Abstract: A system and method for a quantitative evaluation of a breast health of a pregnant and lactating woman for clinical management of a breast feeding by performing (i) receiving a thermal image of a breast region of the pregnant and lactating woman, (ii) automatically determine network structures associated with ductal or vascular thermal patterns of the pregnant and lactating woman by analysing the thermal images of the pregnant and lactating woman, (iii) estimate quantitative parameters corresponding to the network structures associated with the ductal or vascular thermal patterns using the machine learning model and (iv) generate a breast health report with the estimated quantitative parameters and the schematics of vascular network to enable clinical management of breastfeeding.

Abstract: A method for determining a view angle of a thermal image from a user and generating a suggestion to enable the user for adaptive positioning of a subject for capturing the thermal image is provided. The method includes (i) receiving a thermal image of a body of a subject, (ii) automatically determining a view angle of the thermal image from a user using a view angle estimator, (iii) determining an angular adjustment to be made to a view position of the thermal imaging camera or a position of the subject by comparing the determined view angle with a required view angle as per thermal imaging protocol when the thermal image does not meet the required view angle and (iv) generating instructions to the user for adjusting the view position of the thermal imaging camera for capturing a new thermal image at the required view angle as per thermal imaging protocol.

Abstract: A method for determining a view angle of a thermal image from a user and generating a suggestion to enable the user for adaptive positioning of a subject for capturing the thermal image is provided. The method includes (i) receiving a thermal image of a body of a subject, (ii) automatically determining a view angle of the thermal image from a user using a view angle estimator, (iii) determining an angular adjustment to be made to a view position of the thermal imaging camera or a position of the subject by comparing the determined view angle with a required view angle as per thermal imaging protocol when the thermal image does not meet the required view angle and (iv) generating instructions to the user for adjusting the view position of the thermal imaging camera for capturing a new thermal image at the required view angle as per thermal imaging protocol.

Abstract: What is disclosed is a system and method for classifying the hormone receptor status of malignant tumorous tissue identified in a thermographic image of a breast. One embodiment of the present method involves the following. First, receive thermographic image(s) of both breasts of a patient with a malignant tumorous region and analyzing the image(s) to define a boundary contour of the breast. Then, the breast regions are segment into regions of elevated temperature. A function of first probability mass function Q, ƒ(Q), is determined based on temperatures of pixels within a first segmented region. A function of the second probability mass function P, ƒ(P), is determined based on temperatures of pixels within a second region. A distance measure between the two functions ƒ(Q) and ƒ(P) is calculated and provided to a classifier trained to classify the malignant tissue as hormone receptor positive, and negative otherwise, based on the distance measure.

Abstract: What is disclosed is a system and method for breast cancer screening which determines whether hot spots, as seen in a thermal image of both breasts, can be classified as possibly malignant based on a measure of symmetry. A thermographic image of both breasts of a patient is received and analyzed to determine whether there exists, in each of a left breast and a right breast, a hot spot comprising a patch of pixels with an elevated temperature with respect to surrounding tissue. If a hot spot has been identified in each breast then a measure of symmetry comprising a ratio of an area of a smaller hot spot to an area of a larger hot spot is extracted from the thermographic image. The measure of symmetry is provided to a classifier system trained to classify an unclassified hot spot as malignant or non-malignant based on a measure of symmetry.

Abstract: What is disclosed is a software tool which enables medical practitioners to manually or automatically analyze a thermal image of an area of breast tissue for the presence of tumorous tissue. In one embodiment, the software interface tool disclosed herein comprises a patient details object which enables the display of a patient details screen wherein a user can enter/edit patient information. A thermal analysis object enables a user to analyze a displayed thermal image of a breast of a patient for breast cancer screening and to classify tissue identified in the thermal image as being tumorous. A modalities object concludes the patient evaluation, persists all data collected from other sections of the tool, and generates reports for documentation purposes. The information can be captured from a database and edited and analyzed further using the tool. Also, report containing all the relevant data is generated for doctor's reference.

Abstract: What is disclosed is a system and method for contour-based determination of malignant tissue in a thermal image of a patient for cancer screening. In one embodiment, the method involves receiving a thermal image for cancer screening. Pixels in the thermal image with a higher temperature value are displayed in a first color and pixels with a lower temperature value are displayed in a second color. Pixels with temperature values between the lower and higher temperature values are displayed in gradations of color between the first and second colors. The thermal image is then analyzed to identify a patch of pixels with an elevated temperature relative to a temperature of pixels associated with surrounding tissue. Thereafter, tissue associated with the identified patch is determined to be malignant or non-malignant based a measure of irregularity calculated for boundary contour encompassing that patch of pixels.

Abstract: What is disclosed is a system and method for classifying the hormone receptor status of malignant tumorous tissue identified in a thermographic image of a breast. One embodiment of the present method involves the following. First, receive thermographic image(s) of both breasts of a patient with a malignant tumorous region and analyzing the image(s) to define a boundary contour of the breast. Then, the breast regions are segment into regions of elevated temperature. A function of first probability mass function Q, ƒ(Q), is determined based on temperatures of pixels within a first segmented region. A function of the second probability mass function P, ƒ(P), is determined based on temperatures of pixels within a second region. A distance measure between the two functions ƒ(Q) and ƒ(P) is calculated and provided to a classifier trained to classify the malignant tissue as hormone receptor positive, and negative otherwise, based on the distance measure.

Abstract: What is disclosed is a system and method for breast cancer screening which determines whether hot spots, as seen in a thermal image of both breasts, can be classified as possibly malignant based on a measure of symmetry. A thermographic image of both breasts of a patient is received and analyzed to determine whether there exists, in each of a left breast and a right breast, a hot spot comprising a patch of pixels with an elevated temperature with respect to surrounding tissue. If a hot spot has been identified in each breast then a measure of symmetry comprising a ratio of an area of a smaller hot spot to an area of a larger hot spot is extracted from the thermographic image. The measure of symmetry is provided to a classifier system trained to classify an unclassified hot spot as malignant or non-malignant based on a measure of symmetry.

Abstract: What is disclosed is a system and method for contour-based determination of malignant tissue in a thermal image of a patient for cancer screening. In one embodiment, the method involves receiving a thermal image for cancer screening. Pixels in the thermal image with a higher temperature value are displayed in a first color and pixels with a lower temperature value are displayed in a second color. Pixels with temperature values between the lower and higher temperature values are displayed in gradations of color between the first and second colors. The thermal image is then analyzed to identify a patch of pixels with an elevated temperature relative to a temperature of pixels associated with surrounding tissue. Thereafter, tissue associated with the identified patch is determined to be malignant or non-malignant based a measure of irregularity calculated for boundary contour encompassing that patch of pixels.

Abstract: What is disclosed is a software tool which enables medical practitioners to manually or automatically analyze a thermal image of an area of breast tissue for the presence of tumorous tissue. In one embodiment, the software interface tool disclosed herein comprises a patient details object which enables the display of a patient details screen wherein a user can enter/edit patient information. A thermal analysis object enables a user to analyze a displayed thermal image of a breast of a patient for breast cancer screening and to classify tissue identified in the thermal image as being tumorous. A modalities object concludes the patient evaluation, persists all data collected from other sections of the tool, and generates reports for documentation purposes. The information can be captured from a database and edited and analyzed further using the tool. Also, report containing all the relevant data is generated for doctor's reference.

Abstract: A video is received of a region of a subject where a signal corresponding to respiratory function can be registered by a video device. Pixels in the region in each of the image frames are processed to identify a respiratory pattern with peak/valley pairs. A peak/valley pair of interest is selected. An array of optical flow vectors is determined between a window of groups of pixel locations in a reference image frame corresponding to a peak of the pair/valley pair and a window in each of a number of image frames corresponding to the respiratory signal between the peak and ending at a valley point. Optical flow vectors have a direction and a magnitude. A ratio is determined between upwardly pointing optical flow vectors and downwardly pointing optical flow vectors. Based on the ratio, a determination is made whether the respiration phase for that peak/valley pair is inspiration or expiration.

Abstract: What is disclosed is a system and method for determining a subject's respiratory pattern from a video of that subject. One embodiment involves receiving a video comprising N?2 time-sequential image frames of a region of interest (ROI) of a subject where a signal corresponding to the subject's respiratory function can be registered by at least one imaging channel of a video imaging device. The ROI comprises P pixels. Time-series signals of duration N are generated from pixels isolated in the ROI. Features are extracted from the time-series signals and formed into P-number of M-dimensional vectors. The feature vectors are clustered into K clusters. The time-series signals corresponding to pixels represented by the feature vectors in each cluster are averaged along a temporal direction to obtain a representative signal for each cluster. One of the clusters is selected. A respiratory pattern is determined for the subject based on the representative signal.

Abstract: A video is received of a region of a subject where a signal corresponding to respiratory function can be registered by a video device. Pixels in the region in each of the image frames are processed to identify a respiratory pattern with peak/valley pairs. A peak/valley pair of interest is selected. An array of optical flow vectors is determined between a window of groups of pixel locations in a reference image frame corresponding to a peak of the pair/valley pair and a window in each of a number of image frames corresponding to the respiratory signal between the peak and ending at a valley point. Optical flow vectors have a direction and a magnitude. A ratio is determined between upwardly pointing optical flow vectors and downwardly pointing optical flow vectors. Based on the ratio, a determination is made whether the respiration phase for that peak/valley pair is inspiration or expiration.

Abstract: A processor of a handheld apparatus receives orientation signals from an orientation sensor of the handheld apparatus. The orientation signals indicate the direction that a camera of the handheld apparatus is aimed. The processor can also receive touch signals from a touch sensor of the handheld apparatus. The touch signals can indicate that the handheld apparatus is contacting a user (e.g., is being held by the user). The processor controls the camera to automatically obtain video based on, for example, the orientation signals indicating that the direction that the camera is aimed is within a previously established acceptable orientation range. The processor automatically recognizes items within the video to identify a face within the video, and automatically analyzes changes of the face within the video over time to identify the heart rate, respiration rate, emotional state, stress level, etc., exhibited by the face within the video.

Abstract: A method and a system are provided for monitoring a physiological parameter of a user. The method comprises monitoring an operation performed on one or more input devices associated with an electronic device and one or more applications being accessed on the electronic device using one or more first sensors for a pre-defined time frame. The method utilizes one or more processors to identify a current time instant based on the monitoring of the operation. The one or more processors further determine whether the current time instant may correspond to an opportune time instant by utilizing a classifier. In an embodiment, the physiological parameter of the user may be monitored at the current time instant when the current time instant corresponds to the opportune time instant.

Abstract: What is disclosed is a system and method for generating a respiration gating signal from a video of a subject for gating diagnostic imaging and therapeutic delivery applications which require respiration phase and/or respiration amplitude gating. One embodiment involves receiving a video of a subject and generating a plurality of time-series signals from the video image frames. A set of features are extracted from the time-series signals and multi-dimensional feature vectors are formed. The feature vectors are clustered. Time-series signals corresponding in each of the clusters are averaged in a temporal direction to obtain a representative signal for each cluster. One cluster is selected and a respiration gating signal is generated from that cluster's representative signal. Thereafter, the respiration gating signal is used to gate diagnostic imaging and therapeutic delivery applications which requires gating based on a threshold set with respect to either respiration phase or respiration amplitude.

Abstract: What is disclosed is a system and method for determining a subject's respiratory pattern from a video of that subject. One embodiment involves receiving a video comprising N?2 time-sequential image frames of a region of interest (ROI) of a subject where a signal corresponding to the subject's respiratory function can be registered by at least one imaging channel of a video imaging device. The ROI comprises P pixels. Time-series signals of duration N are generated from pixels isolated in the ROI. Features are extracted from the time-series signals and formed into P-number of M-dimensional vectors. The feature vectors are clustered into K clusters. The time-series signals corresponding to pixels represented by the feature vectors in each cluster are averaged along a temporal direction to obtain a representative signal for each cluster. One of the clusters is selected. A respiratory pattern is determined for the subject based on the representative signal.

Abstract: What is disclosed is a video system and method that accounts for differences in imaging characteristics of differing video systems used to acquire video of respective regions of interest of a subject being monitored for a desired physiological function. In one embodiment, video is captured using N video imaging devices, where N?2, of respective regions of interest of a subject being monitored for a desired physiological function (i.e., a respiratory or cardiac function). Each video imaging device is different but has complimentary imaging characteristics. A reliability factor f is determined for each of the devices in a manner more fully disclosed herein. A time-series signal is generated from each of the videos. Each time-series signal is weighted by each respective reliability factor and combined to obtain a composite signal. A physiological signal can be then extracted from the composite signal. The processed physiological signal corresponds to the desired physiological function.

Abstract: What is disclosed is a system and method for enhancing a spatio-temporal resolution of a depth data stream. In one embodiment, time-sequential reflectance frames and time-sequential depth frames of a scene are received. If a temporal resolution of the reflectance frames is greater than the depth frames then a new depth frame is generated based on correlations determined between motion patterns in the sequence of reflectance frames and the sequence of depth frames. The new depth frame is inserted into the sequence of depth frames at a selected time point. If a spatial resolution of the reflectance frames is greater than the depth frames then the spatial resolution of a selected depth frame is enhanced by generating new pixel depth values which are added to the selected depth frame. The spatially enhanced depth frame is then inserted back into the sequence of depth frames.