Method for monitoring wounds
AssigneePolartechnics Limited
InventorAlexander Gutenev
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method of quantifying the extent of erythema around a wound of a patient is disclosed. An image (200) is captured that includes the wound, the erythema and surrounding skin. A border of the wound is identified (step 232) and a distance transform is performed (step 234) on an area of the image between the wound border and a boundary of the image to determine bands of pixels (226, 228, 230), wherein the pixels within each band are equidistant from the wound border. A representative value such as average brightness is calculated for each band (step 238), and a threshold level is defined relative to the representative value of the surrounding skin (step 240). The extent of the erythema is then calculated.
Claims18
A method of quantifying the extent of erythema around a wound of a patient, the method comprising the steps of:
- capturing an image that includes the wound, the erythema and surrounding skin;
- defining a border of the wound;
- performing a distance transform on an area of the image between the wound border and a boundary of the image to determine bands of pixels, wherein the pixels within each said band are equidistant from the wound border;
- calculating a representative value for each said band;
- defining a threshold level relative to the representative value of the surrounding skin;
- identifying an erythema boundary as the band having a representative value closest to the threshold level;
- and
- calculating a characteristic value to quantify the region within the erythema boundary.
A method of monitoring a wound of a patient, the method comprising the steps of:
- capturing a time series of images, each said image including the wound, erythema around the wound and clear skin surrounding the erythema;
- for each said image, defining a border of the wound;
- for each said image, performing a distance transform on an area of the image between the wound border and a boundary of the image to determine bands of pixels, wherein the pixels within each said band are equidistant from the wound border;
- for each image, calculating a representative value for each said band;
- defining a threshold level relative to the representative value of the surrounding clear skin;
- for each image, identifying an erythema boundary as the band having a representative value closest to the threshold level;
- for each image, calculating a characteristic value to quantify the region within the erythema boundary;
- and
- comparing said characteristic values to monitor changes in the extent of erythema around the wound.
Apparatus for quantifying the extent of erythema in an image including a wound, erythema around the wound and clear skin surrounding the erythema, the apparatus comprising:
- means for defining a border of the wound;
- means for performing a distance transform on an area of the image between the wound border and a boundary of the image to determine bands of pixels, wherein the pixels within each said band are equidistant from the wound border;
- means for calculating a representative value for each said band;
- means for identifying an erythema boundary as the band having a representative value closest to a threshold level;
- and
- means for calculating a characteristic value to quantify the region within the erythema boundary.
A computer program product comprising computer-readable program code recorded on a computer-readable recording medium, for controlling the operation of a data processing apparatus on which the computer program code executes to perform a procedure to quantify the extent of erythema in an image including a wound, erythema around the wound and clear skin surrounding the erythema, the procedure comprising the steps of:
- defining a border of the wound;
- performing a distance transform on an area of the image between the wound border and a boundary of the image to determine bands of pixels, wherein the pixels within each said band are equidistant from the wound border;
- calculating a representative value for each said band;
- identifying an erythema boundary as the band having a representative value closest to a threshold level;
- and
- calculating a characteristic value to quantify the region within the erythema boundary.
An apparatus for quantifying the extent of erythema around a wound of a patient, the apparatus comprising:
- a storage device for storing an image that includes the wound, the erythema and surrounding skin;
- and
- a processor coupled to the storage device and programmed to:
- define a border of the wound;
- perform a distance transform on an area of the image between the wound border and a boundary of the image to determine bands of pixels, wherein the pixels within each said band are equidistant from the wound border;
- calculate a representative value for each said band;
- define a threshold level relative to the representative value of the surrounding skin;
- identify an erythema boundary as the band having a representative value closest to the threshold level;
- and
- calculate a characteristic value to quantify the region within the erythema boundary.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.