Balloon membrane fiducial markers for fluorescent 3d imaging

Abstract

A balloon membrane may be coupled with a scanner to produce a three-dimensional representation. The balloon membrane may include an exterior surface, and an interior surface comprising one or more fiducial markers having geometric features to form a random pattern that when detected by the scanner permits a processor of the scanner to use portions of the random pattern present in at least two image frames to align the at least two image frames to form the three-dimensional representation.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A balloon membrane coupled with a scanner to produce a three-dimensional representation, the balloon membrane comprising:
 an exterior surface; and   an interior surface comprising one or more fiducial markers having geometric features to form a random pattern that when detected by the scanner permits a processor of the scanner to use portions of the random pattern present in at least two image frames to align the at least two image frames to form the three-dimensional representation.   
     
     
         2 . The balloon membrane of  claim 1  wherein the processor of the scanner aligns the at least two image frames by detecting an area of overlap of the same fiducial marks of a first imaged frame and a second imaged frame. 
     
     
         3 . The balloon membrane of  claim 1 , wherein portions of the balloon membrane having the one or more fiducial markers and portions of the balloon membrane without the one or more fiducial markers have different ratios of absorption of two different wavelengths of light. 
     
     
         4 . The balloon membrane of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more fiducial markers are applied to the interior surface of the balloon membrane by at least one of pad-printing or photo-bleaching. 
     
     
         5 . A method of generating a three-dimensional representation comprising:
 imaging an interior surface of a balloon membrane with a scanner, wherein the interior surface of the balloon membrane comprises one or more fiducial markers having geometric features that form a random pattern;   generating, with the scanner, a first imaged frame of a portion of the interior surface comprising the random pattern;   generating, with the scanner, a second imaged frame of a portion of the interior surface comprising the random pattern;   detecting, with a processor coupled to the scanner, an area of overlap of the random pattern present in the first imaged frame and the second imaged frame;   aligning the first imaged frame and the second imaged frame based on the area of overlap; and   combining the aligned first imaged frame and second imaged frame to form the three-dimensional representation.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5  further comprising:
 inflating the balloon membrane with a wavelength-selective medium; and 
 calculating a distance to points on the interior surface of the balloon membrane based on a ratio of absorption of two different wavelengths of light. 
 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6  wherein calculating the distance to points on the interior surface of the balloon membrane further comprises using a first ratio of absorption for portions of the interior surface of the balloon membrane comprising the one or more fiducial markers and a second ratio of absorption for the portions of the balloon membrane without the one or more fiducial markers. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , determining depth information based on the calculated distances, and using the depth information to further form the three-dimensional representation. 
     
     
         9 . A method of generating a three-dimensional representation comprising:
 imaging an interior surface of a balloon membrane with a scanner, wherein the interior surface of the balloon membrane comprises:   a first portion with one or more fiducial markers applied to the interior surface by at least one of pad-printing or photo-bleaching,
 a second portion having one or more fiducial markers applied to the interior surface by at least one of pad-printing or photo-bleaching, and 
   a third portion having no fiducial markers;   with a processor coupled to a scanner, calculating a distance through a wavelength-selective medium inflating the balloon membrane to a point on the interior surface of the balloon membrane based on a ratio of absorption of two different wavelengths of light;   with the processor coupled to the scanner, determining depth information using a first ratio of absorption of the one or more fiducial markers of the first portion of the balloon membrane, a second ratio of absorption of the one or more fiducial markers of the second portion of the balloon membrane, and a third ratio of absorption of the third portion of the balloon membrane; and   with the processor coupled to the scanner, correlating the depth information to a corresponding image of the first portion, the second portion, and the third portion of the balloon membrane to generate the three-dimensional representation.   
     
     
         10 . A balloon membrane coupled with a scanner to produce a three-dimensional representation, the balloon membrane comprising:
 an exterior surface; and   an interior surface comprising:
 a first portion with one or more fiducial markers applied to the interior surface by at least one of pad-printing or photo-bleaching, 
 a second portion having one or more fiducial markers applied to the interior surface by at least one of pad-printing or photo-bleaching, and 
 a third portion having no fiducial markers, 
   wherein the first portion, second portion, and third portion have different ratios of absorption for two wavelengths of light that when detected by the scanner permits a processor of the scanner to
 (i) calculate a distance, through a wavelength-selective medium inflating the balloon membrane, to a point on the interior surface of the balloon membrane based on a ratio of absorption of two different wavelengths of light, 
 (ii) determine depth information using a first ratio of absorption of the fiducial markers of the first portion of the balloon membrane, a second ratio of absorption of the fiducial markers of the second portion of the balloon membrane, and a third ratio of absorption of the third portion of the balloon membrane, and 
 (iii) correlating the depth information to a corresponding image of the portions of the balloon membrane to generate the three-dimensional representation. 
   
     
     
         11 . A method comprising:
 encoding information of an absolute location on an interior surface of a membrane via a density of fiducial markers on the interior surface, wherein
 (i) a first portion of the interior surface comprises a first group of the fiducial markers with a first ratio of absorption for two different wavelengths of light and arranged at a first density, the first density comprising encoded information of a first location on the interior surface of the membrane, 
 (ii) a second portion of the interior surface comprises a second group of the fiducial markers with a second ratio of absorption for two different wavelengths of light arranged at a second density, the second density comprising encoded information of a second location on the interior surface of the membrane; 
   generating, by a scanner coupled to the membrane, a first imaged frame of the interior surface of the membrane and a second imaged frame of the interior surface of the membrane;   determining, with a processor coupled to the scanner, the absolute location of the interior surface in the first imaged frame based on a presence of fiducial markers at the first density or the second density, and the absolute location of the interior surface in the second imaged frame based on a presence of fiducial markers at the first density or the second density; and   forming a three-dimensional representation of the interior surface of the membrane based at least in part on the decoded locations of the first imaged frame and the second imaged frame.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising, determining depth information using the first ratio of absorption and the second ratio of absorption, and further forming the three-dimensional representation based on the depth information. 
     
     
         13 . A balloon membrane configured to be coupled with a scanner to produce a three-dimensional representation, the balloon membrane comprising:
 (a) an interior surface, comprising:
 (i) a first portion comprising a first group of fiducial markers with a first ratio of absorption for two different wavelengths of light and arranged at a first density, the first density comprising encoded information of a first location on the interior surface of the balloon membrane, 
 (ii) a second portion comprising a second group of fiducial markers with a second ratio of absorption for two different wavelengths of light arranged at a second density, the second density comprising encoded information of a second location on the interior surface of the balloon membrane; and 
   (b) an opening for coupling to the scanner.   
     
     
         14 . A balloon membrane configured to be coupled with a scanner to produce a three-dimensional representation, the balloon membrane comprising:
 (a) an interior surface, comprising at least a first portion having one or more fiducial markers and at least a second portion without fiducial markers, wherein
 (i) the one or more fiducial markers forming a predetermined pattern comprising a first fiducial marker having a first size different from a size of a second fiducial marker that enhances stitching of images from the scanner, and 
 (ii) wherein the first portion has a first ratio of absorption for two different wavelengths of light and the second portion has a second ratio of absorption for two different wavelengths of light. 
   
     
     
         15 . The balloon membrane of  claim 14 , wherein the predetermined pattern comprises one or more of the first fiducial markers with an overlaid grid of one or more of the second fiducial markers. 
     
     
         16 . The balloon membrane of  claim 14 , wherein the fiducial markers are applied to the interior surface of the balloon membrane by at least one of pad-printing or photo-bleaching. 
     
     
         17 . The balloon membrane of  claim 13 , wherein the one or more fiducial markers further encode an absolute location on the interior surface by at least one of a shape, a size, an orientation, or a color of the one or more fiducial markers. 
     
     
         18 . A method of generating a three-dimensional representation, comprising:
 imaging an interior surface of a balloon membrane with a scanner, wherein the interior surface of the balloon membrane comprises:
 at least a first portion having one or more fiducial markers and at least a second portion without fiducial markers, 
 one or more fiducial markers forming a predetermined pattern comprising a first fiducial marker having a first size different from a size of a second fiducial marker, and 
   wherein the first portion has a first ratio of absorption for two different wavelengths of light and the second portion has a second ratio of absorption for two different wavelengths of light.   generating, by the scanner coupled to the balloon membrane, a first imaged frame of the interior surface of the balloon membrane and a second imaged frame of the interior surface of the balloon membrane;
 with a processor coupled to the scanner, combining the first imaged frame and the second imaged frame by aligning the first imaged frame and the second imaged frame based on the second fiducial marker of the predetermined pattern; 
   with a processor coupled to the scanner, forming a three-dimensional representation of the interior surface of the balloon membrane based in part on the aligned images.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising, with the processor, fine-tuning the alignment of the first imaged frame and the second imaged frame based on the first fiducial marker of the predetermined pattern.