IT202100000545A1 - DEVICE FOR MONITORING THE HEALING OF SKIN LACERATIONS. - Google Patents

Description

DEVICE FOR MONITORING THE HEALING OF SKIN LACERATIONS

The present invention relates to a device for monitoring the healing of skin lacerations.

STATE OF ART

Vision systems are currently known which, by means of CCD or CMOS sensors and the appropriate optics, translate a matrix of light signals into electrical signals.

? otherwise? known that these sensors with appropriate filters, can analyze the intensity? light of a selected wave frequency of electro-magnetic radiation.

? notes the existence of optical sensors that detect the distance at the pixel level of the parts of the framed object, with various stereoscopic, time-of-flight (ToF) or coded light technologies.

The existence of temporary skin inks ? known for some time and its duration pu? cover the entire time frame of a healing of a skin laceration.

? notes the need to monitor wound healing for the purpose of validating or developing accelerator drugs, assessing blood flow to the surrounding area, and other related medical purposes.

? notes the existence of inks that are opaque to infrared and ultraviolet, but transparent to the visible.

INVENTION

The purpose of the invention? monitor the reconstruction of a skin laceration over time. The detection of the state of healing can? be interspersed with timings of detection at will, from a minimum preferably of 30 frames per second, up to the length of the entire healing period.

Another purpose of the invention? calculate the area of wound reduction and its trend over time.

Another purpose of the invention? the calculation in the wound, of the volume of both the regions of skin growth and the portion of skin and other tissues missing, depending or independently of the moment of healing.

Another purpose of the invention? monitor in the various electromagnetic wave frequencies, the trend of the skin response to these frequencies, where one of the purposes is? interpret these data and extrapolate blood transport values.

Another purpose of the invention? fix reference points on the skin fixed over time, an aim that can be achieved with the automated mapping of skin references, such as nevi, scars or the like, or through the application of a temporary ink near the wound.

The present invention is hereinafter further clarified in some of its preferred embodiments shown for purely exemplifying and non-limiting purposes with reference to the attached drawings, in which:

Figure 1 shows a schematic view of the infrastructure according to the invention.

figure 2 shows a flowchart of the functioning of the infrastructure according to the invention in a first embodiment.

figure 3 is a schematic view of the optical system.

figure 4 is a schematic view of the processing device.

Figure 5 is a schematic view of a filter wheel.

The present invention relates to a system for evaluating the healing of skin tears. As shown in figure 1, the infrastructure 100 ? positioned so as to observe the wound 2 through the optical system 1

Advantageously, the zones surrounding the wound can be marked with temporary inks suitable for identifying reference zones, such as optical attachment points and delimiting areas.

OPTICAL APPARATUS

Conveniently all the optical systems are incorporated in the optical apparatus 1, equipped with several? sensors (11) (12) and filters (20) (21). Advantageously, the function of this apparatus 1 ? keep the various optical sensors calibrated and aligned along its optical axis 14.

Conveniently, the optical apparatus 1 has a field of vision 16 delimited by the construction of the optics 17 and which finds its reference in the minimum of the fields of vision of the individual sensors.

Advantageously, the optical sensors share the same optical axis 14, thanks to the use of an optical separator 15, preferably identified by a dichroic filter, so as to separate the infrared flux towards the optical path 18 and the ultraviolet and visible flux towards the path 19 .

DIGITAL CAMERA

The digital camera 11 performs its function in the visible and ultraviolet range, frequencies passed by the dichroic separator.

Advantageously camera 11 can? be equipped with a filter wheel 20 (or 43), on the optical axis 19 (or 42), to observe in more electromagnetic bands? restricted in the aforementioned field through special filters 41.

Conveniently this camera acquires the images suitable for identifying the reference points 4.

Conveniently, the video camera 11 and the filter wheel 20 (or 43) are constrained to the optical bench 10.

Suitably the optical axis 19 of the video camera 11 ? the extension of the optical axis 14 net of reflections and refractions induced by the separator 15.

Conveniently the filter wheel 20 (or 43) can? be empty (40) in one or more? of its modalities, in order not to hinder the optical path 18 (or 42).

DEPTH SENSOR

The depth sensor? 12 ? a video camera which preferably operates in the infrared and measures the flight time that a light pulse generated by the illuminators 13 takes to return through the optics 17 to the sensor 12.

Appropriately the depth sensor? 12 captures the depth? relative to the optics 17 of each pixel seen.

Advantageously the sensor 12 can? can also be used for wound visualization in the infrared range, as is the case on other optical bands for camera 11.

Advantageously the sensor 12 can? be equipped on the optical axis 18 with a filter wheel in the field of observation of the frequencies of the sensor 12.

Conveniently, the sensor 12 and the filter wheel 21 (or 43) are constrained to the optical bench 10.

Suitably the optical axis 18 of the sensor 12 ? the extension of the optical axis 14 net of reflections and refractions induced by the separator 15.

Conveniently the filter wheel 21 (or 43) can? lack of presence of the filter (40) in one or more? of its modalities, in order not to hinder the optical path 18 (or 42).

REFERENCE POINTS

The subject 5 of the monitoring, which suitably ? an identified surface on the patient's skin, are there reference points (4) and (7), the presence of one or the other of which can be independent, but the total number must be greater than 3.

Conveniently the reference points 4 are identified by markers applied with a temporary ink.

Advantageously, the reference points 7 are natural and permanent characteristics of the skin, such as moles or groups thereof, or scars or details thereof.

SELECTIVE PAINT

Advantageously, at the beginning or even during monitoring, it can? Selective varnish 3 in the electromagnetic wave frequencies can be applied near the wound, in order to delimit the starting analysis area, or to restrict the analysis area while the wound heals.

Advantageously, the paint can be used to be seen, as opaque, to the sensor 11, while at the same time pu? be transparent to the sensor 12.

Advantageously can? be selected a paint that has the opposite behavior with respect to the last sentence.

UNIT? OF PROCESSING

The data acquired by the sensors 11 and 12 are processed by the processing device 5.

Conveniently a unit? control and processing unit 51 (CPU), manages the recognition of the reference points 4 and 7.

Conveniently the unit? 51 sends the processed data and sources to the unit? storage 52.

Conveniently the unit? 51 catalogs the processed data, marking them in time with reference to the system clock 54 (RTC).

Advantageously the data can be exported and displayed via the data output 53.

METHOD OF OPERATION

The functioning of the infrastructure 100 according to the invention ? described below.

The area 5 of the skin laceration 2 is prepared to be monitored by the optical device 1. Conveniently, reference points 4 are drawn in the absence of a sufficient number of natural reference points 7.

Advantageously, the area not affected by the tear 2 is painted with a selective varnish.

Conveniently, the optical apparatus 1 is directed towards the area 5, so that? its optical axis 14 points through the tear 2.

Conveniently, the sensor 12 acquires the surface elevation data of the tear 2, through the optical path 18 concatenated to 14, with the filter 21 in mode? neutral what? to allow the identification of the depth? of the areas illuminated by the illuminators 13.

Conveniently also in the same instant of the previous operations, the video camera 11 can? observe the tear 2 and the neighboring areas through the concatenated optical path 19 and 14, returning a two-dimensional mapping of the observed area as an output.

Advantageously camera 11 can? filter through the filters 20 the tear 2 for various analytical purposes.

Advantageously before or after these operations, the filter wheel 21 can change the filter for a? analysis pi? detail of the characteristics of the surface 2 and 3 in the frequency bands dedicated to the optical path 21.

The identification algorithm of points 4 and 7 appropriately adjusts the acquired data according to the common reference of the various observations in the time frame. The algorithm processed by the unit? processing unit 51 supplies time-stamped data and transmits them to a device suitable for output, via data 53.

Conveniently, the monitoring operations are repeated every time frame designated by the analyst, until complete recovery or limited to time windows.

Claims (3)

1. The infrastructure (100) for monitoring the tear (2) over time, ? characterized by the fact that it includes: ? an optical device (1), composed of an optical bench (10) on which a depth sensor is mounted? (12), a vision camera (11), some filter wheels (20) and (21), an optical separator (15), the optics (17) with its field of vision (16) and a lighting apparatus (13), ? a system of landmarks (4) and/or (7), ? a?unit? processor (50), composed of a processor (51), a connected memory (52), a system clock (54) and a data output (53). 2. The infrastructure referred to in claim 1 (100) can? in addition to claim 1, comprise temporary ink (30), with a longer duration than the monitoring time window, in order to mark the reference points (4) on the analysis area (5), 3. The infrastructure referred to in claim 1 (100) can? including, in addition to claim 1, selective varnish (31), in order to delimit the analysis area (3) outside the tear (2).