System and apparatus for automated total body imaging

Abstract

An imaging station/booth for automated total body imaging having a small footprint and capable of quickly, efficiently, effectively, and consistently capturing multiple body images of a user or patient over time with minimal assistance from medical staff.

1 . A total body imaging station comprising:
 an enclosed interior area;   at least one door enabling a user to enter into the enclosed interior area;   a plurality of cameras which together provide overlapping images of the user wherein the plurality of cameras exist in stationary positions and are not capable of repositioning.   
     
     
         2 . The total body imaging station of  claim 1  further comprising at least one light panel positioned near said plurality of cameras. 
     
     
         3 . The total body imaging station of  claim 1  further comprising one or more body positioning members located within said enclosed interior area which enable the user to accurately position his/her body for one or more predetermined body poses. 
     
     
         4 . The total body imaging station of  claim 3  wherein said one or more body positioning members each comprise a signaling component that signals the user that he/she has properly engaged the one or more body positioning members. 
     
     
         5 . The total body imaging station of  claim 4  wherein the signaling component comprises a light emitting component with capacitive touch sensors thereby enabling the one or more body positioning members to light up when properly engaged by the user. 
     
     
         6 . The total body imaging station of  claim 1  further comprising at least one image display device located within the enclosed interior area that is viewable by the user. 
     
     
         7 . The total body imaging station of  claim 2  wherein the enclosed interior area is defined by a front panel, two opposing side panels, a rear panel, and a top cover member. 
     
     
         8 . The total body imaging station of  claim 7  wherein at least one of the opposing side panels functions as said at least one door. 
     
     
         9 . The total body imaging station of  claim 7  wherein said at least one door is located within one of the opposing side panels. 
     
     
         10 . The total body imaging station of  claim 7  wherein the front panel includes a plurality of openings therein positioned in front of said plurality of cameras such that a lens of each of said plurality of cameras can be seen through each of said respective plurality of openings. 
     
     
         11 . The total body imaging station of  claim 10  wherein said at least one light panel comprises at least two light panels positioned on opposing sides of said plurality of cameras. 
     
     
         12 . The total body imaging station of  claim 11  wherein said front panel further includes at least two light panel openings such that a front of each of said at least two light panels can be inserted into each of said respective light panel openings. 
     
     
         13 . The total body imaging station of  claim 1  further comprising at least one speaker component for enabling the user to hear voice instructions within the enclosed interior area. 
     
     
         14 . The total body imaging station of  claim 3  further comprising a computer processing unit in communication with one or more program applications related to use of the total body imaging station. 
     
     
         15 . The total body imaging station of  claim 14  wherein said one or more program applications includes a program application for taking, capturing, and storing said overlapping images. 
     
     
         16 . The total body imaging station of  claim 15  wherein said one or more program applications includes an automatic focusing algorithm to automate focusing of said plurality of cameras by determining an area of interest for each camera in each of the one or more predetermined body poses. 
     
     
         17 . The total body imaging station of  claim 15  wherein said one or more program applications includes a program application that enables a medical professional and/or medical facility to obtain at least one of a wired access or a wireless access to said overlapping images in order to view said overlapping images, compare a plurality of said overlapping images of a same user taken at different times, document notes relating to said overlapping images, create electronic medical records that include said overlapping images, and/or send said overlapping images and related notes to another medical professional and/or medical facility. 
     
     
         18 . The total body imaging station of  claim 1  wherein the total body imaging station provides at least one of two dimensional imaging and three dimensional imaging. 
     
     
         19 . A total body imaging station comprising:
 an enclosed interior area;   at least one door enabling a user to enter into the enclosed interior area;   one or more body positioning members located within said enclosed interior area which enable the user to accurately position his/her body for one or more predetermined body poses;   a plurality of cameras which together provide overlapping images of the user in the one or more predetermined body poses wherein the plurality of cameras exist in stationary position and are not capable of repositioning;   at least, one light panel positioned near said plurality of cameras; and   at least one image display device located within the enclosed interior area that is viewable by the user.   
     
     
         20 . The total body imaging station of  claim 19  wherein the one or more body positioning members comprise at least one of one or more handles for the user's hands and a footplate for the user's foot or feet. 
     
     
         21 . The total body imaging station of  claim 20  wherein said one or more handles and said footplate each comprise a signaling component that signals the user when the user has properly engaged the one or more handles and the footplate. 
     
     
         22 . The total body imaging station of  claim 21  wherein the signaling component comprises a light emitting component with capacitive touch sensors thereby enabling the one or more handles and the footplate to light up when properly engaged by the user. 
     
     
         23 . The total body imaging station of  claim 20  wherein the footplate is movable and retractable within a floor of the total body imaging station. 
     
     
         24 . The total body imaging station of  claim 19  wherein the overlapping images comprise up to 15% overlap and cover an area up to at least 6 feet 5 inches high. 
     
     
         25 . The total body imaging station of  claim 19  wherein the plurality of cameras comprises nine cameras each secured to a frame such that the cameras create an array of three horizontal rows of cameras with three cameras secured to each horizontal row. 
     
     
         26 . The total body imaging station of  claim 19  wherein said at least one light panel comprises at least two light panels positioned on opposing sides of said plurality of cameras. 
     
     
         27 . The total body imaging station of  claim 19  further comprising a panel having a plurality of circular openings therein positioned in front of said plurality of cameras such that a lens of each of said plurality of cameras can be seen through each of said respective plurality of circular openings. 
     
     
         28 . The total body imaging station of  claim 27  wherein said panel further includes at least one light panel opening such that a front of said at least one light panel can be inserted into said at least one light panel opening. 
     
     
         29 . The total body imaging station of  claim 19  further comprising at least one speaker component for enabling the user to hear voice instructions within the enclosed interior area. 
     
     
         30 . The total body imaging station of  claim 29  further comprising a computer processing unit in communication with one or more program applications related to use of the total body imaging station. 
     
     
         31 . The total body imaging station of  claim 30  wherein said one or more program applications includes a program application for guiding the user through the one or more predetermined body poses by utilizing at least one of said at least one imaging display device and said at least one speaker component. 
     
     
         32 . The total body imaging station of  claim 31  wherein said one or more program applications includes a program application for taking, capturing, and storing said overlapping images. 
     
     
         33 . The total body imaging station of  claim 32  wherein said one or more program applications includes an automatic focusing algorithm to automate focusing of said plurality of cameras by determining an area of interest for each camera in each of the one or more predetermined body poses. 
     
     
         34 . The total body imaging station of  claim 32  further comprising a technician computer device located outside said enclosed interior area that enables a technician to control the program applications. 
     
     
         35 . The total body imaging station of  claim 32  wherein said one or more program applications includes a program application that enables a medical professional and/or medical facility to obtain at least one of a wired access and a wireless access to said overlapping images in order to view said overlapping images, compare a plurality of said overlapping mages form a same user taken at different times, document notes relating to said overlapping images, create electronic medical records that include said overlapping images, and/or send said overlapping images and notes to another medical professional and/or medical facility. 
     
     
         36 . The total body imaging station of  claim 35  wherein said one or more program applications includes a program application that enables a medical professional and/or medical facility having access to the overlapping images of a user to interface with other existing electronic medical record databases from other medical professionals and/or medical facilities utilized by the user so that the overlapping images of the user can be compared to the other existing electronic medical record databases. 
     
     
         37 . A total body imaging device comprising:
 a frame;   a plurality of cameras mounted to the frame;   one or more body positioning members mounted to the frame; and   one or more video displays mounted to the frame.   
     
     
         38 . The total body imaging device of  claim 37  wherein said plurality of cameras comprises at least three cameras mounted on a horizontal support bar which comprises part of, or is connected to, the frame. 
     
     
         39 . The total body imaging device of  claim 38  further comprising an actuator capable of moving the horizontal support bar up and down. 
     
     
         40 . The total body imaging device of  claim 39  wherein the vertical support bar is movable to at least three predetermined vertical positions during a process for capturing photos of a user utilizing the total body imaging device. 
     
     
         41 . The total body imaging device of  claim 37  wherein the one or more video displays each comprises an audio capability. 
     
     
         42 . The total body imaging device of  claim 37  wherein said one or more body positioning members each comprise a light emitting component with capacitive touch sensors thereby enabling the one or more body positioning members to light up when properly engaged by a user. 
     
     
         43 . The total body imaging device of  claim 37  further comprising one or more light boxes located near the plurality of cameras wherein said one or more light boxes each comprise one or more lighting elements. 
     
     
         44 . The total body imaging device of  claim 37  further comprising a processing unit in communication with one or more program applications related to use of the total body imaging device. 
     
     
         45 . The total body imaging device of  claim 44  wherein said one or more program applications includes a program application for taking, capturing, and storing images of a user taken with said plurality of cameras. 
     
     
         46 . The total body imaging device of  claim 45  wherein said one or more program applications includes a program application that enables a medical professional and/or medical facility to obtain wireless access to said images in order to view said images, compare a plurality of said images of a same user taken at different times, document notes relating to said images, create electronic medical records that include said images, and/or send said images and related notes to another medical professional and/or medical facility.