Thermographic method of physical examination of patients

• US 4,310,003 A
• Filed: 02/04/1980
• Issued: 01/12/1982
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/1978
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Biotronics Associates, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Biotronics Associates, Inc.
• Inventors: Schlager, Kenneth J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Michell, Robert W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Jaworski, Francis J.
• Application Number:
  US06/118,081
• Time in Patent Office: 708 Days
• Field of Search: 128/664, 128/736, 73/359 R, 73/343.5, 364/415
• US Class Current: 600/549
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/015 By temperature mapping of body part
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 15/00 ICT specially adapted for medical reports, e.g. generation or transmission thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/20 for computer-aided diagnosis, e.g. based on medical expert systems
• CPC Class Codes: G16Z 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other main groups of this subclass

Abstract

A passive thermographic analytical method of determining the presence of cancer by scaning of the left and right and of reference body portion of a patient with a breast scanner array which includes a matrix of infra-red energy sensors and reflectors mounted in a close spaced array for producing a pattern of temperature measurements. The array is mounted within an adjustable support to permit spatial positioning and alignment with the left and right breast and the body portion of the arrays. Each sensor produces an analog voltage proportional to the body temperature of the aligned portion of the body. The sensor output voltages are sequentially read and converted into appropriate digital form for storage in a RAM memory of a microprocessor, which includes a pattern recognition program to directly create an automated diagnosis of the radiation pattern from which the normality or abnormality of the breasts can be diagnosed. The various parameters are reduced to a multiple digit number which is displayed. The number is encoded to a particular condition.

Claims

1. A method of physiological pattern detection and recognition of the physiological disorder in an in vivo body by alignment of a multiple sensor single array means defining a sensing area with the body wherein said array means includes a plurality of individual thermally responsive units located in a selected fixed pattern and developing individual signals related to the thermal state of the body of an aligned patient, comprising aligning an array means with respect to a first portion of the body to develop pattern data signals and a reference unit with respect to a reference body portion to develop at least one reference data signal, transmitting said individual pattern data and reference data signals to analog-to-digital processing means for storage in a digital memory means, aligning said same array means with respect to a second portion of the body and with respect to said reference portion, transmitting second individual pattern data and reference data signals to said analog-to-digital processing means for storage in said digital memory means and for processing in accordance with a spatial pattern recognition program within each sensed array and in one sensed array relative to the other and in the first and second sensed arrays relative to said reference data to produce an automatic determination of the significance of said signals, and displaying an encoded signal indicative of the diagnostic result of the pattern recognition process.

2. A method of physiological thermographic detection of the physiological disorder in an in vivo body by alignment of a reference cell means and a multiple sensor pattern array means defining a sensing area with the body wherein said pattern array means includes a plurality of individual thermally responsive units located in a selected pattern and developing individual signals related to the thermal state of the body of an aligned patient comprising aligning said array means and said reference cell means with respect to a first portion of the body, transmitting said individual signals to digital-to-analog processing means for storage in a digital memory means, aligning said array means and reference cell means with respect to a second portion of the body with the reference cell means essentially aligned to monitor the same body portion as said first alignment, transmitting second individual signals to said digital-to-analog processing means for storage in said digital memory means, processing of said first and second stored signals in accordance with a spatial pattern recognition program within each sensed array and in one sensed array relative to the other and in the first and second sensed arrays relative to said reference unit to produce an automatic determination of the significance of said signals, and displaying an encoded signal indicative of the diagnostic result of the pattern recognition process.

3. In the method of claim 2 wherein said plurality of individual thermally responsive units include similarly located units to the opposite sides of the selected pattern and said selected pattern encompasses an area in excess of said selected body portion whereby the thermally responsive units to the opposite sides of the selected pattern define said reference cell means.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein said array means is located in a common plane in close spaced relation with respect to the individual patient.

5. The method of claim 2 including aligning said reference means in the body portion between the first and second selected body portions.