Automatic segmentation of breast tissue in a thermographic image

1. A method for segmenting a breast from surrounding tissue in a thermographic image for breast cancer screening, the method comprising:

receiving a thermal image of an upper body of a person, which represents temperature distribution on a breast area of the person as pixels in the thermal image with a highest temperature value being displayed in a first color and pixels with a lowest temperature value being displayed in a second color, pixels with temperature values between the lowest and highest temperature values being displayed in gradations of color between the first and second colors, wherein the thermal image is captured by a thermal imaging camera, the thermal imaging camera comprising:

an array of sensors that converts infrared energy into electrical signals on a per-pixel basis;

a lens that focuses the infrared energy from the person's breast onto the array of sensors, wherein the array of sensors detects temperature values from the person's breast; and

a specialized processor that processes the detected temperature values into at least one block of pixels to generate the thermal image;

analyzing, using an image processing technique, the thermal image to identify a plurality of points P N , where N≥5, in the thermal image surrounding the breast area, wherein the analyzing of the thermal image comprises

determining a view angle of the thermal image,

determining a contour of an outline of an edge of the breast area of the person;

determining an upper boundary and a lower boundary of an isotherm of the breast;

determining a lower boundary of an isotherm of axilla of the person; and

determining an upper boundary of an isotherm of infra-mammary fold of the person;

generating a N-sided polygon by connecting the points together to segment the breast from surrounding tissue in the thermal image; and

transforming the thermal image into a segmented thermal image by overlaying the N-sided polygon onto the thermal image, wherein the segmented thermal image is configured for analysis using a breast cancer screening algorithm for screening the breast cancer.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein identifying points comprises:

identifying points which lie along the contour of the outline of the edge of the breast area of the person;

identifying points which lie between the lower boundary of the isotherm of the axilla and the upper boundary of the isotherm of the breast; and

identifying points which lie between the lower boundary of the isotherm of the breast and the upper boundary of the isotherm of the inframammary fold.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein each of vertices of the polygon comprise draggable objects, further comprising a user to selectively manipulating a shape of the polygon.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising communicating at least a portion of an area of the segmented thermal image encompassed by the polygon to the breast cancer screening algorithm.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising one of: a user adding at least one new vertex into the polygon, and a user deleting at least one vertex from the polygon.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein when said N-sided polygon is a 10-sided irregular polygon, the identifying points comprises

identifying points P 1 , P 7 , P 8 , P 9 and P 10 which lie along the contour of the outline of the edge of the breast area of the person;

identifying points P 1 , P 2 and P 3 which lie between the lower boundary of the isotherm of the axilla and the upper boundary of the isotherm of the breast; and

identifying points P 4 , P 5 , P 6 and P 7 which lie between the lower boundary of the isotherm of the breast and the upper boundary of the isotherm of the inframammary fold.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein when said N-sided polygon is a 9-sided irregular polygon, the identifying points comprises

identifying points P 1 and P 2 which lie between the lower boundary of the isotherm of the axilla and the upper boundary of the isotherm of the breast;

identifying point P 3 which resides along a contour of the outline of the edge of the breast area of the person; and

identifying points P 3 through P 9 which lie between the lower boundary of the isotherm of the breast and the upper boundary of the isotherm of the inframammary fold.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the method comprises shifting a location of the point P 3 from along the contour edge of the breast to a position that is closer to the breast tissue.

9. A system for segmenting a breast from surrounding tissue in a thermographic image for breast cancer screening, the system comprising:

a storage device;

a processor in communication with the storage device, the processor executing machine readable instructions for performing:

receiving a thermal image of an upper body of a person, which represents temperature distribution on a breast area of the person as pixels in the thermal image with a highest temperature value being displayed in a first color and pixels with a lowest temperature value being displayed in a second color, pixels with temperature values between the lowest and highest temperature values being displayed in gradations of color between the first and second colors, wherein the thermal image is captured by a thermal imaging camera, the thermal imaging camera comprising:

an array of sensors that converts infrared energy into electrical signals on a per-pixel basis;

a lens that focuses the infrared energy from the person's breast onto the array of sensors, wherein the array of sensors detects temperature values from the person's breast; and

a specialized processor that processes the detected temperature values into at least one block of pixels to generate the thermal image;

analyzing, using an image processing technique, the thermal image to identify a plurality of points P N , where N≥3, in the thermal image surrounding the breast area, wherein the analyzing of the thermal image comprises

determining a view angle of the thermal image,

determining a contour of an outline of an edge of the breast area of the person;

determining an upper boundary and a lower boundary of an isotherm of the breast;

determining a lower boundary of an isotherm of axilla of the person; and

determining an upper boundary of an isotherm of infra-mammary fold of the person;

generating N-sided polygon by connecting the points together to segment the breast from surrounding tissue in the thermal image; and

transforming the thermal image into a segmented thermal image by overlaying the N-sided polygon onto the thermal image, wherein the segmented thermal image is configured for analysis using a breast cancer screening algorithm for screening the breast cancer.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein identifying points comprises:

identifying points which lie along the contour of the outline of the edge of the breast area of the person;

identifying points which lie between the lower boundary of the isotherm of the axilla and the upper boundary of the isotherm of the breast; and

identifying points which lie between the lower boundary of the isotherm of the breast and the upper boundary of the isotherm of the inframammary fold.

11. The system of claim 9 , wherein each of vertices of the polygon comprise draggable objects, further comprising a user to selectively manipulating a shape of the polygon.

12. The system of claim 9 , further comprising communicating at least a portion of an area of the segmented thermal image encompassed by the polygon to the breast cancer screening algorithm.