System and method for health evaluation

• US 20080077019A1
• Filed: 09/21/2007
• Published: 03/27/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Jun Yang, Pei Cai, Song Xiao, Xiu Deng, Ying Wu
• Original Assignee: Jun Yang, Pei Cai, Song Xiao, Xiu Deng, Ying Wu
• Inventors: Yang, Jun, Wu, Ying, Deng, Xiu, Cai, Pei, Xiao, Song
• Granted Patent: US 8,792,968 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/474
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0064 Body surface scanning
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0077 Devices for viewing the surface of the body, e.g. camera, magnifying lens
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/01 Measuring temperature of body parts ; Diagnostic temperature sensing, e.g. for malignant or inflamed tissue clinical contact thermometers G01K13/20
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/015 By temperature mapping of body part
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/165 Evaluating the state of mind, e.g. depression, anxiety
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/22 Ergometry; Measuring muscular strength or the force of a muscular blow exercising apparatus A63B21/00 ; measuring of work or force in general G01L
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/411 Detecting or monitoring allergy or intolerance reactions to an allergenic agent or substance
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/415 the glands, e.g. tonsils, adenoids or thymus
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/418 lymph vessels, ducts or nodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4866 Evaluating metabolism A61B5/083 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4872 Body fat
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/742 using visual displays A61B5/339 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10048 Infrared image
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30004 Biomedical image processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/0012 Biomedical image inspection

Abstract

A system, an apparatus and a method for human health evaluation utilizing the TMT mapping technology is disclosed. The method comprises scanning body areas of a patient utilizing an infrared camera, detecting abnormalities in the body of the patient, analyzing abnormalities of the patient against information stored in a database, and reporting results to the patient in a pre-determined format. The method provides an earlier discovery of disease by mapping and analyzing abnormal temperatures changes in the body, which can help prevent the disease from progressing at an early stage.

Claims

1. A health evaluation system comprising:

a thermal imaging device to capture a thermal image of a human anatomy;

a medical analysis rules library database for storing a set of rules to perform a thermal mapping and automatic zoning analysis; and

a processor coupled to the thermal imaging device and configured to apply the thermal mapping and automatic zoning analysis to the thermal image to create thermal zones and calculate a temperature distribution for each thermal zone;

the processor further configured to automatically evaluate and determine a health condition of the human anatomy based on a comparison between the temperature distribution for each thermal zone and at least one of a particular temperature range, a distribution, and a corresponding symmetry to said each thermal zone.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

vectorize the thermal image and separate at least a portion of the human anatomy represented in the thermal image from a background in the thermal image;

receive positioning reference points on the vectorized thermal image; and

apply zoning lines to the vectorized thermal image to create the thermal zones where the thermal image is zoned from a medical perspective.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

vectorize the thermal image and separate at least a portion of the human anatomy represented in the thermal image from a background in the thermal image;

remove the background;

generate a thermal gradient sectional view from the thermal image processed with the background removed;

perform cascade chromatography on the thermal gradient sectional view;

determine areas of abnormal temperature in response to the cascade chromatography; and

generate a thermal cascade sectional view with the areas determined to have the abnormal temperature.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to generate and display a three-dimensional (3D) representation of the human anatomy based on the evaluation of the captured thermal image.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to evaluate at least one of a human respiratory system abnormalities, otorhinolaryngological abnormalities, cardiovascular system abnormalities, reproductive system abnormalities, respiratory system abnormalities, digestive system abnormalities, urinary system abnormalities, endocrine system abnormalities, and lymphatic system abnormalities.

6. A computer program product including a computer readable medium having instructions for causing a computer to:

receive a thermal image of a human anatomy;

apply a thermal mapping and automatic zoning analysis to the thermal image to create thermal zones;

calculate a temperature distribution for each thermal zone; and

automatically evaluate and determine a health condition of the human anatomy based on a comparison between the temperature distribution for each thermal zone and at least one of a particular temperature range, a distribution, and a corresponding symmetry from a medical analysis rules library database to said each thermal zone.

7. The computer program product according to claim 6, wherein the instructions to apply the thermal mapping and automatic zoning further include instructions to cause the computer to:

vectorize the thermal image and separate at least a portion of the human anatomy represented in the thermal image from a background in the thermal image;

receive positioning reference points on the vectorized thermal image; and

apply zoning lines to the vectorized thermal image to create the thermal zones where the thermal image is zoned from a selected medical perspective.

8. The computer program product according to claim 6, wherein the instructions further cause the computer to:

remove the background;

generate a thermal gradient sectional view from the thermal image processed with the background removed;

perform cascade chromatography on the thermal gradient sectional view;

determine areas of abnormal temperature in response to the cascade chromatography; and

generate a thermal cascade sectional view with the areas determined to have the abnormal temperature.

9. The computer program product according to claim 6, wherein the instructions further cause the computer to generate and display a three-dimensional (3D) representation of the human anatomy based on the evaluation of the thermal image.

10. The computer program product according to claim 6, wherein the instructions further cause the computer to report results of the comparison including at least one of clinical information, thermal images and corresponding analysis relating to the thermal image.

11. An apparatus comprising:

means for capturing a thermal image of a human anatomy;

means for applying thermal mapping and automatic zoning analysis to the thermal image to create thermal zones;

means for calculating a temperature distribution for each thermal zone; and

means for automatically evaluating and determining a health condition of the human anatomy based on a comparison between the temperature distribution for each thermal zone and a predefined criteria for evaluation selected from a medical analysis rules library database to said each thermal zone.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the applying the thermal mapping and automatic zoning means further includes:

means for vectorizing the thermal image;

means for separating at least a portion of the human anatomy represented in the thermal image from a background in the thermal image;

means for receiving positioning reference points on the vectorized thermal image; and

means for applying zoning lines to the vectorized thermal image to create the thermal zones.

13. The apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising:

means for vectorizing the thermal image;

means for separating at least a portion of the human anatomy represented in the thermal image from a background in the thermal image;

means for removing the background;

means for generating a thermal gradient sectional view from the thermal image processed with the background removed;

means for performing cascade chromatography on the thermal gradient sectional view;

means for identifying areas of abnormal temperature in response to the cascade chromatography; and

means for generating a thermal cascade sectional view in response to the identified areas of abnormal temperature.

14. The apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising:

means for generating and displaying a three-dimensional (3D) results related to the human anatomy to help diagnose a human illness.

15. The apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising:

means for reporting results of the comparison including at least one of clinical information, thermal images and corresponding analysis relating to the thermal image.

16. A method for human health evaluation comprising:

capturing a thermal image of a selected human anatomy area of a patient;

applying a thermal mapping and automatic zoning analysis to the thermal image to create thermal zones;

calculating a temperature distribution for each thermal zone; and

automatically evaluating and determining a health condition of the patient based on a comparison between the temperature distribution for each thermal zone and at least one of a particular temperature range, a distribution, and a corresponding symmetry from a medical analysis rules library database to said each thermal zone.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein said step of applying the thermal mapping and automatic zoning further comprises the steps of:

vectorizing the thermal image and separating at least a portion of the selected human anatomy represented in the thermal image from a background in the thermal image;

receiving positioning reference points on the vectorized thermal image; and

applying zoning lines to the vectorized thermal image to create the thermal zones where the thermal image is zoned from a medical perspective.

18. The method according to claim 16, further comprises the steps of:

vectorizing the thermal image and separate at least a portion of the human anatomy represented in the thermal image from a background in the thermal image;

removing the background;

generating a thermal gradient sectional view from the thermal image processed with the background removed;

performing cascade chromatography on the thermal gradient sectional view;

determining areas of abnormal temperature in response to the cascade chromatography; and

generating a thermal cascade sectional view with those areas determined to have the abnormal temperature.

19. The method according to claim 16, further comprises the steps of:

generating and displaying a three-dimensional (3D) representation of the human anatomy based on the evaluation.

20. The method according to claim 16, further comprises the step of:

reporting results of the comparison including at least one of clinical information, thermal images and corresponding analysis relating to the thermal image.

21. A computer program for fitness evaluation embodied on a computer readable medium having instructions for causing a computer to perform:

a Qi (flow) evaluation process;

a thermal muscle metabolism evaluation process;

a fat mapping process;

a thermal microcirculation metabolism evaluation process;

an anatomical structures and systems evaluation process;

a muscle endurance evaluation process; and

a psychological evaluation process.

22. The computer program according to claim 21, wherein the instruction to evaluate the thermal muscle metabolism evaluation process further comprises instructions to cause the computer to:

receive passive thermal images of a selected symmetric muscle area of a patient;

receive active thermal images of the selected muscle area of the patient after the muscle area is stimulated;

evaluate thermal images of the selected symmetric muscle area by comparing active thermal images with the passive thermal images to determine muscle growth; and

report results related to the muscle growth or fitness training effectiveness.

23. The computer program product according to claim 21, further comprising instructions to cause the computer to:

receive passive thermal images of a selected symmetric muscle area of a patient;

receive active thermal images of the selected muscle area of the patient after the muscle area is stimulated;

evaluate the active and passive thermal images for fat content using a depth analysis algorithm to differentiate fat from muscle;

map the fat content; and

report the map of the fat content.

24. The computer program according to claim 21, wherein the thermal microcirculation metabolism evaluation process further comprising instructions to cause the computer to:

receive thermal images of hands and feet of the human anatomy;

evaluate microcirculation thermal metabolism to determine an abnormal vascular condition based upon analysis of a micro-capillary system in the hands and feet; and

generate report if the abnormal vascular condition is identified.

25. The computer program according to claim 21, further comprises instructions to cause computer to:

receive a passive image of a selected symmetric human muscle area;

receive an active image of the selected symmetric human muscle area after stimulation of the selected symmetric human muscle area;

calculate an absolute value of a first temperature difference for a right muscle of the selected symmetric human muscle area between the passive image and the active image;

calculate an absolute value of a second temperature difference for a left muscle of the selected symmetric human muscle area between the passive image and the active image; and

calculate an absolute value of a third temperature difference between the first temperature difference and the second temperature difference.