Capsule endoscope system, operating method of image display, and computer-readable recording medium

Abstract

A capsule endoscope system includes: a capsule endoscope including a first and a second imaging units; an image display that displays images captured by the first and second imaging units; a control unit that determines a moving direction of the capsule endoscope during imaging, specifies one of the imaging units which faces the moving direction of the capsule endoscope during imaging, and determines the posture of the capsule endoscope; and a display control unit that generates a display screen, arranges the image captured by the imaging unit facing the moving direction in a first display region in the display screen, arranges the image captured by the other imaging unit in a second display region in the display screen, and changes the positions of the first and second display regions according to the determination result of the position of the capsule endoscope.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A capsule endoscope system comprising:
 a capsule endoscope that includes a first imaging unit which captures an image in a first direction and a second imaging unit which captures an image in a second direction different from the first direction, is introduced into a subject, and captures an in-vivo image of the subject;   an image display that displays an image based on image data obtained from the in-vivo images of the subject captured by the first and second imaging units;   a control unit that determines a moving direction of the capsule endoscope during imaging, specifies one of the first and second imaging units which faces the moving direction of the capsule endoscope during imaging, and determines the position of the capsule endoscope; and   a display control unit that generates a display screen including a first display region in which an image in the moving direction of the capsule endoscope is arranged and a second display region in which an image in a direction opposite to the moving direction of the capsule endoscope is arranged, arranges, in the first display region, an image based on the image data acquired by the imaging unit which is specified to face the moving direction by the control unit, arranges, in the second display region, an image based on the image data acquired by the other imaging unit, and changes the positions of the first and second display regions according to the determination result of the position of the capsule endoscope.   
     
     
         2 . The capsule endoscope system according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the control unit determines the moving direction based on an amount of movement of the capsule endoscope when images are captured at different times.   
     
     
         3 . The capsule endoscope system according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the display control unit changes the positions of the first and second display regions in the display screen based on a difference between the positions of the first and second imaging units along an axis perpendicular to the moving direction of the capsule endoscope.   
     
     
         4 . The capsule endoscope system according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein, when at least portions of the first and second display regions overlap each other, the display control unit displays the first and second display regions such that one of the first and second display regions is superimposed on the other display region, based on the determination result of the position of the capsule endoscope.   
     
     
         5 . The capsule endoscope system according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein, when at least portions of the first and second display regions overlap each other, the display control unit displays the first and second display regions such that one of the first and second display regions is reduced and/on the other display region is enlarged, based on the determination result of the position of the capsule endoscope.   
     
     
         6 . The capsule endoscope system according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the control unit determines the position of the capsule endoscope in a coordinate system which has the moving direction as one axis.   
     
     
         7 . The capsule endoscope system according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the control unit determines the posture of the capsule endoscope in a coordinate system based on the subject.   
     
     
         8 . The capsule endoscope system according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the display control unit displays indicators indicating the moving direction of the capsule endoscope so as to be associated with the first and second display regions.   
     
     
         9 . The capsule endoscope system according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the display control unit displays indicators indicating the position of the capsule endoscope so as to be associated with the first and second display regions.   
     
     
         10 . A method of operating an image display that displays an image corresponding to image data obtained by a capsule endoscope which includes a first imaging unit capturing an image in a first direction and a second imaging unit capturing an image in a second direction different from the first direction, is introduced into a subject, and captures an in-vivo image of the subject, the method comprising:
 determining a moving direction of the capsule endoscope during imaging, specifying one of the first and second imaging units which faces the moving direction of the capsule endoscope during imaging, and determining the posture of the capsule endoscope;   generating a display screen which includes a first display region in which an image in the moving direction of the capsule endoscope is arranged and a second display region in which an image in a direction opposite to the moving direction of the capsule endoscope is arranged, and on which an image based on the image data acquired by the imaging unit which is specified to face the moving direction is arranged in the first display region, an image based on the image data acquired by the other imaging unit is arranged in the second display region, and the positions of the first and second display regions are changed according to the determination result of the position of the capsule endoscope; and   displaying the generated display screen.   
     
     
         11 . A computer-readable recording medium having stored thereon an executable image display program that causes an image display to display an image corresponding to image data obtained by a capsule endoscope which includes a first imaging unit capturing an image in a first direction and a second imaging unit capturing an image in a second direction different from the first direction, is introduced into a subject, and captures an in-vivo image of the subject and causes a processor to perform:
 determining a moving direction of the capsule endoscope during imaging, specifying one of the first and second imaging units which faces the moving direction of the capsule endoscope during imaging, and determining the posture of the capsule endoscope;   generating a display screen which includes a first display region in which an image in the moving direction of the capsule endoscope is arranged and a second display region in which an image in a direction opposite to the moving direction of the capsule endoscope is arranged, and on which an image based on the image data acquired by the imaging unit which is specified to face the moving direction is arranged in the first display region, an image based on the image data acquired by the other imaging unit is arranged in the second display region, and the positions of the first and second display regions are changed according to the determination result of the position of the capsule endoscope; and   displaying the generated display screen.