Method, device and endoscopy capsule to detect information about the three-dimensional structure of the inner surface of a body cavity
In a method and a device to detect information about the three-dimensional structure of the inner surface of a body cavity of a patient with an endoscopy capsule introduced into said body cavity, a first partial region of the inner surface of the body cavity is illuminated with at least one light source arranged in the endoscopy capsule and an image of a second partial region that is illuminated by the first partial region and differs from the first partial region. The three-dimensional structure of the second partial region is known, and the second partial region is acquired with at least one camera arranged in the endoscopy capsule. Information about the three-dimensional structure of the first partial region is derived using the intensity values in this image.
1. A method to detect information representing a three-dimensional structure of an inner surface of a body cavity of a patient, comprising:
introducing an endoscopy capsule into a body cavity of a patient, said body cavity having an inner surface;
with a light source in said introduced endoscopy capsule, illuminating a first portion of said inner surface of said body cavity;
with a camera in the endoscopy capsule, acquiring an image of a second portion of said inner surface of said body cavity that differs from said first portion and is illuminated by said first portion, said second portion having a three-dimensional structure that is known; and
supplying said image from said endoscopy capsule to a processor and, in said processor, automatically deriving information representing a three-dimensional structure of said first portion of said inner surface from intensity values in said image.
2. A method as claimed in claim 1 comprising employing an endoscopy capsule that is freely maneuverable in said body cavity.
3. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said first portion of said inner surface and said second portion of said inner surface are opposite each other in said body cavity.
4. A method as claimed in claim 1 comprising illuminating said first portion of said inner surface in temporal succession with light pulses of respectively different spectral compositions, and acquiring respective images of said second portion of said inner surface after each light pulse, and evaluating the respective images for each light pulse.
5. A device for detecting information representing a three-dimensional structure of an inner surface of a body cavity of a patient, comprising:
an endoscopy capsule configured for introduction into a body cavity of a patient, said body cavity having an inner surface;
said endoscopy capsule comprising a light source that illuminates a spatial area of said inner surface, and a camera having an imaging field of view that is outside of said spatial area; and
a control unit configured to operate said light source and said camera to cause said light source to illuminate said spatial area and to acquire an image of another area, outside of said spatial area, of said inner surface of said body cavity that is illuminated by illumination of said spatial area, and to evaluate said image to derive information representing a three-dimensional structure of said area outside of said spatial area from intensity values in said image.
6. A device as claimed in claim 5 wherein said endoscopy capsule is configured for free maneuverability in said body cavity.
7. A device as claimed in claim 5 wherein said endoscopy capsule comprises a plurality of light sources operated by said control unit to respectively emit light of different spectral compositions.