Patent ID: 9208564
Filing Date: 2015-12-08
Classification: A61B,G06T

Abstract:
1. A method to navigate an endoscopy capsule in a patient, comprising: with a magnetic field generated by an extracorporeal magnetic guidance system, magnetically guiding an endoscopy capsule, having a longitudinal axis and containing a single camera, intracorporeally in a patient in an environment in the patient that subjects said endoscopy capsule to movement, caused by said environment, that continually displaces said longitudinal axis; while said endoscopy capsule is in said environment in the patient and thus while said longitudinal axis is being continually displaced, using the single camera to acquire a first image of an interior of the patient within a field of view of said single camera; providing said first image to a computerized processor and, in said processor, identifying a structural feature of the interior of the patient, that is represented in said first image with said longitudinal axis intersecting said structural feature, said structural feature having at least one feature characteristic that allows said structural feature to be re-identified in images obtained subsequently to said first image; in said processor, automatically determining a spatial relationship of said structural feature represented in said first image with respect to another item in said first image that is located at a distance in said first image from said structural feature; after acquiring said first image, automatically acquiring a plurality of additional images of the interior of the subject with said single camera while said endoscopy capsule is in said environment and thus while said longitudinal axis is being continually displaced, with said endoscopy capsule being located at respectively different distances from said structural feature at respective times of acquisition of said additional images; providing said additional images to said processor and, in said processor, automatically determining said spatial relationship of said structural feature represented in each of the additional images to said item in each of said additional images; in said processor, automatically scaling the spatial relationship determined in each of the additional images with respect to the distance from the structural feature from which each of said additional images was acquired; in said processor, generating a control signal for said extracorporeal magnetic guidance system that maintains said spatial relationship unchanged in each of said additional images dependent on the respective scale of each of said additional images, and that thereby maintains said longitudinal axis intersecting said structural feature despite said continual displacement of said longitudinal axis by said movement caused by said environment; and supplying said control signal from said processor to said extracorporeal magnetic guidance system and, in said extracorporeal magnetic guidance system, using said control signal to adjust said magnetic field to guide said endoscopy capsule during acquisition of said additional images with said structural feature always in said field of view of said single camera because said longitudinal axis is maintained intersecting said structural feature.