Merge Healthcare, Inc.

Mri Interventions, Inc.

Cedara Software Corp.

Clearpoint Neuro, Inc.

Paul Arthur Geiger

Peter G Piferi

David John Sayler

Kimble Jenkins

Philip Bradley Hotte

Timothy Neil Orr

Pavel Farberov

Vittorio Accomazzi

Songyang Yu

Kimble L Jenkins

Circuits and computer program products onboard and/or adapted to communicate with an scanner that electronically recognize predefined physical characteristics of the at least one tool to automatically segment image data provided by the scanner whereby the at least one tool constitutes a point of interface with the system. The circuits and computer program products are configured to provide a User Interface that defines workflow progression for an image guided surgical procedure and allows a user to select steps in the workflow, and generate multi-dimensional visualizations using the predefined data of the at least one tool and data from images of the patient in substantially real time during the surgical procedure.

Image processing circuits for real-time visualizations using MRI image data and predefined data of surgical tools

Computer programs for visualizations using image data and predefined data of surgical tools

A computer-implemented system and method of determining anterior commissure (AC) and posterior commissure (PC) points in a volumetric neuroradiological image. The method includes determining, by a computer, a mid-sagittal plane estimate to extract a mid-sagittal plane image from the volumetric neuroradiological image, and AC and PC point estimates in the mid-sagittal plane image. The method further includes determining, by the computer, a refined mid-sagittal plane estimate from the AC and PC point estimates to extract a refined mid-sagittal plane image, the AC point from the refined mid-sagittal plane image, and the PC point from the refined mid-sagittal plane image and the AC point.

Anterior commissure and posterior commissure segmentation system and method

MRI-Surgical systems include: (a) at least one MRI-compatible surgical tool; (b) a circuit adapted to communicate with an MRI scanner; and (c) at least one display in communication with the circuit. The circuit electronically recognizes predefined physical characteristics of the at least one tool to automatically segment MR image data provided by the MRI scanner whereby the at least one tool constitutes a point of interface with the system. The circuit is configured to provide a User Interface that defines workflow progression for an MRI-guided surgical procedure and allows a user to select steps in the workflow, and wherein the circuit is configured to generate multi-dimensional visualizations using the predefined data of the at least one tool and data from MRI images of the patient in substantially real time during the surgical procedure.

Methods associated with MRI surgical systems for real-time visualizations using MRI image data and predefined data of surgical tools

A system and method for enhancing digital images is described. A digital image is transformed into a series of decomposed images in frequency bands, or different resolution grids. A decomposed image is noise suppressed and contrast enhanced. Representative value of signal at each pixel is computed based on contributions to signals from pixels in a neighborhood of the pixel. Lookup tables are applied to pixel values to selectively enhance signal in a predetermined range of signal strength. Another set of lookup tables are applied to pixel values to suppress noise components contained therein. Optionally, operations are applied to decomposed images to suppress quantum noise, enhance object edges or enhance global contrast, among others. These decomposed images, after signal enhancement and noise suppression, are then recombined to result in an enhanced image.

Method and system for enhancing digital images

MRI surgical systems for real-time visualizations using MRI image data and predefined data of surgical tools

A method for removing shutter areas in an image, in particular an x-ray image is provided. Edges are examined in a multi-resolution image pyramid and evaluated to determine potential shutter blade candidates defining the shutter areas. Heuristic rules and/or an automatic classifier such as a Neuronal Network, are applied to distinguish true shutter blades from false positives. The rule set and the classifier are based on a set of features extracted from the potential shutter blade candidates as well as predetermined knowledge of the expected placement of the shutter, human anatomy. Up to four shutter blades are expected to be detected and based on these blades, the bright areas in the image that occur due to the shutters are removed.

System and method for shutter detection

A method and computer program are provided for segmenting a prostate from a medical image such as an ultrasound image. Each slice in a study is analysed and uses a manual initialization to obtain an initial contour, in which a user selects initial points that are automatically rendered on the image. An automatic refinement stage then snaps the contour to the prostate boundary in the image based on a pre-stored anatomical atlas and edge information obtained from the image. A manual adjustment stage may then be performed and if selected, the contour is automatically propagated to the next image slice to avoid the manual initialization. An auxiliary image slice may be referred to, which indicates how the prostate shape changes from slice to slice, e.g. by providing a perpendicular profile.

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Toronto, Canada

Paul Arthur Geiger