Telemedicine 3D Measurement via Unified 2D-3D Camera Registration
Solution Overview
Problem
Telemedicine environments face challenges in accurately determining the length or depth of wounds, incisions, or skin lesions from live or near real-time images captured by remote medical professionals, as existing technologies struggle to provide precise measurements in three-dimensional contexts.
Innovation Solution
A system comprising a monocular camera and a 3D camera, calibrated to generate intrinsic and extrinsic parameters, creates a unified view by registering 2D and 3D point clouds, allowing for precise depth or length measurements by identifying associated points in the 3D point cloud and calculating differences in z-coordinates.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If 2D images are used for telemedicine viewing, then ease of operation and communication are improved, but measurement precision of wound depth and length deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates a 3D camera alongside the 2D camera to capture depth information, transforming the measurement capability from two-dimensional to three-dimensional. The 3D camera generates a point cloud that provides z-coordinate data, enabling accurate measurement of wound depth and length while maintaining the 2D display interface for ease of operation.
2Measurement precision
If 3D cameras are integrated for accurate measurements, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the 2D and 3D cameras into a unified telemedicine system with shared calibration and processing infrastructure. Both cameras are mounted on the same device with synchronized operation, merging their functions into a single integrated system that reduces overall complexity compared to separate systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a calibration system with fiducial markers as an intermediary element that enables precise coordinate transformation between the 2D and 3D camera systems. This calibration framework mediates the integration of multiple cameras, providing a standardized method for combining their data without requiring complex custom integration logic.
3Measurement precision
If multiple image capturing devices are calibrated and registered, then measurement accuracy is improved, but processing time and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs calibration of the 2D and 3D cameras using fiducial markers before actual medical procedures. This preliminary calibration establishes transformation matrices and coordinate system relationships in advance, so that during patient examinations, measurements can be quickly computed without time-consuming real-time calibration.
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method for measuring a depth or length of area of interest a telemedicine patient, comprising: a first image capturing device that captures a two-dimensional (2D) image or video of a region of interest of a patient; a second image capturing device that generates a three-dimensional (3D) point cloud of the region of interest of the patient; a rendering system that processes a unified view for both the first and second image capturing devices where the 2D image and 3D point cloud are generated and registered; and a remote measurement processing system that determines a depth or length between two points selected from the 2D image of the region of interest by identifying associated points in the 3D point cloud and performing a measurement using the identified associated points in the 3D point cloud.