Automated systems and methods for assisting with medical procedures

An automated system for assisting with surgical procedures within a patient’s stomach, the system comprising:

• an image processor operably associable with an imaging device of an endoscope and configured to receive and process signals from the imaging device to identify a point, line, region of the patient’s stomach and to predict movement of the point, line, or region, or an object along the patient’s stomach as the configuration of the patient’s stomach is modified during the course of a medical procedure;
• and
• a video display unit operably associated with the image processor to display the point, line, region, or object to the medical professional in real-time while the medical professional performs the medical procedure.

A method of providing automated assistance during performance of an endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty procedure, the method comprising:

• providing an image processor trained to track points, lines, regions, or objects, along a stomach lining of a patient and operably associable with an imaging device of an endoscope;
• and
• providing a video display unit for displaying images from the imaging device of the endoscope processed by the image processor, including virtual representations of points, lines, regions, or objects of interest to the medical professional for performing the endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty procedure.