Patent Document ID: 10068330
Application ID: 15055140
Patent Status: 1

Claim One:
1. A method for segmenting a breast from surrounding tissue in a thermographic image for breast cancer screening, the method comprising: receiving a thermal image of an upper body of a person, which represents temperature distribution on a breast area of the person as pixels in the thermal image with a highest temperature value being displayed in a first color and pixels with a lowest temperature value being displayed in a second color, pixels with temperature values between the lowest and highest temperature values being displayed in gradations of color between the first and second colors, wherein the thermal image is captured by a thermal imaging camera, the thermal imaging camera comprising: an array of sensors that converts infrared energy into electrical signals on a per-pixel basis; a lens that focuses the infrared energy from the person's breast onto the array of sensors, wherein the array of sensors detects temperature values from the person's breast; and a specialized processor that processes the detected temperature values into at least one block of pixels to generate the thermal image; analyzing, using an image processing technique, the thermal image to identify a plurality of points P N , where N≥5, in the thermal image surrounding the breast area, wherein the analyzing of the thermal image comprises determining a view angle of the thermal image, determining a contour of an outline of an edge of the breast area of the person; determining an upper boundary and a lower boundary of an isotherm of the breast; determining a lower boundary of an isotherm of axilla of the person; and determining an upper boundary of an isotherm of infra-mammary fold of the person; generating a N-sided polygon by connecting the points together to segment the breast from surrounding tissue in the thermal image; and transforming the thermal image into a segmented thermal image by overlaying the N-sided polygon onto the thermal image, wherein the segmented thermal image is configured for analysis using a breast cancer screening algorithm for screening the breast cancer.