Apparatus and method for spectral enhancement of body-surface images to improve sensitivity of detecting subtle color features
US5241468A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Oct 31, 1990 |
| Grant date | Aug 31, 1993 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Oct 31, 2010 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06T2207/30096
- WIPO fieldMedical technology
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A method for spectrally-enhancing images of a body surface includes the step of increasing the Saturation values of each pixel in the image. The methods increase the sensitivity with which a human observer can detect certain reflected wavelengths. Where the body surface is skin, for example, the method can be used to detect melanoma or other conditions where there is a deep dermal pigment characterized by a visible blue backscatter, or to detect the visible red backscatter characteristic of erythema. Also, apparatus for spectrally-enhancing images of a body surface includes means for color imaging the surface, means for increasing the saturation of the color in that image, and means for displaying the color-saturated image.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.