Method of monitoring a surface feature and apparatus therefor

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.

1 - 30 . (canceled) 
     
     
         31 . A computer-implemented method for evaluating an anatomical feature at the surface of a human patient's skin, the method comprising:
 guiding a user to position a camera in at least one of x, y, or z directions relative to the anatomical feature by projecting visible light onto the surface at or near the anatomical feature from a light generating device fixedly coupled to the camera, wherein the projected visible light forms a first projection and a second projection on the surface and the relative positions of the first projection and the second projection change when the user moves the light generating device towards or away from the surface;   receiving, at a computing device operatively coupled to the camera, image data related to an image generated by the camera, wherein the image data characterizes the anatomical feature;   determining an area of the anatomical feature; and   displaying the area of the anatomical feature on a display.   
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 31 , further comprising determining an outline of the anatomical feature, wherein determining the area is based on the determined outline and the image data. 
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 32 , further comprising displaying the outline of the anatomical feature on the display. 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 31 , further comprising determining at least one of a depth of the anatomical feature and a volume of the anatomical feature based on the image data. 
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 31  wherein the camera is a three-dimensional (“3D”) camera or a time-of-flight camera. 
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 31 , further comprising determining an outline of the anatomical feature, wherein the area is determined based at least in part on the outline. 
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 36 , further comprising determining at least one of a depth of the anatomical feature and a volume of the anatomical feature based on the image data and the outline. 
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 37 , further comprising storing at least one of the image data, the area of the anatomical feature, the at least one of the depth and the volume of the anatomical feature, and the outline of the anatomical feature at a central data repository remote from the computing device. 
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 31  wherein the computing device and the camera are physically coupled together. 
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 31  wherein the computing device is a central server that is remote from the camera. 
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 32  wherein determining the outline of the anatomical feature includes automatically processing the image data to generate the outline. 
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 32  wherein determining the outline of the anatomical feature includes receiving, at the computing device, input from the user regarding at least a portion of the outline of the anatomical feature. 
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 31  wherein guiding the user includes displaying a live image of the anatomical feature showing the first and second projections on the surface while the user positions the camera relative to the anatomical feature. 
     
     
         44 . The method of  claim 31  wherein at least one of the first projection and the second projection is a laser projection. 
     
     
         45 . The method of  claim 31  wherein the first projection and the second projection are laser fan beams. 
     
     
         46 . The method of  claim 31  wherein:
 the first projection intersects the anatomical feature at a first plurality of points; and 
 the method further comprises:
 determining the x, y, z coordinates of the first plurality of points, and 
 determining a depth of the anatomical feature based on the x, y, z coordinates of the first plurality of points. 
 
 
     
     
         47 . A system for determining the area of an anatomical surface feature, the system comprising:
 an imaging device configured to generate image data characterizing the anatomical surface feature;   an input device;   a display; and   one or more controllers having memory and processing circuitry, wherein the one or more controllers are configured to be in communication with the imaging device and the display, and wherein the memory includes instructions that, when processed by the processing circuitry, cause the controllers to:
 display an image of the anatomical surface feature on the display; 
 create an outline of the anatomical surface feature based at least in part on a user-traced outline of the anatomical surface feature received from the input device. 
   
     
     
         48 . The system of  claim 47  wherein the memory includes instructions that, when processed by the processing circuitry, cause the one or more controllers to process the image of the anatomical surface feature to create the outline. 
     
     
         49 . The system of  claim 47  wherein the display and the imaging device are components of a portable capture device. 
     
     
         50 . The system of  claim 47  wherein the imaging device is a component of a portable capture device, and wherein the display is a component separate from the portable capture device. 
     
     
         51 . The system of  claim 47  wherein at least one of the one or more controllers is remote from the imaging device. 
     
     
         52 . The system of  claim 47  wherein the display is a touch screen. 
     
     
         53 . The system of  claim 47  wherein the input device is a touch screen. 
     
     
         54 . The system of claim  4  wherein the imaging device is a digital camera. 
     
     
         55 . The system of  claim 47 , further comprising a structured light arrangement having a known positional relationship relative to the imaging device. 
     
     
         56 . The system of  claim 55  wherein the structured light arrangement is configured to project visible light onto the anatomical surface feature. 
     
     
         57 . The system of  claim 55  wherein the structured light arrangement includes a laser. 
     
     
         58 . The system of  claim 55  wherein the imaging device and the structured light arrangement are components of a portable capture device, and wherein the display is a component separate from the portable capture device. 
     
     
         59 . The system of  claim 55  wherein the imaging device, the structured light arrangement, and the display are components of a portable capture device. 
     
     
         60 . The system of  claim 47  wherein the one or more controllers include a central server that is remote from and communicates at least partially wirelessly with the imaging device.