Handheld arthropod detection device

• US 10,496,893 B2
• Filed: 08/09/2017
• Issued: 12/03/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/11/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DiamondFox Enterprises, LLC
• Original Assignee: DiamondFox Enterprises, LLC
• Inventors: Diamond, Paul T., Kwart, Margie Fox, Tippetts, Beau
• Primary Examiner(s): Moyer, Andrew M
• Application Number:
  US15/673,389
• Publication Number:
  US 20180046872A1
• Time in Patent Office: 846 Days
• Field of Search: 382103
• CPC Class Codes: A01M 1/00 Stationary means for catching or killing insects
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/143 Sensing or illuminating at different wavelengths
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/25 Determination of region of interest [ROI] or a volume of interest [VOI]
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/20 in augmented reality scenes
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 30/142 using hand-held instruments; Constructional details of the instruments
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/103 Static body considered as a whole, e.g. static pedestrian or occupant recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 30/20 for handling medical images, e.g. DICOM, HL7 or PACS
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 30/40 for processing medical images, e.g. editing
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/20 for the management or administration of healthcare resources or facilities, e.g. managing hospital staff or surgery rooms
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/33 Transforming infrared radiation cameras or camera modules for generating image signals from infrared radiation H04N23/20; circuitry of SSIS for transforming infrared radiation into image signals H04N25/20
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 90/10 Information and communication technologies [ICT] supporting adaptation to climate change, e.g. for weather forecasting or climate simulation

Abstract

Various embodiments include systems and methods of arthropod detection using an electronic arthropod detection device. A processor of an electronic arthropod detection device may scan a surface or a subject using the electronic arthropod detection device and capture at least one image while scanning the surface or the subject using the electronic arthropod detection device. The processor may determine whether the at least one image includes a region of interest (ROI) corresponding to an arthropod and provide an identification area of the at least one image to an object detection model in response to determining that the at least one image includes an ROI. The processor may initiate an arthropod detected procedure in response to receiving a result from the object detection model that indicates that an arthropod is detected within the identification area of the at least one image.

Claims

1. A method of arthropod detection using an electronic arthropod detection device, the method comprising:

receiving an indication associated with a type of arthropod to be detected;

retrieving, by the electronic arthropod detection device, an object detection model from a plurality of object detection models in response to receiving the indication associated with the type of arthropod to be detected;

scanning a surface or a subject using the electronic arthropod detection device;

capturing, by the electronic arthropod detection device, at least one image while scanning the surface or the subject using the electronic arthropod detection device;

determining whether the at least one image includes a region of interest (ROI) corresponding to an arthropod;

providing an identification area of the at least one image to the object detection model in response to determining that the at least one image includes an ROI;

determining, by the electronic arthropod detection device using the object detection model, whether an arthropod is detected within the identification area of the at least one image; and

initiating an arthropod detected procedure in response to determining using the object detection model that an arthropod is detected within the identification area of the at least one image.

2. The method of claim 1,

wherein capturing the at least one image while scanning the surface or the subject using the electronic arthropod detect device comprises:

capturing an IR image; and

wherein providing an identification area of the at least one image to the object detection model in response to determining that the at least one image includes the ROI comprises;

defining the identification area within the captured IR image; and

providing the defined identification area of the captured IR image to the object detection model.

3. The method of claim 1,

wherein capturing the at least one image while scanning the surface or the subject using the electronic arthropod detect device comprises:

capturing an IR image; and

capturing an optical image;

wherein determining, by the electronic arthropod detection device using the object detection model, whether the at least one image includes the ROI comprises;

determining whether the captured IR image includes an ROI corresponding to an arthropod;

wherein providing an identification area of the at least one image to the object detection model in response to determining that the at least one image includes an ROI comprises;

identifying a center point of an ROI included in the captured IR image in response to determining that the captured IR image includes an ROI;

defining a search area in the captured optical image based on the center point of the ROI included in the captured IR image;

defining an identification area in the captured optical image corresponding to the defined search area; and

providing the defined identification area of the captured optical image to the object detection model.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein defining an identification area in the captured optical image corresponding to the defined search area comprises:

scanning the search area for points of contrast; and

defining the identification area in the captured optical image based on one or more identified points of contrast within the search area.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein initiating the arthropod detected procedure in response to receiving the result from the object detection model comprises one or more of displaying an indication that an arthropod has been detected, generating an audio indicator corresponding to the detected arthropod, displaying an image of the detected arthropod, displaying instructions associated with how to remove the arthropod from the subject or the surface, and displaying medical follow-up information.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of object detection models correspond to one or more of a tick, a bedbug, a mite, lice, a flea, and a combination thereof.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing the object detection model at the electronic arthropod detection device prior to providing the identification area of the at least one image to the object detection model.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the object detection model uses one or more arthropod identifying characteristics to generate the result from the object detection model that indicates that an arthropod is detected within the identification area of the at least one image.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sending at least a portion of the at least one image captured by the electronic arthropod detection device to a server,

wherein the server updates the object detection model based on the portion of the at least one image captured by the electronic arthropod detection device.

10. An electronic arthropod detection device, comprising:

a camera;

an image sensor;

an input device;

a memory; and

a processor coupled to the memory, the input device, the camera and the image sensor, wherein the processor is configured with processor-executable instructions to perform operations comprising;

receiving an indication associated with a type of arthropod to be detected via the input device;

retrieving an object detection model from a plurality of object detection models in response to receiving the indication associated the type of arthropod to be detected;

capturing at least one image using the camera and image sensor while scanning a surface or a subject;

determining whether the at least one image includes a region of interest (ROI) corresponding to an arthropod;

providing an identification area of the at least one image to the object detection model in response to determining that the at least one image includes an ROI;

determining using the object detection model whether an arthropod is detected within the identification area of the at least one image; and

initiating an arthropod detected procedure in response to determining using the object detection model that an arthropod is detected within the identification area of the at least one image.

11. The electronic arthropod detection device of claim 10,

wherein the camera and the image sensor are included in an arthropod detection module;

and

wherein the arthropod detection module is separate from the processor.

12. The electronic arthropod detection device of claim 10, wherein the image sensor is a thermal image sensor configured to capture infrared (IR) images.

13. The electronic arthropod detection device of claim 12,

wherein the processor is configured with processor-executable instructions to perform operations further comprising capturing an IR image using the thermal image sensor, and

wherein the processor is configured with processor-executable instructions to perform operations such that providing an identification area of the at least one image to the object detection model in response to determining that the at least one image includes the ROI comprises:

defining the identification area within the captured IR image; and

providing the defined identification area of the captured IR image to the object detection model.

14. The electronic arthropod detection device of claim 10, wherein the image sensor is an optical image sensor.

15. The electronic arthropod detection device of claim 14, further comprising a thermal image sensor configured to capture IR images.

16. The electronic arthropod detection device of claim 15,

wherein the processor is configured with processor-executable instructions to perform operations further comprising:

capturing an IR image using the thermal image sensor; and

capturing an optical image using the optical image sensor;

wherein determining whether the at least one image includes the ROI comprises;

determining whether the captured IR image includes an ROI corresponding to an arthropod; and

wherein the processor is configured with processor-executable instructions to perform operations such that providing an identification area of the at least one image to the object detection model in response to determining that the at least one image includes an ROI comprises;

identifying a center point of an ROI included in the captured IR image in response to determining that the captured IR image includes an ROI;

defining a search area in the captured optical image based on the center point of the ROI included in the captured IR image;

defining an identification area in the captured optical image corresponding to the defined search area; and

providing the defined identification area of the captured optical image to the object detection model.

17. The electronic arthropod detection device of claim 10, further comprising:

a display;

a light emitter; and

a speaker,

wherein the processor is configured with processor-executable instructions to perform operations such that initiating the arthropod detected procedure in response to determining using the object detection model that an arthropod is detected within the identification area of the at least one image comprises one or more of displaying an indication on the display that an arthropod has been detected, communicating an audio indicator via the speaker corresponding to the detected arthropod, emitting light from the light emitter corresponding to the detected arthropod, displaying on the display an image of the detected arthropod, displaying on the display instructions associated with how to remove the arthropod from the subject or the surface, and displaying on the display medical follow-up information.

18. The electronic arthropod detection device of claim 10, wherein the plurality of object detection models correspond to one or more of a tick, a bedbug, a mite, lice, a flea, and a combination thereof.