Siemens Medical Solutions Usa, Inc.

Siemens Corporate Research, Inc.

James P Williams

Charles Henri Florin

Ali Reza Bani-Hashemi

Arun Krishnan

Huseyin Tek

Dorin Comaniciu

Nikolaos Paragios

Romain Moreau-Gobard

Frank Sauer

Nassir Navab

Gianluca Paladini

Ali Khamene

Thomas J O'Donnell

Klaus D Engel

A system and method for patient-specific coronary territory mapping are provided, the system including an adapter unit for receiving three-dimensional ('3D') image data, a modeling unit in signal communication with the adapter unit for fitting a geometric model to the received data and segmenting coronary vessels from the received data, and a mapping unit in signal communication with the modeling unit for mapping the segmented vessels to the surface of the model; and the method including receiving 3D image data, fitting a geometric model to the received data, segmenting coronary vessels from the received data, and mapping the segmented vessels to the surface of the model.

Patient-specific coronary territory mapping

A system and method for tree structure based two-dimensional to three-dimensional registration are provided for receiving three-dimensional (3D) data indicative of vessels, segmenting the 3D data with a vessel tree, simulating two-dimensional (2D) data responsive to the segmented 3D data to form a simulated 2D image, receiving 2D data indicative of vessels, segmenting the received 2D data with a vessel tree, finding a distance transform of the segmented 2D data to form a 2D distance map image, considering a set of poses as state vectors with the corresponding probability computed using the similarity measure computation, re-sampling the pose vector to find a set of most probable poses and considering them as hypothesized poses, recomputing the projection and re-evaluating the probability of the hypothesized poses and updating the state vector until the optimal pose is found.

Tree structure based 2D to 3D registration

Disclosed is a method and apparatus for generating a two dimensional (2D) image of a structure (e.g., an organ) that has at least one pixel corresponding to at least one voxel of a three dimensional (3D) image of the structure. First, the surface of the structure in the 3D image is modeled by a geometrical volume such as an ellipsoid. Next, normal maximum intensity projection (MIP) rays are cast (i.e., projected) for voxels of the geometrical volume. The 2D image is then generated using the rays. The 2D image has at least one pixel that corresponds to at least one voxel of the 3D image.

Method and apparatus for generating a 2D image having pixels corresponding to voxels of a 3D image

A method of segmenting tubular structures in digital images includes selecting a point in an image of a tubular object to be segmented, defining an initial state of the selected point, initializing measurement weights, a conditional probability distribution and a prior probability distribution of a feature space of the initial state, sampling the feature space from the prior probability distribution, estimating a posterior probability distribution by summing sample measurements weighted by the measurement weights, and segmenting a cross section of the tubular object from the posterior probability distribution.

System and method for vascular segmentation by Monte-Carlo sampling

A system and method for artery-vein separation and vessel modeling are provided, the system including an adapter unit, a centerline locating unit in signal communication with the adapter unit, and a deformable modeling unit in signal communication with the centerline locating unit; and the method including receiving three-dimensional image data indicative of vessels, visualizing the received image data, selecting seed points on the vessels relative to the visualization, smoothing the image data with a non-linear filter responsive to curvature information of the data, initiating a deformable model for each selected seed point, modulating the propagation of each deformable model in accordance with at least one of local and global statistics, and growing an interconnected region for each model, where each model competes for classifying new points in its own region until convergence.

Artery-vein separation and vessel modeling

A method of segmenting tubular structures in digital images comprises providing a digitized image, selecting a point within an object for segmenting in the image, defining an initial state of the selected point in the object, performing an initial segmentation of a 2D cross section of the object based on the initial state, predicting a new state of said object about a new point that is a translation of said selected point along the object tangent, correcting said new state prediction based on a measurement of said new point in said image, and segmenting a 2D cross section of said object based on said new state.

System and method for Kalman filtering in vascular segmentation

An apparatus and method for visualizing volume rendered images relative to a viewing vector are provided, where the apparatus includes a processor, a detection unit in signal communication with the processor for detecting occluding contours of opacified structures in the image data, and a resampling unit in signal communication with the processor for generating curved multi-planar-reformat (MPR) resamplings that follow the occluding contours of the opacified structures; and the method includes receiving a volume rendered image, including distance values and surface normals for every pixel that is opacified, gathering all opacified pixels that are orthogonal to the viewing vector into a group of occluding points, and separating the group of occluding points into individual occluding contours.

Visualization of volume-rendered data with occluding contour multi-planar-reformats

A system and corresponding method for organ wall analysis are provided, the system including a processor, an imaging adapter in signal communication with the processor for receiving organ scan data indicative of an organ, a distance mapping unit in signal communication with the processor for providing a three-dimensional distance map of a segmented outer surface of an organ, and a ray-casting unit in signal communication with the processor for providing a maximum intensity projection substantially normal to the segmented outer surface for each of a plurality of rays, and for forming a ray collection by casting each of the plurality of rays from a center of the organ through the respective maximum intensity projection to the segmented outer surface; and the corresponding method including providing a three-dimensional distance map of a segmented outer surface of an organ, providing a maximum intensity projection substantially normal to the segmented outer surface for each of a plurality of rays, and forming a ray collection by casting each of the plurality of rays from a center of the organ through the respective MIP to the segmented outer surface.

Organ wall analysis with ray-casting

An apparatus, method and program storage device are provided for co-registration of multi-modal images in a three-dimensional environment, where the apparatus includes a source of excitation light, an electromagnetic-ray source disposed relative to the source of excitation light, an electromagnetic-ray transparent mirror having a first surface disposed towards the excitation light and a second surface disposed towards the electromagnetic-ray source, a target location disposed towards the first surface of the electromagnetic-ray transparent mirror for locating a target and receiving the excitation light and the electromagnetic rays, an electromagnetic-ray detector disposed on an opposite side of the target location relative to the electromagnetic-ray transparent mirror for detecting electromagnetic-rays transmitted through the target, a second electromagnetic-ray transparent mirror having a light-reflective surface disposed towards the target location, and a light detector disposed towards the light-reflective surface of the second electromagnetic-ray transparent mirror for detecting light from the target.

Real-time acquisition of co-registered X-ray and optical images

A method for segmentation of 3D structures in CT and MR images is provided. The method is based on 3D ray propagation by mean-shift analysis with a smoothness constraint. Ray propagation is used to guide an evolving surface due to its computational efficiency and shape priors are incorporated for robust convergence. The method includes the steps of receiving 3D image data; visualizing the 3D image data on a display device; selecting a structure in the 3D image data by placing a seed in the structure; initializing a plurality of rays from the seed to form a surface; determining a speed function of each of the rays; evolving the surface by propagating the rays based on the speed function of each of the rays; converging the rays on a boundary of the structure; and segmenting the structure when all of the rays have converged on the structure's boundary.

Segmentation of 3D medical structures using robust ray propagation

Disclosed is a method of analyzing curvilinear structures by receiving three-dimensional space imaging data of a curvilinear structure, defining an axis curve within the curvilinear structure, sweeping a line segment along said axis curve so as to define a ribbon in said three-dimensional space, and adsorbing data from said three-dimensional space onto said ribbon. This ribbon may then be flattened for convenient examination.

Visualization imaging system for curvilinear structures

A method for segmentation of 2D structures in CT and MR images is provided. The method is based on 2D ray propagation by mean-shift analysis with a smoothness constraint. Ray propagation is used to guide an evolving curve due to its computational efficiency and shape priors are incorporated for robust convergence. The method includes the steps of receiving 2D image data; visualizing the 2D image data on a display device; selecting a structure in the 2D image data by placing a seed in the structure; initializing a plurality of rays from the seed to form a curve; determining a speed function of each of the rays; evolving the curve by propagating the rays based on the speed function of each of the rays; converging the rays on a boundary of the structure; and segmenting the structure when all of the rays have converged on the structure's boundary.

Vessel detection by mean shift based ray propagation

There is provided a method for accelerating the generation and display of volume-rendered cut-away-views of three-dimensional images. The method includes the step of rendering a three-dimensional image from a set of textured image surfaces. At least one image corresponding to at least one intermediate result of the rendering step is accumulated. The at least one image includes at least one accumulation of at least two of the textured image surfaces. The at least one image is stored in a volume buffer for subsequent rendering of cut-away-views of the three-dimensional image therefrom. The accumulating step includes the step of accumulating one image for each of the plurality of textured image surfaces. Alternatively, the accumulating step includes the step of accumulating one image for only some of the plurality of textured image surfaces.

Method for accelerating the generation and display of volume-rendered cut-away-views of three-dimensional images

A method and apparatus for providing a high-quality representation of a volume having a real-time 3-D reconstruction therein of movement of an object, wherein the real-time movement of the object is determined using a lower-quality representation of only a portion of the volume. Movement of the object is detected in a 2-D X-ray fluoroscopy image and is reconstructed in a 3-D angiography (X-ray) reconstruction. Using a common C-arm and X-ray geometry advantageously, the 2-D and 3-D data representative of vascular structures of a patient is acquired, thereby facilitating the merger of the real-time 2-D fluoroscopic images with the 3-D reconstructed vascular structures in a common 3-D-visualization framework. Also described is a technique for 3-D reconstruction of a catheter from real-time 2-D fluoroscopic images and stored 3-D angiography data, so as to present the 3-D reconstructed catheter in the common coordinate frame. The merger of 3-D angiography image representations acquired with other modalities, such as MR or CT, is also disclosed.

Fluoroscopy based 3-D neural navigation based on 3-D angiography reconstruction data

A method and apparatus for providing a high-quality representation of a volume having a real-time 3-D reconstruction therein of movement of a catheter, wherein its real-time movement is determined using a lower-quality representation of only a portion of the volume. Movement of the catheter is detected in a 2-D X-ray fluoroscopy image and is reconstructed in a 3-D angiography (X-ray) reconstruction. Described is a catheter design for easier detection, and a technique for 3-D reconstruction of a catheter from real-time 2-D fluoroscopic images and stored 3-D angiography data, so as to present the 3-D reconstructed catheter in the common coordinate frame.

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Princeton Junction, NJ, United States of America

James P Williams