IP Library Granted Patent US 11,199,531
Granted Patent B2
US 11,199,531 · App. 16/098,846 · Granted Dec 14, 2021

Diagnostic support for skins and inspection method of skin

Inventors: Damiano Fortuna (Rignano Sull'Arno, IT); Leonardo Manetti (Montevarchi, IT); Dario Brugnoli (Piombino, IT); Giulio Raimondi (Pisa, IT); Daniele Pasciuto (Gaeta, IT); Giovanni De Santis (Pisa, IT); Corrado Taviani (Fucecchio, IT)
Assignee: Epica International, Inc.
G01N33/447C14B1/62C14B17/16G01N23/046G01N2223/309G01N2223/612G01N2223/646
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,199,531
App. No.
16/098,846
Granted
Dec 14, 2021
Kind
B2
Abstract

A diagnostic support for a skin includes a radio-transparent structure that defines a folding surface of the skin and on which the skin may be stretched and consequently folded, thereby defining folded, mutually superimposed portions spaced apart from each other. The support may be used for radiographic inspection of a folded animal skin.

Claims (38)

1. A method for inspecting a skin designed to detect defects in said skin, comprising:

obtaining a radiological image of said skin, wherein said radiological image comprises a plurality of pixels;

storing said radiological image in a memory;

obtaining a superficial image of said skin, wherein said superficial image comprises a plurality of pixels and said skin comprises at least one bonded marker that is optical and radio-opaque;

storing said superficial image in the memory; and

spatially cross-referencing said radiological image and said superficial image, wherein said spatial cross-referencing comprises:

retrieving said radiological image from the memory;

detecting at least a first discontinuity in said radiological image;

retrieving said superficial image from the memory;

detecting at least a second discontinuity in said superficial image; and

spatially cross-referencing said radiological image and said superficial image by matching at least one of said at least first discontinuity to at least one of said at least second discontinuity.

2. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

defining a cross-reference system common to said radiological image and to said superficial image with respect to which said first discontinuities and said second discontinuities can be referred; and

detecting a location of said defects in said skin on the basis of said first and second discontinuities.

3. The method according to claim 2 , further comprising determining first coordinates of said first discontinuities in said radiological image and second coordinates of said second discontinuities in said superficial image,

wherein said determined first coordinates define a position of said defects in said radiological image, and said determined second coordinates define a position of said defects in said superficial image.

4. The method according to claim 3 , further comprising defining a defects database that associates each of said defects in said skin with said first and second coordinates.

5. The method according to claim 4 , wherein said defects database associates a form of said defect to each of said defects and the method further comprises removing said defects from said skin based on said defects database.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said radiological image is obtained using tomography.

7. A method for inspecting a skin designed to detect defects in said skin, comprising:

obtaining a radiological image of said skin, wherein said radiological image comprises a plurality of pixels;

storing said radiological image in a memory;

obtaining a superficial image of said skin, wherein said superficial image comprises a plurality of pixels;

storing said superficial image in the memory; and

spatially cross-referencing said radiological image and said superficial image, wherein said spatially cross-referencing comprises:

retrieving said radiological image from the memory;

detecting at least two first discontinuities in said radiological image;

retrieving said superficial image from the memory;

detecting at least two second discontinuities in said superficial image; and

spatially cross-referencing said radiological image and said superficial image by causing the positions of the at least two first discontinuities to coincide with the positions of the at least two second discontinuities.

8. The method according to claim 7 , further comprising:

defining a cross-reference system common to said radiological image and to said superficial image with respect to which said first discontinuities and said second discontinuities can be referred; and

detecting a location of said defects in said skin on the basis of said first and second discontinuities.

9. The method according to claim 8 , further comprising determining first coordinates of said first discontinuities in said radiological image and second coordinates of said second discontinuities in said superficial image,

wherein said determined first coordinates define a position of said defects in said radiological image, and said determined second coordinates define a position of said defects in said superficial image.

10. The method according to claim 9 , further comprising defining a defects database that associates each of said defects in said skin with said first and second coordinates.

11. The method according to claim 10 , wherein said defects database associates a form of said defect to each of said defects and the method further comprises removing said defects from said skin based on said defects database.

12. The method according to claim 7 , wherein said radiological image is obtained using tomography.

Assignments (3)
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY SECURITY INTEREST AGENT AGREEMENT Recorded Mar 13, 2026
From: AVENUE VENTURE OPPORTUNITIES FUND, L.P.
To: QUANTUM SCAN HOLDINGS, INC.
Reel/Frame 075093/0287 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Sep 5, 2024
From: EPICA INTERNATIONAL, INC.; EPICA MEDICAL INNOVATIONS LLC
To: AVENUE VENTURE OPPORTUNITIES FUND, L.P., AS AGENT
Reel/Frame 068503/0757 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 5, 2021
From: FORTUNA, DAMIANO; MANETTI, LEONARDO; BRUGNOLI, DARIO; RAIMONDI, GIULIO; PASCIUTO, DANIELE; DE SANTIS, GIOVANNI; TAVIANI, CORRADO
To: EPICA INTERNATIONAL, INC.
Reel/Frame 058033/0507 →
Priority Claims (2)
IT UA2016A003175 · May 5, 2016 · national
IT US2016A003360 · May 11, 2016 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20190145949A1 · May 16, 2019