System and method for health evaluation

Abstract

A system, an apparatus and a method for human health evaluation utilizing Thermal Micro Texture (TMT) mapping technology is disclosed. The method comprises scanning body areas of a patient utilizing an infrared camera, detecting abnormalities in the body of the patient, analyzing abnormalities of the patient against information stored in a database, and reporting results to the patient in a pre-determined format. The method provides an earlier discovery of disease by mapping and analyzing abnormal temperatures changes in the body, which can help prevent the disease from progressing at an early stage.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A health evaluation system comprising:
 a thermal imaging device to capture a thermal image of a human anatomy;   a medical analysis rules library database comprising rules to perform a thermal mapping and automatic zoning analysis; and   a processor coupled to the thermal imaging device; the processor configured to apply a set of rules on the thermal image for creating thermal zones, calculate a temperature distribution for each thermal zone, evaluate the human anatomy by comparing the temperature distribution for each thermal zone with at least one of a particular temperature range, a distribution, and a corresponding symmetry to said each thermal zone, identify areas of abnormal temperature in the each thermal zone from the evaluation, determine a level at which the areas of abnormal temperature exist within the human anatomy in the each thermal zone using a three-dimensional thermal depth analysis algorithm.   
     
     
         2 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
 vectorize the thermal image and separate at least a portion of the human anatomy represented in the thermal image;   receive positioning reference points on the vectorized thermal image; and   apply zoning lines to the vectorized thermal image to create the thermal zones where the thermal image is zoned from a medical perspective.   
     
     
         3 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein, in determining the level at which the areas of abnormal temperature exists within the human anatomy, the processor is further configured to:
 vectorize the thermal image and separate at least a portion of the human anatomy represented in the thermal image;   remove background from the vectorized thermal image;   perform cascade chromatography on the vectorized thermal image with the background removed for identifying areas of abnormal temperature; and   generate a thermal cascade sectional view with the areas identified to have abnormal temperature.   
     
     
         4 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to generate and display a three-dimensional (3D) representation of the human anatomy based on the evaluation of the captured thermal image. 
     
     
         5 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to evaluate at least one of a human respiratory system abnormalities, otorhinolaryngological abnormalities, cardiovascular system abnormalities, reproductive system abnormalities, respiratory system abnormalities, digestive system abnormalities, urinary system abnormalities, endocrine system abnormalities, and lymphatic system abnormalities. 
     
     
         6 . A computer program product including a non-transitory computer readable medium having instructions for causing a computer to:
 receive a thermal image of a human anatomy;   apply a set of rules on the thermal image to create thermal zones;   calculate a temperature distribution for each thermal zone;   evaluate the human anatomy based on a comparison between the temperature distribution for each thermal zone and at least one of a particular temperature range, a distribution, and a corresponding symmetry to said each thermal zone;   identify areas of abnormal temperature in the each thermal zone from the evaluation; and   determine a level at which the areas of abnormal temperature exist within the human anatomy in the each thermal zone using a three-dimensional thermal depth analysis algorithm.   
     
     
         7 . The computer program product according to  claim 6 , wherein the instructions to apply the set of rules further include instructions to cause the computer to:
 vectorize the thermal image and separate at least a portion of the human anatomy represented in the thermal image;   receive positioning reference points on the vectorized thermal image; and   apply zoning lines to the vectorized thermal image to create the thermal zones where the thermal image is zoned from a selected medical perspective.   
     
     
         8 . The computer program product according to  claim 6 , wherein, in determining the level at which the areas of abnormal temperature exists within the human anatomy, the instructions further cause the computer to:
 vectorize the thermal image and separate at least a portion of the human anatomy represented in the thermal image;   remove background from the vectorized thermal image;   perform cascade chromatography on the vectorized thermal image with background removed for identifying areas of abnormal temperature; and   generate a thermal cascade sectional view with the areas identified to have abnormal temperature.   
     
     
         9 . The computer program product according to  claim 6 , wherein the instructions further cause the computer to generate and display a three-dimensional (3D) representation of the human anatomy based on the evaluation of the thermal image. 
     
     
         10 . The computer program product according to  claim 6 , wherein the instructions further cause the computer to report results of the comparison including at least one of clinical information, thermal images and corresponding analysis relating to the thermal image. 
     
     
         11 . A method for human health evaluation comprising:
 capturing a thermal image of a human anatomy by thermal imaging means;   applying a set of rules in a medical analysis rules library database on the thermal image to create thermal zones;   calculating, with a processor, temperature distribution for each thermal zone;   evaluating, with the processor, the human anatomy by comparing the temperature distribution for each thermal zone with a predefined criteria selected from a medical analysis rules library database; and   identifying, with the processor, areas of abnormal temperature in the each thermal zone from the evaluation; and   determining, with the processor, a level at which the areas of abnormal temperature exist within the human anatomy in the each thermal zone using a three-dimensional thermal depth analysis algorithm.   
     
     
         12 . The method according to  claim 11 , wherein applying the set of rules further includes:
 vectorizing the thermal image;   separating at least a portion of the human anatomy represented in the thermal image from a background in the thermal image;   receiving positioning reference points on the vectorized thermal image; and   applying zoning lines to the vectorized thermal image to create the thermal zones.   
     
     
         13 . The method according to  claim 11 , in determining the level at which the areas of abnormal temperature exists within the human anatomy, further comprising:
 vectorizing the thermal image;   removing the background from the vectorized thermal image;   performing cascade chromatography on the vectorized thermal image with background removed for identifying areas of abnormal temperature in response to the cascade chromatography; and   generating a thermal cascade sectional view in response to the identified areas of abnormal temperature.   
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 11 , further comprising:
 generating and displaying a three-dimensional (3D) results related to the human anatomy to help diagnose a human illness.   
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 11 , further comprising:
 reporting results of the comparison including at least one of clinical information, thermal images and corresponding analysis relating to the thermal image.   
     
     
         16 . A computer program for fitness evaluation embodied on a non-transitory computer readable medium having instructions for causing a computer to perform:
 evaluation of a person's thermal muscle metabolism;   evaluation of the person's fat mapping;   evaluation of the person's thermal microcirculation metabolism;   evaluation of the person's muscle endurance; and   evaluation of the person's psychological condition.   
     
     
         17 . The computer program according to  claim 16 , wherein the instructions for evaluating the person's thermal muscle metabolism comprises instructions to cause the computer to:
 receive passive thermal images captured at a skin surface of a selected symmetric muscle area of a patient;   receive active thermal images captured at the skin surface of the selected muscle area of the patient after the muscle area is stimulated;   evaluate thermal images of the selected symmetric muscle area by comparing temperature distribution in the active thermal images with temperature distribution in the passive thermal images;   determine muscle growth from evaluation of the thermal images; and   report fitness training effectiveness based on results related to the muscle growth.   
     
     
         18 . The computer program according to  claim 16 , wherein the instructions for evaluating the person's fat mapping comprises instructions to cause the computer to:
 receive passive thermal images captured at a skin surface of a selected symmetric muscle area of a patient;   receive active thermal images captured at the skin surface of the selected muscle area of the patient after the muscle area is stimulated;   evaluate the thermal images by using a three-dimensional thermal depth analysis algorithm on temperature distributions in the active thermal images and the passive thermal images;   map the fat content and muscle content; and   report the map of the fat content and muscle content.   
     
     
         19 . The computer program according to  claim 16 , wherein the instructions for evaluating the person's thermal microcirculation metabolism comprises instructions to cause the computer to:
 receive thermal images of a micro-capillary system captured at a skin surface of hands and feet of the person;   calculate a temperature distribution in respective thermal images of the hands and the feet;   evaluate respective temperature distributions of the hands and the feet for temperature variations using a three-dimensional thermal depth analysis algorithm; and   determine an abnormal vascular condition if the temperature distributions of the micro-capillary system between the hands are unequal or the temperature distributions of the micro-capillary system between the feet are unequal.   
     
     
         20 . The computer program according to  claim 21 , wherein the instructions for evaluating the person's psychological condition further comprises instructions to cause computer to:
 receive thermal images captured at a skin surface of a left side and a right side of brain area of a human anatomy;   calculate temperature distribution in respective thermal images of the left side and the right side;   evaluate temperature distributions in the left side and the right side of the brain area using a three-dimensional thermal depth analysis algorithm, wherein an abnormal temperature is evaluated when the temperature distributions between the left side and the right side of the brain are unequal; and   determine a psychological condition based on a location of the abnormal temperature.   
     
     
         21 . The computer program according to  claim 21 , wherein the instructions for evaluating the person's muscle endurance further comprises instructions to cause computer to:
 receive a passive image of a human muscle area captured at a skin surface and calculate a passive temperature distribution in the passive image;   receive active images captured at the skin surface of the human muscle area at periodic intervals while stimulating the human muscle area, wherein the muscle area is stimulated by an exercise or an electrical stimuli;   calculate an active temperature distribution in each of the active images captured at periodic intervals;   calculate a rate of change in temperature between subsequent temperature distributions starting from the passive temperature distribution using a three-dimensional thermal depth analysis algorithm, wherein the human muscle area is stimulated till the temperature variation is constant; and   determine a muscle type based on the rate of change in temperatures and a calculated final temperature variation.