Foot Inflammation Monitoring Using Thermogram Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for monitoring foot ulcers are often inconvenient, unreliable, and inaccurate, leading to reduced compliance and increased risk of serious health complications in diabetic patients.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus using temperature detection modalities to generate thermograms of the foot, applying transformations to align features, and recognizing patterns indicative of inflammation, providing output information on the risk of ulcer emergence.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If temperature detection modalities are used to generate thermograms and apply transformations to align features, then measurement precision of foot inflammation is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the foot into multiple regions of interest (ROIs) and processes thermograms by dividing them into corresponding regions. This allows independent analysis of different foot areas, improving measurement precision for inflammation detection while managing complexity through modular processing of discrete regions rather than treating the entire thermogram as a single complex unit.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies parameter changes by transforming thermogram data through normalization, alignment, and registration processes. These transformations adjust temperature values and spatial coordinates to account for variations in foot positioning and imaging conditions, thereby improving measurement precision without requiring fundamentally new detection hardware.
2Reliability
If multiple thermograms are captured and processed with transformations, then reliability of ulcer risk detection is improved, but loss of time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary action by pre-defining regions of interest and pre-processing templates before actual thermogram capture. During monitoring, captured thermograms are quickly matched against these pre-established references using registration algorithms, which significantly reduces processing time while maintaining reliable ulcer risk detection through consistent comparison frameworks.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by focusing analysis on specific high-risk regions of the foot rather than processing entire thermograms uniformly. By concentrating computational resources on predetermined regions of interest where ulcers are most likely to develop, the system improves detection reliability in critical areas while reducing overall processing time through selective rather than exhaustive analysis.
3Measurement precision
If thermograms are normalized and analyzed for patterns, then measurement precision of inflammation is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs parameter changes through normalization of temperature values to a standard range and transformation of spatial coordinates to account for positioning variations. These parameter adjustments enable consistent pattern recognition across different imaging sessions and conditions, improving measurement precision while using software-based transformations rather than complex hardware modifications.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses copying by creating standardized reference templates from initial thermogram captures and reproducing these patterns for comparison against subsequent measurements. This allows the system to recognize inflammation patterns by matching against stored references, improving precision through consistent comparison while reducing the need for complex real-time analysis algorithms.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution enables early detection and intervention for foot ulcers, improving patient compliance and reducing the risk of severe health complications by providing accurate and user-friendly monitoring of foot inflammation.
Implementation Method 1
a temperature detection modality to form a first thermogram and a second thermogram
Data Source
AI summary
A method and apparatus for evaluating foot inflammation each uses at least one temperature detection modality to form a first thermogram and a second thermogram of the sole of at least one foot. Each thermogram forms a substantially continuous set of two-dimensional temperature values across the sole of the (at least one) foot. The thermograms have features; namely, the first thermogram has first features and the second thermogram has second features. The method and apparatus thus control a device to apply at least one transformation to the first and second thermograms to align the first features with corresponding second features, and determine, at any thermogram location, if at least one of the thermograms presents one of a plurality of patterns indicative of inflammation. Finally, the method and apparatus each produce output information indicating the result of the determination of whether the thermograms present one of the plurality of patterns.