Patrick Bernard Heffernan

Title: Innovations of Patrick Bernard Heffernan

Introduction

Patrick Bernard Heffernan is a notable inventor based in Los Gatos, California. He has made significant contributions to the field of medical imaging, particularly in mammography. With a total of nine patents to his name, Heffernan's work focuses on enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of mammography interpretation workstations.

Latest Patents

One of Heffernan's latest patents is titled "User interface and viewing workflow for mammography workstation." This invention provides a simple user interface and a sequencing viewing method for a mammography interpretation workstation. The invention includes a method and apparatus that moves the source images and associated data using a two-level pre-fetching and caching mechanism. It sequences the reading workflow, which includes worklist, hanging protocol, and viewing sequencing. Additionally, it draws markup using an electronic grease pan and automatically generates recall forms and screening reports. The user interface operates on a single button and mouse wheel style to maximize the radiologists' efficiency.

Another significant patent is "Fast preprocessing algorithms for digital mammography CAD and workstation." This invention discloses a method and apparatus for an image preprocessing device that automatically detects chest wall laterality, removes border artifacts, and segments breast tissue and pectoral muscle from digital mammograms. The algorithms in the preprocessing device utilize the computer cache, a vertical Sobel filter, and a probabilistic Hough transform to detect curved edges. The preprocessing result, along with a pseudo-modality normalized image, can be used as input to a CAD (computer-aided detection) server or to a mammography image review workstation. The preprocessing results improve the protocol for chest wall-to-chest wall image hanging and support optimal image contrast display of each segmented region.

Career Highlights

Heffernan has worked with several companies throughout his career, including Three Palm Software and Carestream Health, Inc. His experience in these organizations has contributed to his expertise in medical imaging technologies.

Collaborations

Some of Heffernan's notable coworkers include Heidi Daoxian Zhang and Daoxian Heidi Zhang. Their collaboration has likely played a role in advancing the innovations in the field of mammography.

Conclusion

Patrick Bernard Heffernan's contributions to medical imaging through his patents and career experiences have significantly impacted the efficiency of mammography interpretation. His innovative approaches continue to enhance the