Automated detection of profile axis angle of human finger for quantitative digital clubbing diagnosis

Digital clubbing is an important clinical symptom. Characterized by the bulbous appearance of the finger tips, digital clubbing is often associated to a number of cardio-pulmonary disorders namely lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder, cyanotic congenital heart disease, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and numerous other medical conditions. Caused due to platelet derived growth factors and vascular endothelial growth factors, diagnosis of digital clubbing plays predominant role in early detection of many cardio-pulmonary conditions. Qualitative tests provides insufficiently for the conclusive diagnosis of digital clubbing. Profile axis angle determination of human finger can be treated as an effective indicator for quantitative measurement of digital clubbing. This work proposes the development of an automated instrument; designer for precise measurement of profile axis angle of human fingers for quantitative and cost effective diagnosis of digital clubbing.