Koninklijke Philips Corporation N.v.

U.S. Philips Corporation

National Institutes of Health, a Component of the US Dept. of Health & Human Services

U.S. Philips Cororation

Antoine Collet-Billon

Olivier Gerard

Marie Jacob

James Robertson Jago

Cecile Dufour

Raoul Florent

Jochen Kruecker

Bradford Johns Wood

Robert Randall Entrekin

Raoul Mallart

Vincent Maurice André Auvray

Laurence Rouet

Paul Ross Detmer

Benoit Jean-Dominique Bertrand Maurice Mory

Alasdair Dow

Lisa Kay Pumphrey

Samuel Kadoury

Alisdair Dow

Lisa Pumphrey

Gaspar Delso

An image processing apparatus () is disclosed that comprises a processor arrangement () adapted to receive image data corresponding to a region of interest () of a patients cardiovascular system, said image data comprising a temporal sequence () of intravascular ultrasound images acquired () at different phases of at least one cardiac cycle of said patient, said intravascular ultrasound images imaging overlapping volumes of the patient's cardiovascular system; implement a spatial reordering process of said temporal sequence of intravascular ultrasound images by evaluating the image data to select at least one spatial reference (, Vref) associated with said temporal sequence of intravascular ultrasound images; estimating a distance to the at least one spatial reference for each of the intravascular ultrasound images of said temporal sequence; and reordering said temporal sequence of intravascular ultrasound images into a spatial sequence of intravascular ultrasound images based on the estimated distances; and generate an output comprising said spatial sequence of intravascular ultrasound images. Also disclosed are a method and computer program product to configure an image processing apparatus accordingly.

Intravascular ultrasound imaging

The invention provides a method of patient monitoring following endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) with a stent graft. It particularly applies to abdominal aortic aneurysm repair. A first 3D volume scan of the stent in situ is provided and a second, subsequent 3D volume scan of the stent is also provided. One or more fiducial markers are generated in a first image derived from the first scan and in a second image derived from the second scan. The fiducial markers identify recognizable features of the stent, such as the bifurcation point in the stent graft. A rigid 3D transform mapping based on the one or more fiducial markers is extracted and then a registration is applied to the first and second scans based on the 3D rigid transform between the first and second images. A size value is derived at the same location in the aneurysm from the first and second scans. The same location is determined with reference to the registered first and second images of the stent. A comparison of the size value from the first and second scans is used to assess a change in size of the aneurysm between the first and second scans. This change in size allows the clinician to evaluate disease progression.

Imaging method, controller and imaging system, for monitoring a patient post EVAR

A system and method for image registration includes tracking () a scanner probe in a position along a skin surface of a patient. Image planes corresponding to the position are acquired (). A three-dimensional volume of a region of interest is reconstructed () from the image planes. A search of an image volume is initialized () to determine candidate images to register the image volume with the three-dimensional volume by employing pose information of the scanner probe during image plane acquisition, and physical constraints of a pose of the scanner probe. The image volume is registered () with the three-dimensional volume.

System and method for automated initialization and registration of navigation system

An ultrasonic diagnostic imaging system acquires 3D data sets of the fetal heart by use of a gating signal synthesized from detected motion of the fetal heart. A sequence of temporally different echo signals are acquired from a location in the anatomy where motion representative of the heart cycle is to be estimated, such as a sample volume in the fetal carotid artery or an M line through the fetal myocardium. A heart cycle signal is synthesized from the detected motion and used to gate the acquisition of fetal heart image data at one or more desired phases of the fetal heart cycle. In an illustrated embodiment 3D data sets are acquired from multiple subvolumes, each over the full fetal heart cycle, then combined to produce a live 3D loop of the beating fetal heart.

Three dimensional fetal heart imaging by non-ECG physiological gated acquisition

Image processing system for displaying information relating to the amplitude of displacements of wall regions of a deformable 3-D object under study, comprising acquisition means to acquire an image sequence of the simplified 3D object wall; and processing means to process the image data for defining region(s) of interest on the simplified 3D object wall, and computing the maximal amplitudes of displacement of said region(s) of interest over a period of time; constructing two 2D simplified representations (bull's eye representations) of the 3D simplified object wall with projection of the region(s) of interest in respective segments of said 2D simplified representations, respectively denoted by 2D simplified amplitude and phase representations; and further comprising display means to display color coded indications of the maximal amplitudes of displacements of the region(s) of interest over a period of time in the respective segments of the 2D simplified amplitude representation; and the display of color coded indications of the instants of time at which the maximum of amplitudes of displacements occur(s) in the region(s) of interest, over said period of time, in the respective segments of the 2D simplified phase representation. The 2D simplified amplitude and phase representations are preferably displayed together in a same image. The object under study can be the heart left ventricle. The image sequence can be provided and processed by an ultrasound system.

Image processing method for displaying information relating to parietal motions of a deformable 3-D object

An ultrasonic diagnostic imaging system is described which records expert review of a 3D image data set, including image plane and view manipulation, annotation, and measurements, for the purpose of generating automated review protocols for 3D ultrasound image acquisitions. The ability to provide a standardized 3D review protocol has benefits such as guiding reviewers of all experience levels through the required steps to extract key images and measurements from 3D image data, enabling automation to improve 3D review workflow and reduce review time, monitoring growth or therapy, and standardizing review presentations for easy comparison with prior examination results.

Generation of standard protocols for review of 3D ultrasound image data

Generating at least one view () of a portion of a computed tomography image includes selecting () a seed point () for a structure of interest within the image, pre-processing () a region of interest surrounding the seed point, estimating () at least one inertia axis for the region of interest, and generating () the at least one view from one or more of three planes that include the seed point and are orthogonal to each axis of inertia.

Automatic generation of optimal views for computed tomography thoracic diagnosis

An image processing method for processing a sequence of images of a distortable 3-D Object, each image being registered at a corresponding image instant within the interval of time of the sequence having steps to construct and display an image of said 3-D Object represented with regions, each region showing a quantified indication relating to its maximal contraction or relaxation within said interval of time. Each region of the constructed and displayed image is attributed a respective color of a color coded scale that is function of the calculated quantified indication relating to the maximum of contraction or relaxation of said region. The quantified indications may be the instant when a face or region has had its maximum of contraction or relaxation; or the phase value corresponding to said maximum; or the delay to attain said maximum.

Method for processing an image sequence of a distortable 3-D object to yield indications of the object wall deformations

A medical ultrasound viewing system for processing a sequence of three-dimensional (3-D) ultrasound images far performing a quantitative estimation of a flow through a body organ comprising means for performing steps of acquiring a sequence of 3D color flow images, of said flow; assessing the flow velocity values in the 3D images, constructing isovelocity surfaces (6) by segmentation of the flow velocity values; computing the volume (Vol) delimited by the isovelocity surfaces; and using the flow velocity value (V) and the volume (Vol) computed from a segmented surface for computing the surface of an orifice (3) of the organ through which the flow propagates. The viewing system further comprises means for performing steps of measuring the peak velocity (V) of said flow through said orifice; computing the surface of the orifice (SOR) through which the flow propagates as a function of the flow velocity value (V) at an isovelocity surface upstream the flow propagation with respect to said orifice, the volume (Vol) computed from said segmented isovelocity surface, and the peak velocity of the flow through said orifice. The surface is given by the formula: SOR=Vol. V/V. The system can be applied to the assessment of the surface of regurgitation of the mitral jet.

Viewing system having means for processing a sequence of ultrasound images for performing a quantitative estimation of  flow in a body organ

Image processing method for displaying an image sequence of a deformable 3-D object with indications of the object wall motions comprising steps of acquiring image data of an image sequence, segmenting the 3-D object in the images of the sequence for locating the wall of the 3-D object, and coloring voxels or parts of the wall in function of their displacement with respect to the wall of the 3-D object in one image of the sequence chosen as a reference. Color images of the 3-D object with color coded voxels or parts of the wall are displayed in a sequence for the user to estimate the object wall motion. This method is used in medical examination apparatus for studying ultrasound images of organs whose walls have motion.

Image processing method for displaying an image sequence of a deformable 3-D object with indications of the object wall motion

A system useful echographic examination simulation and training includes an ultrasonic echograph (31) equipped with a TV monitor (32), a 3D probe (33) for analyzing a subject, acquisition means (39), a memory card (42) storing the detected acoustic lines and a workstation (34) with central processing unit (35) and 3D echography memory (38). For reading the latter memory (38), the system includes a viewing device including a dummy (56) simulating the subject, and a 3D orientation sensor (52) connected to the workstation via a 3D coordinate indicator (54) and display means (29) of the workstation, which make the sectional plane which the sensor defines on the dummy correspond to the equivalent plane contained in the form of voxels in the echography memory (38), and display this plane on the screen of the TV monitor (32).

System and method for viewing three-dimensional echographic data

An ultrasonic echographic imaging device for two dimensions (x, y), includes an adaptive filter for reducing the interference noise in the images obtained. A first circuit differentiates the signal (E(x, y)) applied to the adaptive filter and a second circuit forms the weighted sum of the signal (S(x, y)) leaving the adaptive filter (200) and the signal (dE(x, y)/dy) output of the differentiating circuit.

Ultrasonic echographic imaging device utilizing an improved adaptive

An ultrasonic echography device, comprising at least one piezoelectric transducer, a stage for transmitting an ultrasonic beam, and a stage for receiving and processing echographic signals e returned to the transducer. The stage for receiving and processing comprises at least one grey-scale morphological filter which comprises elementary erosion filters and dilation filters for processing applied to the echographic signals.

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Paris, France

Antoine Collet-Billon