Thermal Imaging System for Tissue State Differentiation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current thermal imaging technologies face challenges in accurately differentiating between various tissue states or types, particularly in medical diagnostics, due to limitations in capturing and analyzing thermal data effectively.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that utilize thermal data collected from tissues while they are being thermally disturbed, involving the derivation of thermal variables, segmentation of tissue based on these variables, and the use of machine learning classifiers to generate outputs indicating tissue segments and their corresponding states or types.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If passive thermography is used to detect thermal radiation from tissue, then the system is simple and non-invasive, but it cannot differentiate tissue states when the tissue is in thermal equilibrium with surroundings
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines passive thermography (thermal camera) with active heating (heating element) and control systems into an integrated system. The controller coordinates the heating element to thermally disturb the tissue while the thermal camera captures thermal radiation, enabling tissue state differentiation that neither passive method alone could achieve.
Solution Approach 2:
The system transitions from static thermal equilibrium measurement to dynamic thermal disturbance measurement. By actively heating the tissue and monitoring the dynamic thermal response over time, the system can differentiate tissue states based on their unique thermal relaxation characteristics, moving beyond the limitations of equilibrium-based passive thermography.
2Measurement precision
If active thermography is used to heat the tissue for thermal contrast, then tissue state differentiation becomes possible, but the system complexity and energy consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses periodic or pulsed heating rather than continuous heating to create thermal contrast. The controller activates the heating element in controlled intervals to thermally disturb the tissue, then monitors the thermal response during cooling phases. This periodic approach reduces overall energy consumption while maintaining the ability to differentiate tissue states through thermal response analysis.
3Measurement precision
If thermal data is collected while tissue is thermally disturbed, then differentiation between tissue states improves, but the measurement and analysis complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system incorporates feedback control where the controller monitors thermal data from the thermal camera and adjusts the heating element accordingly. This feedback mechanism enables real-time differentiation of tissue states by comparing measured thermal responses against expected patterns, allowing the system to adapt and refine measurements while managing data processing complexity through intelligent control algorithms.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a controller as an intermediary component that coordinates between the heating element and thermal camera, and manages the complex data processing tasks. This intermediary handles the coordination of thermal disturbance timing, synchronizes data acquisition, and processes thermal data to extract tissue state information, thereby managing complexity in a centralized manner.
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
This approach enables precise differentiation between tissue states or types by analyzing thermal behavior patterns, improving diagnostic accuracy and enabling early detection of pathological conditions such as cancer.
Implementation Method 1
Thermography is a field in which thermal radiation such as Infra-Red radiation emitted from an object is detected by a sensor
Data Source
AI summary
A method for differentiating between tissue states or types including receiving a sequence of thermal data of a tissue, wherein the sequence is sampled at at least one location of the tissue while the tissue is being thermally disturbed, deriving from the thermal data at least one tissue-related thermal variable associated with each of the tissue locations, segmenting the tissue into segments comprising the locations having corresponding the at least one thermal variable and generating an output indicating the tissue segments. The disclosure also includes a system and computer product for differentiating between tissue states or types.