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US 8,617,058 B2Granted
Displaying image data from a scanner capsule
AssigneeInnurvation, Inc.
InventorsMichael Arneson, William R. Bandy, Kevin J. Powell, Kenneth E. Salsman, Devon Tirpack
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An ingestible image scanning pill captures high resolution images of the GI tract as it passes through. Images communicated externally have exact location determination. Image processing software discards duplicate information and stitches images together, line scan by line scan, to replicate a complete GI tract as if it were stretched out in a straight line. A fully linear image is displayed to a medical professional as if the GI tract had been stretched in a straight line, cut open, laid flat out on a bench for viewing—all without making any incisions in a live patient.
Claims22
A gastro intestinal (GI) tract imaging arrangement, comprising:
- an ingestible imaging pill configured to illuminate and to capture a plurality of portions of a GI tract of an animal as the ingestible imaging pill passes through the GI tract, wherein the captured plurality of portions of the GI tract comprise a first plurality of portions captured after movement of the ingestible imaging pill in a first direction relative to the GI tract and a second plurality of portions captured after movement of the ingestible imaging pill in a second direction relative to the GI tract, the first direction being different from the second direction;
- and
- an interactive signal processing device configured to merge the captured plurality of portions of the GI tract to form a substantially linear representation of the GI tract and to dynamically display the substantially linear representation in a manner dictated by a human operator.
An ingestible imaging pill, comprising:
- an illuminator configured to illuminate a portion of a wall of a gastro intestinal (GI) tract of an animal as the ingestible imaging pill is being propelled through the GI tract by peristaltic action;
- a scanner configured to capture ring images of the portion of the wall of the GI tract, wherein the ring images comprise a first of images captured after movement of the ingestible imaging pill in a first direction relative to the GI tract and a second plurality of images captured after movement of the ingestible imaging pill in a second direction relative to the GI tract, the first direction being different from the second direction;
- a controller configured to control the illuminator and the scanner and to provide an image signal indicative of the ring images;
- and
- a transmitter for transmitting the image signal outside of the animal.
2 more elements
A gastro intestinal (GI) tract imaging arrangement, comprising:
- an ingestible imaging pill configured to illuminate and to capture a plurality of portions of a GI tract of an animal as the ingestible imaging pill passes through the GI tract by peristaltic action;
- and
- an interactive signal processing device configured to merge the captured plurality of portions of the GI tract to form a substantially linear representation of the GI tract and to dynamically display the substantially linear representation in a manner dictated by a human operator;
- wherein:
- the plurality of portions of the GI tract of the animal is approximated as a plurality of ring images coupled to each other,
- the ingestible imaging pill is configured to capture the plurality of ring images as the ingestible imaging pill passes through the GI tract of the animal by the peristaltic action,
- the interactive signal processing device is configured to form a plurality of rectangular depictions corresponding to the plurality of ring images, and
- the interactive signal processing device is configured to convert the plurality of ring images to a plurality of isosceles trapezoids and to convert the plurality of isosceles trapezoids to the plurality of rectangular depictions.
5 more elements
An ingestible imaging pill, comprising:
- an illuminator configured to illuminate a portion of a wall of a gastro intestinal (GI) tract of an animal as the ingestible imaging pill is being propelled through the GI tract by peristaltic action;
- a scanner configured to capture a ring image of the portion of the wall of the GI tract;
- a controller configured to control the illuminator and the scanner and to provide an image signal indicative of the ring image;
- a transmitter for transmitting the image signal outside of the animal;
- and
- an electronic element configured to convert the ring image to an isosceles trapezoid by storing the ring image.
3 more elements
A method for displaying a substantially linear representation of a gastro intestinal (GI) tract of an animal, comprising:
- receiving a plurality of images corresponding to a plurality of portions of the GI tract as an ingestible imaging pill passes through the GI tract, wherein the plurality images comprise a first plurality of images captured after movement of the ingestible imaging pill in a first direction relative to the GI tract and a second plurality of images captured after movement of the ingestible imaging pill in a second direction relative to the GI tract, the first direction being different from the second direction;
- merging the plurality of images to form the substantially linear representation of the GI tract;
- and
- dynamically displaying the substantially linear representation in a manner dictated by a human operator.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.