Self-diagnostic method for jaundice and an APP product thereby

1. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium encoded with executable instructions for execution by a processor to detect jaundice by a self-diagnostic method for jaundice, including:

Step S 1 : placing a plurality of color markers aside a newborn to obtain a self-diagnostic image including an image of the newborn's face and an image of the plurality of color markers, wherein the self-diagnostic image is taken by a smart phone, tablet, or personal computer with a camera equipped with the executable instructions, and the color markers include a pure red color marker, a pure green color marker and a pure blue color marker;

Step S 2 : color correction of the image of a newborn's face based on the image of the plurality of color markers, wherein step S 2 includes;

Step S 21 automatically grabbing the color markers using a RGB (Red, Green, and Blue) color model so as to obtain a pixel array of the grabbed color markers, the pixel array having three array elements including a red color element, a green color element and a blue color element,

and obtaining an image pixel number of each obtained array element such that an image pixel number of the pure red color marker, an image pixel number of the pure green color marker and an image pixel number of the pure blue color marker are obtained, and then when the image pixel number of the pure red color marker, the image pixel number of the pure green color marker and the image pixel number of the pure blue color marker are all larger than a threshold value, obtaining an average color value of the pure red color marker, an average color value of the pure green color marker and an average color value of the pure blue color marker,

Step S 22 color normalization of the image of the newborn's face by using the average color value of the pure red color marker, the average color value of the pure green color marker and the average color value of the pure blue color marker, and

Step S 3 : obtaining a jaundice index of a color normalized image of the newborn's face based on color information of the color normalized image of the newborn's face, wherein step S 3 includes:

Step S 31 grabbing facial skin pixels based on ordinary hues of skin and obtaining the total number of the grabbed facial skin pixels,

wherein if the facial skin pixel number is not larger than a quality threshold value, then return to grab the image again,

and

wherein if the

facial skin pixel number is larger than the quality threshold value, then continues to step S 32 ,

Step S 32 grabbing jaundice pixels among the facial skin pixels based on a statistic range of hues of jaundice,

Step S 33 obtaining an average saturation of the jaundice pixels from the grabbed jaundice pixels such that the number of jaundice pixels is obtained, and obtaining a Jaundice Skin Ratio (JSR) which is a ratio of a number of jaundice pixels to a number of facial skin pixels;

wherein when JSR is less than a preset value, then return to grab the image again, and

when the JSR is equal to or larger than the preset value, the method then continues to step S 34 ,

Step S 34 converting the average saturation value of jaundice pixels to a jaundice index,

wherein when the jaundice index is larger than a preset value of a normal jaundice index, an indication that a further diagnostics is required is issued.

2. A self-diagnostic method for jaundice as claimed in claim 1 , wherein objects around the newborn which contain colors of red, green, blue or yellow are avoided.

3. A self-diagnostic method for jaundice as claimed in claim 1 , wherein a preview of the image includes a facial outline and one or more color marker contour, with Step S 21 includes automatic grabbing the color markers and allocating the color markers within the color marker contour, for the color marker of red: grabbing and connecting the facial skin pixels within the one or more contour of a distance to a pure red pixel greater than a red threshold as the largest continuous area thereof, and defining a pure red marker ( 11 ) therein;

for the color marker of green: grabbing and connecting the facial skin pixels within the one or more contour of a distance to a pure green pixel greater than a green threshold as the largest continuous area thereof, and defining a pure green marker ( 12 ) therein; and

for the color marker of blue: grabbing and connecting the facial skin pixels within the one or more marker contour of a distance to a pure blue pixel greater than a blue threshold as the largest continuous area thereof, and defining a pure blue marker ( 13 ) therein;

the pure red pixel (r r , r g , r b )=(255, 0, 0),

the pure green pixel (g r , g g , g b )=(0, 255, 0),

the pure blue (b r , b g , b b )=(0, 0, 255)

Step S 22 includes color normalization to each of the pixels in the image in reference to the red channel, the green channel and the blue channel, respectively, such that the value of the red channel, the green channel and the blue channel is inversely proportionally to an average value of a red channel in the red color marker, an average value of a green channel in the green marker and an average of a blue channel in a blue marker, and adjusted to a number.

4. A self-diagnostic method for jaundice as claimed in claim 3 , wherein in the Step S 31 , RGB color information is converted to HSV (Hue, Saturation and Value) color information, in reference to a statistical range of hues in facial skin of newborns, facial skin pixels within the ellipitical facial contour are denoted as S k , with a total number of S k denoted as N sk ;

Step S 33 includes obtaining jaundice pixels J among the facial skin pixels S k , with the total number of J denoted as N J , with the total number of S k denoted as N sk , wherein the image is evaluated as poor when the ratio between N J and N sk is less than th JSR (50%), and retaking of the image is recommended;

Step S 34 includes first obtaining a saturation average l s of jaundice pixels, then converting by a function T(x) to a jaundice index, clinically equivalent to the serum bilirubin level lv from blood tests, wherein the function T(x) is a regressional statistic function of Js and Jv.

5. A self-diagnostic method for jaundice as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the Step S 3 further includes calculating the total number of image pixels N E within the elliptical facial outline along with its average saturation S E , and a ratio SER, Skin Ellipse ratio of N sk to N E obtained by SER=N sk /N E

when SER<th JSR , the quality of the image taken is evaluated as poor and recommended to retake the image; when SER>th JSR , and S E >th SE , proceed to Step S 32 .

6. A self-diagnostic method for jaundice as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the birth time of the newborn is taken into account, together with the calculation of the jaundice index, to evaluate the need for a doctor visit or photo therapy.

7. A self-diagnostic method for jaundice as claimed in claim 1 , executable in an Application software downloadable to electronic means.

8. A self-diagnostic method for jaundice as claimed in claim 2 , executable in an Application software downloadable to electronic means.

9. A self-diagnostic method for jaundice as claimed in claim 3 , executable in an Application software downloadable to electronic means.

10. A self-diagnostic method for jaundice as claimed in claim 4 , executable in an Application software downloadable to electronic means.

11. A self-diagnostic method for jaundice as claimed in claim 5 , executable in an Application software downloadable to electronic means.

12. A self-diagnostic method for jaundice as claimed in claim 6 , executable in an Application software downloadable to electronic means.