Proposal of high precision multidimensional measurement of tongue mucosa under arbitrary environment based on time-domain correlation imaging method

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K12817
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 90130:Medical systems-related
• Research Institution: Chiba University
• Principal Investigator: Nakaguchi Toshiya 千葉大学, フロンティア医工学センター, 教授 (20361412)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: 舌診断支援 / 分光計測 / 形状計測

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This study proposed a "5D imaging method" that simultaneously realizes spectroscopic images of the tongue surface, three-dimensional shape, and measurement of time variation, and realized an imaging system that excludes the influence of the ambient light source environment by modulating the illumination source. The lighting arrangement was optimized to detect minute irregularities on the tongue surface using the photometric stereo method. A method to calculate the normal of the shape was developed considering the reliability of the measurement. A phantom model was created to evaluate the accuracy of tongue shape measurement, and it was confirmed that the tongue shape could be detected as small as 0.2mm. To record the spectral characteristics of the tongue surface, a multi-band imaging method was investigated. As a result of collecting and analyzing the tongue surface spectral images, we identified four main wavelengths that significantly reflect the color change of the tongue surface.

Free Research Field

医用画像処理

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究は，体調の変化が顕著に現れる「舌」に注目している．消化器系疾患と舌色の直接的な関連は多数報告されていることや，疲労やストレス，体内水分量，代謝不全，脈管系の不良など疾患に至る前の健康状態も舌の状態変化に表れることが知られているため，本研究成果を活用して日常生活中の舌の色や形を継続的に記録することで，発病予防が期待できる．本技術は周囲環境の影響を除外した安定計測を目指しており，将来は家庭での健康モニタリングの実現に貢献できると考えている．