Abstract: With the inventive technology, wound measurement is performed, but without the patient wound, or the skin near the patient wound, needing to have an object physically placed thereon. The patient wound and patient skin near the wound are spared contact with a ruler, marker, grid, and spared the wound and area near the wound being directly physically worked-on.

Abstract: With inventive processing making use of surface-reconstruction and capping steps, more imagery acquired by 3C cameras can be put to use in augmented reality applications, especially applications, such as medical reconstruction, in which a certain theoretical ideal fit might be wanted but can be difficult or seemingly impossible to achieve due to highly complex, irregular shapes, perimeters and surfaces involved. The inventive technology is especially useful for ongoing wound measurement and comparative analysis and characterization of a wound over time, as well as working with anatomical reconstruction. The inventive technology also extends to non-medical augmented reality applications, and provides robust data sets representing a range of real-world objects, such as zoo animals, family pets, etc. susceptible of being imaged and stored as robust data sets that provide better verisimilitude when used in gaming or other virtual-world contexts as compared to a raw data set from a camera.

Abstract: With the inventive technology, wound measurement is performed, but without the patient wound, or the skin near the patient wound, needing to have an object physically placed thereon. The patient wound and patient skin near the wound are spared contact with a ruler, marker, grid, and spared the wound and area near the wound being directly physically worked-on.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods are described for receiving into at least one processor a set of images of blood vessels of a subject. A road map of the subject's blood vessels is generated, by automatically (a) deriving at least one image from the set of images of the blood vessels, based upon visibility of at least a portion of the blood vessels in the set of images, and (b) in the derived image, determining a location of edge lines of at least some of the portion of the blood vessels in the image. An output is generated by the processor, based on the road map. Other embodiments are also described.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods are described including, while an endoluminal data-acquisition device is being moved through a lumen of a subject, acquiring a plurality of endoluminal data points of the lumen using the endoluminal data-acquisition device. It is determined that, at least one location, no endoluminal data point was acquired. An output is generated using at least a portion of the plurality of endoluminal data points of the lumen acquired using the endoluminal data-acquisition device, the output including an indication that no endoluminal data point was acquired at the location. Other applications are also described.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods are described, including, using an imaging device, acquiring a plurality of images of a portion of a body of a subject. Using a processor, a first feature within each of the images is aligned. At least one enhanced image that is enhanced with respect to the first feature is generated, using the aligned images. Visibility of a second feature is reduced in the enhanced image, and the at least one image that is enhanced with respect to the first feature is displayed upon a display. Other applications are also described.

Abstract: With inventive processing making use of surface-reconstruction and capping steps, more imagery acquired by 3C cameras can be put to use in augmented reality applications, especially applications, such as medical reconstruction, in which a certain theoretical ideal fit might be wanted but can be difficult or seemingly impossible to achieve due to highly complex, irregular shapes, perimeters and surfaces involved. The inventive technology is especially useful for ongoing wound measurement and comparative analysis and characterization of a wound over time, as well as working with anatomical reconstruction. The inventive technology also extends to non-medical augmented reality applications, and provides robust data sets representing a range of real-world objects, such as zoo animals, family pets, etc. susceptible of being imaged and stored as robust data sets that provide better verisimilitude when used in gaming or other virtual-world contexts as compared to a raw data set from a camera.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods are described including, using a computer processor (28), automatically identifying whether a given pixel (111) within an image corresponds to a portion of an object. A set of concentric circles (132a-c) that are disposed around the pixel are sampled, and a first function is applied to each of the circles such that the circles are defined by a first set of rotationally invariant descriptors. A second function is applied to the set of circles to generate a second set of descriptors, each of which represents a difference between respective pairs of the circles. A third function is applied such that the second set of descriptors becomes rotationally invariant. The processor identifies whether the given pixel corresponds to the portion of the object, based upon the first and second sets of rotationally invariant descriptors. Other applications are also described.

Abstract: With the inventive technology, wound measurement is performed, but without the patient wound, or the skin near the patient wound, needing to have an object physically placed thereon. The patient wound and patient skin near the wound are spared contact with a ruler, marker, grid, and spared the wound and area near the wound being directly physically worked-on.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods are provided for imaging a tool inside a portion of a subject's body that undergoes motion. A plurality of image frames of the portion are acquired. An image frame in which the tool is enhanced is generated by (a) identifying radiopaque markers in the image frames, (b) identifying edge lines in a vicinity of the markers within the image frames, the edge lines corresponding to contours of the tool, (c) in response to the identifying of the edge lines, selecting a subset of the image frames that are based upon the acquired image frames, based upon a level of similarity between the edge lines in the selected image frames to one another, (d) aligning the contours in a plurality of the selected image frames, and (e) averaging the plurality of aligned frames to generate an averaged image frame. Other applications are also described.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods are described including designating within an image of blood vessels of a subject, a target portion of the blood vessels. In response to a first input from a user that designates a single point on the image, a first location within the blood vessels in a vicinity of the designated point is designated. In response to second and third inputs from the user, proximal and distal locations within the target portion are designated. The target portion is designated such that the target portion passes from the proximal location of the target portion to the distal location of the target portion, and such that the target portion includes the first location. Quantitative vessel analysis is performed on the target portion of the blood vessels, and an output is generated based upon the quantitative vessel analysis. Other applications are also described.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods are described for imaging a portion of a body of a subject that undergoes motion. A plurality of image frames of the portion are acquired. A stream of image frames is generated in which a vicinity of a given feature of the image frames is enhanced, by (a) automatically identifying the given feature in each of the image frames, (b) aligning the given feature in two or more of the image frames, (c) averaging sets of two or more of the aligned frames to generate a plurality of averaged image frames, and (d) displaying as a stream of image frames the plurality of averaged image frames. Other embodiments are also described.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods are described including, using a computer processor (28), automatically identifying whether a given pixel (111) within an image corresponds to a portion of an object. A set of concentric circles (132a-c) that are disposed around the pixel are sampled, and a first function is applied to each of the circles such that the circles are defined by a first set of rotationally invariant descriptors. A second function is applied to the set of circles to generate a second set of descriptors, each of which represents a difference between respective pairs of the circles. A third function is applied such that the second set of descriptors becomes rotationally invariant. The processor identifies whether the given pixel corresponds to the portion of the object, based upon the first and second sets of rotationally invariant descriptors. Other applications are also described.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods are described including inserting a tool into a blood vessel, and, while the tool is within the blood vessel, acquiring an extraluminal image of the blood vessel. In the extraluminal image of the blood vessel, a location of a portion of the tool with respect to the blood vessel is detected automatically. In response to detecting the location of the portion of the tool, a target portion of the blood vessel that is in a vicinity of the portion of the tool is designated automatically. Using the extraluminal image, quantitative vessel analysis is performed on the target portion of the blood vessel. Other embodiments are also described.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods are described for use with an image of at least one blood vessel (50) of a subject including, using at least one computer processor (28), determining a presence of a device (55) within at least a portion of the blood vessel within the image. The computer processor determines a classification of the device as a given type of device, and, based upon the classification of the device as the given type of device, designates a parameter to be calculated. The computer processor automatically calculates the designated parameter, and generates an output on an output device (40) in response to the calculated parameter. Other applications are also described.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods are described including acquiring a plurality of image frames of a portion of a subject's body. At least one of the image frames is designated as a baseline image frame, a shape of the portion in the first baseline image frame being designated as a baseline shape. A non-baseline-shape image frame is deformed, such that the shape of the portion becomes more similar to the baseline shape of the portion than when the portion in the non-baseline-shape image frame is not deformed. A composite image is formed that is of higher clarity with respect to anatomy of the portion, relative to each of the acquired image frames, by averaging at least the deformed non-baseline-shape image frame with the baseline image frame. The composite image is displayed on a display. Other applications are also described.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods are described for use with a tool that is inserted into a portion of a body of a subject that undergoes cyclic motion. The apparatus and methods include using an imaging device, acquiring a plurality of images of the tool inside the portion of the body, at respective phases of the cyclic motion. Using at least one computer processor, an extent of movement of the tool with respect to the portion of the body that is due to the cyclic motion of the portion of the body is determined. In response thereto, an output is generated that is indicative of the determined extent of the movement of the tool with respect to the portion of the body. Other applications are also described.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods are described, including, using an imaging device, acquiring a plurality of images of a portion of a body of a subject. Using a processor, a first feature within each of the images is aligned. At least one enhanced image that is enhanced with respect to the first feature is generated, using the aligned images. Visibility of a second feature is reduced in the enhanced image, and the at least one image that is enhanced with respect to the first feature is displayed upon a display. Other applications are also described.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods are described including acquiring a first set of extraluminal images of a lumen, using an extraluminal imaging device. At least one of the first set of images is designated as a roadmap image. While an endoluminal device is being moved through the lumen, a second set of extraluminal images is acquired. A plurality of features that are visible within images belonging to the second set of extraluminal images are identified. In response to the identified features in the images belonging to the second set of extraluminal images, a plurality of local calibration factors associated with respective portions of the roadmap image are determined. Other applications are also described.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods are described including, while an endoluminal data-acquisition device is being moved through a lumen, acquiring a plurality of endoluminal data points of the lumen using the endoluminal data-acquisition device. The endoluminal data points are displayed in a stack, and are co-registered to respective locations along the lumen in an extraluminal image of the lumen. Based upon the co-registering of the endoluminal data points to respective locations along the lumen in the extraluminal image of the lumen, a parameter of a portion of the lumen that corresponds to a portion of the stack of endoluminal data points is determined. An output is generated in response thereto. Other applications are also described.