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Publication Number
US-12642482-B2
Publication Date
2026-06-02
Expiration Date
Abstract
Accordingly, systems and methods have been developed to monitor, diagnose, and predict the course of a wound to aid in determining whether a wound is properly healing. This includes systems and methods that may be performed by the patient in the home in some cases, and some that utilized sensors available on mobile devices. Thus, patients may be able to manage wounds at home without the intervention of caregivers and reduce the costs of admission to hospitals.
Core Innovation
The wound monitoring system uses camera image data and optional infrared data to identify wound boundaries and wound features, including temperature, size, and color. A machine-learning algorithm evaluates wound features to identify wound type and/or wound stage, and the system presents an indication of that assessment. It also generates an edited predicted image of the wound after a time interval and can assess healing trajectory.
The system determines unsatisfactory healing from wound features and generates an alert that is automatically transmitted to a user; described alert recipients include a patient or caregiver. The partial content does not include the background section, so the problem being solved in that section is not explicitly described in patent. The described functions include identifying signs of infection or delayed healing and displaying predicted wound images.
Claims Coverage
The relevant claims include three independent claims: claims 1 and 8 cover systems for monitoring a wound, and claim 16 covers a method for monitoring a wound. The three inventive features below summarize the principal subject matter of each independent claim.
Image-based wound assessment and prediction
Claim 1 covers a system that identifies wound-representing pixels in a camera image, processes them to identify wound features, and uses a machine-learning algorithm to identify wound type and/or stage for display. The system also generates an edited image predicting the wound after a time interval.
Unsatisfactory-healing assessment and alert
Claim 8 covers a system that identifies wound-representing pixels and wound features, determines from those features that the wound is healing unsatisfactorily, and generates an edited predicted image. Based on that determination, the system generates an alert and automatically transmits it to a user.
Method for wound assessment, prediction, and alerting
Claim 16 covers a method that processes a camera image to identify wound pixels and features, uses a machine-learning algorithm to identify wound type and/or stage, and presents the result. The method also determines unsatisfactory healing, generates an edited predicted image, and generates and automatically transmits an alert.
The independent claims cover image-based wound feature analysis, classification of wound type and/or stage, prediction through an edited wound image, and assessment and alerting for unsatisfactory healing. Claims 1 and 8 recite systems, while claim 16 recites a method.
Stated Advantages
Not explicitly described in patent.
Documented Applications
Monitoring wounds using camera image data and optional infrared data to assess wound features, wound type or stage, and healing.
Alerting a user, including a patient or caregiver, when the system determines that a wound is healing unsatisfactorily.
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