Apparatus and methods for preparing customized personal supports

• US 20060227336A1
• Filed: 04/06/2005
• Published: 10/12/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/06/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Donald C. Neth, Todd M. Dinner
• Original Assignee: Donald C. Neth, Todd M. Dinner
• Inventors: Neth, Donald C., Dinner, Todd M.
• Application Number:
  US11/100,296
• Publication Number:
  US 20060227336A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 356/601
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 11/25 by projecting a pattern, e.g. one or more lines, moiré fringes on the object G01B11/255 takes precedence ; image analysis for depth or shape recovery G06T7/50
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/593 from stereo images
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/145 Illumination specially adapted for pattern recognition, e.g. using gratings
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/64 Three-dimensional objects
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 2201/12 Acquisition of 3D measurements of objects
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 2201/121 using special illumination

Abstract

An apparatus for determining the surface contour of an impression of a portion of a body in an impression capturing device. The apparatus includes a light source such as a laser capable of transmitting a beam onto a surface of a device, a digital stereo vision camera capable of recording the surface contour of the surface as it is being scanned by the laser beam, and a digital conduit capable of transmitting the camera digital signal to a microprocessor for processing and/or storing contour data of the surface. The data can be utilized for making a support article such as seat or cushion having the same contour as the personal support article.

Claims

1. An apparatus for determining the surface contour of an impression of a portion of a body, comprising:

a light source capable of projecting a beam onto a surface comprising at least an impression of a portion of a body; and

a contour scanning system comprising at least two digital cameras spaced a predetermined distance from each other and operatively connected to a microprocessor, said contour scanning system capable of detecting the beam on the surface and generating a plurality of data reference points relating to the contour of the surface.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the at least two cameras are a digital stereo vision camera.

3. An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the light source is a laser, and wherein the apparatus further includes an impression capturing device including said surface comprising the impression of a portion of a body.

4. An apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the apparatus further includes a digital conduit digitally connecting the digital stereo vision camera to the microprocessor.

5. An apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the beam projected by the laser is substantially linear and has a length at least two times greater than a width, wherein the beam has a length of about 1 to about 60 centimeters and a width of about 0.1 to about 2 centimeters.

6. An apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the apparatus further includes a fabricating unit capable of producing a support article from the data generated by the contour scanning system.

7. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the impression capturing device includes at least three planar reference elements arranged in substantially a same plane.

8. An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the digital stereo vision camera performs from 1 to about 20,000 captures per second and has a resolution of about 640×

480 pixels at a 30 Hz frame rate, and wherein the digital stereo vision camera is located a distance of from about 0.5 to about 5 meters from the impression capturing device.

9. An apparatus for determining the surface contour of an impression of a portion of a body, comprising:

a laser light source capable of projecting a laser beam onto and scanning a surface of a device comprising an impression of a portion of a body;

a digital stereo vision camera capable of recording images of the surface contour of the surface as said laser beam scans the surface of said device; and

a digital conduit capable of operatively connecting said digital stereo vision camera to a microprocessor.

10. An apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the beam projected by the laser is substantially linear and has a length at least two times greater than a width, wherein the beam has a has a length of about 1 to about 60 centimeters and a width of about 0.1 to about 2 centimeters.

11. An apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the apparatus further includes a fabricating unit capable of producing a support article from the data generated by the contour scanning system.

12. An apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the device is an impression capturing device wherein the impression capturing device includes at least three planar reference elements arranged in substantially a same plane.

13. An apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the digital stereo vision camera performs from 1 to about 20,000 captures per second and has a resolution of about 640×

480 pixels at a 30 H_z frame rate, and wherein the digital stereo vision camera is located a distance of from about 0.5 to about 5 meters from the impression capturing device.

14. An apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the digital stereo vision camera performs from 1 to about 20,000 captures per second and has a resolution of about 640×

480 pixels at a 30 H_z frame rate, and wherein the digital stereo vision camera is located a distance of from about 1 to about 4 meters from the impression capturing device.

15. A method for preparing a support article, comprising the steps of:

forming an impression of a body part in an impression capturing device;

scanning at least a surface of the impression with a beam from a light source; and

determining location of one or more points scanned with the light source beam on at least the surface of the impression utilizing a contour scanning system.

16. A method according to claim 15, further including aiming at least two digital cameras of the contour scanning system at at least a portion of the impression.

17. A method according to claim 16, wherein the contour scanning system comprises a microprocessor, a digital stereo vision camera, and a digital conduit operatively connecting the microprocessor of the digital stereo vision camera, and wherein the light source is a laser.

18. A method according to claim 17, determining a reference plane utilizing the contour scanning system and at least three planar reference elements.

19. A method according to claim 18, determining location of essentially the brightest pixel in one or more rows of pixels captured by the digital stereo vision camera utilizing the contour scanning system.

20. A method according to claim 19, further including fabricating a personal support article utilizing data produced by the contour scanning system.

21. A method according to claim 15, determining location of essentially the brightest pixel in one or more rows of pixels captured by the digital stereo vision camera utilizing the contour scanning system.

22. A method according to claim 15, wherein the contour scanning system comprises a microprocessor, a digital stereo vision camera, and a digital conduit operatively connecting the microprocessor of the digital stereo vision camera, and wherein the light source is a laser.

23. A method according to claim 15, further including fabricating a personal support article utilizing data produced by the contour scanning system.

24. A method according to claim 23, determining a reference plane utilizing the contour scanning system.