SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR CONVERTING AN INPUT SIGNAL INTO AN OUTPUT SIGNAL

• US 20160029975A1
• Filed: 10/13/2015
• Published: 02/04/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Inventors: JEANNE, VINCENT, VELTHOVEN, NATHALIE MAGALI DANIELLE
• Granted Patent: US 9,642,579 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 5/0075 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 5/0205 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular conditions and different types of body conditions, e.g. heart and respiratory condition
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1032 Determining colour for diagnostic purposes measuring colour in general G01J3/46
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4857 Indicating the phase of biorhythm clocks or watches with indicators for biological cycles G04B19/264
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7228 Signal modulation applied to the input signal sent to patient or subject; demodulation to recover the physiological signal modulation H03C
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7278 Artificial waveform generation or derivation, e.g. synthesising signals from measured signals A61B5/327 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/5288 involving retrospective matching to a physiological signal
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2218/02 Preprocessing

Abstract

A system and a method for processing data obtained from an input signal including physiological information representative of at least one at least partially periodic vital signal. The physiological information is derivable from visible radiation reflected by an object, such as a person. The system includes a detector for detecting at least one vital signature in the input signal and a converter for creating an output signal by modifying the input signal depending on the detected vital signature. The output signal includes an artificial signature at least partially replacing a respective vital signature of the at least one vital signature of the input signal. The system may further include a sensor for detecting visible electromagnetic radiation within at least one particular wavelength range.

Claims

1. A system for processing data obtained from an input signal comprising physiological information derivable from radiation reflected by a person, the physiological information being representative of at least one vital signal of the person, the system comprising:

a detector configured to detect at least one vital signature in the input signal, wherein the input signal comprises a continuous or discrete sequence of image frames related to a specific signal space, the at least one vital signature varying over time and corresponding to variations of the vital signal, and wherein the at least one vital signal is obtained from variations of skin color over time;

a converter configured to create an output signal by modifying the input signal depending on the detected vital signature; and

a switch for bypassing the detector and the converter, the switch being configured to receive the input signal and provide the input signal directly to an interface,

wherein the output signal comprises an artificial signature at least partially replacing a respective vital signature portion of the at least one vital signature of the input signal.

2. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least vital signal is selected from the group consisting of heart rate, respiration rate, and heart rate variability.

3. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the continuous or discrete sequence of image frames comprises a representation of the person, the representation of the person comprising the at least one vital signature, wherein the at least one vital signal is at least a partially periodic vital signal of the person, and wherein the detector is further configured to detect temporal variations of the at least one vital signature, the temporal variations of the at least one vital signature corresponding to temporal variations of at least partially periodic vital signal.

4. The system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the converter includes one of a leveler configured to level the temporal variations of the at least one vital signature, a mask configured to remove the at least one vital signature from the input signal, an evaluation facilitator configured to enhance an amplitude of the vital signal, and a modulator configured to apply a frequency modification to the temporal variations.

5. The system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the converter is an overall converter for varying a major portion of the image frames, the major portion comprising the at least one vital signature and a non-indicative signature, and wherein the overall converter is configured to apply a destructive modulation to the temporal variations of the at least one vital signature.

6. The system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the converter is further configured to apply a multi stage conversion to the at least one vital signature.

7. The system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a sensor configured to detect the radiation within at least one particular wavelength range selected from a group consisting of visible light, infrared light, and ultraviolet radiation, the sensor being connectable to the input channel.

8. The system as claimed in claim 7, further comprising a buffer configured to buffer the input signal, wherein access to the buffer is provided through an access protector configured to prevent an unauthorized access of data stored in the buffer.

9. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the detector is further configured to apply a color normalization and a luminance normalization to the signal space.

10. A method for processing data obtained from an input signal comprising physiological information derivable from radiation reflected by a person, the physiological information being representative of at least one vital signal, the method comprising acts of:

receiving an input signal from an input channel;

selecting between a first mode and a second mode of operation;

in the first mode, detecting by a detector at least one vital signature in the input signal, wherein the input signal comprises a continuous or discrete sequence of image frames related to a specific signal space, the at least one vital signature varying over time and corresponding to variations of the at least one vital signal, and creating by a converter an output signal by modifying the input signal depending on the detected vital signature, wherein the output signal comprises an artificial signature at least partially replacing a respective vital signature of the at least one vital signature of the input signal;

in the second mode, bypassing the detecting and creating acts; and

delivering the output signal to an output channel.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the at least one vital signal is selected from the group consisting of heart rate, respiration rate, and heart rate variability, and wherein the at least one vital signal is obtained from variations of skin color of the person over time.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the continuous or discrete sequence of image frames comprises a representation of the person, the representation of the person comprising the at least one vital signature, wherein the at least one vital signal is at least a partially periodic vital signal of the person, and wherein the detecting act detects temporal variations of the at least one vital signature, the temporal variations of the at least one vital signature corresponding to temporal variations of at least partially periodic vital signal.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the creating act includes acts of:

leveling the temporal variations of the at least one vital signature;

removing the at least one vital signature from the input signal;

enhancing an amplitude of the vital signal; and

apply a frequency modification to the temporal variations.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the creating act includes acts of:

varying a major portion of the image frames, the major portion comprising the at least one vital signature and a non-indicative signature; and

applying a destructive modulation to the temporal variations of the at least one vital signature.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the creating act includes an act of applying a multi stage conversion to the at least one vital signature.

16. The method of claim 10, further comprising an act of detecting by a sensor the radiation within at least one particular wavelength range selected from the group consisting of visible light, infrared light, and ultraviolet radiation, the sensor being connectable to the input channel.

17. The method of claim 10, further comprising an act of applying a color normalization and a luminance normalization to the signal space

18. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising computer instructions which, when executed by a processor, configure the processor to perform a method for processing data obtained from an input signal comprising physiological information derived from visible radiation reflected by a person, the physiological information being representative of at least one vital signal, the method comprising acts of:

receiving an input signal from an input channel;

selecting between a first mode and a second mode of operation;

in the first mode, detecting at least one vital signature in the input signal, wherein the input signal comprises a continuous or discrete sequence of image frames related to a specific signal space, the at least one vital signature varying over time and corresponding to variations of the at least one vital signal, and creating an output signal by modifying the input signal depending on the detected vital signature, wherein the output signal comprises an artificial signature at least partially replacing a respective vital signature of the at least one vital signature of the input signal;

in the second mode, bypassing the detecting and creating acts; and

delivering the output signal to an output channel.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 18, wherein the at least vital one signal is selected from the group consisting of heart rate, respiration rate, and heart rate variability, wherein the at least one vital signal is obtained from variations of skin color of the person over time, and wherein the continuous or discrete sequence of image frames comprises a representation of the person, the representation of the person comprising the at least one vital signature, wherein the at least one vital signal is at least a partially periodic vital signal of the person, and wherein the detecting act detects temporal variations of the at least one vital signature, the temporal variations of the at least one vital signature corresponding to temporal variations of at least partially periodic vital signal.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 18, wherein the creating act includes acts of:

leveling the temporal variations of the at least one vital signature;

removing the at least one vital signature from the input signal;

enhancing an amplitude of the vital signal; and

apply a frequency modification to the temporal variations.