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
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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.
Claims20
A gastro intestinal (GI) tract imaging arrangement, comprising:
- an ingestible imaging pill configured to capture a plurality of images of portions of a GI tract of an animal as the ingestible imaging pill passes through the GI tract, wherein the plurality of images includes a first plurality of images captured after movement of the ingestible imaging pill in a first direction and a second plurality of images captured after movement of the ingestible imaging pill in a second direction, the first direction being different from the second direction;
- and
- an interactive signal processing device configured to merge the first plurality of images and the second plurality of images to provide a merged image of the GI tract for display and to enlarge a subset of the merged image in a manner dictated by a human operator, a resolution of the subset of the merged image being greater than a resolution of the merged image.
A method for operating an interactive signal processing device, the method comprising:
- receiving, by the interactive signal processing device from an ingestible imaging pill, a plurality of images of portions of a gastro intestinal (GI) tract of an animal as the ingestible imaging pill passes through the GI tract, wherein the plurality of images includes a first plurality of images captured after movement of the ingestible imaging pill in a first direction and a second plurality of images captured after movement of the ingestible imaging pill in a second direction, the first direction being different from the second direction;
- merging, by the interactive signal processing device, the first plurality of images and the second plurality of images to provide a merged image of the GI tract;
- and
- enlarging, by the interactive signal processing device, a subset of the merged image for display in a manner dictated by a human operator, a resolution of the subset of the merged image being greater than a resolution of the merged image.
An interactive signal processing device, comprising:
- a receiver configured to receive from an ingestible imaging pill, a plurality of images of portions of a gastro intestinal (GI) tract of an animal as the ingestible imaging pill passes through the GI tract, wherein the plurality of images includes a first plurality of images captured after movement of the ingestible imaging pill in a first direction and a second plurality of images captured after movement of the ingestible imaging pill in a second direction, the first direction being different from the second direction;
- and
- a processor configured to merge the first plurality of images and the second plurality of images to provide a merged image and to enlarge a subset of the merged image for display in a manner dictated by a human operator, a resolution of the subset of the merged image being greater than a resolution of the merged image.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.