Endoscope Viewpoint Tracking With Failure-Based Navigation Control

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing endoscopy systems face challenges in accurately estimating the viewpoint of an endoscope when unknown structure regions are present in the endoscopic image, leading to potential incorrect navigation directions.

Innovation Solution

An information processing apparatus that estimates the trackability of the endoscope's viewpoint using a three-dimensional model and machine learning, temporarily stops tracking when untrackable, and provides a virtual endoscopic image for guidance.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If viewpoint tracking is continuously performed using endoscopic images, then navigation guidance can be provided, but incorrect navigation directions may be notified when unknown structure regions are present

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenavigation guidance provisionVSAvoidnavigation direction accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system implements feedback by determining tracking results and comparing them against expected outcomes. When the determination unit detects that tracking has failed (indicating unknown structure regions), the controller receives this feedback and automatically stops tracking, preventing propagation of incorrect navigation information.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The tracking system dynamically adjusts its operation based on real-time conditions. The controller automatically stops tracking when failure is detected, transitioning from continuous tracking to interrupted tracking. This dynamic behavior allows the system to adapt to varying image quality and anatomical structures, maintaining reliability while preserving productivity during successful tracking periods.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

2Ease of operation

If automatic tracking is performed without verification, then continuous navigation support is available, but tracking accuracy decreases in uncertain conditions

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveautomatic trackingVSAvoidviewpoint estimation accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The determination unit performs preliminary verification of tracking results before the navigation system acts on them. By checking whether tracking has succeeded or failed in advance, the system can prevent incorrect viewpoint estimates from affecting navigation guidance, thereby maintaining measurement precision while preserving ease of operation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system uses feedback from the determination unit to monitor tracking quality. When the determination unit identifies tracking failure, this feedback triggers automatic stopping of tracking by the controller, preventing propagation of inaccurate viewpoint estimates and maintaining overall system precision.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

3Reliability

If tracking is stopped in uncertain conditions, then navigation accuracy is maintained, but continuous guidance is interrupted

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenavigation direction accuracyVSAvoidguidance continuity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The system dynamically balances reliability and productivity by automatically stopping tracking only when failure is detected, rather than continuously or intermittently. This selective interruption maintains navigation accuracy during uncertain conditions while preserving continuous guidance during successful tracking periods, optimizing the trade-off between these two parameters.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The controller receives feedback from the determination unit about tracking status and automatically adjusts tracking operation accordingly. This feedback-driven control ensures tracking stops only when necessary for accuracy, maintaining guidance continuity during successful tracking while preserving reliability during failed tracking conditions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentUS20250288192A1Information processing apparatus and information processing program

Publication Date: 2025.09.18 FUJIFILM CORP

AI summary

An information processing apparatus estimates whether or not a viewpoint of an endoscope is trackable from an endoscopic image, tracks the viewpoint of the endoscope using a virtual endoscopic image and a pseudo virtual endoscopic image generated from the endoscopic image in a case where it is estimated that the viewpoint of the endoscope is trackable, determining a tracking result of the viewpoint of the endoscope using the endoscopic image, and a tracking destination virtual endoscopic image and a tracking destination virtual depth image generated from a bronchial model based on the tracked viewpoint of the endoscope, and stops the tracking of the viewpoint of the endoscope until a tracking start instruction is notified in a case where it is determined that the tracking has failed.