In-vivo image acquiring apparatus, in-vivo image receiving apparatus, in-vivo image displaying apparatus, and noise eliminating method

• US 9,215,972 B2
• Filed: 10/01/2012
• Issued: 12/22/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Original Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Inventors: Kimoto, Seiichiro
• Primary Examiner(s): ELAHI, SHAN E
• Application Number:
  US13/632,493
• Publication Number:
  US 20130030247A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,177 Days
• Field of Search: 348/68
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/000095 for image enhancement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00016 using wireless means
• 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 1/045 Control thereof
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/073 Intestinal transmitters
• 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 23/56 provided with illuminating means
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/672 between adjacent sensors or output registers for reading a single image

Abstract

An in-vivo image acquiring apparatus includes an operation control unit which controls a black image acquiring operation, in which the operation control unit controls an imaging unit and an illuminating unit in such a manner the imaging unit conducts an image acquiring operation in a state the illuminating unit does not conduct an illuminating operation. The in-vivo image acquiring apparatus also includes an average calculating unit which calculates the average value of pixel value in a predetermined determining area, and a black image determining unit, which determines whether the image information acquired by the image acquiring operation is the black image by comparing the average value with a predetermined threshold value. The image information determined as the black image by the black image determining unit is transmitted, as the black image information, to an external apparatus by radio.

Claims

1. An in-vivo image acquiring apparatus to be taken into a body of a subject, comprising:

an imaging sensor that acquires in-vivo image information;

an illuminating device that illuminates imaging regions of which images are taken by the imaging sensor;

a radio transmitting circuit that transmits the image information acquired by the imaging sensor to an external apparatus by radio;

an operation controller that controls operations of the imaging sensor and the illuminating device so as to control a black image acquiring operation in which the imaging sensor conducts an imaging operation with the illuminating device not conducting an illuminating operation;

a processor that;

detects a peak value of pixel values of pixels that constitute a predetermined determining area among the image information acquired by the black image acquiring operation; and

determines whether the image information acquired by the black image acquiring operation indicates a black image by comparing the peak value with a predetermined threshold value, the black image being the image information that is compared with the image information acquired by the imaging sensor in an illuminating state and that is used for eliminating fixed pattern noises in the image information acquired by the imaging sensor in the illuminating state,

wherein the radio transmitting circuit transmits to the external apparatus by radio the image information which is determined as the black image, as black image information.

2. The in-vivo image acquiring apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the processor detects and compensates a pixel defect in the image information acquired by the imaging sensor, and

wherein the processor detects the peak value based on the image information that is compensated.

3. An in-vivo image receiving apparatus for receiving in-vivo image information from an in-vivo image acquiring apparatus which is taken into a body of a subject and which acquires the in-vivo image information in a first state or in a second state, the first state being a state in which an illuminating operation is conducted by the in-vivo image acquiring apparatus, and the second state being a state in which the illuminating operation is not conducted by the in-vivo image acquiring apparatus, the in-vivo image receiving apparatus comprising:

a processor that;

detects a peak value of pixel values of pixels that constitute a predetermined determining area among the image information acquired in the second state of the in-vivo image acquiring apparatus; and

determines whether the image information acquired in the second state is a black image by comparing the peak value with a predetermined threshold value, the black image being the image information that is compared with the image information acquired by the in-vivo image acquiring apparatus in the first state and that is used for eliminating fixed pattern noises in the image information acquired by the in-vivo image acquiring apparatus in the first state, and

a black image storage that stores as black image information the image information determined as the black image,

wherein the processor eliminates, based on the black image information stored in the black image storage, fixed pattern noises in the image information acquired in the first state by the in-vivo image acquiring apparatus, and compensates the image information.

4. The in-vivo image receiving apparatus according to claim 3,

wherein the processor detects and compensates a pixel defect in the image information acquired in the first state or the second state, and

wherein the processor detects the peak value based on the image information that is compensated.

5. An in-vivo image displaying apparatus for displaying image information acquired by an in-vivo image acquiring apparatus which is taken into a body of a subject and acquires in-vivo image information in a first state or in a second state, the first state being a state in which an illuminating operation is conducted, and the second state being a state in which the illuminating operation is not conducted, the in-vivo image displaying apparatus comprising:

a processor that;

detects a peak value of pixel values of pixels that constitute a predetermined determining area among the image information acquired by the in-vivo image acquiring apparatus in the second state; and

determines whether the image information acquired in the second state indicates a black image by comparing the peak value with a predetermined threshold value, the black image being the image information that is compared with the image information acquired by the in-vivo image acquiring apparatus in the first state and that is used for eliminating fixed pattern noises in the image information acquired by the in-vivo image acquiring apparatus in the first state, and

a black image storage that stores as black image information the image information determined as the black image,

wherein the processor eliminates, based on the black image information stored in the black image storage, fixed pattern noises in the image information acquired in the first state with the in-vivo image acquiring apparatus, and compensates the image information.

6. The in-vivo image displaying apparatus according to claim 5,

wherein the processor detects and compensates a pixel defect in the image information acquired by the in-vivo image acquiring apparatus in the first state or the second state, and

wherein the processor detects the peak value based on the image information that is compensated.

7. A noise eliminating method for eliminating fixed pattern noises in in-vivo image information, the method comprising:

acquiring the in-vivo image information in a first state in which an illuminating operation is not conducted;

detecting a peak value of pixel values of pixels that constitute a predetermined determining area among the image information acquired in the first state;

determining whether the image information acquired in the first state indicates a black image by comparing the detected peak value with a predetermined threshold value;

acquiring the in-vivo image information in a second state in which the illuminating operation is conducted; and

eliminating the fixed pattern noises in the image information acquired in the second state and compensating the image information based on the image information determined as the black image, the black image being the image information that is compared with the image information acquired by the imaging sensor in the first state and that is used for eliminating fixed pattern noises in the image information acquired by the imaging sensor in the first state.