Method for diagnosing disease from tongue image

• US 20060247502A1
• Filed: 04/28/2005
• Published: 11/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CareStream Health Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
• Inventors: Chen, Shoupu
• Granted Patent: US 7,444,071 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/300
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0013 Medical image data A61B1/00011, A61B6/56, A61B8/56 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0059 using light, e.g. diagnosis by transillumination, diascopy, fluorescence A61B5/0093, A61B5/1455, A61B5/02416 and A61B5/0261 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/103 Detecting, measuring or recording devices for testing the shape, pattern, colour, size or movement of the body or parts thereof, for diagnostic purposes A61B5/08 takes precedence; measuring aids for tailors A41H1/00; measuring instruments specially adapted for dentistry A61C19/04
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4854 Diagnosis based on concepts of traditional oriental medicine
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7267 involving training the classification device
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10024 Color image
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30088 Skin; Dermal
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/0012 Biomedical image inspection
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/90 Determination of colour characteristics
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/97 Determining parameters from multiple pictures depth or shape recovery from multiple images G06T7/55; stereo camera calibration G06T7/85
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 2201/03 Recognition of patterns in medical or anatomical images
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/10 Human or animal bodies, e.g. vehicle occupants or pedestrians; Body parts, e.g. hands
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/922 including image analysis

Abstract

A digital image processing method for a centralized multi-mode medical tongue image inspection system, comprising the steps of: forming at least one service unit (300) for performing tongue record (220) construction; forming a processing unit (320) for tongue record inspection (308); and providing communication links (330) between the service units and the processing unit.

Claims

1. A medical diagnostic tongue image inspection system comprising:

providing a plurality of service units for performing tongue inspections;

forming a first image of at least one tongue and a second image on at least one of said service units;

creating tongue records comprised of said tongue images and metadata;

transmitting said records to a process unit; and

inspecting said tongue records at said process unit to provide said diagnosis.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein results of said tongue records inspection are transmitted to said at least one of said service units.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein said tongue record is stored on either said at least one service unit or said process unit.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein said tongue record is examined at said process unit by either a medical practitioner or a computer aided diagnostic system.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein said first image of said tongue is taken at a first time and a second image of said tongue is taken at a second time and a comparison of the two images are used for diagnostic purposes.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein said tongue images are compared with retrieved tongue history records for diagnostic purposes.

7. A method for diagnosing diseases by inspecting images of an individual'"'"'s tongue comprising:

forming a first image of said tongue, a color checker, and a portion of said individual'"'"'s face;

forming a second image of said tongue and said portion of said individual'"'"'s face;

performing a color comparison of said portion of said individual'"'"'s face in said second image to said portion of said individual'"'"'s face in said first image;

matching the colors in said second image to the colors in said first image based on said color comparison; and

diagnosing at least one disease based on changes in said first tongue image and said second tongue image.

8. The method as in claim 7 wherein a color calibration is performed on said first image prior to said color comparison step.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein said diagnosis is aided by comparison to reference images of other individuals tongues.

10. A method for diagnosing diseases by inspecting images of an individual'"'"'s tongue comprising:

forming a first image of said tongue and a portion of said individual'"'"'s face;

forming a second image of said tongue and said portion of said individual'"'"'s face;

performing a color comparison of said portion of said individual'"'"'s face in said second image to said portion of said individual'"'"'s face in said first image;

matching the colors in said second image to the colors in said first image based on said color comparison; and

diagnosing at least one disease based on changes in said first tongue image and said second tongue image.

11. The method of claim 10 comprising the additional steps of:

forming a third image of said tongue, said portion of said individual'"'"'s face, and a color checker;

performing a color calibration on said third image;

performing a color comparison of said portion of said individual'"'"'s face in said third image to said portion of said individual'"'"'s face in said first and second image; and

matching the colors in said first and second image to the colors in said third image based on said color comparison.

12. The method of claim 10 comprising the additional steps of:

transmitting said first image and said second image to a process unit; and

performing said diagnosis step at said process unit.

13. A centralized multi-mode medical tongue image inspection system comprising:

a) forming at least one service unit for performing tongue record construction;

b) forming a processing unit for tongue record inspection; and

c) providing communication links between the service units and the processing unit.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the step of forming at least one service unit for performing tongue record construction includes:

d) acquiring multi-mode images of a tongue of a patient;

e) constructing tongue records of the patients for diagnosis; and

f) providing communication means for transmitting tongue records and receiving instructions.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein the step of forming a processing unit for tongue record inspection includes the steps of:

a) retrieving a patient'"'"'s tongue history records from image storage facilities;

b) inspecting the acquired tongue images together with the retrieved tongue history records;

c) updating the tongue records for the patients;

d) uploading the updated tongue records for the patients; and

e) providing communication means for receiving tongue records and transmitting instructions.

16. The method of claim 13 wherein the step of forming a processing unit for tongue record inspection includes:

a) retrieving reference (other patients) tongue images from image storage facilities;

b) inspecting the acquired tongue images together with the retrieved reference tongue images;

c) updating the tongue records for the patient;

d) uploading the updated tongue records for the patient; and

e) providing communication means for receiving tongue records and transmitting instructions.

17. The method of claim 13 wherein the step of providing communication links between the service units and the processing unit provides two-way communication links.

18. The method of claim 14 wherein the step of multi-mode acquisition of tongue images of a patient includes:

a) acquiring tongue images with a ColorChecker;

b) acquiring some of the tongue images with a ColorChecker; and

c) acquiring tongue images without a ColorChecker.

19. The method of claim 14 wherein the step of constructing tongue records of the patients for diagnosis includes:

a) constructing examination packets; and

b) constructing general metadata.

20. The method of claim 14 wherein the step of providing communication means for transmitting tongue records and receiving instructions includes:

a) providing wireless communicating links; and

b) providing remote accessing the service units.

21. The method of claim 14 wherein the step of inspecting the acquired tongue images together with the retrieved tongue history records includes:

a) applying consistent rendering algorithm to acquired and retrieved tongue images; and

b) providing computer user interfaces for manually diagnosing the acquired tongue images as one inspection mode.

22. The method of claim 15 wherein the step of inspecting the acquired tongue images together with the retrieved tongue history records includes:

a) applying consistent rendering algorithm to acquired and retrieved tongue images;

b) automatically classifying the acquired tongue image as another inspection mode; and

c) providing computer user interfaces for diagnosing the acquired tongue images.

23. The method of claim 16 wherein the step of inspecting the acquired tongue images together with the retrieved reference tongue images includes:

a) applying consistent rendering algorithm to acquired and retrieved tongue history images;

b) comparing the rendered acquired images with the reference images; and

c) providing computer user interfaces for diagnosing the acquired tongue images.

24. The method of claim 16 wherein the step of inspecting the acquired tongue images together with the retrieved reference tongue images includes:

a) applying consistent rendering algorithm to acquired and retrieved tongue history images;

b) automatically classifying the acquired tongue image;

c) comparing the classified images with the reference images; and

d) providing computer user interfaces for diagnosing acquired tongue images.