Stereo imaging system with automatic disparity adjustment for displaying close range objects

A system comprising:

• a stereoscopic endoscope comprising a stereoscopic camera positionable within a patient to capture stereo images of a worksite within the patient and output captured stereo worksite image pairs, each of the captured stereo worksite image pairs having a native disparity;
• a depth sensing system configured to determine a depth value indicating a distance from image capturing elements of the stereoscopic camera to a region of the worksite;
• and
• an image processor configured to:
• in response to the depth value being equal to or exceeding a threshold value,
• generate stereo image pairs for display based on corresponding ones of the captured stereo worksite image pairs, wherein each of the stereo image pairs for display has a disparity equal to the native disparity of the corresponding captured stereo worksite image pair, and
• cause the stereo image pairs for display to be displayed on a stereo viewer;
• and
• in response to the depth value being less than the threshold value,
• generate modified stereo image pairs for display based on corresponding ones of the captured stereo worksite image pairs, wherein each of the modified stereo image pairs for display has an adjusted disparity that differs from the native disparity of the corresponding captured stereo worksite image pair;
• and
• cause the modified stereo image pairs for display to be displayed on the stereo viewer.

A medical system comprising:

• an image processor couplable to a stereoscopic endoscope, a depth sensing system, and a stereo viewer,
• wherein the image processor is configured to:
• receive captured stereo worksite image pairs comprising images of a worksite from a stereoscopic camera of the stereoscopic endoscope, each of the captured stereo worksite image pairs having a native disparity;
• receive a depth value from the depth sensing system, the depth value indicative of a distance from image capturing elements of the stereoscopic camera to a region of the worksite;
• in response to the depth value being equal to or exceeding a threshold value,
• generate stereo image pairs for display based on corresponding ones of the captured stereo worksite image pairs, whereineach of the stereo image pairs for display has a disparity equal to the native disparity of the corresponding captured stereo worksite image pair, and
• cause the stereo image pairs for display to be displayed on a stereo viewer;
• and
• in response to the depth value being less than the threshold value,
• generate modified stereo image pairs for display based on corresponding ones of the captured stereo worksite image pairs, wherein each of the modified stereo image pairs for display has an adjusted disparity that differs from the native disparity of the corresponding captured stereo worksite image pair;
• and
• cause the modified stereo image pairs for display to be displayed on the stereo viewer.