Imaging apparatus and methods for capturing and analyzing digital images of the skin

• US 7,764,303 B2
• Filed: 09/28/2007
• Issued: 07/27/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Johnson & Johnson Consumer Inc. (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: Johnson & Johnson Consumer Companies Incorporated (Johnson & Johnson)
• Inventors: Jackson, Dick, Pote, Jeffrey, Ruvolo, Eduardo, Kollias, Nikiforos, Payonk, Gregory
• Primary Examiner(s): WHIPKEY, JASON T
• Application Number:
  US11/863,342
• Publication Number:
  US 20080079843A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,033 Days
• Field of Search: 396/2, 348/77, 348/78, 348/373, 348/376, 348/211.3, 348/211.11, 600/476, 600/306, 600/477
• US Class Current: 348/77
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0059 using light, e.g. diagnosis by transillumination, diascopy, fluorescence A61B5/0093, A61B5/1455, A61B5/02416 and A61B5/0261 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/441 Skin evaluation, e.g. for skin disorder diagnosis
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 15/07 Arrangements of lamps in studios
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/51 Housings
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/53 of electronic viewfinders, e.g. rotatable or detachable
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/63 by using electronic viewfinders
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/661 Transmitting camera control signals through networks, e.g. control via the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/74 by influencing the scene brightness using illuminating means
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/134 based on three different wavelength filter elements

Abstract

An imaging station for taking a plurality of digital images of a subject under a plurality of illuminating conditions and storing and analyzing the digital images, includes a housing, containing the digital image capturing apparatus, like a camera or video recorder, a computer for processing the image data and one or more displays for displaying images of the person. The imaging station aids in controlling lighting during image capture and may be used to optimally position the subject for imaging. The computer may be programmed to conduct various image processing functions and may be networked to allow image sharing. A display which may be provided on the exterior of the housing allows an operator to visualize the subject and to control the imaging process. The imaging station may be used for teaching purposes.

Claims

1. An imaging station for capturing images of a subject in a given ambient lighting environment, comprising:

a housing with an aperture where the subject is presented for capturing images thereof;

a camera for capturing digital images;

a light for illuminating the subject during image capture;

a first display visible to a user and disposed in the housing for displaying a digital image of the subject captured by said camera and permitting the subject to see themselves as they appear when presented to said aperture;

a second display visible on the exterior of the housing for displaying a digital image of the subject captured by said camera, said second display presenting an operational interface through which the imaging station may be controlled;

a computer for controlling the camera, said first and second displays and the light, said housing containing the camera and the light and including a tunnel extending from said aperture toward said camera and said light, said tunnel at least partially limiting ambient light, if present in the ambient lighting environment, when a digital image of the subject is captured and when viewing images on the first display.

2. The imaging station of claim 1, wherein said second display is mounted on a side of said housing generally parallel to and beside said tunnel.

3. The imaging station of claim 2, further comprising a first moveable filter for effecting the light emitted by the light for illuminating the subject, such that a plurality of different types of images may be captured with the imaging station.

4. The imaging station of claim 3, wherein said first moveable filter is disposed on a filter wheel within the housing, rotatable before said light to assume at least two positions, a first position filtering light from said light and a second position not filtering light from said light.

5. The imaging station of claim 4, further comprising a second moveable filter having a plurality of positions relative to said camera, a first position filtering light entering said camera and a second position not filtering light entering said camera.

6. The imaging station of claim 5, wherein the first and second moveable filters are disposed on a common filter wheel.

7. The imaging station of claim 1, wherein said housing has a chin rest disposed proximate said aperture for receiving a chin of the subject, said housing being adjustable in position relative to a subject to position the subject'"'"'s chin on said chin rest.

8. The imaging station of claim 1, further comprising a light guide for guiding at least one of light emitted from said light and light directed toward said camera from the subject.

9. The imaging station of claim 8, wherein said light guide has a tunnel shape with an aperture at either end and a lumen passing therebetween.

10. The imaging station of claim 1, wherein said computer is programmed to identify a plurality of facial regions and to convert RGB colorspace images captured by the imaging station to L*a*b* colorspace values to facilitate image processing and quantitative analysis.

11. An imaging station in accordance with claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of said imaging stations coupled to a network, said network allowing the communication of images to selected ones of said imaging stations.

12. The imaging station of claim 11, wherein an image may be communicated to a selected imaging station as an e mail attachment.

13. The imaging station of claim 11, wherein a cell phone image may be communicated to a selected imaging station through said network.

14. An imaging system, comprising:

a plurality of imaging stations capable of capturing and storing digital images of persons, each imaging station having a digital image capture device, an illuminating light, at least one filter for changing the illuminating light, such that a plurality of types of light are available for capturing a plurality of different types of digital images and a computer for controlling said image capture device, said filter and said illuminating light, said plurality of imaging stations coupled to a network, said network allowing the communication of images to selected ones of said imaging stations, wherein said computer is programmed to quantitatively analyze digital images, such that a plurality of digital images may be quantitatively ordered relative to each other based upon a given criteria exhibited by the plurality of digital images.

15. The imaging system station of claim 14, wherein said computer is programmed to present the plurality of digital images to a trainee to test the trainee'"'"'s capacity to differentiate between condition states of skin as revealed by the plurality of digital images and to record the degree of success/failure exhibited by the trainee.

16. The imaging system of claim 15, wherein the plurality of images are presented in pairs and the trainee is asked to rank the pair of images as to a particular condition state.