Method of monitoring a surface feature and apparatus therefor

• US 9,955,910 B2
• Filed: 10/28/2016
• Issued: 05/01/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aranz Healthcare Limited
• Original Assignee: Aranz Healthcare Limited
• Inventors: Fright, William Richard, Nixon, Mark Arthur, McCallum, Bruce Clinton, Preddey, James Telford George
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Vu
• Assistant Examiner(s): BEG, SAMAH A
• Application Number:
  US15/338,216
• Publication Number:
  US 20170042452A1
• Time in Patent Office: 550 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/105 Modelling of the patient, e.g. for ligaments or bones
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/367 creating a 3D dataset from 2D images using position information
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2576/02 specially adapted for a particular organ or body part
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0013 Medical image data A61B1/00011, A61B6/56, A61B8/56 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0022 Monitoring a patient using a global network, e.g. telephone networks, internet
• 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 5/0077 Devices for viewing the surface of the body, e.g. camera, magnifying lens
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/01 Measuring temperature of body parts ; Diagnostic temperature sensing, e.g. for malignant or inflamed tissue clinical contact thermometers G01K13/20
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1073 Measuring volume, e.g. of limbs
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1077 Measuring of profiles
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1079 using optical or photographic means
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14539 for measuring pH
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/444 Evaluating skin marks, e.g. mole, nevi, tumour, scar
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/445 Evaluating skin irritation or skin trauma, e.g. rash, eczema, wound, bed sore
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/447 specially adapted for aiding the prevention of ulcer or pressure sore development, i.e. before the ulcer or sore has developed
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6898 Portable consumer electronic devices, e.g. music players, telephones, tablet computers
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7275 Determining trends in physiological measurement data; Predicting development of a medical condition based on physiological measurements, e.g. determining a risk factor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7282 Event detection, e.g. detecting unique waveforms indicative of a medical condition A61B5/4094, A61B5/4818, A61B5/349, A61B5/0823 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/743 Displaying an image simultaneously with additional graphical information, e.g. symbols, charts, function plots
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/746 Alarms related to a physiological condition, e.g. details of setting alarm thresholds or avoiding false alarms alarms per se G08B
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/748 : Selection of a region of interest, e.g. using a graphics tablet
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7485 : Automatic selection of region of interest
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/488 : involving Doppler signals
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/5223 : for extracting a diagnostic or physiological parameter from medical diagnostic data for algorithms to analyse biomedical images G06T7/0012
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 11/002 : for measuring two or more coordinates
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 11/02 : for measuring length, width or thickness G01B11/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 11/14 : for measuring distance or clearance between spaced objects or spaced apertures G01B11/26 takes precedence; rangefinders G01C3/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 11/22 : for measuring depth
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 11/285 : using photoelectric detection means
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10028 : Range image; Depth image; 3D point clouds
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30088 : Skin; Dermal
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/0004 : Industrial image inspection
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/0014 : using an image reference approach
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00209 : Transmitting or receiving image data, e.g. facsimile data, via a computer, e.g. using e-mail, a computer network, the internet, I-fax
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00244 : with a server, e.g. an internet server fax-servers or the like for store and forward H04N1/324
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/63 : by using electronic viewfinders
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/631 : Graphical user interfaces [GUI] specially adapted for controlling image capture or setting capture parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/64 : Computer-aided capture of images, e.g. transfer from script file into camera, check of taken image quality, advice or proposal for image composition or decision on when to take image

Abstract

Dimensions of a surface feature are determined by capturing an image of the surface feature and determining a scale associated with the image. Structured light may be projected onto the surface, such that the position of structured light in the captured image allows determination of scale. A non-planar surface may be unwrapped. The surface may alternatively be projected into a plane to correct for the scene being tilted with respect to the camera axis. A border of the surface feature may be input manually by a user. An apparatus and system for implementing the method are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A method for determining the area of an anatomical surface feature, the method comprising:

capturing an image of the anatomical surface feature with a capture device of a handheld unit, wherein the handheld unit comprises a PDA, notebook, ultramobile PC, tablet, or cell phone;

displaying the image of the anatomical surface feature to a user via a touch-screen display of the handheld unit;

creating an outline of the anatomical surface feature on the touch-screen display, wherein creating the outline includes enabling the user to trace at least a portion of the outline on the touch-screen display;

enabling the user to adjust the outline manually by selecting and moving a portion of the outline to change the position of the portion relative to the image of the anatomical surface feature, thereby creating a revised outline of the anatomical surface feature; and

determining the area of the anatomical surface feature based on the outline or the revised outline.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein enabling the user to trace at least a portion of the outline includes enabling the user to trace the portion of the outline while the image of the anatomical surface feature is displayed.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining a perimeter measurement of the anatomical surface feature based on the outline or the revised outline.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein creating the outline includes using image processing techniques.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the image is a two-dimensional image of the anatomical surface feature.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the image represents a three-dimensional model of the anatomical surface feature.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the method further comprises projecting structured light onto the anatomical surface feature.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the structured light guides the user in positioning the capture device relative to the anatomical surface feature.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising determining a depth of the anatomical surface feature based on the structured light.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising determining a volume of the anatomical surface feature based on the area and the depth.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the capture device and the touch-screen display are both within a single housing of the handheld unit.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein determining the area of the anatomical surface feature is performed by a computing device, and wherein the computing device is within the single housing of the handheld unit.

13. A method for determining the area of an anatomical surface feature, the method comprising:

capturing an image of the anatomical surface feature with a capture device of a handheld unit, the handheld unit configured to be supported solely by a user'"'"'s hand during the capturing of the image;

displaying the image of the anatomical surface feature to a user via a touch-screen display of the handheld unit;

creating an outline of the anatomical surface feature on the display, wherein creating the outline includes enabling the user to trace at least a portion of the outline about the boundary of the anatomical surface feature on the touch-screen display; and

determining the area of the anatomical surface feature based on the outline.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein creating the outline includes enabling the user to trace at least a portion of the anatomical surface feature on the touch screen while the image of the anatomical surface feature is displayed.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising enabling the user to manually adjust the outline to create a revised outline on the display.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising determining a perimeter measurement of the anatomical surface feature based on the outline or the revised outline.

17. The method of claim 13 wherein the image represents a three-dimensional model of the anatomical surface feature.

18. The method of claim 13 wherein the method further comprises projecting structured light onto the anatomical surface feature.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the structured light guides the user in positioning the capture device relative to the anatomical surface feature.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising determining a depth of the anatomical surface feature based on the projected structured light.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising determining a volume of the anatomical surface feature based on the depth and the area.

22. A system for determining the area of an anatomical surface feature, the system comprising:

a portable capture unit configured to be held solely by a user'"'"'s hand during use, the portable capture unit including—

an image sensor configured to generate image data characterizing the anatomical surface feature;

a touch-screen display for displaying an image of the anatomical surface feature based on the image data generated by the image sensor; and

an input device configured to receive user input related to a location of the boundary of the anatomical surface feature relative to the displayed image; and

one or more controllers having memory and processing circuitry, wherein the one or more controllers are configured to be in communication with the image sensor, the display, and the input device, and wherein the memory includes instructions that, when processed by the processing circuitry, cause the one or more controllers to;

display the image of the anatomical surface feature on the display;

create an outline of the anatomical surface feature on the displayed image;

adjust the outline based on user input received from the input device, thereby creating a revised outline of the anatomical surface feature on the display; and

determine the area of the anatomical surface feature based on the outline or the revised outline.

23. The system of claim 22 wherein the memory includes instructions that, when processed by the processing circuitry, cause the controller to process the image of the anatomical surface feature to create the outline.

24. The system of claim 22 wherein the controller is configured to enable the user to trace around the image of the anatomical surface feature on the touch screen to create the outline.

25. The system of claim 22 wherein the input device enables the user to drag at least a portion of the outline relative to the image of the anatomical surface feature to create the revised outline.

26. The system of claim 22, further comprising a structured light arrangement having a known positional relationship relative to the image sensor.

27. The system of claim 26 wherein the structured light arrangement is configured to project visible light onto the anatomical surface feature.

28. The system of claim 26 wherein the portable capture device further includes the structured light arrangement.

29. The system of claim 26 wherein the structured light arrangement is configured to project infrared light onto the anatomical surface feature.

30. The system of claim 22 wherein the portable capture unit includes the one or more controllers.

31. The system of claim 30 wherein the portable capture unit includes a single housing, and wherein the image sensor, touch-screen display, and one or more controllers are all within the single housing of the portable capture unit.

32. The system of claim 22 wherein the portable capture unit comprises a cell phone or tablet.