Method of detection of cancerous lesions by their effect on the spatial distribution of modulation of temperature and homogeneity of tissue
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method of detecting cancerous tissue, comprising the steps of:
- a) recording a plurality of infrared images of a predetermined area of skin;
b) converting each of the plurality of infrared images into corresponding thermal images;
c) subdividing the predetermined area of skin into a plurality of subareas;
d) calculating an average temperature value for the plurality of thermal images of a selected one of the subareas, wherein the average temperature value for the selected subarea constitutes a time series for that subarea;
e) repeating the procedure of steps a) to d) on the remaining subareas of the predetermined area of the skin; and
f) analyzing the average temperature value of the time series of each of the subareas, wherein when a spatial distribution of the average temperature value of a cluster comprising at least six congruent subareas is less than about 20% or more than 100% of the average temperature of the plurality of subareas, that cluster is determined to be cancerous.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method for measuring the periodicity of changes in blood perfusion over large regions of skin so as to identify a locally impaired neuronal control, thereby providing a quick and inexpensive screening test for relatively shallow neoplastic lesions, such as breast cancer, is described. The present method is predicated on infrared imaging of the skin to detect changes in the spectral structure and spatial distribution of thermoregulatory frequencies (TRFs) over different areas of the skin.
-
Citations
32 Claims
-
1. A method of detecting cancerous tissue, comprising the steps of:
-
a) recording a plurality of infrared images of a predetermined area of skin; b) converting each of the plurality of infrared images into corresponding thermal images; c) subdividing the predetermined area of skin into a plurality of subareas; d) calculating an average temperature value for the plurality of thermal images of a selected one of the subareas, wherein the average temperature value for the selected subarea constitutes a time series for that subarea; e) repeating the procedure of steps a) to d) on the remaining subareas of the predetermined area of the skin; and f) analyzing the average temperature value of the time series of each of the subareas, wherein when a spatial distribution of the average temperature value of a cluster comprising at least six congruent subareas is less than about 20% or more than 100% of the average temperature of the plurality of subareas, that cluster is determined to be cancerous. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
-
-
19. A method of detecting cancerous tissue, comprising the steps of:
-
a) recording a plurality of infrared images of a predetermined area of skin; b) converting each of the plurality of infrared images into corresponding thermal images; c) subdividing the predetermined area of skin into a plurality of subareas; d) calculating an average temperature value and a temperature standard deviation for the plurality of thermal images of each of the subareas; e) dividing the average temperature by the standard deviation of each of the subareas to derive a homogeneity of skin temperature (HST) value for each subarea, wherein the HST value for each subarea constitutes a time series for that subarea; and f) analyzing the HST value of the time series of each of the subareas, wherein when a spatial distribution of the HST value of a cluster comprising at least six congruent subareas is less than about 20% or more than 100% of the average HST value of the plurality of subareas, that cluster is determined to be cancerous. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
-
-
30. A method of detecting cancerous tissue, comprising the steps of:
-
a) recording a plurality of infrared images of a predetermined area of skin; b) converting each of the plurality of infrared images into corresponding thermal images; c) subdividing the predetermined area of skin into a plurality of subareas; d) calculating an average temperature value and a temperature standard deviation for the plurality of thermal images of a selected one of the subareas, wherein the temperature standard deviation value for the selected subarea constitutes a time series for that subarea; e) repeating the procedure of steps a) to d) on the remaining subareas of the predetermined area of the skin; and f) analyzing the temperature standard deviation value of the time series of each of the subareas, wherein when a spatial distribution of the temperature standard deviation value of a cluster comprising at least six congruent subareas is less than about 20% or more than 100% of the temperature standard deviation of the plurality of subareas, that cluster is determined to be cancerous. - View Dependent Claims (31)
-
-
32. A method of detecting cancerous tissue, comprising the steps of:
-
a) recording a plurality of infrared images of a predetermined area of skin; b) converting each of the plurality of infrared images into corresponding thermal images; c) subdividing the predetermined area of skin into a plurality of subareas; d) calculating an average temperature value and a temperature for the plurality of thermal images of a selected one of the subareas, wherein the average temperature standard deviation value for the selected subarea constitutes a time series for that subarea; e) repeating the procedure of steps a) to d) on the remaining subareas of the predetermined area of the skin; f) analyzing the average temperature value of the time series of each of the subareas, wherein when a spatial distribution of the average temperature value of a cluster comprising at least six congruent subareas is less than about 20% or more than 100% of the average temperature of the plurality of subareas, that cluster is determined to be cancerous, and if a cluster is determined to be cancerous; g) dividing the average temperature by the standard deviation of each of the subareas to derive a homogeneity of skin temperature (HST) value for each subarea, wherein the HST value for each subarea constitutes an HST time series for that subarea; and h) analyzing the HST value of the time series of each of the subareas, wherein when a spatial distribution of the HST value of a cluster comprising at least six congruent subareas is less than about 20% or more than 100% of the average HST value of the plurality of subareas, that cluster is determined to be cancerous.
-
Specification