturing a first digital image and a second digital image of a scene, illuminated by the light source, with the camera;

detecting a motion with the motion circuit based on computed motion vectors each representing a difference between a portion of the first digital image provided in a first partial frame buffer and a portion of the second digital image provided in a second partial frame buffer; and

evaluating the motion with the motion circuit to designate the second digital image for further processing, based on a metric on the detected motion, wherein the metric has a value which depends on (i) a count of zero-valued motion vectors, (ii) an average of the absolute differences between corresponding portions of the first digital image and the second digital image, or (iii) a variance computed from the average absolute differences.

65. A capsule camera apparatus, comprising:

a housing adapted to be swallowed;

a light source within the housing;

a camera within the housing for capturing a first digital image and a second digital image of a scene illuminated by the light source;

means for processing, within the housing, the first digital image and the second digital image, at least a portion of each digital image having a higher resolution than the remainder of that digital image;

means for detecting, within the housing, a motion using a difference between the higher resolution portion of the first digital image provided in a first partial frame buffer and the higher resolution portion of the second digital image provided in a second partial frame buffer, and

means for designating, within the housing, the second digital image for further processing based on a metric on the motion.

66. A capsule camera apparatus as in claim 65 further comprising an archival storage, wherein the deposition comprises storing the second digital image in the archival storage.

67. A capsule camera apparatus as in claim 65, wherein means for transmitting the designated digital image over a wireless link.

68. A capsule camera apparatus, comprising:

a housing adapted to be swallowed;

a light source within the housing;

a camera within the housing for capturing a digital image of a scene illuminated by the light source;

a processing circuit, within the housing, that processes the captured image to provide a processed digital image having at least one portion having a higher resolution than the remainder of the processed digital image;

a motion detection circuit, within the housing, that detects motion between the processed images corresponding to images captured at different times and selects the processed digital images based on a metric on motion;

an archival storage device for storing the selected digital images; and

an output port for retrieving the stored digital image from the archival storage system.

69. A capsule camera apparatus as in claim 68, further comprising an image selection circuit for designating digital images to be stored into the archival storage device.

70. A capsule camera apparatus as in claim 68, wherein the archival storage device comprises a semiconductor memory device.

71. A capsule camera apparatus as in claim 70, wherein the semiconductor memory device comprises a flash memory device.

72. A capsule camera apparatus as in claim 68, wherein the output port is accessed through a connector.

73. A capsule camera apparatus as in claim 68, wherein the output port is accessed at a feed-through on the housing.

74. A capsule camera apparatus as in claim 68, wherein the capsule is capable of receiving power from an external power source.

75. A method for providing a capsule camera apparatus, comprising:

providing a housing adapted to be swallowed;

providing a light source within the housing;

using a camera within the housing, capturing a digital image of a scene illuminated by the light source;

processing, within the housing, the captured image to provide a processed digital image having at least one portion having a higher resolution than the remainder of the processed digital image;

detecting, within the housing, motion between the processed images corresponding to images captured at different times and selecting the processed digital images based on a metric on motion;

storing the selected digital image in an archival storage device; and

retrieving the selected digital image from the archival storage system through an output port.

76. A method as in claim 75, further comprising providing an image selection circuit for designating digital images to be stored into the archival storage device.

77. A method as in claim 75, wherein the archival storage device comprises a semiconductor memory device.

78. A method as in claim 77, wherein the semiconductor memory device comprises a flash memory device.

79. A method as in claim 75, wherein the output port is accessed through a connector.

80. A method as in claim 75, wherein the output port is accessed at a feed-through on the housing.

81. A method as in claim 75, wherein the capsule is capable of receiving power from an external power source.