×

Grayscale thermographic imaging

  • US 10,269,112 B2
  • Filed: 12/30/2015
  • Issued: 04/23/2019
  • Est. Priority Date: 04/04/2012
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
Patent Images

1. A method of objectively detecting abnormalities in and beneath a mammalian body surface by comparing relative differences in the temperature of two areas of the outer surface of a mammalian body, said method comprising the steps of:

  • providing an infrared imaging device comprising a first laser beam emitting device and a second laser beam emitting device, wherein beams from said first and second laser beam emitting devices intersect at a predetermined distance from a target, said imaging device capable of passively reading radiant energy emissions from a target having wavelengths in the long-wave infrared range of 7 to 14 microns, the imaging device having a default configuration in which long-wave infrared thermal images acquired using the imaging device have;

    a default pixel intensity range defined as a default thermal span between a default lower thermal intensity limit and a default upper thermal intensity limit, and that is a range of core temperatures within which are homeostasis requirements to sustain mammalian life whereby the thermal intensity variations within long-wave infrared thermal images acquired using the imaging device in the default configuration are limited to a range of thermal intensity variations that substantially covers the physiological thermal intensity range of the mammalian body, anda default thermal image resolution determined by an algorithm that includes the default upper thermal intensity limit, the default lower thermal intensity limit and a predetermined fixed number of different pixel values and is contained in a program on a computer readable medium;

    arranging said imaging device relative to a mammal;

    defining a first body surface area on the mammal as the target;

    acquiring a first long-wave infrared thermal image of said first body surface area at said predetermined distance therefrom using said imaging device in the default configuration, the acquired first long-wave infrared thermal image comprising a plurality of pixels;

    assigning each pixel of the acquired first long-wave infrared thermal image to a respective one of the predetermined fixed number of different pixel values according to the default thermal image resolution;

    calculating an average pixel value for said first long-wave infrared thermal image;

    defining a second body surface area on the mammal as the target;

    acquiring a second long-wave infrared thermal image of said second body surface area at said predetermined distance therefrom using said imaging device in the default configuration, the acquired second long-wave infrared thermal image comprising a plurality of pixels;

    assigning each pixel of the acquired second long-wave infrared thermal image to a respective one of the predetermined fixed number of different pixel values according to the default thermal image resolution;

    calculating an average pixel value for said second long-wave infrared thermal image; and

    generating a respective histogram of said pixel values within each of said first and second long-wave infrared thermal images, and detecting abnormalities in one of the first and second body surface areas relative to the other by comparing the histograms.

View all claims
  • 2 Assignments
Timeline View
Assignment View
    ×
    ×