Single image sensor for capturing mixed structured-light images and regular images

1. A method for imaging a body lumen comprising:

introducing an imaging apparatus into the body lumen;

capturing a first structured image, wherein said capturing the first structured image comprises:

projecting structured light from the imaging apparatus into the body lumen;

detecting, by the imaging apparatus, the structured light reflected from anatomical features in the body lumen; and

generating, by the imaging apparatus, the first structured light image from the detected structured light; and

capturing a non-structured image, wherein said capturing the non-structured image comprises:

emitting non-structured light from the imaging apparatus into the body lumen;

detecting, by the imaging apparatus, the non-structured light reflected from the anatomical features in the body lumen; and

generating, by the imaging apparatus, the non-structured light image from the detected non-structured light; and

wherein said capturing the first structured image and said capturing the non-structured image are performed in series; and

wherein a same image sensor of the imaging apparatus is used to capture the first structured image as well as the non-structured image.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the imaging apparatus corresponds to a capsule endoscope.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first structured light image is captured with a reduced dynamic range or reduced spatial resolution compared to the non-structured light image.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the structured light is generated using multiple light sources with at least two different colors or patterns.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein first spectrum associated with the structured light is substantially distinct from second spectrum associated with the non-structured light image for an anticipated scene.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the imaging apparatus comprises a color image sensor and wherein the color image sensor comprises at least first pixels for a first color and second pixels for a second color arranged in a mosaic pattern, and the first spectrum is substantially concentrated on one color.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the first structured light image is captured at reduced spatial resolution by reading out only selected digital outputs related to pixels of one color substantially corresponding to the first spectrum.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the non-structured light corresponds to broadband.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the non-structured light is generated using narrowband illumination or fluoroscopic excitation.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising providing the first structured light image to derive depth or shape information for the non-structured light image.

11. The method of claim 1 , the first structured light image is captured before or after the non-structured light image.

12. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

projecting the structured light from the imaging apparatus into the body lumen;

detecting, by the imaging apparatus, the structured light reflected from the anatomical features in the body lumen;

generating, by the imaging apparatus, a second structured light image from the detected structured light; and

wherein the non-structured light image is captured between, before or after the first structured light image and the second structured light image, and both the first structured light image and the second structured light image are used to derive depth or shape information for the non-structured light image.

13. A method for imaging a body lumen comprising:

introducing an imaging apparatus into the body lumen;

capturing a first non-structured light image, wherein said capturing the first non-structured light image comprises:

emitting non-structured light from the imaging apparatus into the body lumen;

detecting, by the imaging apparatus, the non-structured light reflected from anatomical features in the body lumen; and

generating, by the imaging apparatus, the first non-structured light image from the detected non-structured light;

capturing a structured light image, wherein said capturing the structured light image comprises:

projecting structured light from the imaging apparatus into the body lumen;

detecting, by the imaging apparatus, the structured light reflected from the anatomical features in the body lumen; and

generating, by the imaging apparatus, the structured light image from the detected structured light; and

capturing a second non-structured light image, wherein said capturing the second non-structured light image comprises:

emitting the non-structured light from the imaging apparatus into the body lumen;

detecting, by the imaging apparatus, the non-structured light reflected from the anatomical features in the body lumen; and

generating, by the imaging apparatus, the second non-structured light image from the detected non-structured light; and

combining the first non-structured light image and the second non-structured light image to form a combined non-structured light image; and

wherein said capturing the structured light image is performed between said capturing the first non-structured image and said capturing the second non-structured image are performed in series; and

wherein a same image sensor of the imaging apparatus is used to capture the first structured image, the first non-structured image as well as the second non-structured image.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the first non-structured light image and the second non-structured light image are combined using a weighted sum of first non-structured light image and the second non-structured light image to form the combined non-structured light image.

15. The method of claim 13 , further comprising temporally storing the first non-structured light image or the second non-structured light image in a buffer integrated within a camera of the imaging apparatus to form the combined non-structured light image.

16. The method of claim 13 , wherein the structured light image is captured with a reduced dynamic range of an image sensor of the imaging apparatus compared to the first non-structured light image and the second non-structured light image.

17. The method of claim 13 , wherein the structured light image is captured at lower spatial resolution than the first non-structured light image and the second non-structured light image.

18. The method of claim 13 , wherein the structured light image is captured with a reduced image area in a vertical direction, horizontal direction or both compared to the first non-structured light image and the second non-structured light image.

19. The method of claim 13 , wherein the imaging apparatus corresponds to a capsule endoscope.

20. An apparatus for imaging a body lumen comprising:

a housing;

at least one camera;

a structured light source;

a non-structured light source;

a control circuit coupled to said at least one camera, the structured light source and the non-structured light source, wherein the control circuit is arranged to:

capture a first structured image, wherein said to capture the first structured image comprises:

to project structured light using the structured light source into the body lumen;

to detect, by the camera, the structured light reflected from anatomical features in the body lumen; and

to generate, by the camera, the first structured light image from the detected structured light; and

capture a non-structured image, wherein said to capture the non-structured image comprises:

to emit non-structured light using the non-structured light source into the body lumen;

to detect, by the camera, the non-structured light reflected from the anatomical features in the body lumen; and

to generate, by the camera, a non-structured light image from the detected non-structured light; and

wherein said to capture the first structured image and said to capture the non-structured image are performed in series; and

wherein a same image sensor of the imaging apparatus is used to capture the first structured image as well as the non-structured image.

21. The apparatus of claim 20 , wherein the housing is in a capsule shape for easy swallowing by a human and the housing is sealed to contains therein the camera, the structured light source and the non-structured light source.

22. An apparatus for imaging a body lumen comprising:

a housing;

at least one camera;

a structured light source;

a non-structured light source;

a control circuit coupled to said at least one camera, the structured light source and the non-structured light source, wherein the control circuit is arranged to:

capture a first non-structured image, wherein said to capture the first non-structured image comprises:

to emit non-structured light, using the non-structured light source, into the body lumen;

to detect, by the camera, the non-structured light reflected from anatomical features in the body lumen;

to generate, by the camera, the first non-structured light image from the detected non-structured light;

capture a structured image, wherein said to capture the structured image comprises:

to project structured light, using the structured light source, into the body lumen;

to detect, by the camera, the structured light reflected from the anatomical features in the body lumen; and

to generate, by the camera, the structured light image from the detected structured light;

capture a second non-structured image, wherein said to capture the second non-structured image comprises:

to emit the non-structured light from the camera into the body lumen;

to detect, by the camera, the non-structured light reflected from the anatomical features in the body lumen; and

to generate, by the camera, the second non-structured light image from the detected non-structured light; and

combine the first non-structured light image and the second non-structured light image to form a combined non-structured light image; and

wherein said to capture the structured light image is performed between said to capture the first non-structured image and said to capture the second non-structured image are performed in series; and

wherein a same image sensor of the imaging apparatus is used to capture the first structured image, the first non-structured image as well as the second non-structured image.

23. The apparatus of claim 22 , wherein the housing is in a capsule shape for easy swallowing by a human and the housing is sealed to contains therein the camera, the structured light source and the non-structured light source.