Koninklijke Philips Corporation N.v.

Benoit Jean-Dominique Bertrand Maurice Mory

Jean-Michel Rouet

Cecile Dufour

Roberto Jose Ardon

Emmanuel Mocé Serge Attia

Raphael Manua Michel Prevost

David N Roundhill

Raoul Florent

Francois Guy Gerard Marie Vignon

Cristian Lorenz

Vincent Maurice André Auvray

Antoine Collet-Billon

Maxim Fradkin

Thomas Shu Yin Tang

Alasdair Dow

Emmanuel Mocé Serge Attia-Gani

In some examples, two dimensional (2D) datasets, such as images, may be transformed into three dimensional (3D) datasets (e.g., volumes). The values and material properties of voxels of the 3D dataset may be based, at least in part, on values of pixels in the 2D dataset. A 3D scene of the 3D dataset may be rendered from a plane parallel to a plane of the 2D dataset to generate a 'top-down' render that may look like a 2D image. In some examples, additional coloring may be added to the rendered 2D image based on intensity or other properties of the 2D dataset.

Rendering of two dimensional data sets

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 present disclosure describes a medical imaging and/or visualization system and method that provide a user interface enabling a user to visualize (e.g., via a volume rendering) a three dimensional (3D) dataset, manipulate the rendered volume to select a slice plane, and generate a diagnostic image at the selected slice plane, which is enhanced by depth colorized background information. The depth colorization of the background image is produced by blending, preferably based on the depth of structures in the volume, two differently colorized volume renderings, and then fusing the background image with a foreground diagnostic image to produce the enhanced diagnostic image.

Systems and methods for generating enhanced diagnostic images from 3D medical image

An ultrasound image processing apparatus () is disclosed for obtaining a biometric measurement of an anatomical feature of interest from a 3D ultrasound image. The apparatus comprises a display apparatus () communicatively coupled to a processor arrangement () adapted to render a volumetric ultrasound image () from the 3-D ultrasound image and control the display apparatus to display said rendered image; receive a plurality of user inputs () highlighting the anatomical feature of interest, each input corresponding to a pixel of the displayed volumetric ultrasound image; estimate a depth of each of said pixels in the volumetric ultrasound image (); define a 3-D path () in the volumetric ultrasound image based on the received user inputs along said estimated depths; perform a processing operation based on the defined 3-D path; and control the display apparatus to display the processing operation result, wherein the processing operation based on the defined 3-D path comprises at least one of a measurement of a length of the 3-D path (); a reorientation of the rendered volumetric ultrasound image (); and a generation of a 2-D image slice () of the 3-D ultrasound image based on the defined 3-D path. Also disclosed are an ultrasound imaging system including such an ultrasound image processing apparatus, a computer-implemented method and a computer program product for implementing this method on a computer.

Volume rendered ultrasound imaging

The present disclosure describes a medical imaging and visualization system that provides a user interface enabling a user to visualize a volume rendering of a three dimensional (3D) data set and to manipulate the volume rendering to dynamically select a MPR plane of the 3D data set for generating a B-mode image at the dynamically selected MPR plane. In some examples, the 3D data set is rendered as a 2D projection of the volume and a user control enables the user to dynamically move the location of the MPR plane while the display updates the rendering of the volume to indicate the current location of the MPR plane and/or corresponding B-mode image.

Systems and methods for generating B-mode images from 3D ultrasound data

The present disclosure describes an image rendering technique that provides a simulated light source positioned within a three dimensional (3D) data set for rendering two dimensional projection images of the 3D data set. The simulated light source may be positioned anywhere inside or outside the 3D data set, including within a region of interest. The simulated light source may be a multidirectional light source. A user may select a position of the simulated light source via a user interface. A user may select an in-plane position of the simulated light source and an image processor and/or volume renderer may automatically calculate a depth position to maintain a distance between the simulated light source and a surface of a region of interest in the 3D data set.

Systems and methods for simulated light source positioning in rendered images

The present invention relates to a medical imaging apparatus (). The apparatus comprises an ultrasound acquisition unit including an ultrasound probe () for acquiring ultrasound image data of a patient (). An image data interface () is provided for receiving 3D medical image data of the patient and a position determining unit () for determining a position of the ultrasound probe. A calibration unit () determines a transfer function between the ultrasound image data and the 3D medical image data at a plurality of positions (C) of the ultrasound probe and provides a corresponding plurality of calibrated transfer functions and calibration positions. A computation unit () synchronizes the ultrasound image data and the 3D medical image data on the basis of a position of the ultrasound probe and the plurality of calibrated transfer functions, said computation unit is further adapted to weight the calibrated transfer functions on the basis of a position of the ultrasound probe.

Medical imaging apparatus

An ultrasound imaging apparatus is disclosed for identifying anatomical objects in a field of view. The apparatus comprises an image interface for receiving 3D medical image data of a patient, and a segmentation unit for segmenting anatomical objects of the patient in the 3D medical image data and for providing segmentation data of the anatomical objects. An ultrasound acquisition unit including an ultrasound probe is included for acquiring ultrasound data of the patient. The apparatus further comprises a position determining unit for determining a position of the ultrasound probe, wherein the position determining unit includes a calibration unit for calibrating the position of the ultrasound probe on the basis of anatomical features of the patient. An identification unit is included in the apparatus for identifying the anatomical objects within the field of view of the ultrasound probe on the basis of the segmentation data and the position of the ultrasound probe.

Feature-based calibration of ultrasound imaging systems

The present invention relates to an ultrasound imaging system () for inspecting an object () in a volume (). The ultrasound imaging system comprises an ultrasound image acquisition probe () for acquiring three-dimensional ultrasound images and providing three-dimensional ultrasound image data, comprising a tracking device () for tracking a position of the ultrasound image acquisition probe () and providing a viewpoint position () of the three-dimensional ultrasound images. By this, an improved initialization and improved co-registration and co-segmentation is enabled by providing a plurality of three-dimensional ultrasound images and their respective viewpoint positions (), and to conduct a segmentation () of the object () simultaneously out of the plurality of three-dimensional ultrasound images and taking into account the viewpoint positions ().

Segmentation of large objects from multiple three-dimensional views

The present invention relates to an ultrasound imaging system () for inspecting an object () in a volume (). The ultrasound imaging system comprises an image processor () configured to conduct a segmentation () of the object () simultaneously out of three-dimensional ultrasound mage data () and contrast-enhanced three-dimensional ultrasound image data (). In particular, this may be done by minimizing an energy term taking into account both the normal three-dimensional ultrasound image data and the contrast-enhanced three-dimensional image data. By this, the normal three-dimensional ultrasound image data and the contrast-enhanced three-dimensional image data may even be registered during segmentation. Hence, this invention allows a more precise quantification of one organ in two different modalities as well as the registration of two images for simultaneous visualization.

Coupled segmentation in 3D conventional ultrasound and contrast-enhanced ultrasound images

The present invention relates to an ultrasound imaging system () for inspecting an object () in a volume (). The ultrasound imaging system comprises an image processor () configured to conduct a segmentation () of the object () simultaneously out of three-dimensional ultrasound mage data () and contrast-enhanced three-dimensional ultrasound image data (). In particular, this may be done by minimizing an energy tem taking into account both the normal three-dimensional ultrasound image data and the contrast-enhanced three-dimensional image data. By this, the normal three-dimensional ultrasound image data and the contrast-enhanced three-dimensional image data may even be registered during segmentation. Hence, this invention allows a more precise quantification of one organ in two different modalities as well as the registration of two images for simultaneous visualization.

Growing community of inventors

Mercer Island, WA, United States of America

Benoit Jean-Dominique Bertrand Maurice Mory