Stereo imaging system and method for use in telerobotic systems

A method of aligning left and right stereoscopic images, the method comprising:

• capturing right stereoscopic image pixel information for a target object at a surgical site in a first array;
• capturing left stereoscopic image pixel information for the target object in a second array;
• calculating a first line position in the first array;
• calculating a second line position in the second array;
• selecting a portion of the first array and a portion of the second array such that the calculated line positions for each array substantially occupy the same position relative to the selected portions;
• outputting an aligned stereoscopic image to a viewer by displaying the selected portion of the first array and the selected portion of the second array;
• and
• maintaining a selected working distance of an endoscope used to capture the right and left stereoscopic image pixel information by periodically repeating the acts of capturing right stereoscopic image pixel information, capturing left stereoscopic image pixel information, calculating a first line position, calculating a second line position, selecting a portion of the first array and a portion of the second array, and outputting an aligned stereoscopic image.

An endoscopic imaging system comprising:

• an image capture stage that captures right stereoscopic image pixel information for a target object in a first array and left stereoscopic image pixel information for the target object in a second array;
• a video processing stage that
• calculates a first intersection position in the first array and a second intersection position in the second array, wherein calculating the first intersection position comprises:
• for each of a plurality of rows in the first array, determining a first pixel column position that exceeds a row threshold value, a last pixel column position that exceeds the row threshold value, and a column position between the first pixel column position and the last pixel column position;
• for each of a plurality of columns in the first array, determining a first pixel row position that exceeds a column threshold value, a last pixel row position that exceeds the column threshold value, and row position between the first pixel row position and the last pixel row position;
• and
• determining a position at which a first line fitted to the column positions between the first pixel column positions and the last pixel column positions intersects a second line fitted to the row positions between the first pixel row positions and the last pixel row positions, and
• selects a portion of the first array and a portion of the second array such that the calculated intersection positions for each array substantially occupy the same position relative to the selected portions;
• and
• a monitor stage that outputs an aligned stereoscopic image to a viewer by displaying the selected portion of the first array and the selected portion of the second array.