US 12,324,677 B2
System and method for quantitative evaluation of breast health
Siva Teja Kakileti, Kakinada (IN); Geetha Manjunath, Bangalore (IN); V. N Ratna Kumari T, Hyderabad (IN); Kanchana Gopinath, Bangalore (IN); and Himanshu J Madhu, Bangalore (IN)
Assigned to NIRAMAI HEALTH ANALYTIX PVT. LTD, Bangalore (IN)
Appl. No. 18/009,303
Filed by NIRAMAI HEALTH ANALYTIX PVT. LTD, Bangalore (IN)
PCT Filed Jun. 3, 2021, PCT No. PCT/IN2021/050539
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Dec. 8, 2022,
PCT Pub. No. WO2021/250693, PCT Pub. Date Dec. 16, 2021.
Claims priority of application No. 202041024230 (IN), filed on Jun. 9, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2024/0000372 A1, Jan. 4, 2024
Int. Cl. G06K 9/00 (2022.01); A61B 5/00 (2006.01); A61B 5/01 (2006.01); G06T 7/00 (2017.01); G16H 10/60 (2018.01); G16H 15/00 (2018.01)
CPC A61B 5/4312 (2013.01) [A61B 5/015 (2013.01); A61B 5/7264 (2013.01); G06T 7/0012 (2013.01); G16H 10/60 (2018.01); G16H 15/00 (2018.01); G06T 2207/10048 (2013.01); G06T 2207/30068 (2013.01)] 15 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for a quantitative evaluation of a breast health of a woman for clinical management of a breastfeeding, the method comprising:
receiving a thermal image of a breast region of the woman captured by at least one of a thermal imaging camera, thermal sensor, or a wearable contact-based thermal device, the thermal imaging device comprising:
an array of sensors that converts an infrared energy into electrical signals on a per-pixel basis; and
a specialized processor that processes the detected temperature values into at least one block of pixels to generate the thermal image;
characterized in that,
automatically determining network structures associated with ductal or vascular thermal patterns of the woman by analysing the thermal images of the woman, wherein the network structures are determined by:
finding cylindrical structures in the thermal image of the woman using a machine learning model or image processing techniques; and
creating a graphical network using branch points and endpoints as vertices and edges as an obtained skeleton, wherein the graphical network comprises schematics of the ductal and vascular network which represents the ductal or vascular thermal patterns;
estimating quantitative parameters corresponding to the ductal or vascular thermal patterns from the determined network structures using the machine learning model; and
generating a breast health report with the estimated quantitative parameters and the schematics of vascular network to enable clinical management of breastfeeding,
wherein the method comprises comparing the quantitative parameters of a left breast of a pregnant and lactating woman with a right breast of the pregnant and lactating woman to determine an asymmetry in the ductal and vascular network, wherein the identified asymmetry is included in the breast health report, wherein the asymmetry in the vascular network is used to provide a lactation guidance to new mothers.