U.S. patent application number 17/249557 was filed with the patent office on 2022-09-08 for turn direction guidance of an endoscopic device.
The applicant listed for this patent is INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION. Invention is credited to Christel BEAUJARD, Saniya Ben Hassen, Anthony Herve, Marc P. Yvon.
Application Number | 20220286602 17/249557 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 1000005496149 |
Filed Date | 2022-09-08 |
United States Patent
Application |
20220286602 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Ben Hassen; Saniya ; et
al. |
September 8, 2022 |
TURN DIRECTION GUIDANCE OF AN ENDOSCOPIC DEVICE
Abstract
Method and system are provided for direction guidance of an
endoscopic device in a tubular organ. The method receives a current
image frame from a camera disposed on the endoscopic device, where
the current image frame captures a visible lumen of the tubular
organ. The method determines an area of the visible lumen in the
current image frame and a ratio of the area of the visible lumen to
a minimum enclosing circle of the visible lumen. If the ratio
breaches a defined threshold, the method adjusts a target direction
of the endoscopic device in a direction from a center of the
visible lumen towards a center of the image frame and outputs a
notification of the adjusted target direction to a controller of
the endoscopic device.
Inventors: |
Ben Hassen; Saniya;
(Amstelveen, NL) ; Yvon; Marc P.; (Anthony,
FR) ; Herve; Anthony; (Paris, FR) ; BEAUJARD;
Christel; (Bazainville, FR) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION |
ARMONK |
NY |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
1000005496149 |
Appl. No.: |
17/249557 |
Filed: |
March 5, 2021 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G06T 7/0012 20130101;
A61B 34/20 20160201; H04N 7/183 20130101; G06K 9/6201 20130101;
H04N 5/23222 20130101; H04N 2005/2255 20130101; H04N 5/23299
20180801; A61B 2034/2065 20160201; G06T 2207/30004 20130101; G06T
7/60 20130101; G06T 2207/10068 20130101; A61B 1/00006 20130101;
G06T 7/70 20170101 |
International
Class: |
H04N 5/232 20060101
H04N005/232; H04N 7/18 20060101 H04N007/18; G06K 9/62 20060101
G06K009/62; G06T 7/70 20060101 G06T007/70; G06T 7/00 20060101
G06T007/00; G06T 7/60 20060101 G06T007/60; A61B 34/20 20060101
A61B034/20; A61B 1/00 20060101 A61B001/00 |
Claims
1. A computer-implemented method for turn direction guidance of an
endoscopic device in real-time in a tubular organ, comprising:
receiving a current image frame from a camera disposed on the
endoscopic device, wherein the current image frame captures a
visible lumen of the tubular organ; determining an area of the
visible lumen in the current image frame; determining a ratio of an
area of a minimum enclosing circle of the visible lumen to the area
of the visible lumen; upon determining the ratio breaches a defined
threshold, adjusting a target direction of the endoscopic device in
a direction from a center of the visible lumen towards a center of
the current image frame; outputting a notification of the adjusted
target direction to a controller of the endoscopic device:
comparing the ratio of the current image frame with a ratio of a
previous image frame; determining there is a decrease in a size of
the area of the visible lumen indicating an approaching turn in the
tubular organ; and upon determining there is a decrease in the size
of the area of the visible lumen, outputting a notification of the
approaching turn to the controller of the endoscopic device.
2. The computer-implemented method according to claim 1, wherein
upon determining the ratio breaches the defined threshold,
adjusting the target direction by a distance proportional to the
ratio from an existing direction towards the center of the image
frame.
3. The computer-implemented method according to claim 2, wherein
the distance is a measurement between the center of the visible
lumen and the center of the image frame.
4. The computer-implemented method according to claim 1, wherein
the determining the the ratio breaches the defined threshold is
determined when the visible lumen is a configured amount less than
the area of the minimum enclosing circle, indicating that turn is
in progress.
5-6. (canceled)
7. The computer-implemented method according to claim 1, wherein
the controller of the endoscopic device is an automated controller
that automatically adjusts the target direction of the endoscopic
device.
8. The computer-implemented method according to claim 1, further
comprising: outputting a notification of the adjusted target
direction to the controller of the endoscopic device; and providing
a visual indication of a target direction on a user interface.
9. The computer-implemented method according to claim 1, further
comprising: including iterating the method for each of a selection
of image frames received from the camera and outputting
notifications in real-time.
10. The computer-implemented method according to claim 1, wherein
the visible lumen is determined by identifying the darkest pixels
in the image frame, and a center of the visible lumen is calculated
as a barycenter of the area of the visible lumen.
11-19. (canceled)
20. A computer program product for turn direction guidance of an
endoscopic device in a tubular organ, the computer program product
comprising: one or more computer-readable tangible storage medium
and program instructions stored on at least one of the one or more
tangible storage medium, the program instructions executable by a
processor, the program instructions the program instructions
readable by a computing system to cause the computing system to
perform a method comprising: receiving a current image frame from a
camera disposed on the endoscopic device, wherein the current image
frame captures a visible lumen of the tubular organ; determining an
area of the visible lumen in the current image frame; determining a
ratio of a minimum enclosing circle of the visible lumen to the
area of the visible lumen; upon determining the ratio breaches a
defined threshold, adjusting a target direction of the endoscopic
device from a center of the visible lumen towards a center of the
current image frame; outputting a notification of the adjusted
target direction to a controller of the endoscopic device:
comparing the ratio of the current image frame with a ratio of a
previous image frame; determining there is a decrease in a size of
the area of the visible lumen indicating an approaching turn in the
tubular organ; upon determining there is a decrease in the size of
the area of the visible lumen, outputting a notification of the
approaching turn to the controller of the endoscopic device.
21. A computer system for turn direction guidance of an endoscopic
device in real-time in a tubular organ, the computer system
comprising: one or more computer processors, one or more
computer-readable storage media, and program instructions stored on
the one or more of the computer-readable storage media for
execution by at least one of the one or more processors, wherein
the computer system is capable of performing a method comprising:
receiving a current image frame from a camera disposed on the
endoscopic device, wherein the current image frame captures a
visible lumen of the tubular organ; determining an area of the
visible lumen in the current image frame; determining a ratio of an
area of a minimum enclosing circle of the visible lumen to the area
of the visible lumen; upon determining the ratio breaches a defined
threshold, adjusting a target direction of the endoscopic device in
a direction from a center of the visible lumen towards a center of
the current image frame; outputting a notification of the adjusted
target direction to a controller of the endoscopic device comparing
the ratio of the current image frame with a ratio of a previous
image frame; determining there is a decrease in a size of the area
of the visible lumen indicating an approaching turn in the tubular
organ; and upon determining there is a decrease in the size of the
area of the visible lumen, outputting a notification of the
approaching turn to the controller of the endoscopic device.
22. The computer system according to claim 21, wherein upon
determining the ratio breaches the defined threshold, adjusting the
target direction by a distance proportional to the ratio from an
existing direction towards the center of the image frame.
23. The computer system according to claim 22, wherein the distance
is a measurement between the center of the visible lumen and the
center of the image frame.
24. The computer system according to claim 21, wherein the
determining the ratio breaches the defined ratio is determined when
the visible lumen is a configured amount less than the area of the
minimum enclosing circle, indicating that turn is in progress.
25. The computer system according to claim 21, wherein the
controller of the endoscopic device is an automated controller that
automatically adjusts the target direction of the endoscopic
device.
26. The computer system according to claim 21, further comprising:
outputting a notification of the adjusted target direction to the
controller of the endoscopic device; and providing a visual
indication of a target direction on a user interface.
27. The computer system according to claim 21, further comprising:
including iterating the method for each of a selection of image
frames received from the camera and outputting notifications in
real-time.
28. The computer system according to claim 21, wherein the visible
lumen is determined by identifying the darkest pixels in the image
frame, and a center of the visible lumen is calculated as a
barycenter of the area of the visible lumen.
29. A computer-implemented method for turn direction guidance of an
endoscopic device in real-time in a tubular organ, comprising:
receiving a current image frame from a camera disposed on the
endoscopic device, wherein the current image frame captures a
visible lumen of the tubular organ; determining an area of the
visible lumen in the current image frame; determining a ratio of an
area of a minimum enclosing circle of the visible lumen to the area
of the visible lumen; upon determining the ratio breaches a defined
threshold, adjusting a target direction of the endoscopic device in
a direction from a center of the visible lumen towards a center of
the current image frame; outputting a notification of the adjusted
target direction to a controller of the endoscopic device;
comparing the ratio of the current image frame with a ratio of a
previous image frame; determining there is an increase in a size of
the area of the visible lumen indicating a moving away from a turn
in the tubular organ; and upon determining there is an increase in
the size of the area of the visible lumen, outputting a
notification of a the moving away from the turn to the controller
of the endoscopic device.
Description
BACKGROUND
[0001] The present invention relates to a computer implemented
method, data processing system and computer program product for
endoscopic guidance, and more specifically, to turn direction
guidance of an endoscopic device in real-time.
[0002] Endoscopies are medical procedures that allow doctors to
inspect internal organs of a body. The most common use is to
inspect the gastrointestinal tracts of patients; however,
endoscopies may also be used to inspect other hollow organs such as
the urinary tract, the ears, nose, throat, and heart. During an
endoscopy, a doctor generally uses wired endoscopes equipped with
video cameras, a light, and, potentially, surgical instruments. The
doctor looks at a video on a computer screen to manually insert and
guide an endoscope forward and inspect the walls of the hollow
organ being inspected while pulling the endoscope out of the
body.
[0003] In gastrointestinal endoscopies, their purpose is to detect
gastrointestinal diseases such as polyps and cancerous cells early
enough for successful treatment. The gastrointestinal tract
environment is a very specific environment due to its elasticity,
the presence of obstacles, the texture and look of its walls, shape
changes due to the digestion process and other biological
processes.
[0004] An endoscopy can be difficult to carry out without incurring
pain to a patient or possibly a tear in a patient, either of which
can be a deterrent for a patient. Professionals must be highly
qualified to perform an endoscopy and few of them have the
experience and capability of reducing pain during the procedure.
The world population is aging in rich countries and there is a lack
of endoscopy specialists in poorer countries. The need for
endoscopies increases while a significant amount of education is
required to become a good endoscopy specialist.
[0005] In summary, endoscopies can save many lives but are complex
and expensive procedures with potential pain and harm to a
patient.
SUMMARY
[0006] According to an aspect of the present invention there is
provided a computer-implemented method for turn direction guidance
of an endoscopic device in real-time in a tubular organ,
comprising: receiving a current image frame from a camera disposed
on the endoscopic device, wherein the current image frame captures
a visible lumen of the tubular organ; determining an area of the
visible lumen in the current image frame; determining a ratio of an
area of a minimum enclosing circle of the visible lumen to the area
of the visible lumen; if the ratio breaches a defined threshold,
adjusting a target direction of the endoscopic device in a
direction from a center of the visible lumen towards a center of
the image frame; and outputting a notification of the adjusted
target direction to a controller of the endoscopic device.
[0007] According to a further aspect of the present invention there
is provided a system for turn direction guidance of an endoscopic
device in a tubular organ, comprising: a processor and a memory
configured to provide computer program instructions to the
processor to execute the function of the components: an image frame
receiving component for receiving a current image frame from a
camera disposed on the endoscopic device, wherein the current image
frame captures a visible lumen of the tubular organ; a lumen area
determining component for determining an area of the visible lumen
in the current image frame; a lumen area size determining component
for determining a ratio of an area of a minimum enclosing circle of
the visible lumen to the area of the visible lumen; a ratio
threshold component for determining if the ratio breaches a defined
threshold and a target direction component for adjusting the target
direction of the endoscopic device from a center of the visible
lumen towards a center of the image frame; and an outputting
component for outputting a notification of the adjusted target
direction to a controller of the endoscopic device.
[0008] According to a further aspect of the present invention there
is provided a computer program product for turn direction guidance
of an endoscopic device in a tubular organ, the computer program
product comprising a computer readable storage medium having
program instructions embodied therewith, the program instructions
executable by a processor to cause the processor to: receive a
current image frame from a camera disposed on the endoscopic
device, wherein the current image frame captures a visible lumen of
the tubular organ; determine an area of the visible lumen in the
current image frame; determine a ratio of an area of a minimum
enclosing circle of the visible lumen to the area of the visible
lumen; if the ratio breaches a defined threshold, adjust a target
direction of the endoscopic device from a center of the visible
lumen towards a center of the image frame; and output a
notification of the adjusted target direction to a controller of
the endoscopic device.
[0009] The computer readable storage medium may be a non-transitory
computer readable storage medium and the computer readable program
code may be executable by a processing circuit.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0010] The subject matter regarded as the invention is particularly
pointed out and distinctly claimed in the concluding portion of the
specification. The invention, both as to organization and method of
operation, together with objects, features, and advantages thereof,
may best be understood by reference to the following detailed
description when read with the accompanying drawings.
[0011] Preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be
described, by way of example only, with reference to the following
drawings in which:
[0012] FIGS. 1A to 1C are illustrations of image frames showing
lumen areas as used in the described method and system, according
to an embodiment;
[0013] FIG. 2A is a flow diagram of an example embodiment of an
aspect of a method in accordance with an embodiment of the present
invention;
[0014] FIG. 2B is a flow diagram of an example embodiment of
another aspect of a method in accordance with an embodiment of the
present invention;
[0015] FIGS. 3A and 3B are illustrations of image frames showing
example shift distances and directions in accordance with an
embodiment of aspects of the present invention;
[0016] FIGS. 4A to 4C are a series of image frames with associated
schematic diagrams illustrating a method in accordance with an
embodiment of the present invention;
[0017] FIG. 5 is block diagram of an example embodiment of a system
in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;
[0018] FIG. 6 is a block diagram of an embodiment of a computer
system in which the present invention may be implemented, according
to an embodiment;
[0019] FIG. 7 depicts a cloud computing environment according to an
embodiment of the present invention; and
[0020] FIG. 8 depicts abstraction model layers according to an
embodiment of the present invention.
[0021] It will be appreciated that for simplicity and clarity of
illustration, elements shown in the figures have not necessarily
been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the
elements may be exaggerated relative to other elements for clarity.
Further, where considered appropriate, reference numbers may be
repeated among the figures to indicate corresponding or analogous
features.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0022] Detailed embodiments of the claimed structures and methods
are disclosed herein; however, it can be understood that the
disclosed embodiments are merely illustrative of the claimed
structures and methods that may be embodied in various forms. This
invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and
should not be construed as limited to the exemplary embodiments set
forth herein. In the description, details of well-known features
and techniques may be omitted to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the
presented embodiments.
[0023] As previously described, the present invention relates to a
computer implemented method, data processing system and computer
program product for endoscopic guidance, and more specifically, to
turn direction guidance of an endoscopic device in real-time.
[0024] Embodiments of the present invention relate to the field of
computing, and more particularly to turn direction guidance of an
endoscopic device in real-time. The following described exemplary
embodiments provide a system, method, and program product to, among
other things, provide an endoscopic guidance system which controls
an endoscopic device when inserted into a cavity of a patient.
Therefore, the present embodiment has the capacity to improve the
technical field of endoscopy by improving guidance of the
endoscopic device to decrease contact of the endoscopic device with
walls of the cavity of the patient, reducing pain to the patient
and damage to the walls of the cavity of the patient.
[0025] A method and a system for turn guidance of an endoscopic
device in real-time are described. An endoscopic device typically
includes a light and a camera for providing images of the inside
space of a tubular organ of a patient in which it is being
inserted. The endoscopic device may also include a surgical tool
for remote manipulation to perform procedures within the tubular
organ of the patient. Alternatively, the endoscopic device may be
solely for investigative procedures to relay images of the interior
of the tubular organ.
[0026] The camera provides images of the lumen, which is the inside
space of the tubular organ. The lumen is identified as being the
darkest area in an image where the light does not reach into the
tubular cavity. Methods are known in the art for identifying the
lumen area as being the darkest area of an image.
[0027] An endoscopic device may be controlled by a human operator,
by an automatic controlling system, or a combination of the two.
The described guidance system may be used to automatically indicate
a target direction for insertion of the endoscopic device into the
tubular organ in real-time. The target direction may be used by a
human operator or by an automated insertion control system to
adjust navigation of the instrument or endoscopic device.
[0028] The described target direction guidance interprets frames
from the camera to determine if the tubular organ is bending or
curving and in which direction it is curving to correct a target
direction to avoid a collision by the endoscopic device into a wall
of the tubular organ. This is particularly relevant in the context
of the proximity of abrupt turns inside an organ like the colon.
The method improves the management of the turn phases with the
curvature of a tubular organ using the video stream in real-time.
The target direction minimizes contact or friction with the wall of
the tubular organ thereby reducing pain and internal damage of the
patient.
[0029] According to the present embodiment, a turn direction
guidance program may be a program capable of turn direction
guidance of an endoscopic device. The turn direction guidance
program may be stored as computer instructions 513 of the computer
system 510 of FIG. 5 or stored as an application program 611 of
FIG. 6, and is capable of controlling an endoscopic device. A
method for a turn direction guidance of an endoscopic device is
explained in further detail below.
[0030] Referring to FIGS. 1A to 1C, three captured image frames
110, 120 ,130 are shown to illustrate guidance of an endoscopic
device according to the method and associated system described
herein. The figures each show an image frame from a camera of an
endoscopic device that is inserted in a tubular organ. The light
from the endoscopic device illuminates the inside of the tubular
organ in which the endoscopic device is inserted and captures the
lumen as a dark region that represents the opening of the tubular
organ. In FIG. 1A, the tubular organ is not curving and therefore
the lumen is shown as a central circular area outlined by a white
line for illustration.
[0031] In FIG. 1B, the tubular organ is curving to the left and the
lumen is therefore decreased in area and is shown to the left in
the image. In such a situation, the target direction for insertion
of the endoscopic device should be to the right of the lumen area
to aim away from a wall of the tubular organ on the left.
[0032] In FIG. 1C, an opposite curve is shown with the tubular
organ curving to the right in an abrupt manner and the lumen has a
decreased area on the right of the image. In such a situation, the
target direction should be further to the left of the lumen area to
aim away from the wall of the tubular organ on the right.
[0033] The fact that the lumen area decreases in the proximity of a
curve and the amount of the decrease is used in the described
navigation. The position of the lumen in the image is also used to
determine a target direction to avoid the inside wall of a
curve.
[0034] Referring to FIG. 2A, a flow diagram 200 shows an example
embodiment of the described method of direction guidance of an
endoscopic device in real-time.
[0035] The method may start 201 with a connection established, at
block 202, with a camera of the endoscopic device. An image frame
is obtained, at block 203, from the camera. The method may work on
each image frame in a video stream from the camera or selected
image frames in given intervals depending on the frame rate of the
video flow sent by the camera and the image processing time.
[0036] For the obtained image frame, the method may determine, at
block 204, the area of the visible lumen in the image frame. In
each image frame, the light from the endoscopic device illuminates
the inside of the tubular organ in which the endoscopic device is
inserted and captures the lumen as a dark region that represents
the opening of the tubular organ. This may be achieved by
determining the darkest pixels in terms of color intensity in the
image frame. The usual direction for advancing the endoscopic
device is the barycenter (also known as the centroid) of the lumen
area. This may be calculated geometrically for the lumen area.
However, when the tubular organ includes a turn, a target direction
of the barycenter will make the endoscopic device move too close to
the inside wall of the curve and, therefore, could induce pain or
cause a tear.
[0037] The size of the visible lumen in the image frame is
compared, at block 205, to the size of the visible lumen in a
previous image frame to determine if the size is decreasing. The
comparison of the lumen is used to determine, at block 206, if the
device is in a turn phrase. If there is an upcoming curve in the
tubular organ, the lumen decreases in size over subsequent image
frames as the opening of the tract becomes hidden by the curve of
the wall of the tubular organ.
[0038] A turn phase may be determined, at block 206, by comparing
the area of the lumen with the area of the lumen in a preceding
frame. If the subsequent lumen area is decreasing, then the device
is approaching a turn, whereas if the subsequent area is
increasing, the device is moving away from a turn. A notification
may be sent to the controller of the endoscopic device to indicate
if the motion is moving towards a turn or away from a turn. One
method of determining if the area of the lumen is increasing or
decreasing is described further in FIG. 2B by comparing a ratio of
a minimum enclosing area of the lumen to the lumen area. However,
other methods may be used such as a direct comparison of lumen area
size between comparable image frames.
[0039] If it is determined, at block 206, that the device is not in
a turn phase, the target direction is determined, at block 208, as
being the barycenter of the lumen. If it is determined, at block
206, that the device is in a turn phase, a proximity of the curve
is determined, at block 207, as a trigger for altering the
direction to avoid a wall. When the proximity is triggered, a
target direction is determined, at block 208, by adjusting the
target direction away from the barycenter of the lumen in a given
direction for avoiding the inside wall of the turn. This may occur
when approaching the turn or when moving away from the turn.
[0040] For each image frame, the method sends, at block 209, the
target direction to a controller to adjust the target direction to
a point where the endoscopic device should set its direction to
avoid the inside wall of the curve. The controller may
automatically adjust the direction of the endoscopic device or may
provide a notification to an operator of the endoscopic device to
adjust the direction.
[0041] If the camera is still connected, at block 210, the method
loops to obtain a next frame from the camera, at block 203, for
evaluation of adjustment of the target direction. If the camera is
no longer connected, at block 210, the method may end, at block
211.
[0042] The method uses the video frames sent by the endoscopic
device in real-time, and for each one, determines and sends back
the target point on the frame where the endoscope should set its
direction. The target point is either the barycenter of the lumen
area or an adjusted target a given distance and direction from the
barycenter of the lumen. An example embodiment of a method for
determining the target distance and direction from the barycenter
of the lumen is described with reference to FIG. 2B.
[0043] Referring to FIG. 2B, a flow diagram 220 shows an example
embodiment of the described method.
[0044] A next image frame is received, at block 221, and the
visible lumen area determined, at block 222, by finding the pixels
with the darkest values in the image frame and calculating the
surface area of the image of the lumen.
[0045] The ratio of an area of a minimum enclosing circle of the
lumen area to the lumen area (circle area/ lumen area) is
calculated, at block 223, from the image frame. It may be
determined, at block 224, if the ratio is increasing or decreasing
compared to the ratio of the preceding image frame (i.e. if the
area of the lumen is decreasing or increasing) in order to provide
a notification of approaching a turn phase or moving away from the
turn to the controller.
[0046] It is determined, at block 225, if the ratio breaches a
threshold ratio. In the described embodiment, this ratio is
breached if it is above a threshold ratio with the ratio being the
area of the circle divided by the area of the lumen. The lower the
ratio is (i.e. the area of the lumen fills more of the enclosing
circle), the further the lumen's barycenter is from the organ wall
with a lower risk of wall collision and low risk of pain or damage.
The higher the ratio is (i.e. the area of the lumen fills less of
the enclosing circle), the closer the lumen's barycenter is to the
organ wall and the risk of wall collision due to an abrupt turn is
higher with associated higher risk of pain or damage.
[0047] The threshold ratio is configured to indicate that the curve
is sufficiently close and sharp to require an adjusted direction.
If the ratio is not above the threshold ratio, the method uses, at
block 226, the barycenter or centroid of the lumen area as the
target direction and the method loops to receive, at block 221, a
next image frame.
[0048] If the ratio is above the threshold ratio, an adjusted
target direction is calculated as a shift value of distance and a
direction of shift. The method may calculate, at block 227, a shift
value of an amount of correction needed, which may be
proportionally based on the ratio. A higher ratio requires a
greater amount of shift. The method may calculate, at block 228,
the direction of shift based on the relationship between the
barycenter of the lumen area and the image frame center.
[0049] The change in direction takes some time to physically
happen. The speed of the endoscopic device's motion is slower than
the frame rate of the video. The movement of the endoscopic device
must be gentle to avoid abrupt commands. Therefore, from one image
to the next, the endoscopic device may point to the center of the
image even if the controller instructs it to point to the center of
the lumen due to this delay.
[0050] The method may provide, at block 229, a new target direction
for the endoscopic device in the form of coordinates of a point on
the image frame that may be translated into an adjustment to the
current direction of the endoscopic device.
[0051] The method may be used for guiding wired endoscopes
autonomously in real-time within a tract while reducing the risk of
pain or tear. A target point may be sent to a controlling robot
through their communication interface. The controlling robot may
use its motion equipment to move towards that point. This may be
repeated for each frame sent by the camera.
[0052] Alternatively, the method may be used for guiding an
operator of a manually inserted endoscopic device by giving
directions, for example, via an interface with a video display of
the captured images with the interface indicating the required
adjustments to the direction.
[0053] Referring to FIGS. 3A and 3B, an example embodiment of the
above method for determining an adjusted target direction by
calculating a shift value and a direction of shift is illustrated
using the image frames 120, 130 of FIGS. 1B and 1C.
[0054] In each of the image frames, the coordinates of the
barycenter of the visible lumen area in the image frame is
determined as shown by the diamond point in the outlined lumen. The
coordinates of the center of the image are also determined as shown
by the diamond point in the center of the image outside the lumen.
The distance D between the coordinates of the barycenter of the
lumen and the coordinates of the center of the image is
calculated.
[0055] The ratio of the area of a minimum enclosing circle (as
shown) to the area of the lumen is calculated. The minimum
enclosing circle is a smallest circle which enclosed the lumen. A
shifting value is calculated as S={D/ratio} and a direction of the
shift is determined as the direction of the lumen barycenter from
the image center.
[0056] This results in a translation to a target point (shown as a
cross in the image frames 120, 130) to apply to the lumen
coordinate, said target point is a point at S distance from the
center of the image in the direction of the lumen barycenter. As
S<D then the position returned is shifting away from the wall.
New coordinates of the target point can be obtained from the
translation to avoid the wall.
[0057] Referring to FIGS. 4A to 4C, a series of three image frames
410, 420, 430 are shown with lumens of decreasing ratio with
respect to their minimum enclosing circles.
[0058] Referring to FIGS. 4A to 4C, a series of three image frames
410, 420, 430 are shown with increasing ratios of areas of lumen
enclosing circles to area of lumens. Each figure shows a diagram
411, 421, 431 of the lumen 413, 423, 433 and enclosing circle 412,
422, 432 with the center of the lumen 414, 424, 434 and the
adjusted target direction 425, 435 in FIGS. 4B and 4C. These image
frames 410, 420, 430 are used in the example below.
[0059] The following phases may be encountered.
Phase 1: Determine Approaching Turn Phase
[0060] If, as the endoscopic device moves forward, the area of the
lumen decreases--a turn phase is detected and it may be necessary
to avoid a wall during the turn.
[0061] If, as the endoscopic device moves forward, the area of the
lumen increases--a move away phase is detected and there is no
risk.
Phase 2--Determining a Curve Proximity
[0062] In the turn phase, as the endoscopic device moves forward,
the area of the lumen reduces and a ratio is calculated of the area
of the minimum lumen enclosing circle to the area of the lumen. The
ratio is used as an indication of curve proximity.
[0063] In this example, a triggered_ratio is set to 2 (half of the
shape is missing) and if (Ratio>Triggered_ratio) then a curve is
identified=>turn proximity triggered.
[0064] For example:
[0065] Image Frame 1 (FIG. 4A):
[0066] Area of min-enclosing circle: 106214;
[0067] Lumen area: 64037 pixels;
[0068] Ratio=1.66=>no turn proximity.
[0069] Image Frame 2 (FIG. 4B):
[0070] Area of min-enclosing circle: 131051;
[0071] Lumen area: 57763 pixels;
[0072] Ratio=2.27=>turn proximity.
[0073] Image Frame 3 (FIG. 4C):
[0074] Area of min-enclosing circle: 441742;
[0075] Lumen area: 99210 pixels;
[0076] Ratio=4.45=>turn proximity.
Phase 3--Determining Direction for Avoiding Wall
[0077] If (surface circle)/(surface lumen)<Ratio, then
Direction=Lumen Barycenter. Else Shift=distance (image_center,
lumen_barycenter)/Ratio. In this example, the Ratio-Threshold is
set to 2.
[0078] Image Frame 1 (FIG. 4A):
[0079] Ratio=1.66 Ratio<Ratio-Threshold
[0080] direction=D=>lumen barycenter (414)
[0081] Image Frame 2 (FIG. 4B):
[0082] Ratio=2.27 Ratio>Ratio-Threshold=>Shift=D/Ratio (arrow
425)
[0083] Image Frame 3 (FIG. 4C):
[0084] Ratio=4.45 Ratio>Ratio-Threshold=>Shift=D/Ratio (arrow
435)
[0085] Notifications may be provided to a controller of the
endoscopic device as follows: [0086] Sending an alert notification
when an imminent turn is detected. This may be based on the
decrease in the lumen area between adjacent image frames. If the
lumen area is increasing there is no risk as this is a moving away
phase. [0087] Sending a proximity notification of a turn. This may
be based on the ratio of the minimum enclosing circle area to the
lumen area. [0088] Sending a new direction to move away from the
wall. This may be based on the determined shift value and
direction.
[0089] Referring to FIG. 5, a block diagram shows an example
embodiment of a system 500. The system 500 includes a computer
system 510 connected via a wire 534 to an endoscopic device 530.
The endoscopic device 530 is provided having a camera 531, light
532, and a robot 533 for directing the endoscopic device 530 in a
tubular organ 540.
[0090] The computer system 510 includes at least one processor 511,
a hardware module, or a circuit for executing the functions of the
described components which may be software units executing on the
at least one processor. Multiple processors running parallel
processing threads may be provided enabling parallel processing of
some or all of the functions of the components. The computer system
includes memory 512, which may be configured to provide computer
instructions 513 to the at least one processor 511 to carry out the
functionality of the components.
[0091] An endoscopic guidance system 520 of the computer system 510
provides the described functionality for direction guidance of the
endoscopic device 530 in real time.
[0092] The endoscopic guidance system 520 includes an image frame
receiving component 521 for receiving a current image frame from
the camera 531 disposed on the endoscopic device 530 and a frame
updating component 529 for analyzing and comparing each image frame
received from the camera 531.
[0093] The endoscopic guidance system 520 may include: a visible
lumen determining component 522 for determining the visible lumen
by identifying the darkest pixels in the image frame; a lumen
center component 525 for determining a center of the visible lumen
as a barycenter of the area of the visible lumen; a lumen area size
determining component 523 for determining a size of an area of the
visible lumen in the current image frame; and a lumen area
comparing component 524 for comparing the size of the area of the
visible lumen in the current image frame with a size of an area of
visible lumen in a previous image frame.
[0094] The endoscopic guidance system 520 may also include: a lumen
ratio component 526 for determining a ratio of an area of a minimum
enclosing circle of the visible lumen to an area of the visible
lumen; a ratio threshold component 527 for determining if the ratio
breaches a defined threshold.
[0095] The endoscopic guidance system 520 may include an
approaching turn component 551 for determining if there is a
decrease in the size of the area of the visible lumen indicating an
approaching turn in the tubular organ and a direction adjusting
component 552 for adjusting the target direction when an
approaching turn is output. The direction adjusting component 522
may adjust a target direction of the endoscopic device from an
existing direction of a center of the visible lumen towards a
center of the image frame. The direction adjusting component 522
may adjust the target direction by a distance proportional to the
ratio from an existing direction of a center of the visible lumen
towards a center of the image frame.
[0096] The endoscopic guidance system 520 may include an outputting
component 553 for outputting notifications of whether: the
endoscopic device is in a turning phase; is approaching a turn; or
a required adjustment to a target direction. The notifications may
be output to a controller 560 of the endoscopic device 530. The
controller 560 of the endoscopic device 530 may be an automated
controller that automatically adjusts a target direction of the
endoscopic device. The outputting component 553 may send
notifications to an interface component 561 for providing visual
notifications and target directions for a human controller.
[0097] FIG. 6 depicts a block diagram of components of a computing
system 600 as used for the computer system 510 of FIG. 5, in
accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. It should
be appreciated that FIG. 6 provides only an illustration of one
implementation and does not imply any limitations with regard to
the environments in which different embodiments may be implemented.
Many modifications to the depicted environment may be made.
Additionally, the computing system 600 may be one of the cloud
computing nodes 710 as illustrated and described below with respect
to FIG. 7.
[0098] The computing system can include one or more processors 602,
one or more computer-readable RAMs 604, one or more
computer-readable ROMs 606, one or more computer readable storage
media 608, device drivers 612, read/write drive or interface 614,
and network adapter or interface 616, all interconnected over a
communications fabric 618. Communications fabric 618 can be
implemented with any architecture designed for passing data and/or
control information between processors (such as microprocessors,
communications and network processors, etc.), system memory,
peripheral devices, and any other hardware components within the
system.
[0099] One or more operating systems 610, and application programs
611, such as the endoscopic guidance system are stored on one or
more of the computer readable storage media 608 for execution by
one or more of the processors 602 via one or more of the respective
RAMs 604 (which typically include cache memory). In the illustrated
embodiment, each of the computer readable storage media 608 can be
a magnetic disk storage device of an internal hard drive, CD-ROM,
DVD, memory stick, magnetic tape, magnetic disk, optical disk, a
semiconductor storage device such as RAM, ROM, EPROM, flash memory,
or any other computer readable storage media that can store a
computer program and digital information, in accordance with
embodiments of the invention.
[0100] The computing system can also include a R/W drive or
interface 614 to read from and write to one or more portable
computer readable storage media 626. Application programs 611 on
the computing system can be stored on one or more of the portable
computer readable storage media 626, read via the respective RAY
drive or interface 614 and loaded into the respective computer
readable storage media 608.
[0101] The computing system can also include a network adapter or
interface 616, such as a TCP/IP adapter card or wireless
communication adapter. Application programs 611 on the computing
system can be downloaded to the computing device from an external
computer or external storage device via a network (for example, the
Internet, a local area network or other wide area networks or
wireless networks) and network adapter or interface 616. From the
network adapter or interface 616, the programs may be loaded into
the computer readable storage media 608. The network may comprise
copper wires, optical fibers, wireless transmission, routers,
firewalls, switches, gateway computers and edge servers.
[0102] The computing system can also include a display screen 620,
a keyboard or keypad 622, and a computer mouse or touchpad 624.
Device drivers 612 interface to display screen 620 for imaging, to
keyboard or keypad 622, to computer mouse or touchpad 624, and/or
to display screen 620 for pressure sensing of alphanumeric
character entry and user selections. The device drivers 612, R/W
drive or interface 614, and network adapter or interface 616 can
comprise hardware and software stored in computer readable storage
media 608 and/or ROM 606.
[0103] The programs described herein are identified based upon the
application for which they are implemented in a specific embodiment
of the invention. However, it should be appreciated that any
particular program nomenclature herein is used merely for
convenience, and thus the invention should not be limited to use
solely in any specific application identified and/or implied by
such nomenclature.
[0104] Embodiments of the invention may be provided to end users
through a cloud computing infrastructure. Cloud computing generally
refers to the provision of scalable computing resources as a
service over a network. More formally, cloud computing may be
defined as a computing capability that provides an abstraction
between the computing resource and its underlying technical
architecture (e.g., servers, storage, networks), enabling
convenient, on-demand network access to a shared pool of
configurable computing resources that can be rapidly provisioned
and released with minimal management effort or service provider
interaction. Thus, cloud computing allows a user to access virtual
computing resources (e.g., storage, data, applications, and even
complete virtualized computing systems) in "the cloud," without
regard for the underlying physical systems (or locations of those
systems) used to provide the computing resources.
[0105] Typically, cloud computing resources are provided to a user
on a pay-per-use basis, where users are charged only for the
computing resources actually used (e.g. an amount of storage space
consumed by a user or a number of virtualized systems instantiated
by the user). A user can access any of the resources that reside in
the cloud at any time, and from anywhere across the Internet. In
context of the present invention, a user may access a normalized
search engine or related data available in the cloud. For example,
the normalized search engine could execute on a computing system in
the cloud and execute normalized searches. In such a case, the
normalized search engine could normalize a corpus of information
and store an index of the normalizations at a storage location in
the cloud. Doing so allows a user to access this information from
any computing system attached to a network connected to the cloud
(e.g., the Internet).
[0106] It is understood in advance that although this disclosure
includes a detailed description on cloud computing, implementation
of the teachings recited herein are not limited to a cloud
computing environment. Rather, embodiments of the present invention
are capable of being implemented in conjunction with any other type
of computing environment now known or later developed.
[0107] Cloud computing is a model of service delivery for enabling
convenient, on-demand network access to a shared pool of
configurable computing resources (e.g. networks, network bandwidth,
servers, processing, memory, storage, applications, virtual
machines, and services) that can be rapidly provisioned and
released with minimal management effort or interaction with a
provider of the service. This cloud model may include at least five
characteristics, at least three service models, and at least four
deployment models.
[0108] Characteristics are as follows:
[0109] On-demand self-service: a cloud consumer can unilaterally
provision computing capabilities, such as server time and network
storage, as needed automatically without requiring human
interaction with the service's provider.
[0110] Broad network access: capabilities are available over a
network and accessed through standard mechanisms that promote use
by heterogeneous thin or thick client platforms (e.g., mobile
phones, laptops, and PDAs).
[0111] Resource pooling: the provider's computing resources are
pooled to serve multiple consumers using a multi-tenant model, with
different physical and virtual resources dynamically assigned and
reassigned according to demand. There is a sense of location
independence in that the consumer generally has no control or
knowledge over the exact location of the provided resources but may
be able to specify location at a higher level of abstraction (e.g.,
country, state, or datacenter).
[0112] Rapid elasticity: capabilities can be rapidly and
elastically provisioned, in some cases automatically, to quickly
scale out and rapidly released to quickly scale in. To the
consumer, the capabilities available for provisioning often appear
to be unlimited and can be purchased in any quantity at any
time.
[0113] Measured service: cloud systems automatically control and
optimize resource use by leveraging a metering capability at some
level of abstraction appropriate to the type of service (e.g.,
storage, processing, bandwidth, and active user accounts). Resource
usage can be monitored, controlled, and reported providing
transparency for both the provider and consumer of the utilized
service.
[0114] Service Models are as follows:
[0115] Software as a Service (SaaS): the capability provided to the
consumer is to use the provider's applications running on a cloud
infrastructure. The applications are accessible from various client
devices through a thin client interface such as a web browser
(e.g., web-based e-mail). The consumer does not manage or control
the underlying cloud infrastructure including network, servers,
operating systems, storage, or even individual application
capabilities, with the possible exception of limited user-specific
application configuration settings.
[0116] Platform as a Service (PaaS): the capability provided to the
consumer is to deploy onto the cloud infrastructure
consumer-created or acquired applications created using programming
languages and tools supported by the provider. The consumer does
not manage or control the underlying cloud infrastructure including
networks, servers, operating systems, or storage, but has control
over the deployed applications and possibly application hosting
environment configurations.
[0117] Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS): the capability provided
to the consumer is to provision processing, storage, networks, and
other fundamental computing resources where the consumer is able to
deploy and run arbitrary software, which can include operating
systems and applications. The consumer does not manage or control
the underlying cloud infrastructure but has control over operating
systems, storage, deployed applications, and possibly limited
control of select networking components (e.g., host firewalls).
[0118] Deployment Models are as follows:
[0119] Private cloud: the cloud infrastructure is operated solely
for an organization. It may be managed by the organization or a
third party and may exist on-premises or off-premises.
[0120] Community cloud: the cloud infrastructure is shared by
several organizations and supports a specific community that has
shared concerns (e.g., mission, security requirements, policy, and
compliance considerations). It may be managed by the organizations
or a third party and may exist on-premises or off-premises.
[0121] Public cloud: the cloud infrastructure is made available to
the general public or a large industry group and is owned by an
organization selling cloud services.
[0122] Hybrid cloud: the cloud infrastructure is a composition of
two or more clouds (private, community, or public) that remain
unique entities but are bound together by standardized or
proprietary technology that enables data and application
portability (e.g., cloud bursting for load-balancing between
clouds).
[0123] A cloud computing environment is service oriented with a
focus on statelessness, low coupling, modularity, and semantic
interoperability. At the heart of cloud computing is an
infrastructure comprising a network of interconnected nodes.
[0124] Referring now to FIG. 7, illustrative cloud computing
environment 700 is depicted. As shown, cloud computing environment
700 includes one or more cloud computing nodes 710 with which local
computing devices used by cloud consumers, such as, for example,
personal digital assistant (PDA) or cellular telephone 740A,
desktop computer 740B, laptop computer 740C, and/or automobile
computer system 740N may communicate. Cloud computing nodes 710 may
communicate with one another. They may be grouped (not shown)
physically or virtually, in one or more networks, such as Private,
Community, Public, or Hybrid clouds as described hereinabove, or a
combination thereof. This allows cloud computing environment 700 to
offer infrastructure, platforms and/or software as services for
which a cloud consumer does not need to maintain resources on a
local computing device. It is understood that the types of
computing devices 740A-N shown in FIG. 7 are intended to be
illustrative only and that cloud computing nodes 710 and cloud
computing environment 700 can communicate with any type of
computerized device over any type of network and/or network
addressable connection (e.g., using a web browser).
[0125] Referring now to FIG. 8, a set of functional abstraction
layers 800 provided by cloud computing environment 700 (as shown in
FIG. 7) is shown. It should be understood in advance that the
components, layers, and functions shown in FIG. 8 are intended to
be illustrative only and embodiments of the invention are not
limited thereto. As depicted, the following layers and
corresponding functions are provided:
[0126] Hardware and software layer 860 includes hardware and
software components. Examples of hardware components include:
mainframes 861; RISC (Reduced Instruction Set Computer)
architecture based servers 862; servers 863; blade servers 864;
storage devices 865; and networks and networking components 866. In
some embodiments, software components include network application
server software 867 and database software 868.
[0127] Virtualization layer 870 provides an abstraction layer from
which the following examples of virtual entities may be provided:
virtual servers 871; virtual storage 872, for example the computer
readable storage media 608 as shown in FIG. 6; virtual networks
873, including virtual private networks; virtual applications and
operating systems 874; and virtual clients 875.
[0128] In an example, management layer 880 may provide the
functions described below. Resource provisioning 881 provides
dynamic procurement of computing resources and other resources that
are utilized to perform tasks within the cloud computing
environment. Metering and Pricing 882 provide cost tracking as
resources are utilized within the cloud computing environment, and
billing or invoicing for consumption of these resources. In an
example, these resources may include application software licenses.
Security provides identity verification for cloud consumers and
tasks, as well as protection for data and other resources. User
portal 883 provides access to the cloud computing environment for
consumers and system administrators. Service level management 884
provides cloud computing resource allocation and management such
that required service levels are met. Service Level Agreement (SLA)
planning and fulfillment 885 provide pre-arrangement for, and
procurement of, cloud computing resources for which a future
requirement is anticipated in accordance with an SLA.
[0129] Workloads layer 890 provides examples of functionality for
which the cloud computing environment may be utilized. Examples of
workloads and functions which may be provided from this layer
include: mapping and navigation 891; software development and
lifecycle management 892; virtual classroom education delivery 893;
data analytics processing 894; transaction processing 895; and
endoscopy control 896. The endoscopy control 896 may provide
control of an endoscopy device during an endoscopy exam by a
doctor.
[0130] The present invention may be a system, a method, and/or a
computer program product at any possible technical detail level of
integration. The computer program product may include a computer
readable storage medium (or media) having computer readable program
instructions thereon for causing a processor to carry out aspects
of the present invention.
[0131] The computer readable storage medium can be a tangible
device that can retain and store instructions for use by an
instruction execution device. The computer readable storage medium
may be, for example, but is not limited to, an electronic storage
device, a magnetic storage device, an optical storage device, an
electromagnetic storage device, a semiconductor storage device, or
any suitable combination of the foregoing. A non-exhaustive list of
more specific examples of the computer readable storage medium
includes the following: a portable computer diskette, a hard disk,
a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable
programmable read-only memory (EPROM or Flash memory), a static
random access memory (SRAM), a portable compact disc read-only
memory (CD-ROM), a digital versatile disk (DVD), a memory stick, a
floppy disk, a mechanically encoded device such as punch-cards or
raised structures in a groove having instructions recorded thereon,
and any suitable combination of the foregoing. A computer readable
storage medium, as used herein, is not to be construed as being
transitory signals per se, such as radio waves or other freely
propagating electromagnetic waves, electromagnetic waves
propagating through a waveguide or other transmission media (e.g.,
light pulses passing through a fiber-optic cable), or electrical
signals transmitted through a wire.
[0132] Computer readable program instructions described herein can
be downloaded to respective computing/processing devices from a
computer readable storage medium or to an external computer or
external storage device via a network, for example, the Internet, a
local area network, a wide area network and/or a wireless network.
The network may comprise copper transmission cables, optical
transmission fibers, wireless transmission, routers, firewalls,
switches, gateway computers and/or edge servers. A network adapter
card or network interface in each computing/processing device
receives computer readable program instructions from the network
and forwards the computer readable program instructions for storage
in a computer readable storage medium within the respective
computing/processing device.
[0133] Computer readable program instructions for carrying out
operations of the present invention may be assembler instructions,
instruction-set-architecture (ISA) instructions, machine
instructions, machine dependent instructions, microcode, firmware
instructions, state-setting data, configuration data for integrated
circuitry, or either source code or object code written in any
combination of one or more programming languages, including an
object oriented programming language such as Smalltalk, C++, or the
like, and procedural programming languages, such as the "C"
programming language or similar programming languages. The computer
readable program instructions may execute entirely on the user's
computer, partly on the user's computer, as a stand-alone software
package, partly on the user's computer and partly on a remote
computer or entirely on the remote computer or server. In the
latter scenario, the remote computer may be connected to the user's
computer through any type of network, including a local area
network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN), or the connection may
be made to an external computer (for example, through the Internet
using an Internet Service Provider). In some embodiments,
electronic circuitry including, for example, programmable logic
circuitry, field-programmable gate arrays (FPGA), or programmable
logic arrays (PLA) may execute the computer readable program
instructions by utilizing state information of the computer
readable program instructions to personalize the electronic
circuitry, in order to perform aspects of the present
invention.
[0134] Aspects of the present invention are described herein with
reference to flowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams of
methods, apparatus (systems), and computer program products
according to embodiments of the invention. It will be understood
that each block of the flowchart illustrations and/or block
diagrams, and combinations of blocks in the flowchart illustrations
and/or block diagrams, can be implemented by computer readable
program instructions.
[0135] These computer readable program instructions may be provided
to a processor of a computer, or other programmable data processing
apparatus to produce a machine, such that the instructions, which
execute via the processor of the computer or other programmable
data processing apparatus, create means for implementing the
functions/acts specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram
block or blocks. These computer readable program instructions may
also be stored in a computer readable storage medium that can
direct a computer, a programmable data processing apparatus, and/or
other devices to function in a particular manner, such that the
computer readable storage medium having instructions stored therein
comprises an article of manufacture including instructions which
implement aspects of the function/act specified in the flowchart
and/or block diagram block or blocks.
[0136] The computer readable program instructions may also be
loaded onto a computer, other programmable data processing
apparatus, or other device to cause a series of operational steps
to be performed on the computer, other programmable apparatus or
other device to produce a computer implemented process, such that
the instructions which execute on the computer, other programmable
apparatus, or other device implement the functions/acts specified
in the flowchart and/or block diagram block or blocks.
[0137] The flowchart and block diagrams in the Figures illustrate
the architecture, functionality, and operation of possible
implementations of systems, methods, and computer program products
according to various embodiments of the present invention. In this
regard, each block in the flowchart or block diagrams may represent
a module, segment, or portion of instructions, which comprises one
or more executable instructions for implementing the specified
logical function(s). In some alternative implementations, the
functions noted in the blocks may occur out of the order noted in
the Figures. For example, two blocks shown in succession may, in
fact, be accomplished as one step, executed concurrently,
substantially concurrently, in a partially or wholly temporally
overlapping manner, or the blocks may sometimes be executed in the
reverse order, depending upon the functionality involved. It will
also be noted that each block of the block diagrams and/or
flowchart illustration, and combinations of blocks in the block
diagrams and/or flowchart illustration, can be implemented by
special purpose hardware-based systems that perform the specified
functions or acts or carry out combinations of special purpose
hardware and computer instructions.
[0138] The descriptions of the various embodiments of the present
invention have been presented for purposes of illustration, but are
not intended to be exhaustive or limited to the embodiments
disclosed. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to
those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope
of the described embodiments. The terminology used herein was
chosen to best explain the principles of the embodiments, the
practical application or technical improvement over technologies
found in the marketplace, or to enable others of ordinary skill in
the art to understand the embodiments disclosed herein.
* * * * *