COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS OF DATA FOR DIAGNOSTIC PURPOSES
First Claim
1. A method of determining bacterial load of a target from fluorescent image data of the target, comprising:
- identifying a region of interest in a fluorescent image of a target;
separating RGB images into individual channels;
converting individual green and red image channels from the RGB image to gray scale; and
counting pixels whose gray scale intensity was above a given threshold.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Systems and methods for determining bacterial load in targets and tracking changes in bacterial load of targets over time are disclosed. An autofluorescence detection and collection device includes a light source configured to directly illuminate at least a portion of a target and an area around the target with excitation light causing at least one biomarker in the illuminated target to fluoresce. Bacterial autofluorescence data regarding the illuminated portion of the target and the area around the target is collected and analyzed to determine bacterial load of the illuminated portion of the target and area around the target. The autofluorescence data may be analyzed using pixel intensity. Changes in bacterial load of the target over time may be tracked. The target may be a wound in tissue.
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Citations
60 Claims
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1. A method of determining bacterial load of a target from fluorescent image data of the target, comprising:
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identifying a region of interest in a fluorescent image of a target; separating RGB images into individual channels; converting individual green and red image channels from the RGB image to gray scale; and counting pixels whose gray scale intensity was above a given threshold. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 45, 46)
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8. A method of obtaining diagnostic data regarding a target, comprising:
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directly illuminating at least a portion of a target with a homogeneous field of excitation light emitted by at least one light source connected to a housing of a handheld device, the housing including an enclosure for receiving a wireless communication device having a digital camera, the at least one light source emitting at least one wavelength or wavelength band causing at least one biomarker in the illuminated portion of the target to fluoresce; collecting bacterial autofluorescence data regarding the illuminated portion of the target with an image sensor of the digital camera of the wireless communication device, the wireless communication device being secured in the housing; and analyzing the collected bacterial autofluorescence data using pixel intensity to determine bacterial load of the illuminated portion of the target. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A system for acquiring data regarding a wound in tissue, comprising:
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at least one light source configured to directly illuminate a target surface with a homogeneous field of excitation light, the target surface including at least a portion of a wound and an area around the wound; an optical sensor configured to detect signals responsive to illumination of the illuminated portion of the wound and the area around the wound, each signal indicative of at least one of endogenous fluorescence, exogenous fluorescence, absorbance, and reflectance in the illuminated portion of the wound and the area around the wound; a processor configured to receive the detected signals and to analyze the detected signal data using pixel intensity and to output data regarding the bacterial load of the illuminated portion of the wound and area around the wound; and a display for displaying the output data regarding the illuminated portion of the wound and the area around the wound output by the processor. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39)
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40. A portable, handheld device for imaging and collection of data relating to a wound in tissue, the device comprising:
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a housing comprising an enclosure configured to receive a mobile communication device; at least one light source coupled to the housing and configured to directly illuminate at least a portion of a wound and an area around the wound with a homogeneous field of light; a mobile communication device secured in the enclosure of the housing, the mobile communication device comprising an embedded digital camera and having a touchscreen display disposed on a first side of the device and a lens of the camera disposed on a second side of the device opposite the first side, wherein the mobile communication device is received in the housing such that an image sensor of the digital camera is positioned to detect optical signals responsive to illumination of the portion of the wound and the area around the wound with the homogeneous field of light, each of the optical signals being indicative of at least one of endogenous fluorescence, exogenous fluorescence, reflectance, and absorbance in the illuminated portion of the wound and the area around the wound, and wherein, when the mobile communication device is secured in the enclosure, at least a portion of the touchscreen display is accessible and viewable by a user; and a processor configured to receive the detected optical signals, to analyze detected signal data using pixel intensity, and to output data regarding the bacterial load of the illuminated portion of the wound and area around the wound. - View Dependent Claims (41, 42, 43, 44, 47, 48)
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49. A method of obtaining diagnostic data regarding a target, comprising:
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directly illuminating at least a portion of a target and an area around the target with a homogeneous field of excitation light emitted by at least one light source connected to a housing of a handheld device, the housing including an enclosure for receiving a wireless communication device having a digital camera, the at least one light source emitting at least one wavelength or wavelength band causing at least one biomarker in the illuminated portion of the target and area around the target to fluoresce; collecting bacterial autofluorescence data regarding the illuminated portion of the target and the area around the target with an image sensor of the digital camera of the wireless communication device, the wireless communication device being secured in the housing; analyzing the collected bacterial autofluorescence data to determine bacterial load of the illuminated portion of the target and area around the target; and tracking changes in bacterial load of the target over time. - View Dependent Claims (50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60)
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Specification