Abstract: New or significantly changed skin lesions are detected by providing digital baseline image data of an area of a subject's skin by placing a calibration piece on the area and then positioning a digital camera to frame the area within a field of view of the camera and digitally photographing the area to produce a digital baseline image of the area. The digital baseline image is downloaded from the camera to a computer, which digitally filters the baseline image to produce a partially transparent baseline image scaled to fit over a viewfinder display of the camera. The filtered baseline image is printed on a transparent sheet to produce template. Substantially later, a calibration piece is placed on the area, and the template is placed over the viewfinder display of the camera. The camera is positioned to frame that area within the field of view so as to align a live image of the area with the baseline image on the template. The area is photographed to produce a digital current image thereof.

Abstract: A method for determining if blood in a stool sample originated from the upper or lower gastrointestinal tract. This includes a method for purifying and concentrating hemoglobin and its products from a stool sample to allow a simple and sensitive spectrophotometric analysis. A rapid, noninvasive determination of whether the blood originated from an upper gastrointestinal or lower gastrointestinal site is made on the basis of changes in the absorption spectra of hemoglobin that occur when hemoglobin is exposed to a highly acidic environment.

Abstract: New or growing skin lesions are identified by providing digital baseline image data of an area of a subject's skin, and storing the baseline image data. An imaging system is operated to produce up-to-date digital image data of the skin area directly from the subject or from a photograph thereof as a real time input to a computer. The stored baseline image data also is provided to the computer. The up-to-date image data and baseline image data are alternately displayed on a monitor in a blinking mode. The orientation, focus, and/or distance of the camera from the actual area or photograph thereof so as to frame, scale, and/or align features of the alternately displayed images. A frame of the aligned up-to-date image is digitized and stored. The stored up-to-date image data and the baseline image data are alternately displayed on a monitor in a blinking mode to visually identify lesions which blink enough to identify a new or significantly growing lesion.

Abstract: A method for determining if blood in a stool sample originated from the upper or lower gastrointestinal tract. This includes a method for purifying and concentrating hemoglobin and its' products from a stool sample to allow a simple and sensitive spectrophotometric analysis. A rapid, noninvasive determination of whether the blood originated from an upper gastrointestinal or lower gastrointestinal site is made on the basis of changes in the absorption spectra of hemoglobin that occur when hemoglobin is exposed to a highly acidic environment.

Abstract: A protocol for the recording of bowel sounds, a computerized algorithm for recognizing the start and stop time of bowel sounds in the digital sound recordings, metrics that can be calculated from the start and stop times and limits of these metrics which can be used to categorize individuals with respect to medical conditions which effect the gastrointestinal tract. The use of these methods and values allows for the diagnosis of certain gastrointestinal syndromes or diseases with a high degree of accuracy in a manner not previously possible.

Abstract: The area of a three-dimensional lesion on a cervix is determined from a two-dimensional image thereof produced by a digital colposcope. A stored reference cervix reflectance map including slant angles and corresponding gray scale intensity levels represents a reference cervix, and is obtained using a shape-assuming target including thereon an array of circular spots of a first reflectivity and a stiff target having thereon a first circular spot of the first reflectivity and a second circular spot of a second reflectivity. An identical stiff target is placed on the cervix, and a two-dimensional image of the lesion and the stiff target is obtained from the digital colposcope. Resulting intensities of the two-dimensional image are calibrated to the gray scale of a standard target reflectance map, and the calibrated intensities of the two-dimensional image are correlated to the intensities of the reference cervix reflectance map to determine slant angles of predetermined points of the cervix.

Abstract: Early detection of lung dysfunction, which in HIV positive patients usually indicates PCP pneumonia infection, is accomplished by a CO fractional uptake test which includes supplying air containing 0.1% CO into a gas reservoir or regulator from which it is drawn through a non-rebreather valve into a mouthpiece and inhaled into the lungs of a patient. Exhaled air is directed by the non-rebreather valve into a chamber coupled to a gas inlet of an infrared CO analyzer. An end tidal volume of gas last exhaled by the patient is drawn through the CO analyzer which measures the concentration of CO therein. The concentration of CO in the air from the gas reservoir also is measured. The fractional uptake of CO is computed as a function of the patient's breathing rate and the minute volume and compared with a stored baseline value for the patient to determine the presence of or extent of lung dysfunction.