Patent GB2311368A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
GB2311368A
Expired / Lapsed
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System for detecting malagnancies
Assignee: HEDGE TONY
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Filing: 1997-03-21
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2017-03-21
Abstract
Abstract A thermal imaging system comprising a thermal imaging device 10 which is able to detect local body temperature at a skin or sub-skin lesion and an adjacent point of normal skin with a resolution not less than 0.1{C. The thermogram produced may be processed by means of software filters in respect of texture, size of particles present, variations in intensity, spectral or spatial distribution, or density or intensity gradients in order to assist in distinguishing between benign and malignant lesions. The thermogram may be analysed with respect to time and a thermogram produced in response to stimulation by infra-red radiation. A neural network may also be used for analysis of the thermogram.
Inventors
- 👤 Gary Rogers
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
GB
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 12:23
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61B; A61B5/00; A61B5/41; A61B5/414; A61B5/415; A61B5/01; A61B5/015; A61B5/418; A61B5/72; A61B5/7235; A61B5/7264
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 13
Claim 1
Independent Claim
106 words
Claims A A thermal imaging system comnri,ing a thermal imaging device capable of detecting the local body temperature al a skin or sub-skin lesion and at an adjacent point of normal skin with a resolution not less than !/lOth of a degree Centigrade, processing means for processing the output of the thermal imaging device to produce digital signals representative of the detected temperatures, a microprocessor programmed to analyse the temperature representative digital signals and develop video input signals having content indicative of the malignancy andlor non-malignancy of the lesion, and display means for receiving the video input signals and displaying said signals in an interpretable form.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
26 words
A system according to claim 1, wherein a temperature profile is produced and displayed and the temperature profile is assessed in a qualitative and/or quantitative manner.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
15 words
A system according to claim 2, wherein the temperature profile is a three dimensional thermogram.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
20 words
A system according to claim 3, wherein the thermogram is analysed in repect of ite x. y and z coordirates.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
25 words
A system according to claim 4, wherein temperature volumes are derived from the three dimensional analysis to assist in distinguishing between benign and malignant lesions.
Claim 6
Independent Claim
29 words
A system according to any of claims 1 to 4, wherein a raw thermogram is produced and transformed by algorithms to produce a qualitatively or quantitatively assessible refined thermogram.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
56 words
?. A system according to any of claims 1 to 6, wherein a raw thermogram is produced and processed hy means of software filters in respect of texture andlor size of particles present and!or variations in respect of intensity, spectral or spatial distribution, density and/or intensity gradients to assist in distinguishing between benign and malignant lesions.
Claim 8
Independent Claim
21 words
A system according to any of claims 1 to 7, wherein a thermogram is produced and analysed with respect to time.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
24 words
A system according to any of claims 1 to 8, wherein a thermogram is produced responsively to stimulation of the lesion by infra-red radiation.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
26 words
A system according to any of claims 1 to 9, including a video camera for viewing the lesion and supplying output signals to the processing means.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
27 words
A syslem according to any of claims 1 to 10, wherein the thermal imaging device is adapted to pan, scroll and zoom over a lesion under test.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
20 words
A system according to any of claims 1 to Ii, wherein a thellnoElam is produced and displayed in real time.
Claim 13
Independent Claim
12 words
A system substanliallx as hereinbefore desciil)ed with iefeieice to the accompanying drawings.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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