Koninklijke Philips Corporation N.v.

U.S. Philips Corporation

Steven Lobregt

Hubrecht Lambertus Tjalling De Bliek

Alexander H Van Eeuwijk

Michael Kaus

Iwo Willem Oscar Serlie

Roel Truyen

Frans Andreas Gerritsen

Cornelis Pieter Visser

Johannes C Op De Beek

Raoul Florent

Juergen Weese

Jürgen Weese

Raymond Joseph Elisabeth Habets

Sylvain Devillers

Sh&eacute;rif Makram-Ebeid

Paul Antoon Cyriel Desmedt

Jacques Breitenstein

Alan Pek Seng Tjhang

Roelof Werkman

Nicolae Suditu

Joost Frederik

Alan P S Tjhang

Hurecht L T De Bliek

Iwo W O Serlie

Hubrecht L T De Bliek

The present invention discloses a method of retrieving a plurality of data slices from a medical image data set (), the method comprising the steps of: a) displaying an indicator () associated with the plurality of data slices; b) selecting the indicator () based on a user input; and c) retrieving the plurality of data slices () associated with the indicator when said indicator is selected; wherein the association between the indicator and the plurality of slices is based on segmentation of the medical image data set, the indicator representing an object obtained in the segmentation of the medical image data set, the plurality of data slices comprising the object data. The method of the invention reduces the amount of data transfer because it allows for retrieving only those data slices which comprise relevant data relating to the object of interest.

Method of retrieving data from a medical image data set

A method of visualization of a multi-dimensional dataset of data-elements involves a rendering process in which a display-value and an opacity value are assigned to individual data-elements. One or several control sets are defined comprising respective datavalues, display-values and opacity values related according to the transfer function and for individual control set(s) the opacity value is adjustable independently of the opacity values of other control set(s). The individually and independently adjustable control sets enable the user to adjust the transfer function in a very intuitive way.

Visualization of a rendered multi-dimensional dataset

Disclosed is a method of constructing an object data set of data elements representing a physical property to be displayed, stored or written to a readable medium. The method includes, assigning, by the data elements, data values to respective positions in a multi-dimensional geometrical space, wherein the data values representing a physical property of an object; assigning attributes to respective data elements; deriving relative contributions of the physical property to the data values of the respective data elements; and assigning the attributes to the data elements on the basis of the relative contributions of the physical property to the data values of the data elements.

Volume visualization using tissue mix

The invention relates to a method of measuring geometric variables of a three-dimensional structure contained in an object from at least on image representing the object, having the following steps:&#x2014;use of a deformable first model describing the structure, the shape of which model can be described by parameters,&#x2014;adjustment of the first model to the structure in the image,&#x2014;determination of the parameters at which the first model exhibits optimum conformity with the structure,&#x2014;use of a deformable second model describing the structure, which second model in shape corresponds to the first model, and which in addition contains at least one geometric variable,&#x2014;modification of the second model according to the parameters determined, and&#x2014;derivation of the geometric variable(s) from the modified second model.

Method of measuring geometric variables of a structure contained in an image

A method of relating medical data image viewing planes to each other is provided. The method comprises defining at least two non-orthogonal two-dimensional (2D) image viewing planes in at least one three-dimensional (3D) medical image data set, and linking said 2D image viewing planes with a fixed relation to each other, such that when a first of said 2D image viewing planes is altered, the remaining 2D image viewing planes are automatically changed by said fixed relation with reference to said first 2D image viewing plane.

Method and device for relating medical 3D data image viewing planes to each other

A method for visualization and inspection of elongated curved structures is disclosed. According to an embodiment improved inspection of elongated three dimensional (3D) curved structures such as blood vessels in a 3D medical image is disclosed. Rendering is performed such that it results in the visualization of a (3D) curved cutplane of said curved elongated structure. The advantages of this method are for instance that the cutplane information is interpreted easily in relation to the three-dimensional shape and surroundings of the elongated object, without distortions, and that cutplanes along more than one structure can be visualized and examined together at the same time, without interpretation problems for diagnosis and therapy of anomalies in e.g. the blood vessels.

Method to visualize cutplanes for curved elongated structures

The present invention relates to the field of digital imaging, in particular to the field of estimating geometrical properties of an anatomical object. According to the present invention, geometrical properties are automatically measured and geometrical properties which have a definition based on sub-parts of the object are derived. To do this, additional geometrical information is integrated into a surface model. Geometrical properties are included into the surface model by identifying and labelling sub-parts of the surface model and fitting geometric primitives to these sub-parts. This advantageously allows to identify these sub-parts on an unseen object surface and to automatically extract relevant geometric properties.

Automated measurement of objects using deformable models

A system for visualizing a 3D volume, in particular for medical applications, includes an inputfor receiving a three-dimensional set of data representing voxel values of the 3D volume. The data set is stored in a storage. A processor projects the volume onto an imaginary 2D projection screen from a predetermined viewpoint. For each pixel of the 2D projection image a ray is cast through the pixel and through the volume. A protocol is used that, while traversing along ray positions within the volume, determines a rendering algorithm and/or rendering parameters in dependence on the ray position. For each ray position the determined rendering algorithm/parameters are used to calculate a contribution to a pixel value of the pixel based on at least one voxel value within a predetermined range of the ray position. An outputis used for providing pixel values of a 2D image for rendering on a display.

Protocol-based volume visualization

A method of object mapping in a multi-dimensional dataset, said method comprising using a processor to perform the steps of: segmenting the multi-dimensional dataset using multi-dimensional graphic objects, defining a set of geometric relations between a set of geometric templates using a geometrical relational application framework macro, associating the multi-dimensional graphic objects with the geometric templates, and constructing, for the multi-dimensional graphic objects, constituent models, wherein a constituent model is designated for segmenting a respective predetermined constituent structure, constructing a composite model for segmenting the multi-dimensional graphic dataset by determining at least two constituent structures that are incorporated in or related to the multi-dimensional graphic object, and forming the composite model based on respective constituent models that correspond to the respective determined constituent structures, the composite model being operative to segment the multi-dimensional graphic dataset by controlling the constituent models.

Method, a computer program, and apparatus, an image analysis system and an imaging system for an object mapping in a multi-dimensional dataset

A method for matching grayvalued first elements of a first data set with grayvalued second elements of a second data set so that a first distribution of the first elements optimally matches a second distribution of the second elements, said method being characterized by the following steps: mapping said first elements on said second elements and evaluating a local grayvalue distribution difference between any mapped first element and its associated second element; from said local grayvalue distribution difference deriving for each said first element a force vector of a force field, said force vector indicating a preferred motion size and direction; combining said separate force vectors into a single force and a single torque value acting on said first elements collectively, for iteratively moving said first elements collectively to an amended mapping that improves a match between said first and second distributions.

Method and apparatus for optimally matching data sets

A method is presented to calculate the relative contribution of different tissues, or tissue mix, to at least one data element in a medical object data set, the medical object data set containing data elements, the data elements assigning data values to respective positions in a multi-dimensional geometrical space containing more than one tissue, by means by which parameters are calculated for the at least one data element, the parameters being dependent on the data value of the at least one data element and data values of surrounding data elements in the neighborhood of the at least one data element, the parameters being further compared to combinations of said parameters for data elements occurring in the region of boundaries between tissues.

The invention relates to an image processing method with steps of acquiring (1) a sequence of translation overlapping images ( ) representing an elongated scene; determining regions (ROI) in image pairs (Pk) and region sections (Bj) having dimensions suitable for matching (2); estimating region and section displacement fields ( ); regularizing (3) said region and section displacement fields ( ); interpolating pixel values of sections that have dimensions suitable for merging calculated from the regularized section displacement field, so as to evaluate the pixel values of corresponding regions and further scaling the sections in said regions to dimensions calculated from the regularized region displacement field, and reconstructing (4) an overview image ( ) of the elongated scene ( ) with said regions. The invention also relates to a system for implementing said method and a medical examination apparatus having said image processing system.

Image processing method, system and apparatus for forming an overview image of an elongated scene

Sub-images are merged in order to form an assembled image representing an elongate scene. In order to counteract artifacts in the assembled image such as disturbing transitions at the boundaries of adjacent sub-images in the image assembly method in accordance with the invention, pixel-values of overlapping portions of consecutive sub-images are interpolated so as to form pixel-values of the assembled image. The relative shift between consecutive sub-images with respect to the elongate scene is calculated from image information contained in the sub-images themselves. Correlations of pixel-values in overlapping portions of consecutive sub-images are determined as a function of the shift-value of the shift between consecutive sub-images with respect to the elongate scene. The actual shift between consecutive sub-images is found as the shift-value for which the correlation attains its maximum-value. The image assembly method in accordance with the invention is particularly suitable for use in peripheral x-ray angiography. Consecutive sub-images are made by x-irradiations of e.g. a patient's leg with an x-ray imaging system comprising an x-ray source, an x-ray detector, in various positions relative to the patient. In order to induce a sufficient amount of contrast in the sub-images to enable the determination of the relative shift between consecutive sub-images the invention proposes to image a contrasting object together with the elongate scene itself. Preferably the contrasting object has the form of a ruler with a binary pattern which may be incorporated in the patient table.

Image composition method and imaging apparatus for performing said method

Sub-images of an e.g. elongate scene are merged so as to form combined first and second portions on the basis of individual shifts of successive sub-images relative to the elongate scene. The first combined portion is distorted, notably compressed or expanded, on the basis of the dimensions of the first and second combined portions. The distorted first combined portion is merged with the combined second portion so as to form the composite image. The sub-images are formed, for example by irradiating a patient by means of an X-ray beam in different positions. For example, the distorted combined first portion shows a scale graduation and the combined second portion contains anatomic information of a patient.

Composing an image from sub-images

An image processing method is provided to remove areas from an image made by x-irradiation, said areas corresponding to absorption filters in the x-ray beam. Because such filters, also known as x-ray shutters, are inserted into the x-ray beam from the outside of the x-ray beam, x-ray shutter-areas extend from the periphery of the image. Therefore, once the edge of an x-ray shutter-areas has been determined, the part of the image located between the periphery and the x-ray shutter-edge is removed. X-ray shutter-edges are determined by locating transition-points in the image having brightness-transitions having maxima of both the first and second spatial derivatives of the brightness-value. An x-ray shutter-edge is then determined by fitting a curve through the transition-points. The curve fitting is performed with the use of weight-factors that are representative of the likelihood that a transition-point is on an actual x-ray shutter-edge. This likelihood is larger for transition-points which are closer to the periphery of the image, for transition-points having low image roughness towards the periphery of the image. Furthermore, a transition-point having a large height of its brightness-transition is more likely to be on an actual x-ray shutter-edge.

Growing community of inventors

Eindhoven, Netherlands

Steven Lobregt