Abstract:
System of illustration to make what is represented in an image or photograph more easily understandable. In particular, this system of s illustration is effective if utilized in the medical field.

Description:
FIELD AND BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present invention refers, in general, to a system of illustration to be utilized in the medical field. More particularly, the present invention refers to a system of illustration that allows to make an image more explanatory, whether it be a photograph or a generic figure. 
         [0002]    As is known, several teaching tools such as books are used in the medical field to educate students and physicians as well as generic health workers, said books being provided with several photographs of the human body, especially photographs of the parts to be studied. 
         [0003]    The substantial use of photographs has the purpose of making the studying and learning as close as possible to the practical case so that the physician will be ready when facing the real case. 
         [0004]    Of course, unlike the reconstructed images, the photographs are not easy to read and understand in the initial stages of learning. For instance, the various parts of the body such as nerves, tendons, muscles may be confused with each other or may be hidden, partially or completely, by other parts. In order to make the photographs more understandable, the photographs are usually provided with arrows indicating the part to be highlighted with possible reference to captions on the side of the photograph. However, in this way the reader is forced to repeatedly move the view and the attention from the photo to the caption. Besides, the arrows and the relative indications could hide, albeit for very small portions, human body parts of interest to the physician. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    Alternatively, the prior art discloses that the one or more parts of interest are colored so as to be immediately recognized and identified. It is evident how this technique may make the comprehension faster on the one side, but on the other side, this technique alters the photograph and makes the photo more distant from the real situation. 
         [0006]    An aim of the invention is to remove the above problems and other ones through the realization of a system of illustration, for instance on a teaching support, utilizing photographs so as to represent a real situation without altering and modifying the photographs. 
         [0007]    Another aim of the invention is to carry out a system of illustration that makes the photographs used for the learning immediately comprehensible. Another aim of the invention is to offer a system of illustration that is easy and practical to be used. 
         [0008]    The aforesaid aims and others are reached according to the invention through a system of illustration on a support, for instance a support for teaching, for applications in the medical field, and comprising at least one picture, for instance a photograph, of a part of a body, for instance a animal or plant body, in which at least one element of interest of the human body, such as nerves, tendons, bony portions, muscles, etc., is represented. 
         [0009]    The system of illustration is characterized by the fact that said support comprises at least one transparent sheet on which at least one sign such as a figure or phrase supplying at least one piece of information is applied. The system of illustration provides that when the transparent sheet is superimposed on the picture, the one or more signs are superimposed on the one or more elements of interest so that a piece of information corresponds to a corresponding element of interest. 
         [0010]    In this way, the system of illustration according to the invention allows the picture to remain intact and faithful to reality without indications or phrases applied thereon. At the same time, the user, for instance a reader, in case the support is a book, can easily recognize the various elements represented in the picture by simply applying the transparent sheet on the photograph. 
         [0011]    Advantageously, the system of illustration according to the invention may provide that the one or more signs comprise at least one figure representing the element of interest to which said figure corresponds, so that the superimposition of said figure on the element of interest to which said figure corresponds, when the transparent sheet is superimposed on the picture, makes the form, dimensions and position of the element of interest clear. 
         [0012]    Besides, the system of illustration according to the invention may provide that the one or more signs comprise at least one indication, for instance a word or phrase, corresponding to the element of interest to which said indication corresponds; in this way, since the indication is related to the corresponding element of interest, when the transparent sheet is superimposed on the picture, the indication may supply the name and/or a description of the element. 
         [0013]    Advantageously, the support may comprise two or more transparent sheets, each sheet being provided with the relative printed signs so as to supply various pieces of information according to the choice of the user. Besides, the system of illustration according to the invention may provide that at least one sign printed on the transparent sheet illustrates an element not represented in the picture. This feature allows to represent and make clear the presence of one or more elements in the body part under analysis which are not visible in the photograph since they are covered. 
         [0014]    Advantageously, the support may be a paper support or an electronic support. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0015]    Further features and details of the invention will be better understood from the following description that is supplied as a non-restricting example as well as from the accompanying drawings wherein: 
           [0016]      FIG. 1  is a schematic axonometric view of a booklet that utilizes the system of illustration according to the invention; 
           [0017]      FIG. 2  is a schematic axonometric view of the booklet in  FIG. 1 , open to the page chosen; 
           [0018]      FIG. 3  is a schematic axonometric view of the booklet in  FIG. 1 , open to the page chosen, on which a transparent sheet is about to be superimposed; 
           [0019]      FIG. 4  is a schematic axonometric view of the booklet in  FIG. 1 , open to the page chosen, on which the transparent sheet is completely superimposed. 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0020]    With reference to the accompanying figures, in particular  FIG. 1 , number  10  denotes a booklet to be utilized as a teaching tool in medical field, which booklet comprises a particular system of illustration according to the invention. 
         [0021]    In the illustrated case, the booklet  10  contains information on a surgical technique but obviously, the booklet could contain pieces of information of other medical arguments or related arguments. 
         [0022]    The booklet  10  comprises a set of pages including the cover  12  as visible in  FIG. 1 , all the pages including the cover being assembled together by means of a spiral binding  14 . 
         [0023]    More particularly, the booklet  10  comprises also a first page  16  which is inserted after a transparent sheet  18  and a second page  20 . In  FIG. 2 , the booklet  1  is open to the first page  16 . 
         [0024]    A photograph  17  is affixed on the first page  16 . This photograph shows a human body portion  19  which is undergoing surgery and is, therefore, open in the specific surgery area  21 . 
         [0025]    In the surgery area  21 , the human body portion  19  comprises several elements such nerves, muscles, tendons, bony portions, some of which are represented in  FIGS. 2 and 3 . Such elements are generically defined as first element  22 , second element  24  and third element  26 . 
         [0026]    The transparent sheet  18  shows schematic representative figures some of which are indicated in  FIG. 3 , and specifically a first  FIG. 28 , a second  FIG. 32 , a third  FIG. 36  and a fourth  FIG. 40 . 
         [0027]    Said  FIGS. 28 ,  32 ,  36 ,  40  are provided with explanatory indications, in particular arrows and notes, which are associated to each other and schematically represented in the figures by means of a rectangle and are related to the above listed figures, specifically and respectively: a first indication  30 , a second indication  34 , a third indication  38  and a fourth indication  42 . 
         [0028]    When the transparent sheet  18  is put on the first page  16  as it appears in  FIG. 4 , the various  FIGS. 28 ,  32 ,  36  are arranged on the various elements  22 ,  24 ,  26 . 
         [0029]    More precisely, the first  FIG. 28  with the relative first indication  30  is arranged on the first element  22 , the second  FIG. 32  with the relative second indication  34  is arranged on the second element  24 , the third  FIG. 36  with the relative third indication  38  is arranged on the third element  26 . 
         [0030]    Accordingly, it is evident how the elements  22 ,  24 ,  26  represented in the photograph  17 , some of which could be hardly identified by a still inexperienced user of the booklet  10 , are clearly represented, and in particular correctly disposed, by means of  FIGS. 28 ,  32 ,  36 . 
         [0031]    In the illustrated case, the fourth  FIG. 40  with the relative fourth indication  42  does not correspond to any element into view in the photograph  17 . In fact, the fourth  FIG. 40  is used to show the appearance, the dimensions and the position of an element, such as a nerve, a tendon, a muscle, etc., covered by other portions of the human body and not visible in photograph  17 . 
         [0032]    The indications  30 ,  34 ,  38 ,  42  give the name of the element to which said indications refer. Alternatively, such indications may supply pieces of information about said element. 
         [0033]    The system of illustration according to the invention allows that any user of the booklet  10 , whether the user is a medical expert or a medical student in learning, can easily find the position of the various elements of interest inside of the surgery area  21  and at the same time, the user can immediately identify such elements by means of the indications  30 ,  34 ,  38 ,  42 . 
         [0034]    Besides, the system of illustration according to the invention allows to keep the reference photograph  17  intact so that the user of the booklet  10  may always visualize the surgery area  21  as in the real case during a surgery. 
         [0035]    In addition, the system of illustration allows to indicate the presence of protrusions although such protrusions are not directly visible in the photograph because such protrusions are covered. 
         [0036]    A technician of the sector may conceive changes or variants that are to be considered as included in the scope of protection of the present invention. 
         [0037]    For instance, the booklet may comprise more transparent sheets that overlap each other so as to supply other pieces of information according to the choice of the user. 
         [0038]    Finally, the system of illustration may also be applied on supports different from the so-described booklet. For instance, the system of illustration may be applied not only on paper supports but also on electronic supports.