Reliable hysteroscopy color imaging

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate the reliability of two hysteroscopy cameras, the Circon IP 4 and Karl Storz HD, in relation to white balance, camera response over time, and color correction. Experimental results, show that for both the Circon and Karl Storz cameras: (i) for white balancing, either guaze, or white sheet, or the white color cheker can be used, (ii) white balance can be carried out at any distance between 0.5 to 3.0 cm, (iii) white balance can be carried out at 1cm and at any angle between 0 to 45 degrees, (iv) there was no camera color variation over both short (60 min) and long (4 weeks) time intervalls, and (v) color correction algorithm 2 gave better results. Most imortantantly, there was no significant difference between the MSE of the Circon and Storz cameras. The above results will be incorporated in a standardized protocol for texture feature analysis of endoscopic imaging for gyneacological cancer developed by our group, and will enable multi-center quantitative analysis (constrained by the use of the two cameras investigated). © 2010 International Federation for Medical and Biological Engineering.