Abstract: What is disclosed is an apparatus for enabling privacy for patients undergoing breast cancer screening in a non-clinical setting. One embodiment of the present apparatus comprises an enclosure in which a person can remove one or more garments to expose their breasts to a thermal camera for breast cancer screening. The enclosure is such that at least the breast area of that person is shielded from view by third parties. The apparatus also comprises a thermal camera for capturing thermal images of the exposed breast area. The thermal camera is connected to a robotic arm that changes the camera angle relative to real-world coordinates so that thermal images can be taken of the breast area from any angle between a frontal view and a left/right lateral view. A processor which executes a software interface tool for semi-automated or automated breast cancer screening based on the thermal images of the breast.

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 automatically segmenting a breast from surrounding tissue in a thermal image. A thermal image of at least one breast of the patient is received. The thermal image is then analyzed to identify a set of N points around the breast, a contour of an outline of the body, and isotherms of the axilla and infra-mammary fold. Thereafter, the points are connected together to form a N-sided irregular polygon which segments the breast from surrounding tissue. Each of the points is a vertex of the polygon and comprises a draggable object which enables a user to selectively manipulate a shape of the polygon. A user can add/delete vertices from the polygon as desired. The area of the image encompassed by the polygon is communicated to a breast cancer screening algorithm performing automated or semi-automated screening.

Abstract: What is disclosed is a software interface tool for breast cancer screening that is designed for medical professionals to view and analyze suspicious regions for hot spots and hence facilitate a determination of whether identified areas of breast tissue are cancerous. Isotherm maps are constructed at designated temperature resolution. Maps are displayed on the screen. Point & click on the isotherm map can extract temperature values of pixels within the region covered by the isotherm contours. Also provided are isothermic views at different viewing angles which is advantageous for visual detection. Additional functionalities for hotspot selection, cropping, zooming, viewing at different angles, etc. are also enabled by the present software interface. The present software interface further utilizes a tumor detection method which is also disclosed herein.

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 system and method for automatically segmenting a breast from surrounding tissue in a thermal image. A thermal image of at least one breast of the patient is received. The thermal image is then analyzed to identify a set of N points around the breast, a contour of an outline of the body, and isotherms of the axilla and infra-mammary fold. Thereafter, the points are connected together to form a N-sided irregular polygon which segments the breast from surrounding tissue. Each of the points is a vertex of the polygon and comprises a draggable object which enables a user to selectively manipulate a shape of the polygon. A user can add/delete vertices from the polygon as desired. The area of the image encompassed by the polygon is communicated to a breast cancer screening algorithm performing automated or semi-automated screening.

Abstract: What is disclosed is an apparatus for enabling privacy for patients undergoing breast cancer screening in a non-clinical setting. One embodiment of the present apparatus comprises an enclosure in which a person can remove one or more garments to expose their breasts to a thermal camera for breast cancer screening. The enclosure is such that at least the breast area of that person is shielded from view by third parties. The apparatus also comprises a thermal camera for capturing thermal images of the exposed breast area. The thermal camera is connected to a robotic arm that changes the camera angle relative to real-world coordinates so that thermal images can be taken of the breast area from any angle between a frontal view and a left/right lateral view. A processor which executes a software interface tool for semi-automated or automated breast cancer screening based on the thermal images of the breast.

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 the detection of cancerous tissue by analyzing blocks of pixels in a thermal image of a region of exposed skin tissue. In one embodiment, matrices are received which have been derived from vectors of temperature values associated with pixels in blocks of pixels which have been isolated from a plurality of thermal images of both cancerous and non-cancerous tissue. The vectors are rearranged to form matrices. A thermal image of a subject is received. Blocks of pixels which reside within a region of exposed skin tissue are identified and isolated. For each identified pixel block, an image vector comprising temperature values associated with these pixels is formed. The vector is provided to a classifier which uses the matrices to classify tissue associated with this block of pixels as being either cancerous or non-cancerous tissue.

Abstract: What is disclosed is a system and method for detecting cancerous tissue in breast tissue using a thermal image. In one embodiment, the present tumor detection method involves selecting a region of interest in the thermal image to be processed for breast cancer screening. Thereafter, a percentage of pixels p1 in the selected region having a temperature Tpixel1, where T1?Tpixel1?T2, is determined. A percentage of pixels p2 in the selected region having a temperature Tpixel2, where T3?Tpixel2, is determined. A ratio p 3 = P edge / P block is also determined, where Pedge is a number of pixels around a border of a suspected tumor within the selected region, and Pblock is a number of pixels in a perimeter of the selected region. A decision fusion rule R, as more fully disclosed herein, is utilized to determine, based on these determination whether tissue within that region is cancerous, or non-cancerous, or is suspicious of being cancerous.

Abstract: What is disclosed is a software interface tool for breast cancer screening that is designed for medical professionals to view and analyze suspicious regions for hot spots and hence facilitate a determination of whether identified areas of breast tissue are cancerous. Isotherm maps are constructed at designated temperature resolution. Maps are displayed on the screen. Point & click on the isotherm map can extract temperature values of pixels within the region covered by the isotherm contours. Also provided are isothermic views at different viewing angles which is advantageous for visual detection. Additional functionalities for hotspot selection, cropping, zooming, viewing at different angles, etc. are also enabled by the present software interface. The present software interface further utilizes a tumor detection method which is also disclosed herein.

Abstract: What is disclosed is a system and method for detecting cancerous tissue in breast tissue using a thermal image. In one embodiment, the present tumor detection method involves selecting a region of interest in the thermal image to be processed for breast cancer screening. Thereafter, a percentage of pixels p1 in the selected region having a temperature Tpixel1, where T1?Tpixel1?T2, is determined. A percentage of pixels p2 in the selected region having a temperature Tpixel2, where T3T?Tpixel2, is determined. A ratio p3=Pedge/Pblock is also determined, where Pedge is a number of pixels around a border of a suspected tumor within the selected region, and Pblock is a number of pixels in a perimeter of the selected region. A decision fusion rule R, as more fully disclosed herein, is utilized to determine, based on these determination whether tissue within that region is cancerous, or non-cancerous, or is suspicious of being cancerous.

Abstract: What is disclosed is a system and method for the detection of cancerous tissue by analyzing blocks of pixels in a thermal image of a region of exposed skin tissue. In one embodiment, matrices are received which have been derived from vectors of temperature values associated with pixels in blocks of pixels which have been isolated from a plurality of thermal images of both cancerous and non-cancerous tissue. The vectors are rearranged to form matrices. A thermal image of a subject is received. Blocks of pixels which reside within a region of exposed skin tissue are identified and isolated. For each identified pixel block, an image vector comprising temperature values associated with these pixels is formed. The vector is provided to a classifier which uses the matrices to classify tissue associated with this block of pixels as being either cancerous or non-cancerous tissue.

Abstract: The present application provides a robust system and method for detecting the watermark in an electronic media, wherein the electronic media had gone through various kinds of attacks and their combinations thereof which may not be known while detecting the watermarks. The watermark detection system and method can be trained to detect or reject a particular pattern. The watermark detection system and method are based on correlation and are useful in any kind of digital watermarking applications. The watermark detection system and method perform well even when the amount of distortion is not precisely known, wherein the disclosure provides a set of templates or correlation filters, being designed for detection of watermark to cover any kind and combination of attacks. For synchronous attacks, the correlation filter designing is carried out dynamically. Particularly, the template i.e. correlation filter is an attack adaptive frequency domain pattern for watermark detection.

Abstract: The present application provides a robust system and method for detecting the watermark in an electronic media, wherein the electronic media had gone through various kinds of attacks and their combinations thereof which may not be known while detecting the watermarks. The watermark detection system and method can be trained to detect or reject a particular pattern. The watermark detection system and method are based on correlation and are useful in any kind of digital watermarking applications. The watermark detection system and method perform well even when the amount of distortion is not precisely known, wherein the disclosure provides a set of templates or correlation filters, being designed for detection of watermark to cover any kind and combination of attacks. For synchronous attacks, the correlation filter designing is carried out dynamically. Particularly, the template i.e. correlation filter is an attack adaptive frequency domain pattern for watermark detection.