Human forearm skin imaging system

Abstract

The application relates to the imaging technical field and discloses a human forearm skin imaging system, which comprises a box body, the box body constitutes a closed space, one side of the box body is provided with an entrance for the human forearm to extend into, and an image acquisition assembly is arranged on the box body and used for imaging the human forearm skin extending into the box body; the image acquisition assembly is also used for receiving a timing shooting signal, the timing shooting signal is used for triggering the image acquisition assembly to image the human forearm skin at multiple predetermined time points so as to observe the change of the forearm skin with time. The human forearm skin imaging system can effectively reduce or avoid the noise information amount of the image, obtain an image which more objectively reflects the skin change process, and then more accurate image analysis can be carried out.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of imaging technology. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, when imaging a person's forearm continuously over a period of time, the subject typically places their forearm on a table in a comfortable posture, and the photographer needs to mount the camera above the forearm to capture the image from a downward position. For example, this can be done by hand-holding an image acquisition device (such as a mobile phone or camera) or by using a stand (such as a phone holder or selfie stick) to fix the image acquisition device on the table, under natural light or indoor lighting. A timer is manually controlled by the subject or staff, and an image is captured at regular intervals, such as one minute. However, existing methods have some problems, such as less than ideal image quality. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The purpose of this application is to provide a human forearm skin imaging system that can effectively reduce or avoid image noise and obtain images that more objectively reflect the skin change process, so as to perform more accurate image analysis.

[0004] This application discloses a human forearm skin imaging system, comprising:

[0005] The box, which forms a sealed space, has an entrance on one side for a person's forearm to enter.

[0006] An image acquisition component is used to image the skin of a person's forearm that extends into the box, and is also used to receive a timed shooting signal, which is used to trigger the image acquisition component to image the skin of the person's forearm at multiple predetermined time points to observe the changes of the skin of the person's forearm over time.

[0007] In a preferred embodiment, it also includes:

[0008] A timer is used to send the timing capture signal to the image acquisition component at multiple predetermined time points.

[0009] In a preferred embodiment, it also includes:

[0010] A forearm fixation assembly, disposed within the housing, is used to fix the position and posture of a person's forearm extending from the inlet.

[0011] In a preferred embodiment, the forearm fixation assembly includes a gripping position disposed at the bottom end of the housing and a groove disposed within the housing along the direction in which the forearm is positioned.

[0012] In a preferred embodiment, the bottom of the housing is provided with a feature marker for image analysis, which provides positioning information for the acquired images.

[0013] In a preferred embodiment, when the forearm also carries an identifier, the feature identifier is used to provide positioning information in conjunction with the identifier carried on the forearm.

[0014] In a preferred embodiment, the image acquisition device comprises one or any combination of the following: a visible light imager, an infrared imager, and an ultraviolet imager.

[0015] In a preferred embodiment, an optical component is also included to provide the light source required to achieve shadowless shooting.

[0016] In a preferred embodiment, the enclosure further includes a visual human-computer interaction panel disposed on the outside of the enclosure, used for editing subject information, and / or reading images, and / or monitoring and adjusting parameters such as temperature and light source inside the enclosure, and / or displaying the status of the forearm of the person inside the enclosure in real time.

[0017] In a preferred embodiment, the enclosure is equipped with a temperature control system for controlling the temperature inside the enclosure within a preset range.

[0018] The technical solution of this application can effectively reduce or avoid noise in images, obtaining images that more objectively reflect the skin's changing process, thus enabling more accurate image analysis. For example, it can avoid shadows from the shooting device in the image; it can avoid or reduce reflections; it can avoid inefficient setup of the shooting device; it can avoid the lack of comparability of images due to inconsistent light sources and shooting angles; it can also avoid the impact of unstable temperature conditions caused by external climate on the true presentation of redness and swelling; it can also avoid interference caused by changes in position and posture; it can also avoid the high cost and low accuracy of manual timing; it can also avoid inefficient and confusing image naming methods; and it can also avoid unscientific and unreasonable timing methods during shooting, etc.

[0019] The specification of this application contains numerous technical features distributed across various technical solutions. Listing all possible combinations of these technical features (i.e., technical solutions) would make the specification excessively lengthy. To avoid this problem, the various technical features disclosed above, in the following embodiments and examples, and in the accompanying drawings can be freely combined to form various new technical solutions (all of which are considered to have been described in this specification), unless such a combination of technical features is technically infeasible. For example, one example discloses feature A+B+C, and another example discloses feature A+B+D+E. Features C and D are equivalent technical means that serve the same function, and technically only one needs to be used; they cannot be used simultaneously. Feature E can technically be combined with feature C. Therefore, the solution A+B+C+D should not be considered as described because it is technically infeasible, while the solution A+B+C+E should be considered as described. Attached Figure Description

[0020] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a human forearm skin imaging system according to the first embodiment of this application;

[0021] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of a human forearm skin imaging system according to the first embodiment of this application.

[0022] in:

[0023] 101: Box

[0024] 102: Image Acquisition Component

[0025] 1021: Image acquisition equipment

[0026] 1022: Connector

[0027] 103: Entrance

[0028] 104: Groove

[0029] 105: Holding position Detailed Implementation

[0030] In the following description, many technical details are presented to help the reader better understand this application. However, those skilled in the art will understand that the technical solutions claimed in this application can be implemented even without these technical details and various variations and modifications based on the following embodiments.

[0031] the term:

[0032] Skin reaction: Redness and swelling that occurs when human skin is stimulated by compounds such as nicotinic acid.

[0033] Skin testing: Tests used to detect skin reactions. Specifically, the test typically lasts no more than 30 minutes. Throughout the test, continuous imaging of the forearm skin is performed at short time intervals (accurate to the second, such as 5 seconds per image). Skin tests include, but are not limited to: niacin skin testing, allergy skin testing, etc.

[0034] Subject: refers to the person who undergoes a skin test.

[0035] EXIF: Exchangeable Image File Format.

[0036] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this application clearer, the embodiments of this application will be described in further detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0037] The first embodiment of this application relates to a human forearm skin imaging system, the structure of which is as follows: Figure 1-2 As shown, it includes: a housing 101, which forms a sealed space, and an entrance 103 on one side of the housing 101 for a person's forearm to be inserted; an image acquisition component 102, used to image the skin of the person's forearm inserted into the housing 101; and also used to receive a timed shooting signal, which is used to trigger the image acquisition component 102 to image the skin of the person's forearm at multiple predetermined time points to observe the changes of the forearm skin over time.

[0038] Optionally, in one embodiment, the human forearm skin imaging system may further include a timer for sending timed imaging signals to the image acquisition component 102 at multiple predetermined time points. For example, an imaging signal is sent every N seconds, for a total of M imaging signals, where N and M are preset positive integers. The timer is not limited to being built into or external to the image acquisition component; it can be integrated with or separate from the image acquisition component.

[0039] Optionally, in one embodiment, the human forearm skin imaging system may further include a forearm fixation assembly disposed in the housing 101 for fixing the position and posture of the forearm extending from the inlet 103.

[0040] The following is a further explanation of the components of the human forearm skin imaging system:

[0041] Box 101:

[0042] As described above, the box 101 constitutes a sealed space, and an entrance 103 for a person's forearm to be inserted is provided on one side of the box 101.

[0043] Optionally, in one embodiment, the housing 101 is further provided with a light component, or a soft light component with a soft light effect.

[0044] Optionally, in one embodiment, the forearm inlet 103 is located at the lower edge of the front of the housing 101, allowing the forearm to easily extend into the housing. Simultaneously, it prevents external ambient light from entering the housing due to excessively large dimensions of the forearm inlet 103. For example, the forearm inlet 103 could be 8×15cm, or a semicircle with a diameter of 15cm, etc. The advantage of this is that when shooting inside the sealed housing 101, interference from external light sources can be avoided or reduced; that is, light is blocked. In one embodiment, a light-blocking curtain (not shown in the figure) with an opening can also be provided on the inlet 103. This allows the flexible light-blocking curtain to block as much of the gap between the forearm and the inlet 103 as possible after the forearm extends into the inlet 103, further reducing the entry of external interference light into the housing 101.

[0045] Preferably, the bottom of the housing 101 is provided with a feature identifier for image analysis. The feature identifier provides positioning information for the acquired image. In other words, when using, for example, machine learning to analyze and process the image, the success rate of machine learning can be improved.

[0046] Furthermore, when the forearm also bears a marker, the feature marker is used to provide positioning information in conjunction with the marker on the forearm. In other words, by arranging feature markers on both the base plate of the housing 101 and the forearm, positioning information is provided for the image, which is beneficial for image analysis. In one embodiment, the marker can be a pre-agreed pattern.

[0047] Optionally, in one embodiment, a forearm fixing assembly is also provided inside the housing 101 to fix the position and posture of the forearm extending from the inlet 103;

[0048] For example, the forearm fixation assembly includes a gripping position 105 located at the bottom of the housing 101. The gripping position 105 can be a grippable cavity or recess for providing a grippable and fixed position for the human hand to fix the position and posture of the forearm.

[0049] For example, the forearm fixing component can also be a robotic arm installed inside the housing 101, used to fix the human forearm to the bottom of the housing 101.

[0050] For example, the forearm fixing component can also be a strip of Velcro located at the bottom of the housing 101, used to fix a person's palm to the bottom of the housing 101.

[0051] It is understood that the forearm fixation components mentioned above are not limited to this and can be implemented in different ways, which will not be elaborated here.

[0052] Optionally, in one embodiment, the forearm fixing assembly may include a gripping position 105 and a groove 104 disposed in the housing 101 along the direction of the forearm's placement for fixing the position of the forearm within the housing.

[0053] In this case, the grip position 105 and the groove 104 constitute a forearm fixing component. The advantage of this is that the position and posture of the forearm can be better controlled by the relative position of the grip position 105 and the groove 104.

[0054] Optionally, in one embodiment, the bottom of the outer side of the housing 101 is also provided with four retractable feet for stabilizing the housing 101 on an uneven surface, which can improve the imaging quality.

[0055] Preferably, the box body 101 is also provided with handles for easy movement and carrying. For example, the handles can be provided on the top surface of the box body 101 or on both sides of the box body 101, and the specific positions can be flexibly adjusted as needed.

[0056] Image acquisition component 102:

[0057] As described above, the image acquisition component 102 is located on the top of the housing 101 and is used to image the skin of the forearm that extends into the housing 101. It is also used to receive timed shooting signals. The timed shooting signals are used to trigger the image acquisition component 102 to image the skin of the human forearm at multiple predetermined time points in order to observe the changes of the forearm skin over time.

[0058] Optionally, in one embodiment, the image acquisition component 102 includes an image acquisition device 1021 and a connector 1022. The connector 1022 is used to adjustably fix the position and angle of the image acquisition device 1021 to the top of the housing 101, and the image acquisition component 102 is used to acquire one or more images of the skin of a human forearm extending into the housing 101. It should be noted that the above is only an exemplary description; in some other embodiments, the image acquisition component 102 may not include the connector 1022. In some other embodiments, the image acquisition device 1021 is not necessarily located at the top of the housing 101, but rather at other locations within the housing 101, such as the side.

[0059] Image acquisition device 1021 includes any one or more combinations of visible light bands and / or other bands.

[0060] For example, the image acquisition device 1021 can be a visible light imager, an infrared imager, an ultraviolet imager, etc.

[0061] For example, a visible light imager can be one of the following: a camera, a webcam, a mobile phone, etc.

[0062] For example, an infrared imager can be one or a combination of the following: an infrared imager, an infrared thermal imager, or other optical and / or thermal imaging devices, etc.

[0063] The advantage of using multiple image acquisition devices 1021 is that it can simultaneously acquire signals in multiple dimensions during a single test, such as signals of the color and / or size of redness and swelling under visible light, thermodynamic signals under infrared light, and signals acquired from deep skin tissues under near-ultraviolet bands, optical interference, or optical diffraction (such as epidermal cells, dermal cells, capillary morphology, and / or blood perfusion).

[0064] As described above, the image acquisition device 1021 can be used to receive timed shooting signals. These signals trigger the image acquisition component 102 to image the skin of the forearm at multiple predetermined time points, allowing observation of changes in the forearm skin over time. This eliminates the need for manual timer control and avoids camera shake caused by manual shutter releases on the image acquisition device 1021. It also enables continuous shooting at short time intervals (e.g., 5 seconds), facilitating the full-process image acquisition of skin redness and swelling.

[0065] The connector 1022 is used to fix the image acquisition device 1021 to the top of the housing 101, and can be adjusted at multiple angles to ensure stable acquisition of high-quality images of human forearms of different lengths and thicknesses.

[0066] Optionally, in one embodiment, the connector 1022 can be adjusted to a preset distance range according to the distance between the skin of the human forearm and the camera lens, thereby enabling the image acquisition device 1021 to acquire images of a local area of ​​the human forearm.

[0067] For example, connector 1022 can be manually adjusted via mechanical connection, remotely adjusted via pan-tilt unit, or by other adjustable angle methods.

[0068] The benefits of the image acquisition component 102 include, for example: top-down angle imaging, suitable for imaging the forearm of a subject placed flat on a table; a multi-mode imaging system (visible light and / or non-visible light, such as infrared), capable of acquiring images under multiple light sources, providing multi-dimensional information on skin response, and through different images, obtaining the response of human forearm skin during temperature and time changes; and the connector 1022 enabling adjustment of the height, fore-aft position, and pitch angle of the image acquisition device 1021 to obtain high-quality images.

[0069] timer

[0070] A timer is used to send timed shooting signals to the image acquisition component 102 at multiple predetermined time points to trigger the image acquisition component 102 to image the forearm skin, thereby observing the changes in the forearm skin over time. For example, as described above, the timer can trigger the image acquisition component 102 to continuously capture images at short time intervals (e.g., 5 seconds) through the timed shooting signals, which is beneficial for capturing images of the entire process of skin redness and swelling. It is understood that those skilled in the art can implement the timer in many different specific ways, which will not be elaborated here. The multiple predetermined time points can be uniformly distributed on the time axis or non-uniformly distributed. For example, if the rate of change of skin redness and swelling is fast at first and then slows down, multiple predetermined time points with gradually increasing intervals can be used to match the rate of change of skin redness and swelling, thereby reducing the total number of shots.

[0071] Optical components:

[0072] Optionally, in one embodiment, the light component may include one, a group or more groups of light sources, which may be, for example, soft light sources. For instance, one or more groups of soft light sources can be used to form a "shadowless lamp" to achieve shadowless shooting.

[0073] Furthermore, to realistically reproduce the condition of human forearm skin and redness, the soft light source allows for adjustment of the light source's color tone and height.

[0074] The advantage of using a soft light component is that the soft light source can avoid or reduce the reflection of light on the skin of the forearm due to temperature and light intensity, which would interfere with the image quality. In addition, the "shadowless lamp" formed by multiple light sources can prevent components located above the forearm, such as the image acquisition component 102 connected to the top of the housing 101, from forming shadows on the forearm and interfering with the image quality.

[0075] Optionally, in one embodiment, the diffuser assembly further includes a light-absorbing cloth to avoid reflections, reduce noise in the image, and improve image quality.

[0076] Visualized human-computer interaction panel:

[0077] Optionally, in one embodiment, the housing 101 further includes a visual human-computer interaction panel disposed on the outside of the housing 101, used to edit the EXIF ​​file to input or modify the subject's name, gender, age, and other shooting information, and to add the subject's name, gender, age, and other information, as well as image acquisition time (accurate to the second) and GPS (Global Positioning System) location information, to the acquired image through software, so as to facilitate subsequent image analysis. Optionally, in other embodiments, other image file formats (such as JPEG files) can also be used to save the shooting information that needs to be added to the image.

[0078] Optionally, in one embodiment, the visual human-computer interaction panel can be used for human-computer interaction to adjust parameters such as temperature and light intensity inside the box 101. Furthermore, the visual human-computer interaction panel can also be used to display the status of the person's forearm inside the box in real time and make adjustments in real time.

[0079] Temperature control system:

[0080] The chamber 101 is also equipped with a temperature control system to maintain the temperature inside the chamber 101 within a preset range, thereby improving the environmental controllability for the subjects during the testing process. The temperature control system is prior art and will not be described in detail in this application.

[0081] Data output unit:

[0082] Optionally, in one embodiment, the housing 101 is further provided with a data output unit (such as a USB interface, a wired LAN interface, a WIFI module, etc.) for outputting the collected information to a computer system.

[0083] Specifically, the information may include images, EXIF ​​files, and the internal temperature of the chamber.

[0084] Working principle:

[0085] The subject extends his forearm into the housing 101 of the imaging system. The image acquisition component 102, which is fixed to the top of the housing 101 and operates in modes such as visible light, non-visible light, and thermal imaging, is positioned overhead and triggered by a timer to continuously capture images of the forearm at fixed time intervals. This is to accurately record the optical and / or thermal changes of the forearm skin, such as the onset, development, maintenance, and resolution of redness and swelling.

[0086] It is understood that the enclosure 101 of this system is airtight, which can avoid or at least reduce interference from external ambient light. A soft light source and light-absorbing cloth are arranged inside the enclosure 101 to prevent sharp light reflections from interfering with the image, thereby improving image quality. Furthermore, by arranging fixed grip positions 105, grooves 104, feature markers, and other components, the system provides positioning information during subsequent image analysis using machine learning, which can improve the success rate of machine learning.

[0087] It is understood that the human forearm skin imaging system disclosed in this specification can be used for various skin tests, such as niacin skin detection, allergic skin detection, etc., and can also be used in other application scenarios that require photographing the forearm skin.

[0088] The technical effects of the embodiments in this specification include:

[0089] 1) The human forearm skin imaging system uses a housing equipped with an optical component to avoid the camera above the arm casting shadows on the arm under natural light or indoor lighting, which would prevent the skin condition in the shadowed areas from being accurately represented.

[0090] 2) The human forearm skin imaging system is equipped with a soft light source and a light-absorbing cloth, which can avoid or at least reduce the reflection of sharp light such as natural light or indoor lighting on the skin of the arm, resulting in a reflective band in the photo and the skin condition of the arm cannot be realistically presented.

[0091] 3) The human forearm skin imaging system is an integrated device that is portable and mobile, avoiding temporary on-site setup, improving work efficiency, and enhancing the comparability between images.

[0092] 4) The human forearm skin imaging system is equipped with a temperature control system, which can keep the arm at a constant temperature throughout the skin imaging process, avoiding the inability to accurately represent the redness and swelling of the skin due to vasoconstriction caused by temperature drop or vasodilation caused by temperature rise.

[0093] 5) The human forearm skin imaging system can achieve accurate and continuous image acquisition at short time intervals (such as 5 seconds).

[0094] 6) The human forearm skin imaging system can attach information such as the subject's name, image acquisition time (accurate to the second), and location to the acquired image, so that the acquired photo has identification information such as name and time, which can avoid image confusion and improve the efficiency of image analysis.

[0095] 7) The human forearm skin imaging system uses an arm fixation kit to keep the human arm in a consistent position and posture, which is beneficial for image analysis.

[0096] 8) The human forearm skin imaging system is equipped with feature positioning markers, which is beneficial for image analysis.

[0097] 9) The human forearm skin imaging system includes imaging equipment that can simultaneously acquire multi-dimensional signals in a single test, such as signals of the color and / or size of redness and swelling under visible light, thermodynamic signals under infrared light, and signals acquired from deep skin tissues under near-ultraviolet band or optical interference or optical diffraction (such as epidermal cells, dermal cells, capillary morphology and / or blood perfusion).

[0098] It should be noted that in this patent application, relational terms such as "first" and "second" are used merely to distinguish one entity or operation from another, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Furthermore, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article, or apparatus. Without further limitations, an element defined by the phrase "comprising one" does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that includes that element. In this patent application, if it refers to performing an action according to an element, it means performing the action at least according to that element, including two cases: performing the action only according to that element, and performing the action according to that element and other elements. Expressions such as "multiple," "repeatedly," and "various" include two, two times, two kinds, and more than two, more than two times, and more than two kinds.

[0099] All documents mentioned in this application are considered to be incorporated in their entirety into the disclosure of this application so that they can serve as a basis for modifications if necessary. Furthermore, it should be understood that after reading the foregoing disclosure of this application, those skilled in the art can make various alterations or modifications to this application, and these equivalent forms also fall within the scope of protection claimed in this application.

Claims

1. An imaging system for observing and recording changes in human forearm skin over time during niacin skin testing or allergic skin testing in a closed, controlled environment, characterized in that, include: The enclosure forms a sealed space. An entrance for a person's forearm is provided on one side of the enclosure. The enclosure is equipped with a temperature control system to keep the temperature inside the enclosure within a preset range. An image acquisition component is used to image the skin of a person's forearm inserted into the box, and is also used to receive a timed shooting signal, the timed shooting signal being used to trigger the image acquisition component to image the skin of the person's forearm at multiple predetermined time points to observe the changes of the skin of the person's forearm over time, and the image acquisition component includes one or any combination of the following: a visible light imager, an infrared imager, and an ultraviolet imager. A timer is used to send the timing capture signal to the image acquisition component at multiple predetermined time points; A forearm fixing assembly is disposed in the housing to fix the position and posture of a person's forearm that extends from the inlet. The forearm fixing assembly includes a gripping position disposed at the bottom of the housing and a groove disposed in the housing along the direction of the person's forearm. The bottom of the housing is provided with a feature marker for image analysis, which provides positioning information for the acquired images; when the forearm of a person also has a marker, the feature marker is used to provide positioning information in conjunction with the marker on the forearm of the person. The timed shooting signal is used to trigger shooting within a predetermined time interval, accurate to the second, to acquire continuous images of the changes in redness and swelling of the forearm skin, so as to accurately record the onset, development, maintenance, and subsidence of redness and swelling of the human forearm skin; the feature markers are used as fixed reference points in machine learning image analysis to improve the accuracy of recognizing changes in skin redness, color, and temperature. The feature markers and the markers on the forearm together constitute a spatial reference system to provide positioning information for the image, which is beneficial to image analysis and improves the success rate of machine learning.

2. The imaging system as described in claim 1 for observing and recording the changes in human forearm skin over time during niacin skin testing or allergic skin testing in a closed controlled environment, characterized in that, It also includes a light component to provide the light source needed to achieve shadowless shooting.

3. The imaging system as described in claim 1 for observing and recording the changes in human forearm skin over time during niacin skin testing or allergic skin testing in a closed controlled environment, characterized in that... The enclosure also includes a visual human-computer interaction panel located on the outside of the enclosure, used for editing subject information, and / or reading images, and / or monitoring and adjusting parameters such as temperature and light source inside the enclosure, and / or displaying the status of the person's forearm in real time.

Images