1. A middle ear prosthetic device, comprising:
a columellate prosthesis arranged to replace, in sound wave transmission, an ossicular chain of a middle ear with the exception of a stapes or at least a footplate of the stapes, a first end of the columellate prosthesis being connectable to the stapes or to the footplate;
an annular element of bioinert metal insertable, by previous milling, into the an auditory tube at a position in which a neotympanum is to be formed, the neotympanum for functionally replacing a tympanum of the middle ear;
an elastic elongated element of bioinert material, disposed transversely to the annular element, a first end of the elongated element being coupled to the annular element while a second end of the elongated element is spaced from the annular element to be free relative to the annular element, the elastic elongated element being connectable to a second end of said columellate prosthesis at or in a vicinity of the second end of the elastic elongated element;
a tensostructure of wires of non-reabsorbable bioinert material, which extends through an interior of the annular element and is fixed to the annular element, the tensostructure of wires for supporting the neotympanum on a side of the tensostructure distal to the inner ear when the neotympanum is formed, wherein a distance between the wires being for providing a surgeon with a sufficient view of a surgical field and allowing required surgical maneuvers, the elongated elastic element interfering with the tensostructure;
wherein the columellate prosthesis being configured to hang from the elastic elongated element;
wherein each said wire of said tensostructure has a first end and a second end, wherein each said wire first end and each said wire second end is directly attached to said annular element to be under tension.
2. The middle ear prosthetic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the wires of the tensostructure are surgical wires of a bioinert polymer.
3. The middle ear prosthetic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the elongated elastic element is a piece of nitinol wire.
4. The middle ear prosthetic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein a means is provided for retaining the elongated elastic element in position during application of the columellate prosthesis.
5. The middle ear prosthetic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second end of the columellate prosthesis to be connected to the second end of the elongated elastic element is shaped as a hook.
6. The middle ear prosthetic device as claimed in claim 3, wherein the second end of the columellate prosthesis to be connected to the elongated elastic element is shaped as a hook, and wherein the middle ear prosthetic device further comprises a sleeve of bioinert material interposed between the hook of the columellate prosthesis and the piece of nitinol wire of the elongated elastic element, wherein an intermediate part of the sleeve to which the hook is coupled is of reduced diameter.
7. The middle ear prosthetic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first end of the columellate prosthesis is shaped for insertion into a hole provided in the footplate of the stapes.
8. The middle ear prosthetic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the end of the columellate prosthesis is shaped as a cup, to be drawn over the capitellum of the stapes.
9. The middle ear prosthetic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the annular element comprises an annular groove defined along an outer lateral surface of the annular element.
10. The middle ear prosthetic device as claimed in claim 9, wherein the outer lateral surface of the annular element is provided with a conicity of 2\xb0.
11. A middle ear prosthetic device, comprising:
a columellate prosthesis arranged to replace, in sound wave transmission, an ossicular chain of a middle ear with the exception of a stapes or at least a footplate of the stapes, a first end of the columeliate prosthesis being connectable to the stapes or to the footplate;
an annular element of bioinert metal insertable, by previous milling, into an auditory tube at a position in which a neotympanum is to be formed, the neotympanum for functionally replacing a tympanum of the middle ear;
an elastic elongated element of bioinert material, disposed transversely to the annular element, a first end of the elongated element being coupled to the annular element white a second end of the elongated element is spaced from the annular element to be free relative to the annular element, the elastic elongated element being connected to a second end of said columellate prosthesis at or in a vicinity of the second end of the elastic elongated element;
a tensostructure of wires of non-reabsorbable bioinert material, which extends to an interior of the annular element and is fixed to the annular element, the tensostructure of wires for supporting the neotympanum on a side of the tensostructure distal to the inner ear when the neotympanum is formed, wherein a distance between the wires being for providing a surgeon with a sufficient view of a surgical field and allowing required surgical maneuvers, the elongated elastic element interfering with the tensostructure;
wherein the columellate prosthesis hangs from the elastic elongated element;
wherein about the second end of the elongated elastic element there is wound a wire of the tensostructure of wires wherein opposed ends of the wound wire are directly attached to the annular element.
12. A middle ear prosthetic device, comprising:
a columellate prosthesis arranged to replace, in sound wave transmission, an ossicular chain of a middle ear with the exception of a stapes or at least a footplate of the stapes, a first end of the columeliate prosthesis being connectable to the stapes or to the footplate;
an annular element of bioinert metal insertable, by previous milling, into an auditory tube at a position in which a neotympanum is to be formed, the neotympanum for functionally replacing a tympanum of the middle ear;
an elastic elongated element of bioinert material disposed transversely to the annular element, a first end of the elongated element being coupled to the annular element while a second end of the elongated element is spaced from the annular element to be free relative to the annular element, the elastic elongated element being connected to a second end of said columellate prosthesis at or in a vicinity of the second end of the elastic elongated element;
a tensostructure of wires of non-reabsorbable bioinert material, which extends to an interior of the annular element and is fixed to the annular element, the tensostructure of wires for supporting the neotympanum on a side of the tensostructure distal to the inner ear when the neotyrnpanum is formed, wherein a distance between the wires being for providing a surgeon with a sufficient view of a surgical field and allowing required surgical maneuvers, the elongated elastic element interfering with the tensostructure;
wherein the columellate prosthesis hangs from the elastic elongated element;
wherein about the second end of the elongated elastic element there is wound a wire of the tensostructure of wires wherein opposed ends of the wound wire are inserted into cavities of the annular element into which the ends of the wound wires are locked.
13. A middle ear prosthetic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the annular element is sized for extending transversely across the auditory tube at the position in which the neotympanum is to be formed.
14. A middle ear prosthetic device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the annular element has an outer diameter of 8.0 to 13.0 mm.
15. A middle ear prosthetic device as claimed in claim 1,
wherein the tensostructure of wires has opposed first and second sides, the first side of the tensostructure of wires for supporting the neotympanum to be formed over the tensostructure of wires, and
the columellate prosthesis second end is connectable to the second end of the elastic elongated element at or in the vicinity of the second end of the elastic elongated element and the columellate prosthesis is for extending away from the elongated element in a direction away from the tensostructure of wires with the first end of the columeilate prosthesis below the tensostructure of wires, the elongated element contacts the first side of the tensostructure of wires.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A video image synthesis method comprising the steps of:
obtaining a contiguous frame group by detecting a plurality of frames that represent contiguous scenes in a video image;
placing a reference patch comprising one or a plurality of rectangular areas on one of said plurality of frames included in said contiguous frame group which is used as a reference frame;
respectively placing patches which are the same as said reference patch, on the others of said plurality of frames;
moving andor deforming said patches in said other frames so that an image within the patch of each of said other frames approximately coincides with an image within said reference patch;
respectively acquiring correspondent relationships between pixels within the patches of said other frames and a pixel within said reference patch of said reference frame, based on the patches of said other frames after the movement andor deformation and on said reference patch; and
acquiring a synthesized frame from said plurality of frames, based on said correspondent relationships.
2. The synthesis method as set forth in claim 1, wherein
a correlation between adjacent frames, which is started from said reference frame, is acquired; and
said contiguous frame group that is detected comprises frames ranging from said reference frame to a frame, which is closer to said reference frame, between a pair of said adjacent frames in which said correlation is lower than a predetermined first threshold value.
3. The synthesis method as set forth in claim 2, wherein
a histogram is computed for at least one of the Y, Cb, and Cr components of each of said adjacent frames (where the Y component is a luminance component and the Cb and Cr components are color difference components);
a Euclidean distance for each component between said adjacent frames is computed by employing said histogram;
the sum of the Euclidean distances for said three components is computed; and
when said sum is a predetermined second threshold value or greater, the correlation between said adjacent frames is lower than said predetermined first threshold value.
4. The synthesis method as set forth in claim 3, wherein said histogram is computed by dividing each of components, which are used, among said three components by a value greater than 1.
5. The synthesis method as set forth in claim 2, wherein
a difference between pixel values of corresponding pixels of said adjacent frames is computed for all corresponding pixels;
the sum of absolute values of the differences for all corresponding pixels is computed; and
when said sum is a third threshold value or greater, said correlation between adjacent frames is lower than said predetermined first threshold value.
6. The synthesis method as set forth in claim 2, wherein said correlation is computed by employing a reduced image or thinned image of each frame.
7. The synthesis method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the detection of frames that constitute said contiguous frame group is stopped when the number of detected frames reaches a predetermined upper limit value.
8. A video image synthesizer comprising:
contiguous frame group detection means for obtaining a contiguous frame group by detecting a plurality of frames that represent contiguous scenes in a video image;
correspondent relationship acquisition means for placing a reference patch comprising one or a plurality of rectangular areas on one of said plurality of frames included in said contiguous frame group which is used as a reference frame, then respectively placing on the others of said plurality of frames patches which are the same as said reference patch, then moving andor deforming said patches in said other frames so that an image within the patch of each of said other frames approximately coincides with an image within said reference patch, and respectively acquiring correspondent relationships between pixels within the patches of said other frames and a pixel within said reference patch of said reference frame, based on the patches of said other frames after the movement andor deformation and on said reference patch; and
frame synthesis means for acquiring a synthesized frame from said plurality of frames, based on said correspondent relationships acquired by said correspondent relationship acquisition means.
9. The video image synthesizer as set forth in claim 8, wherein
said contiguous frame group detection means is equipped with correlation computation means for computing a correlation between adjacent frames which is started from said reference frame; and
said contiguous frame group, which is detected by said contiguous frame group detection means, comprises frames ranging from said reference frame to a frame, which is closer to said reference frame, between a pair of said adjacent frames in which said correlation is lower than a predetermined first threshold value.
10. The video image synthesizer as set forth in claim 9, wherein
said correlation computation means computes a histogram for at least one of the Y, Cb, and Cr components of each of said adjacent frames (where the Y component is a luminance component and the Cb and Cr components are color difference components), also computes a Euclidean distance for each component between said adjacent frames by employing said histogram, and computes the sum of the Euclidean distances for said three components; and
when said sum is a predetermined second threshold value or greater, said contiguous frame group detection means judges that said correlation between said adjacent frames is lower than said predetermined first threshold value.
11. The video image synthesizer as set forth in claim 10, wherein said correlation computation means computes said histogram by dividing each of components, which are used, among said three components by a value greater than 1.
12. The video image synthesizer as set forth in claim 9, wherein
said correlation computation means computes a difference between pixel values of corresponding pixels of said adjacent frames and also computes the sum of absolute values of the differences for all corresponding pixels; and
when said sum is a third threshold value or greater, said contiguous frame group detection means judges that said correlation between adjacent frames is lower than said predetermined first threshold value.
13. The video image synthesizer as set forth in claim 9, wherein said correlation computation means computes said correlation, employing a reduced image or thinned image of each frame.
14. The video image synthesizer as set forth in claim 8, further comprising stoppage means for stopping the detection of frames, which constitute said contiguous frame group, when the number of frames detected by said contiguous frame group detection means reaches a predetermined upper limit value.
15. A program for causing a computer to execute:
a contiguous frame group detection process of obtaining a contiguous frame group by detecting a plurality of frames that represent contiguous scenes in a video image;
a correspondent relationship acquisition process of placing a reference patch comprising one or a plurality of rectangular areas on one of said plurality of frames included in said contiguous frame group which is used as a reference frame, then respectively placing on the others of said plurality of frames patches which are the same as said reference patch, then moving andor deforming said patches in said other frames so that an image within the patch of each of said other frames approximately coincides with an image within said reference patch, and respectively acquiring correspondent relationships between pixels within the patches of said other frames and a pixel within said reference patch of said reference frame, based on the patches of said other frames after the movement andor deformation and on said reference patch; and
a frame synthesis process of acquiring a synthesized frame from said plurality of frames, based on said correspondent relationships.