Anatomical surface assessment methods, devices and systems
A method of assessing a feature on a patient's skin surface includes capturing (i) an image of the patient's skin surface with a camera of a portable capture device and (ii) range information with an auxiliary range measurement device that is attached to the portable capture device. Based on the range information, a single range value can be determined between the capture device and the patient's skin surface. In some embodiments, a scale can be associated with the image based on the single range value.
1. A method of assessing a feature on a patient's skin surface, the method comprising:
a) guiding a user to position a first camera and a second camera relative to the patient's skin surface, wherein a position of the second camera relative to the first camera is known, and wherein at least a first optical characteristic of the first camera is different from a first optical characteristic of the second camera;
b) automatically detecting an acceptable positioning of the first camera and the second camera when the first camera and the second camera are positioned to be within a predefined level of alignment relative to the patient's skin surface;
c) when the acceptable positioning is detected, automatically capturing image data of the patient's skin surface using the first camera and the second camera, the image data including a first image from the first camera and a second image from the second camera;
d) determining at least one common point in the first image and the second image; and
e) based on the at least one common point and on the known relative position, determining one or more dimensions of the feature on the patient's skin surface.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein the one or more dimensions include at least one of a linear dimension, a perimeter, and an area of the feature on the patient's skin surface.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein the first optical characteristic is focal length and the second camera has a different focal length to the first camera.
4. A method of assessing a feature on a patient's skin surface, the method comprising:
a) guiding a user to position a first camera and a second camera relative to the patient's skin surface, wherein a position of the second camera relative to the first camera is known, and wherein at least a first focal length of the first camera is different from a second focal length of the second camera;
b) automatically detecting an acceptable positioning of the first camera and the second camera when the first camera and the second camera are positioned to be within a predefined level of alignment relative to the patient's skin surface;
c) when the acceptable positioning is detected, automatically capturing image data of the patient's skin surface using the first camera and the second camera, the image data including at least an image from the first camera and an image from the second camera; and
d) based on the captured image data including at least data from a common image region covered by both the first camera and the second camera, the known relative position, the first focal length, and the second focal length, determining one or more dimensions of the feature on the patient's skin surface.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein the first optical characteristic is spectral response and the second camera has a different spectral response than the first camera.
6. The method of claim 5 wherein the first camera is most sensitive in the visible spectral region and the second camera is an infrared-sensitive camera.
7. The method of claim 5 wherein the first camera is a color camera and the second camera is a monochrome camera.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second camera is located in an auxiliary camera module separate from and mounted to a portable capture device including the first camera.
9. The method of claim 1 wherein the first and second cameras are located in a single portable capture device.
10. The method of claim 1 wherein determining one or more dimensions is also based on one or more image sensor characteristics.
11. The method of claim 1 wherein at least one of the first and second cameras is an autofocus camera and wherein determining one or more dimensions is also based on a focal distance of the autofocus camera.
12. The method of claim 1 wherein guiding the user to position the first camera and the second camera relative to the patient's skin surface comprises:
a) displaying a guide image overlaid on a real-time camera view on a display of a portable capture device that includes at least one of the first and second cameras; and
b) positioning, via the user, the portable capture device relative to the feature on the patient's skin surface by moving the portable capture device to align the real-time camera view with the overlaid guide image.
13. The method of claim 12 wherein the guide image includes at least one of:
a) a previously captured image of the patient's skin surface;
b) one or more portions of a previously captured image of the patient's skin surface;
c) one or more guide masks or markings based on a previously captured image of the patient's skin surface;
d) one or more guide masks or markings selected from a library of available guide masks or markings; and
e) one or more guide patterns that vary with range.
14. The method of claim 12 wherein the portable capture device is a smartphone or tablet.
15. A method of assessing a feature on a patient's skin surface, the method comprising:
a) guiding a user to position a portable capture device relative to the patient's skin surface, herein the portable capture device includes an inbuilt first camera having a first focal length, with a first field of view, and an inbuilt second camera having a second focal length, with a second field of view;
b) automatically detecting an acceptable positioning of the first camera and the second camera when the first camera and the second camera are positioned to be within a predefined level of alignment relative to the patient's skin surface;
c) when the acceptable positioning is detected, automatically capturing image data of the patient's skin surface, the image data including at least a first image from the first camera and a second image from the second camera;
d) determining at least one common point in the first image and the second image; and
e) based on the at least one common point and known relative positions of the first camera and the second camera, determining one or more dimensions of the feature on the patient's skin surface from the image data.
16. The method of claim 15 further including displaying the determined one or more dimensions on a display of the portable capture device.
17. The method of claim 15 , wherein the image data is captured at least substantially simultaneously from the first camera and the second camera.
18. The method of claim 15 wherein the one or more dimensions include at least one of a linear dimension, a perimeter, and an area of the feature on the patient's skin surface.
19. The method of claim 15 wherein determining one or more dimensions is also based on one or more image sensor characteristics.
20. The method of claim 15 wherein at least one of the first and second cameras is an autofocus camera and wherein determining one or more dimensions is also based on a focal distance of the autofocus camera.
21. The method of claim 15 wherein guiding the user to position the first camera and the second camera relative to the patient's skin surface comprises:
a) displaying a guide image overlaid on a real-time camera view on a display of the portable capture device; and
b) positioning, via the user, the portable capture device relative to the feature on the patient's skin surface by moving the portable capture device to align the real-time camera view with the overlaid guide image.
22. The method of claim 21 wherein the guide image includes at least one of:
a) a previously captured image of the patient's skin surface;
b) one or more portions of a previously captured image of the patient's skin surface;
c) one or more guide masks or markings based on a previously captured image of the patient's skin surface;
d) one or more guide masks or markings selected from a library of available guide masks or markings; and
e) one or more guide patterns that vary with range.
23. The method of claim 15 wherein the portable capture device is a smartphone or tablet.
24. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one common point comprises a plurality of common points.
25. The method of claim 15 wherein the at least one common point comprises a plurality of common points.
26. The method of claim 1 wherein guiding the user to position the first camera and the second camera relative to the patient's skin surface comprises (a) projecting a guide image onto the patient's skin surface and (b) moving a portable capture device that includes at least one of the first and second cameras to align the projected guide image on the patient's anatomy to position the portable capture device relative to the feature on the patient's skin surface.
27. The method of claim 26 wherein the guide image includes at least one of:
a) a previously captured image of the patient's skin surface;
b) one or more portions of a previously captured image of the patient's skin surface;
c) one or more guide masks or markings based on a previously captured image of the patient's skin surface;
d) one or more guide masks or markings selected from a library of available guide masks or markings; and
e) one or more guide patterns that vary with range.
28. The method of claim 1 wherein the predefined level of alignment comprises at least one of a predefined range distance of the first camera and the second camera to the patient's skin surface, a predefined position of the first camera and the second camera relative to the patient's skin surface, and a predefined orientation of the first camera and the second camera relative to the patient's skin surface.
29. The method of claim 4 wherein the predefined level of alignment comprises at least one of a predefined range distance of the first camera and the second camera to the patient's skin surface, a predefined position of the first camera and the second camera relative to the patient's skin surface, and a predefined orientation of the first camera and the second camera relative to the patient's skin surface.
30. The method of claim 15 wherein the predefined level of alignment comprises at least one of a predefined range distance of the first camera and the second camera to the patient's skin surface, a predefined position of the first camera and the second camera relative to the patient's skin surface, and a predefined orientation of the first camera and the second camera relative to the patient's skin surface.