Patent ID: 7599536

Claim:
A method for optimizing the interpretation of analog image signals or sequences of image signals output by medical image recording devices, comprising the steps of: a) testing the correlation of consecutively recorded image signals; b) establishing that the image signals depict the same image if the correlation is not less than a particular threshold value; c) establishing that the image signals possibly depict different images if the correlation is less than the particular threshold value; and d) dynamically adjusting the threshold value if the correlation has changed wherein when it is established that different images are depicted, a certain number of consecutive image signals below the threshold value are evaluated, and a standard deviation of the image signals is determined and compared with a pre-set value, wherein: c1a) if the number of changed image signals in succession is at least equal to a predetermined sample number and the standard deviation is lower than the pre-set value, it is established that the correlation deviation has been caused by changes in the manner of recording the same image; and c1b) the threshold value is adjusted lower; or c2a) if the number of changed image signals in succession is at least equal to the predetermined sample number and the standard deviation is higher than the pre-set value, it is established that the correlation deviation has been caused by continuously detecting images from different and changing recording situations; c2b) the threshold value is not adjusted; or c3) if the number of changed image signals in succession is less than the predetermined sample number, an image signal from the consecutive image signals is classified as a new image.