Retinal vasculature image acquisition apparatus and method
First Claim
1. A method of creating an identification record for a non-human animal, the method comprising:
- using a camera and a non-scanning illumination source, acquiring an image of at least a portion of an ocular fundus of the animal, using a microprocessor, extracting a set of analysis data from the acquired image representing a particular identified anatomical structure of the ocular fundus, generating information indicative of day and geographic location of the image acquisition, and generating the identification record to comprise at least the analysis data and the information.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention creates a permanent record of an animal through a series of steps including, preliminarily acquiring an image of the retinal vasculature of the animal of interest; digitizing that image if the image is not a digital image; analyzing the image to determine if the image is satisfactory for further analysis; storing the image; and analyzing the image for unique anatomical landmarks. The image and data gathered therefrom may be stored in a database for later retrieval and comparison against other images. The data gathered from the image may be compared against other stored data in the database to determine the identity of the animal. Preferably, the system would also include a global positioning system (“GPS”) device which would simultaneously time and date stamp the acquired image as well as stamp the image with the location where the imaging took place by recording the latitude and longitude of that location.
-
Citations
25 Claims
-
1. A method of creating an identification record for a non-human animal, the method comprising:
-
using a camera and a non-scanning illumination source, acquiring an image of at least a portion of an ocular fundus of the animal, using a microprocessor, extracting a set of analysis data from the acquired image representing a particular identified anatomical structure of the ocular fundus, generating information indicative of day and geographic location of the image acquisition, and generating the identification record to comprise at least the analysis data and the information. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
sampling a plurality of sections of the acquired image that lie in predetermined locations relative to the structure, detecting a plurality of light-dark-light transitions within each of the sections, and identifying a coordinate location of each of the light-dark-light transitions so detected.
-
-
6. The method of claim 5, wherein each of the sections comprises a slice having a width and the step of extracting a set of analysis data further comprises storing a set of spatial coordinates for each of the transitions in a linked list, normalizing the acquired image comprising detecting an axis of the structure in a common dimension of the slices.
-
7. The method of claim 6, wherein the step of normalizing the acquired image further comprises, once the axis is detected, rotating the structure until a plane is identified that comprises a maximum total number of the transitions, whereby if a predetermined minimum threshold number of the transitions in the identified plane is met, the spatial coordinates representing the structure in the identified plane, is selected.
-
8. The method of claim 1, wherein the anatomical structure so represented is retinal vasculature, the identification record further comprises a time the image was so acquired, and the step of generating information further comprises receiving data comprising the location with a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver.
-
9. The method of claim 8 further comprising the steps of:
- storing the identification record in a database comprising a plurality of prior-generated identification records; and
generating a subsequent identification record for the animal comprising the step of gathering a subsequent set of biometric information comprising location, date, and time data received by the GPS receiver.
- storing the identification record in a database comprising a plurality of prior-generated identification records; and
-
10. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of generating the identification record further comprises including additional data selected from the group consisting of audio data, visual data, a description of the animal, birth date of the animal, death date of the animal, genetic breeding data, production data, veterinary records of the animal, medical records of the animal, feed formulas, feedlot locations, border crossings, shipping data, ownership transfers, purchaser required information, a bar-code assigned to the animal, digital encryption, a photographic record of the animal, microchip implant data, and Global Positioning System (GPS) data received by a GPS receiver.
-
11. The method of claim 1, wherein the animal is dead.
-
12. A method of identifying a non-human animal, the method comprising:
-
extracting a first set of biometric information from an acquired image of at least a portion of an ocular fundus of the animal, the image having been acquired using a camera and a non-scanning illumination source generating information indicative of day and geographic location of the image acquisition, generating an initial identification record comprising at least a portion of the first set of biometric information, the information indicative of day and geographic location, and an identity of the animal, storing the initial identification record in a database, the database comprising a plurality of previously stored identification records, gathering a subsequent set of biometric information from the animal, generating a subsequent identification record comprising the subsequent set of biometric information, and determining the identity of the animal by;
comparing the biometric information in the subsequent identification record to the biometric information in each of the previously stored identification records in the database, and if a matching identification record is found in the database, extracting the identity of the animal therefrom.
-
-
13. A method of creating an identification record for a non-human animal, the method comprising:
-
employing a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver to receive GPS data comprising at least a day and geographic location of the animal at the time a biometric measurement therefor is collected, the biometric measurement comprises an image, generated using a camera and a non-scanning illumination source, of at least a portion of an ocular fundus, and storing at least the GPS data and the biometric measurement as the identification record. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15)
-
-
16. An apparatus for creating an identification record for a non-human animal, the apparatus comprising:
-
an image acquisition device for capturing an image of at least a portion of an ocular fundus of the animal, the device comprising a non-scanning illumination source for projecting light onto the ocular fundus of the animal and a camera;
a computerized image analysis device for extracting a set of analysis data from the acquired image, the analysis data to represent a particular identified anatomical structure of the ocular fundus; and
a device for receiving data indicative of day and geographic location of the animal when the image was so acquired. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18)
-
-
19. A system for identifying a non-human animal, the system comprising:
-
a computerized image analysis device for extracting first biometric information from an image of at least a portion of an ocular fundus of the animal;
an image acquisition device comprising a camera and a non-scanning illumination source;
a storage device for storing an identification record, the identification record comprising the first biometric information, information indicative of day and geographic location of acquisition of the image, and an identity record of the animal; and
a processor for comparing the first biometric information to a plurality of identification records, each comprising biometric information and an animal identity previously stored, to find a matching identification record. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
-
-
25. A system for identifying a non-human animal, the system comprising:
-
means for gathering biometric information about the animal, said means comprising a camera and a non-scanning illumination source for acquiring an image of at least a portion of an ocular fundus of the animal;
means for storing an identification record, the identification record comprising the biometric information, information indicative of day and geographic location of acquisition of the image, and an identity record of the animal, whereby a plurality of previously stored identification records, each comprising biometric information and an animal identity form a database; and
means of comparing the identification record for the animal to the plurality of stored identification records in the database to find a matching identification record, and extracting the identity of the animal from the matching identification record.
-
Specification