System and method for displaying an image stream

• US 8,164,672 B2
• Filed: 12/29/2004
• Issued: 04/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Given Imaging Limited (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Given Imaging Limited (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Meron, Gavriel, Krupnik, Hagai
• Primary Examiner(s): Daniels, Anthony J
• Application Number:
  US10/584,997
• Publication Number:
  US 20070230893A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,673 Days
• Field of Search: 348143-155, 348/333.05, 600/103, 600/109
• US Class Current: 348/333.05
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00009 of image signals during a use of endoscope
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0005 combining images e.g. side-by-side, superimposed or tiled
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/04 combined with photographic or television appliances
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/041 Capsule endoscopes for imaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/045 with a separable interface unit, e.g. for communication
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0008 Temperature signals
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/036 by means introduced into body tracts A61B5/032 and A61B5/035 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/073 Intestinal transmitters
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/145 Measuring characteristics of blood in vivo, e.g. gas concentration, pH value; Measuring characteristics of body fluids or tissues, e.g. interstitial fluid, cerebral tissuemeasuring of blood pressure or blood flow A61B5/02; non-radiation detecting or locating of foreign bodies in blood A61B5/06
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14539 for measuring pH
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7435 Displaying user selection data, e.g. icons in a graphical user interface
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7445 Display arrangements, e.g. multiple display units
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7475 User input or interface means, e.g. keyboard, pointing device, joystick
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 30/20 for handling medical images, e.g. DICOM, HL7 or PACS
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources

Abstract

A system and method may display an image stream (200), 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 in each time slot (210A-240D) may be variably adjusted based on a predetermined criterion. The images may be collected from an ingestible capsule traversing the GI tract.

Claims

1. A method for displaying frames from an in-vivo image stream, the image stream comprising a series of frames captured in-vivo in a chronological order, said method comprising:

selecting a plurality of subsets of frames from the in-vivo image stream for display across a series of time slots;

for each subset, assigning at least one score to each frame of the subset based on a degree of variation between a predetermined criterion of each frame and a predetermined criterion of a reference frame;

displaying, using a monitor, subsets of the selected plurality of subsets of frames from the in-vivo image stream across a series of time-sequential slots as a multi-frame image stream, by displaying image frames of a different subset of the selected plurality of subsets of frames substantially simultaneously in each of the time-sequential slots, wherein the frames of the displayed subset of frames are positioned spatially in order of ascending or descending degree of variation based on the at least one score assigned thereto; and

adjusting the size of at least one of the frames displayed based on the assigned score.

2. The method according to claim 1 comprising displaying the in-vivo image stream as a multi-frame image stream.

3. The method according to claim 2 comprising adjusting a rate at which the multi-frame image stream is displayed based on the content of the frames.

4. The method according to claim 1 wherein the score is assigned based on a degree of color variation of the displayed frames as compared to the reference frames.

5. The method according to claim 1 wherein the in-vivo image stream includes frames captured from more than one image sensor.

6. The method according to claim 1 comprising displaying sensor data from a sensor other than an image sensor substantially simultaneously as the frames from the in-vivo image stream.

7. The method according to claim 1 wherein the reference frame represents healthy tissue and wherein frames having a high degree of variation with respect to the healthy tissue reference frame are displayed to represent pathologies.

8. The method according to claim 1 wherein the reference frame represents a pathology and wherein frames having a low degree of variation with respect to the pathology reference frame are displayed.

9. The method according to claim 1 comprising selecting or generating the reference frame.

10. The method according to claim 9 wherein selecting or generating the reference frame is based on the frame to be displayed.

11. The method according to claim 1 wherein the predetermined criterion is selected from the group consisting of:

color, shape features, focusing, lighting, blood detection, and image content which may not be associated with a pathology.

12. A system for displaying frames of an in-vivo image stream, the system, the image stream comprising a series of frames captured in-vivo in a chronological order, the system comprising:

an in-vivo imaging device to transmit an in-vivo image stream;

a processor to select a plurality of subsets of frames from the in-vivo image stream for display across a series of time slots and for each subset assign at least one score to each of frame of the subset based on a degree of variation between a predetermined criterion of each frame and a predetermined criterion of a reference frame; and

a monitor to display subsets of the selected plurality of subsets of frames from the in-vivo image stream across a series of time-sequential slots as a multi-frame image stream, wherein each multi-frame image thereof displays image frames of a different subset of the selected plurality of subsets of frames substantially simultaneously in each of the time-sequential slots, wherein the frames of the displayed subset of frames are positioned spatially in order of ascending or descending degree of variation based on the at least one score assigned thereto; and

wherein the size of at least one of the frames displayed is adjusted based on the assigned score.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the in-vivo imaging device is an autonomous capsule.

14. The system of claim 12 comprising a pH sensor.

15. The system of claim 12 wherein the scores are assigned based on data detected by a sensor.

16. The system of claim 12 wherein the processor is to adjust the stream rate of the multi-frame image stream.

17. A method for displaying frames from an in-vivo image stream, the image stream comprising a series of frames captured in-vivo in a chronological order, the method comprising:

transmitting an in-vivo image stream;

selecting a plurality of subsets of frames from the in-vivo image stream for display across a series of time slots;

for each subset, assigning at least one score to each frame of the subset based on a degree of variation between a predetermined criterion of each frame and a predetermined criterion of a reference frame;

displaying, using a monitor, subsets of the selected plurality of subsets of frames from the in-vivo image stream across a series of time-sequential slots as a multi-frame image stream, by displaying image frames of a different subset of the selected plurality of subsets of frames substantially simultaneously in each of the time-sequential slots, wherein the frames of the displayed subset of frames are positioned spatially in order of ascending or descending degree of variation based on the at least one score assigned thereto; and

adjusting the size of at least one of the frames displayed based on the assigned score.

18. The method according to claim 17 wherein at least two of the plurality of frames are displayed having different sizes.

19. The method according to claim 17 wherein the score is assigned based on color variation of the plurality of frames as compared to the reference frames.