Abstract: A method and apparatus of objective assessment of images captured from a human gastrointestinal (GI) tract are disclosed. According to this method, one or more images captured using an endoscope when the endoscope is inside the human gastrointestinal (GI) tract are received. Whether there is any specific target object is checked. When one or more specific target objects in the images are detected: areas of the specific target objects in the images are determined; an objective assessment score is derived based on the areas of the specific target objects in a substantial number of images from the images; where the step of detecting the specific target objects is performed using an artificial intelligence process.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a device for retrieving a medical capsule. The collection pan comprises a flange to adapt to a rim of the toilet bowl and a collection cup joined to the flange around the capture opening. The flange comprises a capture opening for collecting feces, and two wings of the flange extended from the capture opening are placed over the rim of the toilet bowl to support the collection pan. The collection cup comprises a cup wall and a sifting part at bottom of the collection cup. The sifting part comprises a plurality of holes to allow liquied or soft feces to pass while preventing the capsule to pass. The flange and the collection cup are made of rubber or rubber-alike materials. The flange is flexible to fold down and to bend up. The cup wall is flexible to collapse and to extend from collapsed state.

Abstract: A method and system for identifying a GI (gastrointestinal) part associated with a location of a capsule device within a human GI tract are disclosed. According to this method, one or more structured-light images captured by the capsule device when the capsule device is inside the human GI tract are received, where the structured-light images are captured by projecting a plurality of structured light beams from the capsule device onto a surrounding lumen wall. Distance information is derived based on the structured-light images for a target set of measuring rays from the capsule device to the surrounding lumen wall. The GI part associated with the location of the capsule device associated with a distance-measuring frame related to said one or more structured-light images is determined based on the distance information, where the GI part belongs to a group comprising a transverse colon.

Abstract: Method for extending battery life and a capsule endoscope using the method are disclosed. According to this method, a peak current in a current profile consumed by the capsule endoscope is identified, where the peak current is contributed by at least two sub-tasks associated with operations of the capsule endoscope and said at least two sub-tasks are performed overlapping in time. A running voltage indicating a battery output voltage at or near time instances of the peak current is determined. When the running voltage a condition caused by IR (battery internal-resistance) voltage drop, the sub-tasks are adjusted to reduce overlapping so as to reduce the peak current to a second peak current. According to another method, at least one sub-task is switched to another sub-task when the running voltage is below a threshold.

Abstract: A method of processing gastrointestinal images is disclosed. According to embodiments of the present invention, a plurality of images from an endoscope, wherein the plurality of images is captured by the endoscope when the endoscope travels through a GI (gastrointestinal) tract are received. Corresponding anatomical parts associated with the plurality of images are then determined. A selected image process is applied to a target image from the plurality of images, where one or more parameters of the selected image process are determined according to a corresponding anatomical part determined for the target image.

Abstract: Method for leveraging battery residue energy and a capsule endoscope using the method are disclosed. The capsule endoscope is capable of performing one or more functions at a first throughput or a first peak current when the battery has sufficient energy. According to this method, whether the battery energy is sufficient is determined. Upon determining the battery energy being insufficient, at least one function of the one or more functions is performed at a second throughput lower than the first throughput, or at least one function of the one or more functions is switched to another function requiring a second peak current lower than the first peak current.

Abstract: A method for imaging a patient's gastrointestinal tract using a capsule camera and a patient positioning system are disclosed. According to the method, the capsule camera is administered to a patient by swallowing the capsule camera through patient's mouth. For each target examination position selected from a set of examination positions: the patient positioning system is adjusted to a target positioner bed position associated with the target examination position with the patient on the positioner be. Adjusting patient positioning system comprises adjusting the positioner bed to tilt at a tilt angle, and wherein the set of examination positions comprises at least two different tilt angles; and the patient positioning system still is held at the target examination position for a pre-defined period of dwelling time to allow the capsule camera to capture stable pictures. Image data captured by the capsule camera are then collected.

Abstract: Method for leveraging battery residue energy and a capsule endoscope using the method are disclosed. The capsule endoscope is capable of performing one or more functions at a first throughput or a first peak current when the battery has sufficient energy. According to this method, whether the battery energy is sufficient is determined.

Abstract: A method and apparatus of objective assessment of images captured from a human gastrointestinal (GI) tract are disclosed. According to this method, one or more images captured using an endoscope when the endoscope is inside the human gastrointestinal (GI) tract are received. Whether there is any specific target object is checked. When one or more specific target objects in the images are detected: areas of the specific target objects in the images are determined; an objective assessment score is derived based on the areas of the specific target objects in a substantial number of images from the images; where the step of detecting the specific target objects is performed using an artificial intelligence process.

Abstract: Method for extending battery life and a capsule endoscope using the method are disclosed. According to this method, sub-tasks associated with capturing one image using the capsule endoscope when the capsule endoscope moves through a human GI (gastrointestinal) tract after being ingested by a human subject are identified. The capsule endoscope is capable of capturing an image sequence at a first frame period, and at least two sub-tasks are performed with partial or full overlap. One or more images are captured at a second frame period by performing sub-task spreading, where the sub-task spreading spreads the sub-tasks over time to reduce or avoid the partial or full overlap for said at least two sub-tasks so as to reduce a sub-task peak current or peak current duration. The second frame period is longer than the first frame period.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for sharpening gastrointestinal (GI) images are disclosed. A target distance between the target region and the imaging apparatus is determined for a target region in the regular image. One or more filter parameters of a de-blurring filter are selected from stored filter parameters according to the target distance. A processed target region is generated by applying the de-blurring filter to the target region to improve sharpness of the target region. A method for characterizing an imaging apparatus is also disclosed. The imaging apparatus is placed under a controlled environment. Test pictures for one or more test patterns are captured at multiple test distances in a range including a focus distance using the imaging apparatus. One or more parameters associated a target point spread function are determined from each test picture for characterizing image formation of the imaging apparatus at the selected distance.

Abstract: A method of processing images captured using an endoscope comprising a camera is disclosed. According to this method, regular images captured by the camera are received while the endoscope travels through a human gastrointestinal (GI) tract. The regular images are mosaicked to determine any missed or insufficiently imaged area in a section of the human GI tract already travelled by the endoscope. If any missed or insufficiently imaged area is detected, information regarding any missed or insufficiently imaged area is provided. When a target area in the regular images is lack of parallax, the target area is determined as one missed area and an edge corresponding to a structure of the human lumen is highlighted. For a capsule endoscope, the endoscope can be configured to be controlled or steered to move so as to re-image the missed or insufficiently imaged area.

Abstract: A method and apparatus of image stitching using confidence level of image matching on image pair to be stitched are disclosed. According to the present invention, the first quality of image matching is determined for a current image based on feature matching on first image pairs corresponding to the current image and a neighboring image set. If the first quality of image matching for at least one first image pair satisfies a first quality criterion, then the second quality of image matching is determined based on pixel-domain matching for one or more candidate image pairs, where each candidate image pair has a corresponding first quality of image matching satisfying the first quality criterion. If the second quality of image matching for a candidate image pair satisfies a second quality criterion, then the matched image pair is stitched.

Abstract: A method of processing images captured using an endoscope comprising a camera is disclosed. According to this method, regular images captured by the camera are received while the endoscope travels through a human gastrointestinal (GI) tract. The regular images are mosaicked to determine any missed or insufficiently imaged area in a section of the human GI tract already travelled by the endoscope. If any missed or insufficiently imaged area is detected, information regarding any missed or insufficiently imaged area is provided. When a target area in the regular images is lack of parallax, the target area is determined as one missed area and an edge corresponding to a structure of the human lumen is highlighted. For a capsule endoscope, the endoscope can be configured to be controlled or steered to move so as to re-image the missed or insufficiently imaged area.

Abstract: A method of processing images captured using an endoscope comprising a camera is disclosed. According to this method, regular images captured by the camera are received while the endoscope is maneuvered by an operator to travel through a human gastrointestinal (GI) tract. The regular images are mosaicked to determine any missed or insufficiently imaged area in a section of the human GI tract already travelled by the endoscope. If any missed or insufficiently imaged area is detected, information regarding any missed or insufficiently imaged area is provided to the operator.

Abstract: An integrated image sensor for capturing a mixed structured-light image and regular image using an integrated image sensor are disclosed. The integrated image sensor comprises a pixel array, one or more output circuits, one or more analog-to-digital converters, and one or more timing and control circuits. The timing and control circuits are arranged to perform a set of actions including capturing a regular image and a structured-light image. According to the present invention, the structured-light image captured before or after the regular image is used to derive depth or shape information for the regular image. An endoscope based on the above integrated image sensor is also disclosed. The endoscope may comprises a capsule housing adapted to be swallowed, where the components of integrated image sensor, a structured light source and anon-structured light source are enclosed and sealed in the capsule housing.

Abstract: A method and apparatus of processing and displaying images captured using an in vivo capsule camera are disclosed. One or more overlapped areas between a target image and each image in a neighboring image group are determined, which comprises at least two neighboring images around the target image. Marked pixels in the target image are then determined, where a pixel in the target image is designated as a marked pixel if the pixel is within an overlapped area between the target image and at least one neighboring image. If the total number of the marked pixels in the target image exceeds a threshold and the number of the marked pixels associated with the overlapped area(s) between the target image and any image in the neighboring image group is below the threshold, the target image is excluded from a set of images to be displayed on a display device.

Abstract: A display device includes (a) a non-volatile memory containing corrective data for compensating input image data received; (b) display hardware receiving control and data signals for displaying an image; and (c) an image processing circuit that retrieves the corrective data from the non-volatile memory to generate the data signals for the display hardware, after applying the corrective data to each color component of each pixel in the input image data.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are systems, methods, and structures providing accurate and easy to use size measurement of physiological features identified from endoscopic examination. In sharp contrast to the prior art, systems, methods, and structures according to the present disclosure employ structured light that advantageously enables size and/or distance information about lesions and/or other physiological features in a gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Advantageously, systems, methods, and structures according to the present disclosure are applicable to both capsule endoscopes and insertion endoscopes.

Abstract: A method for sharpening gastrointestinal (GI) images and an apparatus thereof are disclosed. A first target distance between a first target region in a regular image and an imaging apparatus is determined, and a second target distance between a second target region in the regular image and the imaging apparatus is determined. One or more first filter parameters for a first de-blurring filter and one or more second filter parameters for a second de-blurring filter are selected from stored filter parameters according to the first and second target distances respectively. A first processed target region is generated by applying the first de-blurring filter to the first target region to improve sharpness of the first target region. A second processed target region is generated by applying the second de-blurring filter to the second target region to improve sharpness of the second target region.