Apparatus and method for mobile thermal texture mapping

• US 20060197772A1
• Filed: 03/01/2005
• Published: 09/07/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Zhongqi Liu
• Original Assignee: Zhongqi Liu
• Inventors: Liu, Zhongqi
• Application Number:
  US11/069,358
• Publication Number:
  US 20060197772A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/582
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/015 By temperature mapping of body part

Abstract

The present invention provides a mobile type of thermal texture mapping apparatus, which includes a scanning head, a direction-controlling floating table, a scanning head direction-controller, a central processing unit, a self-contained and/or external power supply, as well as a mobile box, the mobile box could contain all the above-said elements. This box is composed of 2-3 coupling boxes. Each coupling box has up-down sliding rails and guiding slots between them. Outside the mobile box, there are handles and trolley wheels convenient for dragging the box. Because all elements are capable of being compacted into the mobile box, the height of the scanning head is able to be adjusted by adjusting the height of the coupling boxes, no extra movement, except rotation, is needed for the patient, so the apparatus occupies only a small space, convenient for field or emergency clinic diagnosis

Claims

1. A mobile thermal texture mapping apparatus, comprising:

an infrared scanning head;

a direction-controlling floating table located a movable distance below the infrared scanning head;

a scanning direction controller communicatively coupled to the infrared scanning head;

a central processing unit in operative communication with the infrared scanning head and the direction-controlling floating table; and

an enclosure adapted to contain the infrared scanning head, the direction-controlling floating table, the scanning direction controller, and the central processing unit, wherein the enclosure is configured to expand and contract for movement.

2. The mobile thermal texture mapping apparatus of claim 1, further comprising at least one of an internal power supply and an external power supply.

3. The mobile thermal texture mapping apparatus of claim 2, wherein the at least one of an internal power supply and an external power supply is a 12V DC power supply.

4. The mobile thermal texture mapping apparatus of claim 3, wherein the 12V DC power supply is one of the group consisting of a self-contained accumulator, an internal combustion engine, a man-powered generator, and a transformer, wherein the transformer is suitably connected to one of an AC 220 and an AC 110 power line.

5. The mobile thermal texture mapping apparatus of claim 1, wherein the enclosure further comprises a plurality of coupling boxes suitably adapted to expand from the enclosure and collapse into the enclosure.

6. The mobile thermal texture mapping apparatus of claim 5, wherein the plurality of coupling boxes are engagably attached to the enclosure via a plurality of vertical sliding rails, further comprising:

a plurality of guiding slots disposed between each of the plurality of vertical sliding rails enabling movement of the coupling boxes in a vertical direction; and

at least one of the group consisting of a plurality of blocks and a plurality of pins configured to removably engage the sliding rails and the coupling boxes, wherein the coupling boxes are removably secured.

7. The mobile thermal texture mapping apparatus of claim 1, wherein the enclosure further comprises:

a handle disposed on at least one of the vertical sides of the enclosure, the handle slideably engaged with at least one vertical side; and

a plurality of wheels, attached to the bottom of the enclosure and suitably adapted to provide movement of the apparatus.

8. A method for thermal texture mapping using a mobile apparatus comprising the steps of:

receiving a scanning direction controller signal via a floating table controller;

adjusting a scanning direction in accordance with the scanning direction controller signal;

detecting metabolic heat via a scanning head;

translating the metabolic heat detected by the scanning head into digital data;

generating a thermal radiation distribution map of the digital data based on thermal texture mapping.