WO2016086995A1

WO2016086995A1 - Appliance for detecting cancerous or noncancerous lumps in tissues of living beings, in particular a lump in a mamma

Info

Publication number: WO2016086995A1
Application number: PCT/EP2014/076541
Authority: WO
Inventors: Michael Kaelbling
Original assignee: Siemens Healthcare Gmbh
Priority date: 2014-12-04
Filing date: 2014-12-04
Publication date: 2016-06-09

Abstract

In order to design an appliance for detecting cancerous or noncancerous lumps in tissues of living beings, in particular a lump in a mamma, which increases coverage and acceptance of accurate breast examinations, it is proposed to combine techniques and technologies of "Polynomial Texture Mapping (PTM)"-Analysis and automated surface image capture with the approach of surface displacement, pattern analysis, and wave propagation through differentiated physical media.

Description

Appliance for detecting cancerous or noncancerous lumps in tissues of living beings, in particular a lump in a mamma

The invention refers to an appliance for detecting cancerous or noncancerous lumps in tissues of living beings, in partic^¬ ular a lump in a mamma, according to claim 1. Detecting cancerous or noncancerous lumps in tissues of liv^¬ ing beings, in particular the lump in the mamma or breast, encompasses any kind or variety of a classical sign of in^¬ flammation of the tissue such as tumors or adipose tumors. Such a swelling can not only be observed on a human body but also on the body of animals.

Current mammograms used for the detection of life-threatening breast cancer tumors are obtained by painful or uncomforta^¬ ble, and perhaps humiliating, means in which the breast is forcibly flattened. The experience can have the effect of reducing subjects' compliance with appropriate testing sched^¬ ules. Furthermore, proper positioning of the breast requires trained personnel, which leads to increased costs or reduced availability of the procedure. Thus the problem may be summa- rized as breast cancer tumors detected later than is feasible with comfortable, cheaper, and more widely available devices.

Women have been encouraged to perform self-examinations of their breasts and to seek out trained medical advice upon de- tection of suspicious lumps. One obvious drawback of this ap^¬ proach is that lay women are expected to remember across weeks or months the normal, but irregular, distribution of their mammary tissue, which changes with hormonal changes re^¬ lated to the menses. The exams are often spontaneous, irregu- lar, and unrecorded. Sonograms are painless but typically used as a supplement to mammograms - not as an alternative - identify the makeup of lump

It is an object of the invention to propose an appliance for detecting cancerous or noncancerous lumps in tissues of liv^¬ ing beings, in particular a lump in a mamma, which increases coverage and acceptance of accurate breast examinations.

This object is solved relating to an appliance by the fea^¬ tures of claim 1. The main idea of the invention for detecting cancerous or noncancerous lumps in tissues of living beings, in particular a lump in a mamma or breast, according to the claim 1 is to combine techniques and technologies of "Polynomial Texture Mapping ( PTM) "-Analysis and automated surface image capture with the approach of surface displacement, pattern analysis, and wave propagation through differentiated physical media, which allows the production of an appliance for increasing the coverage and acceptance of accurate breast examinations. If suspicious lumps are identified, then referral can be made to more advanced techniques. But this approach requires no dangerous x-rays, and it approves on at-home breast examina^¬ tion while offering the potential for cheaper production and acquisition with accompanying wider distribution and availa- bility of such appliances. Because the appliance is painless, acceptance is increased. Because the appliance is cheaper in production and application, their market is larger, especially in emerging markets. The detailed technical scenario underlying the mentioned idea is :

Coupling a Hardware Component including at least one opto^¬ mechanical Scan-Element and at least one opto-mechanical Im- age-Capture-Element as well as a Data-Interface and a Con^¬ trol-Interface, which are connected to the Elements, and a microcontroller with a processor and a the processor-assigned storage media as well as a "Polynomial Texture Mapping

(PTM) "-Program Module, a Modeling Program Module and a Hardware Control Program Module HWCPM running on the processor and stored in the processor-assigned storage media to form a functional unit which enables that

(i) the Scan-Element and the Image-Capture-Element controlled by the Hardware Control Program Module running on the proces^¬ sor of the microcontroller are positioned towards a prepared tissue for screening purposes such that at least one image for each scan-position is captured and based on image data of the captured images "Polynomial Texture Mappings (PTM' s)" are computed by the PTM-Program Module running on the processor of the microcontroller,

(ii) based on coefficients of the "Polynomial Texture Map^¬ pings (PTM' s)" the Modeling Program Module running on the processor of the microcontroller creates models of the sur- face of the tissue, which, if outputted, enable in so far the identification of lumps in the tissue.

One or more images are taken for each lighting position, and the "Polynomial Texture Mapping (PTM)" is computed. The coef- ficients of "Polynomial Texture Mappings (PTM's)" can be rep^¬ resented efficiently [cf. http://www.hpl.hp.com/ptm1 , [an informa^¬ tive lecture can be seen at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rxNg- tXPPWc l . The created models can be saved, transmitted, and analyzed on-site, off-site, in real time, or on-demand. Recorded mod^¬ els can show the development of anomalies over time - or in^¬ dicate the locations and increase or reductions of lumps. Known and novel algorithms for determining appropriate en- hancement settings can be applied (cf. claim 12) .

According to expedient developments of the invention [cf. at least one of the claims 3 to 7) : The Hardware Component basically consists of a dome contain^¬ ing a fixed camera and a large number of controllable light sources (LEDs, fiber-optic, mirrors, flash-bulbs, etc.). Alternatively a reduced number (one or more) of movable light sources can be used. Several domes are possible to at least one of accommodate subject variation, allow tests under pres^¬ sure or vacuum - i.e. at controlled air or fluid pressures - and allow automated introduction of low-energy waves - e.g. sound or air-jet pulses that serve to create temporary longi^¬ tudinal/transverse waves in the breast tissue.

Registration of images taken at different times (of the same breast) is accomplished by landmarks on the breast or areola - freckles, nevi, veins, etc - as a photographic image is captured .

An analogy that shows the principle is the use of earth- observation satellites in non-acoustic anti-submarine warfare (NAASW) . Here "... [sensors] watch wave patterns in or beneath the surface [of the oceans]" to detect submerged submarines moving through the water [cf.

http://www.atimes.com atinies/Cliina/LE 13 AdO 1.html1. Often the wake is looked for because it is much larger than the submarine.

According to a further expedient development of the invention (cf. claim 8), waves can be produced by transducers or air jets. Unlike sonar or sonograms, the "echo" is not analyzed, but rather the shadow or propagating wave downstream of a mass .

After enhancement, the images can reveal changes to the un- derlying structure of the breast. Existing enhancement algo^¬ rithms including specular enhancement, diffuse gain, and mul^¬ tiple simultaneous light-points can be used along with novel algorithms. Typically grazing (or raking) lighting angles will reveal otherwise unapparent bumps below the surface.

(This is a technique long known to photographers as grazing light) It is not necessary, but not ruled out, to project patterns onto the breast to make variations more obvious. This is somewhat like the use of projected lines in facial model capture. Other expedient improvements of the invention are stated in the other dependent claims.

Moreover advantageous further developments of the invention arise out of the following description of a preferred embodi- ment of the invention according to the FIGURES 1 and 2. They show :

FIGURE 1 based on a schematic view and a block diagram a setup of an appliance for detecting cancerous or noncancerous lumps in tissues of living beings, in particular a lump in a mamma .

FIGURE 2 a detailed view on a Hardware Component connected to a microcontroller of the appliance according to the FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 1 shows based on a schematic view and a block diagram a setup of an Appliance APP for detecting cancerous or non^¬ cancerous Lumps LUM in Tissues TIS of living beings, in par^¬ ticular a Lump LUM in a Mamma MAM. Detecting cancerous or noncancerous Lumps LUM in Tissues TIS of living beings, in particular the Lump LUM in the Mamma MAM or breasts encompasses any kind or variety of a classical sign of inflamma^¬ tion of the Tissue TIS such as tumors or adipose tumors and is not limited to the following preferred embodiment of the invention detecting cancerous or noncancerous the Lump LUM in the Mamma MAM. Such a swelling like the Lump LUM can not only be observed on a human body but also on a body of animals. The Appliance APP shown in FIGURE 1 includes a Hardware Com^¬ ponent HWCO which is designed or constructed in a first form of the preferred embodiment as a Stationary Device SDE and in a second form of the preferred embodiment as a Handheld De- vice HDE . Moreover, the Appliance APP includes a Microcon^¬ troller MIC with a Processor PRC and a processor-assigned Storage Media STM as well as a "Polynomial Texture Mapping (PTM) "-Program Module PTMPM, a Modeling Program Module MPM and a Hardware Control Program Module HWCPM running on the Processor PRC and stored in the processor-assigned Storage Media STM. The Appliance APP comprising the Hardware Compo^¬ nent HWCO and the Microcontroller MIC is preferably designed as an appliance where either the Microcontroller MIC func^¬ tions as an embedded system (where the microcontroller is somehow embedded in the Hardware Component) or where accord^¬ ing to the representation in the FIGURE 1 it is an assembly with separated parts, a first part including the Hardware Component HWCO and a second part including the Microcontrol^¬ ler MIC with the "Polynomial Texture Mapping ( PTM) "-Program Module PTMPM, die Modeling Program Module MPM and a Hardware Control Program Module HWCPM.

The Microcontroller MIC with the "Polynomial Texture Mapping (PTM) "-Program Module PTMPM, the Modeling Program Module MPM and the Hardware Control Program Module HWCPM is preferably a Personal Computer (PC) such as a Desktop-PC, a Notebook, a Tablet-PC.

For detecting the cancerous or noncancerous Lump LUM in the Mamma MAM the Hardware Component HWCO and the Microcontroller MIC are connected such that both the Hardware Component in the form of the Stationary Device SDE and the Hardware Compo^¬ nent in the form of the Handheld Device HDE or only one of them forms a Functional Unit FTU. The Hardware Component HWCO formed as Stationary Device SDE includes a Dome DOM contain^¬ ing at least one opto-mechanical Scan-Element SCE and at least one opto-mechanical Image-Capture-Element ICE, which for the detecting purpose are in particular alternately and radially arranged inside the Dome DOM.

The opto-mechanical Scan-Element SCE is each a light source such as "Light Emitting Diode (LED)", a fiber-optic, a mirror or a flash-bulb and at least one of switchable, modifiable in the element position and fixed.

The opto-mechanical Image-Capture-Element ICE is each a cam- era and at least one of modifiable in the element position and fixed.

The Dome DOM is designed such that at least one of accommo^¬ dating subject variation, allowing tests under pressure or vacuum such as a controlled air or fluid pressures and allow^¬ ing automated introduction of low-energy waves such as sound or air-jet pulses serve to create temporary longitudi^¬ nal/transverse waves in the Tissue TIS. The difference between the Hardware Component HWCO formed as Stationary Device SDE and the Hardware Component HWCO formed as Handheld Device HDE is that the Dome DOM of the Stationary Device SDE is driven by a motor (cf. the description of

FIGURE 2) 3D-movable, which means that the Dome DOM can be positioned controlled by the Microcontroller MIC with the

Processor PRC and the Hardware Control Program Module HWCPM towards the Mamma MAM with the cancerous or noncancerous Lump LUM in all directions, which means that the Dome DOM is in particular at least one of rotatable, tiltable and pivotable, whereas the Dome DOM of the Handheld Device HDE is held in the hand of a doctor who moves the device towards the Mamma MAM for detecting cancerous or noncancerous Lumps LUM in the Tissue TIS manually and not supported by the Microcontroller with the Processor PRC and the Hardware Control Program Mod- ule HWCPM.

To form the Functional Unit FTU with the Microcontroller MIC the Hardware Component HWCO comprises further in both forms, the Stationary Device SDE and the Handheld Device HDE, a Da^¬ ta-Interface DIF being connected to the at least one of the opto-mechanical Image-Capture-Elements ICE via which the data of images of the Mamma MAM captured by the opto-mechanical Image-Capture-Element ICE are forwarded to the Processor PRC of the Microcontroller MIC and a Control-Interface CIF being connected to the at least one of the opto-mechanical Scan- Elements SCE via which in both forms lightning pattern of the Scan-Element SCE are controlled by the Microcontroller MIC with the Processor PRC and the Hardware Control Program Mod^¬ ule HWCPM. Moreover in the case of the Stationary Device SDE the Control-Interface CIF is further used such that via the Control-Interface CIF the 3D-movable, in particular at least one of rotatable, tiltable and pivotable, Dome DOM of the Stationary Device SDE is controlled by the Microcontroller MIC with the Processor PRC and the Hardware Control Program Module HWCPM.

The so formed Functional Unit FTU of the Microcontroller MIC with the Processor PRC and the processor-assigned Storage Me^¬ dia STM as well as the "Polynomial Texture Mapping (PTM)"- Program Module PTMPM, the Modeling Program Module MPM and the Hardware Control Program Module HWCPM and the Hardware Compo^¬ nent HWCO is designed such that

(a) the Scan-Element SCE and the Image-Capture-Element ICE controlled by the Hardware Control Program Module HWCPM run^¬ ning on the Processor PRC of the Microcontroller MIC are positioned towards a prepared Tissue TIS for screening purposes with the result that

(al) at least one image for each scan-position is captured and

(a2) based on image data of the captured images "Polynomial Texture Mappings (ΡΤΜ' s)" are computed by the PTM-Program Module PTMPM running on the Processor PRC of the Microcon- troller MIC and

(b) based on coefficients of the "Polynomial Texture Mappings (ΡΤΜ' s) " the Modeling Program Module MPM running on the Processor PRC of the Microcontroller MIC creates models of the surface of the Tissue TIS, which enable in so far the identi^¬ fication of Lumps LUM in the Tissue TIS.

In order to output the created models the Microcontroller MIC is connected with a Display DPL and/or a Printer PRT . Preferably on both the created model can be outputted temporarily. Furthermore the outputted models are thereby at least one of recorded and correspondingly used for longitudinally studying purposes .

According to the FIGURE 1 the Hardware Component HWCO in the form of the Stationary Device SDE includes further a Trans^¬ ducer TRD supporting the detection of Lumps LUM in the Tissue TIS of living beings, in particular Lumps LUM in the Mamma MAM. Although it is not shown in the FIGURE 1 it would be possible also that the Hardware Component HWCO in the form of the Handheld Device HDE includes such a transducer.

FIGURE 2 shows a detailed view on the Hardware Component HWCO formed as the Stationary Device SDE and connected to the Mi^¬ crocontroller MIC of the Appliance APP according to the

FIGURE 1. In the FIGURE 2 it is exemplarily shown how

(i) the Scan-Elements SCE and the Image-Capture-Elements ICE are arranged inside the Dome DOM in order to detect cancerous or noncancerous Lumps LUM in Tissues (TIS) of living beings, in particular the Lump LUM in the Mamma MAM, when the Mamma MAM is positioned underneath of the Dome DOM,

(ii) the Scan-Elements SCE and the Image-Capture-Elements ICE are connected to the Data-Interface DIF and the Control- Interface CIF and

(iii) a Motor MOT used for the 3D-Movement of the Dome DOM with the Scan-Elements SCE and the Image-Capture-Elements ICE, which is controlled via the Control-Interface CIF by the Microcontroller MIC.

Claims

Patent claims

1. Appliance (APP) for detecting cancerous or noncancerous Lumps (LUM) in Tissues (TIS) of living beings, in particular a Lump (LUM) in a Mamma (MAM), including:

(a) A Hardware Component (HWCO) including at least one opto^¬ mechanical Scan-Element (SCE) and at least one opto^¬ mechanical Image-Capture-Element (ICE) as well as a Data- Interface (DIF) and a Control-Interface (CIF) , which are con- nected to the Elements (DIF, CIF) ,

(b) a Microcontroller (MIC) including a Processor (PRC) with a processor-assigned Storage Media (STM) as well as a "Poly^¬ nomial Texture Mapping ( PTM) "-Program Module (PTMPM) , a Modeling Program Module (MPM) and a Hardware Control Program Module (HWCPM) running on the Processor (PRC) and stored in the processor-assigned Storage Media (STM) , which is connect^¬ ed via the Data-Interface (DIF) and the Control-Interface (CIF) with the Scan-Element (SCE) and the Image-Capture- Element (ICE) of the Hardware Component (HWCO),

(c) the Microcontroller (MIC) with the "Polynomial Texture Mapping ( PTM) "-Program Module (PTMPM), the Modeling Program Module (MPM) and the Hardware Control Program Module (HWCPM) form a Functional Unit (FTU) with the Scan-Element (SCE) and the Image-Capture-Element (ICE) such that

(cl) the Scan-Element (SCE) and the Image-Capture-Element (ICE) controlled by the Hardware Control Program Module

(HWCPM) running on the Processor (PRC) of the Microcontroller (MIC) are positioned towards a prepared Tissue (TIS) for screening purposes with the result that

(ell) at least one image for each scan-position is captured and

(cl2) based on image data of the captured images "Polynomial Texture Mappings (PTM' s)" are computed by the PTM-Program Module (PTMPM) running on the Processor (PRC) of the Micro- controller (MIC) ,

(c2) based on coefficients of the "Polynomial Texture Map^¬ pings (PTM' s)" the Modeling Program Module (MPM) creates mod^¬ els of the surface of the Tissue (TIS) , which, if outputted, enable in so far the identification of Lumps (LUM) in the Tissue (TIS) .

2. Appliance (APP) according to claim 1, characterized in that the Hardware Component (HWCO) with the Data-Interface

(DIF) and the Control-Interface (CIF) is formed as a Station^¬ ary Device (SDE) and/or a Handheld Device (HDE) .

3. Appliance (APP) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the Hardware Component (HWCO) includes a Dome (DOM) containing the Scan-Element (SCE) and the Image-Capture- Element (ICE), which for the detecting purpose are in partic^¬ ular alternately and radially arranged inside the Dome (DOM) .

4. Appliance (APP) according to claim 2 and 3, characterized in that the Dome (DOM) of the Stationary Device (SDE) is driven by a motor 3D-movable, in particular at least one of rotatable, tiltable and pivotable.

5. Appliance (APP) according to one of the claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the Dome (DOM) is designed such that at least one of accommodating subject variation, allowing tests under pressure or vacuum such as at controlled air or fluid pressures and allowing automated introduction of low-energy waves such as sound or air-jet pulses serve to create tempo^¬ rary longitudinal/transverse waves in the Tissue (TIS).

6. Appliance (APP) according to one of the claims 1 to 5, characterized in that opto-mechanical Scan-Element (SCE) is each a light source such as a "Light Emitting Diode (LED)", a fiber-optic, a mirror or a flash-bulb and at least one of switchable, modifiable in the element position and fixed.

7. Appliance (APP) according to one of the claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the opto-mechanical Image-Capture- Element (ICE) is each a camera and at least one of modifiable in the element position and fixed.

8. Appliance (APP) according to one of the claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the Hardware Component (HWCO) includes a Transducer (TRD) to support the detection of Lumps (LUM) in Tissues (TIS) of living beings, in particular Lumps (LUM) in the Mamma (MAM) .

9. Appliance (APP) according to one of the claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the Microcontroller (MIC) functions as an embedded system in the Appliance (APP) .

10. Appliance (APP) according to one of the claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the Appliance (APP) is an assembly with separated parts, a first part including the Hardware Compo^¬ nent (HWCO) with the opto-mechanical Scan-Element (SCE) , the opto-mechanical Image-Capture-Element (ICE), the Data- Interface (DIF) and the Control-Interface (CIF) and a second part including the Microcontroller (MIC) with the "Polynomial Texture Mapping ( PTM) "-Program Module (PTMPM) , the Modeling Program Module (MPM) and the Hardware Control Program Module (HWCPM) .

11. Appliance (APP) according to one of the claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the Microcontroller (MIC) with the "Polynomial Texture Mapping ( PTM) "-Program Module (PTMPM), the Modeling Program Module (MPM) and the Hardware Control Program Module (HWCPM) is a "Personal Computer (PC)" such as Desktop-PC, a Notebook, a Tablet-PC.

12. Appliance (APP) according to one of the claims 1 to 11, characterized in that the outputted models, in particular outputted temporarily on a Display (DPL) or on a Printer (PRT) , are at least one of recorded and correspondingly used for longitudinally studying purposes.