Koninklijke Philips Corporation N.V.

U.S. Philips Corporation

Nxp B.v.

The United States of America, As Represented by the Secretary, Department of Health and Human Services

Cecile Dufour

Gary Cheng-How Ng

Thomas Shu Yin Tang

Stephane Valente

Benoit Jean-Dominique Bertrand Maurice Mory

Robert Randall Entrekin

Laurence Rouet

Antoine Collet-Billon

Oudom Somphone

Roberto Jose Ardon

Stephane Allaire

Gwenaelle Marquant

Raoul Florent

Jochen Kruecker

James Robertson Jago

Vijay Thakur Shamdasani

Bradford Johns Wood

Odile Bonnefous

Celine Firtion

Yves Ramanzin

Ganesan Ramachandran

Stéphane Allaire

Sindhu Priyadarshini Nellur Prakash

Raphael Manua Michel Prevost

Vincent Auvray

Benoit Jean-dominique Bertrand Maurice Mory

Roberto José Ardon

Samuel Kadoury

Nicolas Vanhaelewyn

Gilles Nocture

Thomas Tang

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

A method and processing system for providing a three-dimensional, 3D, ultrasound image along with an additional ultrasound acquisition. A location of the additional ultrasound acquisition with respect to the three-dimensional ultrasound image is determined or obtained. After obtaining the 3D ultrasound image and the additional ultrasound acquisition, initial display data is for display of only the 3D ultrasound image. In response to a user input, second display data is generated for displaying both the 3D ultrasound image and the additional ultrasound acquisition. The display of the additional ultrasound acquisition is based on the location of the additional ultrasound acquisition with respect to the three-dimensional ultrasound image.

Providing a three dimensional ultrasound image

The invention provides a method of stabilising an ultrasound image, the method comprising generating a composite image of a current image and at least one previous image. The composite image has a region of interest which is stabilised based on at least obtained stabilisation information. Use of a current image and at least one previous image allows a composite image of a larger size to be produced.

Stabilization of ultrasound images

A fusion imaging system co-registers and fuses real time ultrasound images with reference images such as those produced by MRI or CT imaging. In an illustrated implementation, previously acquired CT or MRI or ultrasound images are loaded into the system. An ultrasound system is operated in conjunction with a tracking system so that the ultrasound probe and images can be spatially tracked. A computerized image processor registers the probe position with a reference image of the anatomy being scanned by the probe and determines whether the probe appears to be inside the skin line of the subject. If that is the case it is due to probe compression of the subject, and the reference image is modified to locate the skin line in the reference image in front of the ultrasound probe. The modified reference images can then be readily co-registered and fused with the ultrasound images produced by the probe.

Correcting probe induced deformation in an ultrasound fusing imaging system

The present disclosure describes ultrasound imaging systems and methods, which may enable the automatic identification of an image plane in a pre-operative volume corresponding to a real-time image of a moving region of interest. An example method includes receiving real-time ultrasound image data from a probe associated with a position-tracking sensor, generating real-time images based on the real-time ultrasound data and deriving a motion model from the real-time ultrasound image data. The method may further include automatically identifying an image plane in a pre-operative data set to correspond to the real-time ultrasound image by correcting for motion-induced misalignment between the real-time data and the pre-operative data.

Ultrasound system and method for correcting motion-induced misalignment in image fusion

Disclosed is a computer-implemented method for determining an ovarian follicle count and size (diameter) from a pair of 2-D transvaginal ultrasound scans. The method comprises receiving the pair of 2-D (two-dimensional) transvaginal ultrasound scans, each scan comprising a plurality of 2-D ultrasound images captured along a translation direction of an ultrasound probe used to capture said scan, the respective translation directions being at least approximately orthogonal, and for each of said scans, the method further comprising detecting candidate follicles in the plurality of 2-D ultrasound images of the at least one 2-D transvaginal ultrasound scan; and segmenting the detected candidate follicles to determine an average diameter for each candidate follicle; selecting the 2-D transvaginal ultrasound scan including the candidate follicle having the largest average diameter; and presenting the determined average diameters and the segmentations of the detected candidate follicles of the selected 2-D transvaginal ultrasound scan. A computer program product, ultrasound image processing device and ultrasound imaging system adapted to implement this method are also disclosed.

Ovarian follicle count and size determination using transvaginal ultrasound scans

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 medical imaging apparatus () for inspecting a volume of a subject () is disclosed. The medical imaging apparatus comprises an ultrasound acquisition unit () including an ultrasound probe for acquiring ultrasound image data of the subject, an image interface () for receiving medical image data of the subject, a position determining unit () for determining a position of the ultrasound probe. An alignment unit is provided for aligning the ultrasound image data and the medical image data based on anatomical features () of the subject and the detected position of the ultrasound probe and for adapting the alignment of the ultrasound image data and the medical image data based on a motion model. An image processing unit () is provided for processing the ultrasound image data and the medical image data to fuse the ultrasound image data and the medical image data based on the alignment to combined image data.

Medical imaging apparatus and medical imaging method for inspecting a volume of a subject

An ultrasound imaging apparatus () is disclosed for providing two-dimensional ultrasound images of a patient. The ultrasound imaging apparatus comprises an input interface () for receiving three-dimensional ultrasound data of a volume of the patient from an ultrasound acquisition unit as a continuous data stream and a motion detection unit () for determining a motion of an object in the three-dimensional ultrasound data and a direction of the motion in the three-dimensional ultrasound data. An image processing unit () determines a spatial rotation angle () of an image plane () within the volume on the basis of the determined direction of the motion and determines two-dimensional ultrasound image data on the basis of the three-dimensional ultrasound data in the image plane within the volume. The two-dimensional image data is provided via an output interface to a display unit ().

Ultrasound imaging apparatus

The invention relates to x-ray imaging technology as well as image post-processing. Particularly, the present invention relates to post-processing of perfusion image data acquired by an x-ray imaging apparatus by absolutely or relatively normalizing perfusion image data to allow a preferred comparison of the image data, both with regard to different acquisitions as well as different patients. To allow normalization of perfusion image data, it may be desirable to know the amount of contrast agent injected, which remains in a coronary. Subsequently, image parameters may be adapted or normalized based on the known amount of contrast agent within the coronary for normalization of perfusion image data. To obtain a precise amount of injected contrast agent, the injected volume of contrast agent flowing through a defined region or section of a vessel may be estimated. Said injected volume of contrast agent may thus be deduced from the estimation of the total volume flow at this location. Accordingly, a method () is provided for dynamic normalization of data for perfusion comparison and quantification, comprising the steps of determining () a total volume flow or an amount of a contrast agent in a blood vessel and normalizing () perfusion data based on the determined total volume flow or amount of contrast agent.

Dynamic normalization of data for perfusion comparison and quantification

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.

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

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.

Growing community of inventors

Paris, France

Cecile Dufour