Efficient and interactive bleeding detection in a surgical system

1 . A system comprising:

a memory storing instructions; and

a processor communicatively coupled to the memory and configured to execute the instructions to:

receive, from an image capture system during a surgical procedure, a first image of a scene of a surgical site;

identify, during the surgical procedure and based on the first image, a region of blood in the scene at a site of bleeding;

receive, from the image capture system during the surgical procedure and subsequent to the receiving of the first image, a second image of the scene of the surgical site, the second image including the region of blood in the scene;

estimate gross motion at each location included in a plurality of locations in the region of blood in the scene;

estimate, based on the first image, the second image, and the estimated gross motion, a direction of motion of blood flow in the region of blood in the scene;

generate, during the surgical procedure and based on the estimated motion of blood flow in the region of blood in the scene, a combined image comprising the second image and a visual indicator indicating the direction of the motion of blood flow in the region of blood in the scene; and

transmit, during the surgical procedure, the combined image to a display unit for display of the combined image.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the visual indicator comprises one or more arrows that point in the direction of the motion of blood flow.

3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to execute the instructions to perform one or more of turning on or turning off display, by the display unit, of the visual indicator in response to a predetermined user input.

4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein:

the processor is further configured to execute the instructions to select a region of the second image to be excluded from blood detection processing, and

the estimating of the motion of blood flow is not based on the selected region of the second image.

5 . The system of claim 4 , wherein the selected region of the second image is selected based on at least one of user input or information received from a surgical system used to perform the surgical procedure.

6 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to execute the instructions to direct the display unit to display a simulated blood flow of the blood flow in the region of blood in the scene.

7 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to execute the instructions to correct the gross motion at each location to estimate the motion of blood flow at each location.

8 . The system of claim 7 , wherein the processor is further configured to execute the instructions to estimate the motion of blood flow at each location by correcting the estimated gross motion at each location to compensate for average tissue motion at each location.

9 . A method comprising:

receiving, by a bleeding detection system from an image capture system during a surgical procedure, a first image of a scene of a surgical site;

identifying, by the bleeding detection system during the surgical procedure and based on the first image, a region of blood in the scene at a site of bleeding;

receiving, by the bleeding detection system from the image capture system during the surgical procedure and subsequent to the receiving of the first image, a second image of the scene of the surgical site, the second image including the region of blood in the scene;

estimating, by the bleeding detection system, gross motion at each location included in a plurality of locations in the region of blood in the scene;

estimating, by the bleeding detection system based on the first image, the second image, and the estimated gross motion, a direction of motion of blood flow in the region of blood in the scene;

generating, by the bleeding detection system during the surgical procedure and based on the estimated motion of blood flow in the region of blood in the scene, a combined image comprising the second image and a visual indicator indicating the direction of the motion of blood flow in the region of blood in the scene; and

transmitting, by the bleeding detection system during the surgical procedure, the combined image to a display unit for display of the combined image.

10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the visual indicator comprises one or more arrows that point in the direction of the motion of blood flow.

11 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

performing, by the bleeding detection system during the surgical procedure, one or more of turning on or turning off display, by the display unit, of the visual indicator in response to a predetermined user input.

12 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

selecting, by the bleeding detection system during the surgical procedure, a region of the second image to be excluded from blood detection processing,

wherein the estimating of the motion of blood flow is not based on the selected region of the second image.

13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the selected region of the second image is selected based on at least one of user input or information received from a surgical system used to perform the surgical procedure.

14 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

directing, by the bleeding detection system, the display unit to display a simulated blood flow of the blood flow in the region of blood in the scene.

15 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

correcting, by the bleeding detection system, the gross motion at each location to estimate the motion of blood at each location.

16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the correcting of the gross motion at each location is performed to compensate for average tissue motion at each location.

17 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed, direct one or more processors of a computing device to:

receive, from an image capture system during a surgical procedure, a first image of a scene of a surgical site;

identify, during the surgical procedure and based on the first image, a region of blood in the scene at a site of bleeding;

receive, from the image capture system during the surgical procedure and subsequent to the receiving of the first image, a second image of the scene of the surgical site, the second image including the region of blood in the scene;

estimate gross motion at each location included in a plurality of locations in the region of blood in the scene;

estimate, based on the first image, the second image, and the estimated gross motion, a direction of motion of blood flow in the region of blood in the scene;

generate, during the surgical procedure and based on the estimated motion of blood flow in the region of blood in the scene, a combined image comprising the second image and a visual indicator indicating the direction of the motion of blood flow in the region of blood in the scene; and

transmit, during the surgical procedure, the combined image to a display unit for display of the combined image.

18 . The computer-readable medium of claim 17 , wherein the visual indicator comprises one or more arrows that point in the direction of the motion of blood flow.