Abstract: The present invention relates to a device (8) for determining tissue layer boundaries of a body (14), comprising a probe (10) for acquiring (S12) two or more ultrasound images (36) at adjacent positions of a surface (12) of the body (14), a converter (44) for converting (S14) said ultrasound images (36) separately to depth signals (46), wherein a depth signal (46) is obtained by summing intensities of one of said ultrasound images (36) along a line (66) of substantially constant depth in the body (14), a detector (48) for detecting (S16) a set of candidate tissue layer boundaries (50) for an ultrasound image (36) by thresholding the depth signal (46) obtained for said ultrasound image (36), a selection means (52) for selecting (S18) from a set of candidate tissue layer boundaries (50) a nearest candidate tissue layer boundary (54) that is nearest to the surface (12) of the body (14), and a processing means (56) for determining (S20) an actual tissue layer boundary (58) from the nearest candidate tissue layer

Abstract: The invention relates to a contact determination apparatus for determining a degree of contact between a device (2) and a moving object (3), wherein the contact determination apparatus comprises a motion distribution providing unit for providing a motion distribution being indicative of motion in the surrounding of the device and a contact determination unit (14) for determining a degree of contact between the device and the object based on the provided motion distribution. Since the degree of contact between the device and the object is determined based on the provided motion distribution and not simply based on, for instance, a peak of an A-mode signal, the determination of the degree of contact can be less disturbed by artifacts like ring-down artifacts or by blood scattering, if the object is, for instance, tissue. This can lead to a more accurate determination of the degree of contact.

Abstract: Disclosed is a system (100) for patient triage, comprising a plurality of cameras (110) for distribution across an area (10) such as a patient waiting room, scene of an accident or the like; a processor (120) for processing the respective image signals of said cameras and adapted to extract indicators for individual patients (20) in said area from said respective image signals, said indicators being indicative of the condition of said individual patients; and a prioritizing unit (130) adapted to prioritize the individual patients based on the indicators. Also disclosed are a patient triage method and a computer program product.

Abstract: The present invention relates to apparatus (10) for determining a respiration volume signal from a subject (12), comprising a processing unit (28) for receiving image data (26) detected from a field of view (42) and for determining an alternating signal (S)including vital sign information (R) of the subject (12) from the image data (26), an analysis unit (30) for determining at least one characteristic parameter (A) corresponding to a respiration parameter of the subject (12) on the basis of the alternating signal (S), a calibration unit (32) for determining a calibration value (V1, V2) on the basis of a breathing volume measured during inhale and/or exhale of the subject (12) by means of an airflow or an air volume measurement, and a calculation unit (34) for calculating the respiration volume of the subject (12) on the basis of the calibration value (V1, V2) and the at least one characteristic parameter (A).

Abstract: The present invention relates to an ultrasound imaging system (100) comprising: an ultrasound probe (10) that comprises a single element ultrasound transducer (16) for transmitting an receiving ultrasound signals; a movement sensor (18) for sensing a displacement-over-time signal x(t) of a displacement (x) of the ultrasound probe (10) relative to an examination object (24) during signal acquisition; an image acquisition hardware (26) that is configured to reconstruct an M-mode ultrasound image from the received ultrasound signals, said reconstructed M-mode ultrasound image being a two-dimensional image I(t,y) comprising multiple one-dimensional depth signals of substantially constant depth (y) in the examination object (24) illustrated over time (t), wherein the image acquisition hardware (26) is further configured to map said M-mode ultra-sound image I(t,y) to a two-dimensional second image I(x,y) comprising the depth signals illustrated over the displacement (x) by using the displacement-over-time signal x(

Abstract: The present invention relates to an ultrasound probe (10) for an ultrasound imaging system (100), comprising: —a probe housing (40), —a single element ultrasound transducer (26) for transmitting and receiving ultrasound signals, —a transducer movement unit (48) arranged within the probe housing (40) for moving the single element ultrasound transducer (26) relative to said probe housing (40) along a two-dimensional convex curved pathway during signal acquisition.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a device and a method for extracting physiological information from remotely detected electromagnetic radiation emitted or reflected by a subject (10). A data stream (30) derivable from electromagnetic radiation (20) emitted or reflected by a subject (10) is received. The data stream (30) comprises a sequence (76, 152) of signal samples (78a, 78b, 78c) including physiological information and indicative of disturbing motion. The signal samples (78a, 78b, 78c) represent at least one region of interest (68) exhibiting an at least partially periodic indicative pattern attributable to at least one physiological parameter (56), and a non-indicative motion region (110).

Abstract: The present invention relates to a device and a method for processing data derivable from remotely detected electromagnetic radiation (16) emitted or reflected by a subject (12), the data comprising physiological information. An input signal is received and indicative entities thereof are transmitted, the indicative entities being indicative of physiological information representative of at least one vital parameter (17; 150) in a subject (12) of interest, wherein the indicative entities are detected under consideration of at least one defined descriptive model (114) describing a relation between physical skin appearance characteristics and a corresponding representation in the input signal such that non-indicative side information represented by non-indicative entities in the input signal is substantially undetectable in a resulting transmitted signal.

Abstract: The invention provides for a medical instrument for examining the cervix comprising an optical examination system, a processor for controlling the medical instrument, and a memory containing machine executable instructions. Execution of the instructions causes the processor to: acquire a cervical image using the optical examination system; calculate a set of interest point locations using a digital filter; calculate a filtered set of interest point locations using the set of interest point locations and a morphological filter; calculate a reduced set of interest points locations using the filtered set of interest point locations and a neighborhood based filter; calculate a classified set of interest point locations reduced set of interest points and a trained classification module; calculate a set of punctation locations using the classified set of interest point locations and a second neighborhood based filter; and calculate punctation mark regions using the punctation point locations.

Abstract: A device and a method process data derivable from remotely detected electromagnetic radiation emitted or reflected by a subject, which data includes physiological information. An input signal is received and indicative entities thereof are transmitted. The indicative entities are indicative of physiological information representative of at least one vital parameter in a subject of interest. The indicative entities are detected under consideration of at least one defined descriptive model describing a relation between physical skin appearance characteristics and a corresponding representation in the input signal such that non-indicative side information represented by non-indicative entities in the input signal is substantially undetectable in a resulting transmitted signal. The at least one vital parameter is detected from the transmitted signal including the indicative entities under consideration of detected skin color properties representing circulatory activity.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a device and a method for extracting physiological information from detected electro-magnetic radiation emitted or reflected by a subject (10). A data stream (30) derivable from electromagnetic radiation emitted or reflected by a subject (10) is received. The data stream (30) comprises a sequence (76; 152) of signal samples (78a, 78b, 78c; 154a, 154b, 154c) indicative of desired subject motion and of disturbing motion, the signal samples (78a, 78b, 78c; 154a, 154b, 154c) representing at least one region of interest (84; 164) and at least one non-indicative motion region (86; 166), the at least one defined region of interest (84; 164) exhibiting an at least partially periodic indicative motion pattern attributable to at least one physiological parameter (56), and a disturbing motion portion. The sequence (76; 152) of signal samples (78a, 78b, 78c; 154a, 4b, 154c) is processed.

Abstract: The present invention relates to the measurement of vital signs such as a respiratory rate or a heart rate. In particular, a system (1) for determining a vital sign of a subject (100), comprising an imaging unit (2) for obtaining video data of the subject, a marker (10, 20, 60, 61) directly or indirectly attached to a body of the subject, wherein the marker comprises a graphical pattern (11, 21), an image processing unit (3) for detecting said marker in said video data, and an analysis unit (4) adapted to extract a vital sign parameter related to the vital sign of the subject from said video data and to determine the vital sign from said vital sign parameter. Further aspects of the invention relate to a device and a method for determining a vital sign of a subject and a computer program for carrying out said method.

Abstract: For the measurement of vital sign information such as a respiratory rate and a heart rate a device for obtaining vital sign information of a subject is provided, comprising a first detection unit that acquires first set of detection data allowing the extraction of a first vital sign information signal related to a first vital sign of the subject and a second detection unit that acquires a second set of detection data allowing the extraction of a second vital sign information signal related to a second vital sign of the subject. An analysis unit extracts the first vital sign information signal from the first set of detection data (3a) and extracts the second vital sign information signal from the second set of detection data. A processing unit combines the first vital sign information signal and the second vital sign information signal to obtain a combined vital sign information signal.

Abstract: A device and method for reliably and accurately obtaining respiratory information of a subject despite motion of the subject are disclosed. The proposed device comprises a motion signal computing unit for computing a number M of motion signals for a plurality of pixels and/or groups of pixels of at least a region of interest for a number N of image frames of a subject, a transformation unit for computing, for some or all M motion signals, a number of source signals representing independent motions within said images by applying a transformation to the respective motion signals to obtain source signals representing independent motions within said N image frames, and a selection unit for selecting a source signal from among said computed source signals representing respiration of said subject by examining one or more properties of said source signals for some or all of said computed source signals.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a system and a related method for extracting physiological information from remotely detected electromagnetic radiation. The system comprises an interface configured for receiving a data stream comprising image data representing an observed overall region comprising at least one subject of interest; a partitioning unit configured for defining a plurality of sub regions in the overall region; and a classifier configured for classifying the plurality of sub regions into at least one indicative type of region and at least one auxiliary type of region, wherein the at least one indicative type of region comprises at least one indicative region of interest at least partially representing the subject of interest. Preferably, the at least one auxiliary type of region comprises at least one reference region.

Abstract: A device for obtaining vital sign information of a living being comprises a detection unit that receives light in at least one wavelength interval reflected from at least a region of interest of a living being and that generates an input signal from the received light. A processing unit processes the input signal and derives vital sign information of said living being from said input signal by use of remote photoplethysmography. An illumination unit illuminates at least said region of interest with light, and a control unit controls said illumination unit based on said input signal and/or said derived vital sign information.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a device and a method for extracting physiological information from remotely detected electromagnetic radiation emitted or reflected by a subject. A data stream derivable from electromagnetic radiation emitted or reflected by a subject is received. The data stream comprises a sequence of signal samples indicative of desired subject motion and of disturbing motion. The signal samples represent at least one region of interest exhibiting an at least partially periodic indicative motion pattern attributable to at least one physiological parameter, and a non-indicative motion region.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a device and a method for processing data derivable from remotely detected electromagnetic radiation emitted or reflected by a subject, the data comprising physiological information. An input signal is received and indicative entities thereof are transmitted, the indicative entities being indicative of physiological information representative of at least one vital parameter in a subject of interest, wherein the indicative entities are detected under consideration of at least one defined descriptive model describing a relation between physical skin appearance characteristics and a corresponding representation in the input signal such that non-indicative side information represented by non-indicative entities in the input signal is substantially undetectable in a resulting transmitted signal.

Abstract: This invention relates to a method of selecting an optimal viewing angle position for a camera. A first quantitative score is determined for a first viewing angle position of the camera using pre-selected regions of interest as reference areas, the determining being performed in accordance to a pre-defined quantitative score rule. The angle position is adjusted from the first viewing angle position towards at least one second viewing angle position. For each at least one second viewing angle position a second quantitative score is determined in accordance to the pre-defined quantitative score rule, and finally a target viewing angle position is determined based on the determined quantitative scores.

Abstract: The invention provides for a medical instrument for examining the cervix comprising an optical examination system, a processor for controlling the medical instrument, and a memory containing machine executable instructions. Execution of the instructions causes the processor to: acquire a cervical image using the optical examination system; calculate a set of interest point locations using a digital filter; calculate a filtered set of interest point locations using the set of interest point locations and a morphological filter; calculate a reduced set of interest points locations using the filtered set of interest point locations and a neighborhood based filter; calculate a classified set of interest point locations reduced set of interest points and a trained classification module; calculate a set of punctation locations using the classified set of interest point locations and a second neighborhood based filter; and calculate punctation mark regions using the punctation point locations.