DEVICE, SYSTEM, AND METHOD FOR COMBINED OPTICAL AND THERMOGRAPHIC DETECTION OF THE CONDITION OFJOINTS

1 . Device for optical detection of the condition of a joint, the device comprising:

an optical measurement unit ( 4 , 5 ) for irradiating a subject's body part, the body part comprising at least one joint, with light and locally detecting attenuation of the light at the at least one joint and at least one other portion of the body part;

a thermographic measurement unit ( 3 ) for thermographically imaging the subject's body part comprising the at least one joint;

a control unit ( 9 ) for controlling the device such that data obtained by one of the optical measurement unit ( 4 , 5 ) and the thermographic measurement unit ( 3 ) is used to calibrate data obtained by the other of the optical measurement unit ( 4 , 5 ) and the thermographic measurement unit ( 3 ).

2 . Device according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit ( 9 ) is arranged for calibrating data obtained by the thermographic measurement unit ( 3 ) on the basis of data obtained by the optical measurement unit ( 4 , 5 ).

3 . System for optical detection of the condition of a joint, the system comprising:

a device according to claim 1 ;

a thermal modulator ( 10 ) for modulating the temperature of the subject's body part comprising the at least one joint.

4 . System according to claim 3 , wherein the thermal modulator ( 10 ) comprises at least one element chosen from the group comprising: a bloodflow blocking unit, a blower, a radiator, an evaporation medium.

5 . Device according to claim 1 , wherein the device or system is a medical device or a medical system respectively.

6 . Detection method comprising the following steps:

optically imaging ( 40 ) a subject's body part comprising at least one joint, the optical imaging comprising the steps of:

irradiating the subject's body part comprising the at least one joint with light;

detecting local attenuation of the light by the body part at the position of the at least one joint and at the position of at least one other portion of the body part;

thermographically imaging ( 45 ) the body part;

calibrating data ( 50 ) obtained in one of the steps of optically imaging a subject's body part and thermographically imaging the body part using data obtained in the other of the steps of optically imaging a subject's body part and thermographically imaging the body part.

7 . Detection method according to claim 6 , wherein in the step of calibrating data ( 50 ) data obtained in the step of optically imaging a subject's body part is calibrated using data obtained in the step of thermographically imaging the body part.

8 . Detection method according to claim 6 , wherein the method further comprises the following step:

modulating the temperature of the body part.

9 . Detection method according to claim 8 , wherein modulating the temperature of the body part is done using at least one procedure chosen from the group comprising: obstructing bloodflow to the body part, blowing a gas along the body part, irradiating the body part with heat radiation, evaporating a medium from a surface of the body part.

10 . Detection method according to claim 6 , wherein data of distinct local attenuation measurements and thermographically acquired data which are acquired substantially simultaneously for the at least one joint and for the at least one other portion of the body part are compared to each other.

11 . Detection method according to claim 6 , wherein the at least one other portion of the body part is another joint.