Method and system for automated visual analysis of a dipstick using standard user equipment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9972077-B2
Application number	US-201414274817-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 12, 2014
Priority date	May 12, 2014
Publication date	May 15, 2018
Grant date	May 15, 2018

Abstract

A method and system for automated visual analysis of a dipstick using standard user equipment (UE) are disclosed herein. The method may include the following steps: capturing, using an arbitrary UE having specified image capturing and processing capabilities, an image of a dipstick having colored test reagents, and a calibration array having a plurality of colored calibration elements which are tailored specifically to the test reagents; deriving, based on the captured image, illumination parameters associated with the dipstick and the calibration array; determining whether the illumination parameters are within predefined illumination boundary conditions sufficient for interpreting the test reagents, given the specified image capturing and processing capabilities of the UE; applying image enhancement operations to the captured image, based on predefined mapping between the derived illumination parameters and the required adjustments; and interpreting the colored test reagents, based on the colored calibration elements, in the enhanced captured image.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method comprising: capturing, using a capturing device of a standard user equipment (UE) having specified image capturing and processing capabilities, an image of a dipstick having one or more colored test reagents, positioned on a calibration array having a plurality of colored calibration elements, and uniform gray arbitrary geometrical elements, wherein said plurality of sets of colored calibration elements reflects a plurality of: illumination conditions, capturing capabilities of potential UEs and response functions of capturing devices of the potential UEs, wherein each of the sets is specifically tailored to span a color gamut of a respective one of said colored test reagents; deriving, based on the colored calibration elements and the uniform gray arbitrary geometrical elements in the captured image, local illumination parameters associated with the captured image of the dipstick and the calibration array; applying one or more image enhancement operation to the captured image, to yield an enhanced image, based on predefined mapping between the derived local illumination parameters and one or more required adjustments; normalizing illumination of the captured image based on the local illumination parameters; and interpreting the one or more colored test reagents, based on the normalized illumination and the colored calibration elements, in the enhanced image.

2. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising, in a case that the illumination parameters are not within a set of predefined illumination boundary, instructing a user of the UE how to improve the illumination parameters.

3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the instruction to the user indicate a specified movement pattern of the UE vis à vis the dipstick and the calibration array.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more image enhancement operations comprises detecting portions of specular reflections coming from the colored calibration elements or the colored test reagents, and applying image processing algorithms that reduces the specular reflections.

5. The method according to claim 4 , wherein the detecting of portions of specular reflections is carried out by comparing pixels associated with a same color element or reagent, to a predefined threshold.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more image enhancement operation comprises normalizing a color of each pixel of each reagent, to yield, a uniform color, based on a normalization factor calculated based on the derived illumination parameters and the specified image capturing and processing capabilities.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more image enhancement operation comprises normalizing a color of each pixel of each reagent and calibration elements to achieve uniform illumination.

8. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising, in a case that the illumination parameters are not within a predefined illumination boundary, indicating to a user that a proper interpreting of the dipstick by the arbitrary platform is not possible.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more colored test reagents, and the colored calibration elements are located, based on a specified layout, in prearranged locations.

10. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the calibration array is generated based on data derived in a series of trials and error, in which a plurality of illumination conditions were tested against a plurality of UEs.

11. The method according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of: shape, color, location, and texture of the calibration elements on the calibration array are selected in an optimization process, configured to increase likelihood of a successful interpretation of the colored test reagents.

12. A system comprising: a user equipment (UE) having specified image capturing and processing capabilities, configured to capture, using an image capturing device, an image of a dipstick having one or more colored test reagents, positioned on a calibration array having a plurality of colored calibration elements and uniform gray arbitrary geometrical elements, wherein said plurality of sets of colored calibration elements reflects a plurality of: illumination conditions, capturing capabilities of potential UEs and response functions of capturing devices of the potential UEs, wherein each of the sets is specifically tailored to span a color gamut of a respective one of said colored test reagents; and a computer processor configured to: derive, based on the colored calibration elements and the uniform gray arbitrary geometrical elements in the captured image, local illumination parameters associated with the captured image of the dipstick and the calibration array; apply one or more image enhancement operation to the captured image, to yield an enhanced image, based on predefined mapping between the derived local illumination parameters and one or more required adjustments; normalize illumination of the captured image based on the local illumination parameters; and interpret the one or more colored test reagents, based on the normalized illumination parameters and the colored calibration elements, in the enhanced captured image.

13. The system according to claim 12 , wherein the computer processor is further configured, in a case that the illumination parameters are not within a predefined illumination boundary, to instruct a user of the arbitrary platform how to improve the illumination parameters.

14. The system according to claim 13 , wherein the instruction to the user indicate a specified movement pattern of the arbitrary platform visa vis the dipstick and the calibration array.

15. The system according to claim 12 , wherein the one or more image enhancement operation comprises detecting portions of specular reflections coming from the colored calibration elements or the colored test reagents, and applying image processing algorithms that reduces the specular reflections.

16. The system according to claim 15 , wherein the detecting of portions of specular reflections is carried out by comparing pixels associated with a same color reagent, to a predefined threshold.

17. The system according to claim 12 , wherein the one or more image enhancement operation comprises determining, for each pixel at the captured image associated with one of the colored test reagents, a uniform color, based on a normalization factor calculated based on the derived illumination parameters and the specified image capturing and processing capabilities.

18. The system according to claim 12 , wherein the one or more image enhancement operation comprises normalizing the pixel colors of the reagent and calibration elements to achieve uniform illumination.

19. The system according to claim 12 , wherein the computer processor is further configured, in a case that the illumination parameters are not within a predefined illumination boundary, to indicate to a user that interpreting of the dipstick by the arbitrary platform is not possible.

20. The system according to claim 12 , wherein the one or more colored test reagents, and the colored calibration elements are located, based on a specified layout, in prearranged locations.

21. The system according to claim 12 , wherein the calibration array is generated based on data derived in a series of trial and error, in which a plurality of illumination conditions were tested.

22. The system according to claim 12 , wherein at least one of: shap

Assignees

• Healthy Io Ltd
• Healthy Io Ltd

Inventors

• Adiri Yonatan
• Omer Ido
• Mendelowitz Shachar
• Salomon Roee

Classifications

• G06V10/56

  relating to colour · CPC title

• G06T2207/10024

  Color image · CPC title

• G06T5/007 Primary

  Physics · mapped topic

• G06K2009/4666

  Physics · mapped topic

• G06T2207/30004

  Biomedical image processing · CPC title