Methods and apparatus for a remote, noninvasive technique to detect core body temperature in a subject via thermal imaging
First Claim
1. A thermal imaging system that provides core body temperature information of a distant subject, comprisinga first, in-frame temperature reference having a known temperature;
- a thermal imaging device that remotely and noninvasively acquires thermal image data for a field of view that includes at least a portion of a surface of the distant subject and the first, in-frame temperature reference; and
a processor configured to use thermal image data for the first, in-frame reference and the surface portion to derive a calibrated surface temperature of said surface portion; and
said processor further configured to derive a core body temperature for the subject using the calibrated surface temperature and the ambient temperature in a manner that accounts for a heat transfer impact of the ambient temperature upon the calibrated surface temperature.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An approach to noninvasively, remotely and accurately detect core body temperature in a warm-blooded subject, human or animal, via thermal imaging. Preferred features such as the use of in-frame temperature references, specific anatomical target regions and a physiological heat transfer model help the present invention to overcome pitfalls inherent with existing thermal imaging techniques applied to physiological screening applications. This invention provides the ability to noninvasively, remotely and rapidly screen for diseases or conditions that are characterized by changes in core body temperature. One human application of this invention is the remote screening for severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), since fever is a common, early symptom. Other diseases and conditions that affect the core body temperature of humans or animals may also be noninvasively and remotely detected with this invention.
124 Citations
32 Claims
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1. A thermal imaging system that provides core body temperature information of a distant subject, comprising
a first, in-frame temperature reference having a known temperature; -
a thermal imaging device that remotely and noninvasively acquires thermal image data for a field of view that includes at least a portion of a surface of the distant subject and the first, in-frame temperature reference; and a processor configured to use thermal image data for the first, in-frame reference and the surface portion to derive a calibrated surface temperature of said surface portion; and said processor further configured to derive a core body temperature for the subject using the calibrated surface temperature and the ambient temperature in a manner that accounts for a heat transfer impact of the ambient temperature upon the calibrated surface temperature. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A method of remotely and noninvasively determining a core body temperature of a distant subject, comprising:
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remotely and noninvasively acquiring thermal image data for a field of view that comprises at least a portion of a surface of the subject and a first, in-frame reference having a known temperature; acquiring an ambient temperature near said surface; using the thermal image data for the first, in-frame reference and the surface portion to derive a calibrated surface temperature of the surface portion; and deriving the core body temperature of the subject using the calibrated surface portion and ambient temperatures in a manner that accounts for a heat transfer impact of ambient temperature upon the calibrated surface temperature. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. A method of screening for a fever, comprising:
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remotely and noninvasively acquiring thermal image data for a field of view that comprises at least a portion of a surface of a distant subject and a first, in-frame reference having a known temperature; acquiring an ambient temperature near said surface using the thermal image data for the first, in-frame reference and the surface portion to derive a calibrated surface temperature of the surface portion; and deriving the core body temperature of the subject using the calibrated thermal image data surface portion and ambient temperatures in a manner that accounts for a heat transfer impact of the ambient temperature upon the calibrated surface temperature; and using the determined core body temperature to assess whether the subject may have a fever.
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25. A method of screening for a health condition, comprising
remotely and noninvasively acquiring thermal image for a field of view that comprises at least a portion of a surface of a distant subject and a first, in-frame reference having a known temperature; -
acquiring an ambient temperature near said surface; using the thermal image data for the first, in-frame reference and the surface portion to derive a calibrated surface temperature of the surface portion; and deriving the core body temperature of the subject using the calibrated thermal image data surface portion and ambient temperatures in a manner that accounts for a heat transfer impact of the ambient temperature upon the calibrated surface temperature; and using the determined core body temperature to assess whether the subject may have a health condition. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
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Specification