DEVICE HAVING DIGITAL INFRARED SENSOR AND NON-TOUCH OPTICAL DETECTION OF AMPLIFIED TEMPORAL VARIATION OF VITAL SIGNS

• US 20160004910A1
• Filed: 08/11/2014
• Published: 01/07/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/04/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ARC Devices, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Arc Devices (Ni) Limited
• Inventors: Khachaturian, Mark, Smith, Michael G.
• Granted Patent: US 9,721,339 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0214 of power generation or supply
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0475 Special features of memory means, e.g. removable memory cards
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2576/00 Medical imaging apparatus involving image processing or analysis A61B1/00009, A61B6/52 and A61B8/52 take precedence; image processing per se G06T; details of algorithms for analysing medical images G06T7/0012
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0008 Temperature signals
• 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 5/0064 Body surface scanning
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0075 by spectroscopy, i.e. measuring spectra, e.g. Raman spectroscopy, infrared absorption spectroscopy A61B5/0071 takes precedence
• 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 5/02055 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular condition and temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/021 Measuring pressure in heart or blood vessels A61B5/0205 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/024 Detecting, measuring or recording pulse rate or heart rate A61B5/0205, A61B5/021 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02416 using photoplethysmograph signals, e.g. generated by infrared radiation A61B5/14552 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02433 for infrared radiation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0261 using optical means, e.g. infrared light
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0816 Measuring devices for examining respiratory frequency measuring frequency of electric signals G01R23/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1455 using optical sensors, e.g. spectral photometrical oximeters
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14551 for measuring blood gases
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14552 : Details of sensors specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/33 : specially adapted for cooperation with other devices
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• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7225 : Details of analog processing, e.g. isolation amplifier, gain or sensitivity adjustment, filtering, baseline or drift compensation A61B5/30, A61B5/316 take precedence; transformers for specific applications H01F38/00; amplifiers H03F
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/725 : using specific filters therefor, e.g. Kalman or adaptive filters A61B5/316 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7257 : using Fourier transforms
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7264 : Classification of physiological signals or data, e.g. using neural networks, statistical classifiers, expert systems or fuzzy systems neural networks per se G06N3/00; expert systems per se G06N5/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7267 : involving training the classification device
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7275 : Determining trends in physiological measurement data; Predicting development of a medical condition based on physiological measurements, e.g. determining a risk factor
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• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/742 : using visual displays A61B5/339 takes precedence
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• CPC Class Codes: G01J 2005/0077 : Imaging
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/0025 : Living bodies ear thermometers G01J5/0011; detecting, measuring or recording for diagnostic purposes A61B5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/025 : Interfacing a pyrometer to an external device or network; User interface
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/0893 : Arrangements to attach devices to a pyrometer, i.e. attaching an optical interface; Spatial relative arrangement of optical elements, e.g. folded beam path G01J5/049 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/30 : Electrical features thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 1/02 : Means for indicating or recording specially adapted for thermometers
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 13/223 : Infrared clinical thermometers, e.g. tympanic
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• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30104 : Vascular flow; Blood flow; Perfusion
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• CPC Class Codes: G06T 3/40 : Scaling of whole images or parts thereof, e.g. expanding or contracting
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• CPC Class Codes: G06T 5/10 : using non-spatial domain filtering
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• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/0016 : involving temporal comparison
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/13 : Edge detection
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• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/75 : Circuitry for providing, modifying or processing image signals from the pixel array
• 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

Abstract

A microprocessor is operably coupled to a camera from which patient vital signs are determined and a digital infrared sensor. A temporal variation of images from the camera is generated and amplified from which the patient vital signs, such as heart rate or respiratory rate, can be determined and displayed or stored and temperature is determined from digital infrared sensor.

Claims

1. A non-touch thermometer to measure temperature, the non-touch thermometer comprising:

a microprocessor;

a battery operably coupled to the microprocessor;

a single button operably coupled to the microprocessor;

a camera operably coupled to the microprocessor and providing at least two images to the microprocessor;

a digital infrared sensor operably coupled to the microprocessor, the digital infrared sensor having ports that provide only digital readout; and

a display device operably coupled to the microprocessor,

wherein the microprocessor is operable to receive from the ports that provide only digital readout a digital signal that is representative of an infrared signal detected by the digital infrared sensor and the microprocessor is operable to determine the temperature from the digital signal that is representative of the infrared signal and the microprocessor including a pixel-examination-module configured to examine pixel values of the at least two images, a temporal-variation module to determine temporal variation of the pixel values between the at least two images being below a particular threshold, a signal processing module configured to amplify the temporal variation resulting in amplified temporal variation, and a visualizer to visualize a pattern of flow of blood in the amplified temporal variation in the at least two images.

2. The non-touch thermometer of claim 1, wherein the display device further comprises:

a green traffic light operable to indicate that the temperature is good;

an amber traffic light operable to indicate that the temperature is low; and

a red traffic light operable to indicate that the temperature is high.

3. The non-touch thermometer of claim 1 further comprising:

a housing; and

wherein the battery is fixedly attached to the housing.

4. The non-touch thermometer of claim 3, wherein an exterior portion of the housing further comprises:

a magnet.

5. The non-touch thermometer of claim 1 further comprising:

no analog-to-digital converter operably coupled between the digital infrared sensor and the microprocessor.

6. The non-touch thermometer of claim 1 further comprising:

the digital infrared sensor having no analog sensor readout ports.

7. The non-touch thermometer of claim 1, wherein the signal processing module is further configured to amplify variations of the pixel values between the at least two images.

8. The non-touch thermometer of claim 1, wherein the signal processing is temporal processing.

9. The non-touch thermometer of claim 8, wherein the temporal processing is a bandpass filter.

10. The non-touch thermometer of claim 9, wherein the bandpass filter is configured to analyze frequencies over time.

11. The non-touch thermometer of claim 1, wherein applying signal processing includes spatial processing.

12. A non-touch thermometer to measure temperature, the non-touch thermometer comprising:

a microprocessor;

a battery operably coupled to the microprocessor;

a single button operably coupled to the microprocessor;

a camera operably coupled to the microprocessor and providing at least two images to the microprocessor;

a digital infrared sensor operably coupled to the microprocessor, the digital infrared sensor having only digital readout ports, the digital infrared sensor having no analog sensor readout ports; and

a display device operably coupled to the microprocessor,

wherein the microprocessor is operable to receive from the digital readout ports a digital signal that is representative of an infrared signal detected by the digital infrared sensor and the microprocessor is operable to determine the temperature from the digital signal that is representative of the infrared signal and the microprocessor including a pixel-examination-module configured to examine pixel values of the at least two images, a temporal-variation module to determine temporal variation of the pixel values between the at least two images being below a particular threshold, a signal processing module configured to amplify the temporal variation resulting in amplified temporal variation, and a visualizer to visualize a pattern of flow of blood in the amplified temporal variation in the at least two images.

13. The non-touch thermometer of claim 12, wherein the display device further comprises:

a green traffic light operable to indicate that the temperature is good;

an amber traffic light operable to indicate that the temperature is low; and

a red traffic light operable to indicate that the temperature is high.

14. The non-touch thermometer of claim 12 further comprising:

a housing,

wherein the battery is fixedly attached to the housing.

15. The non-touch thermometer of claim 12, wherein the signal processing module is further configured to amplify variations of the pixel values between the at least two images.

16. The non-touch thermometer of claim 12, wherein the signal processing is temporal processing.

17. The non-touch thermometer of claim 16, wherein the temporal processing is a bandpass filter.

18. The non-touch thermometer of claim 17, wherein the bandpass filter is configured to analyze frequencies over time.

19. The non-touch thermometer of claim 12, wherein applying signal processing includes spatial processing.

20. The non-touch thermometer of claim 19, wherein the spatial processing removes noise.