Patent ID: 11972561
Assignee: CANON U.S.A., INC.
Field: Computer technology (Electrical engineering)
Classification: CPC A  G | IPC G

Claim 0:
1. An imaging device for triggering an automatic pullback, the device comprising:
an imaging probe; and
one or more processors that operate to:
(a) import a plurality of A-lines, an image, or images;
(b) initialize a counter;
(c) segment the A-lines, the image, or the images;
(d) separate the segmented A-lines, image, or images into three or more equal parts;
(e) define a Blood Imaging Area (BIA), which is an area surrounding the imaging probe in a case where blood is present;
(f) detect a number of objects that are non-overlapping with the BIA, or that are above or over a specific or predetermined distance from the imaging probe, within one frame or a current frame of a plurality of frames of the segmented A-lines, image, or images;
(g) perform a counting step:
in a case where the number of the objects is greater than or equal to N, wherein N is a minimum acceptance number of objects that defines a partial cleared or cleared state, then increase the counter by a set or predetermined amount or by 1, and
in a case where the number of the objects is less than N, then set the counter to zero and repeat steps (c)-(g) with another frame or a subsequent frame of the plurality of frames; and

(h) trigger pullback in a case where the counter is X or greater, wherein X is a predetermined value, or, in a case where the counter has been increased by the one or more processors and the counter is less than X, repeat steps (c)-(g) with a next frame of the plurality of frames.