Automated Skin Tissue Evaluation via Image Binarization

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current methods for evaluating skin tissue conditions, such as using tomography imaging, require medical expertise and are inconvenient for non-medical individuals, as they necessitate manual interpretation of complex images.

Innovation Solution

A method and system that processes tomographic images of skin using quantization, binarization, and noise elimination techniques to estimate skin tissue boundaries and calculate relevant skin feature parameters, enabling automated evaluation of skin conditions.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If manual interpretation of tomographic images by doctors is used, then measurement precision of skin conditions is improved, but device complexity and ease of operation deteriorate due to requiring medical expertise

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveskin condition evaluation accuracyVSAvoidease of skin detection

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system enables self-service by automatically processing tomographic images through quantization, binarization, and feature extraction algorithms. The image processing unit autonomously identifies skin tissue boundaries, calculates thickness parameters, and generates evaluation results without requiring manual interpretation by medical professionals, thus making the service accessible to ordinary people while maintaining evaluation accuracy

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces the mechanical system of manual visual inspection and professional judgment with an automated computational system. The image processing unit uses digital signal processing techniques including quantization of brightness values, binarization with threshold intervals, and algorithmic boundary detection to substitute for human expert interpretation, thereby eliminating the barrier of requiring medical background knowledge

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Ease of operation

If automated image processing is implemented, then ease of operation is improved for non-experts, but measurement precision may deteriorate without professional interpretation

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveease of skin detectionVSAvoidskin condition evaluation accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies segmentation by dividing the tomographic image into distinct brightness levels through quantization, then further segmenting into binary categories (bright spots vs. dark spots) based on threshold intervals. This segmentation allows the system to automatically identify and separate different skin tissue types and boundaries, enabling precise automated measurement without professional interpretation

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes parameters by transforming the original tomographic image through quantization of brightness values into discrete levels, then applying binarization with specific threshold intervals. These parameter transformations convert continuous image data into processed features that can be automatically analyzed to extract skin tissue boundaries and calculate thickness parameters with high precision

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Measurement precision

If complex image processing algorithms are used, then measurement precision of skin tissue parameters is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveskin tissue parameter estimation accuracyVSAvoidimage processing system complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by performing quantization and binarization as preparatory processing steps before the actual feature extraction and boundary detection. These preliminary transformations simplify the image data structure, making subsequent automated analysis more efficient and less complex, while still achieving high measurement precision through the systematic processing pipeline

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS10127661B2Method for evaluating skin tissue and system using the same

Publication Date: 2018.11.13 IND TECH RES INST

AI summary

A method for evaluating skin tissue includes: obtaining a tomographic image of skin; performing a quantization process for quantizing brightness values of the tomographic image of skin to generate a quantized image; performing a binarization process on the brightness value of each image point in the quantized image according to a first threshold interval to generate a first filtered image; performing the binarization process on the brightness value of each image point in the quantized image according to a second threshold interval to generate a second filtered image; obtaining a first estimated tissue boundary according to the distribution of the bright spots in the first filtered image; obtaining a second estimated tissue boundary according to the distribution of the bright spots in the second filtered image; estimating a thickness of skin tissue according to a difference between the first and second estimated tissue boundaries.