General Electric Company

Lockheed Martin Corporation

William E Lorensen

Harvey E Cline

Siegwalt Ludke

Charles L Dumoulin

Christopher Judson Hardy

Robert David Darrow

Ricardo Scott Avila

Ron Kikinis

Steven Eric Linthicum

Nelson R Corby, Jr

Carl R Crawford

Peter B Roemer

James Vradenburg Miller

Paul Kenneth Houpt

Douglas Roy Forman

Steven P Souza

Christopher Allen Nafis

Robert August Kaucic

William D Barber

John F Schenck

Joseph Leagrand Mundy

Boris Yamrom

Matthew William Turek

Ferenc A Jolesz

Abdalmajeid Musa Alyassin

Colin Craig McCulloch

Timothy Patrick Kelliher

Mark Mitchell Kornfein

Peter Michael Finnigan

Kirby Gannett Vosburgh

Wesley David Turner

Christopher Richard Volpe

William J Schroeder

Janet Arlie Barnett

Richard Brownell Arthur

Thomas E Kennedy

Russell Scott Blue

Andrew S Holik

Samuel M Blumenfeld

Richard L St Peters

Lisa Marie Sobierajski

Michael Robert LaBlanc

Jonathan Earl Davis

Shannon Lee Hastings

Alan F Hathaway

David Egidio Altobelli

Gopal Biligeri Avanash

James Miller

A system, program product, and method to perform automated three-dimensional image registration of a part within an inspection cell, are provided. The system can include a laser-ultrasound inspection device having a scanning head to generate ultrasonic surface displacements in a part, an inspection laser, and an interferometer to collect phase modulated light reflected by the part. The system can also include a part position locator positioned to measure a distance between points on a surface of the part and a scanning laser reference location. The system can also include a database containing computer-aided design models for each part of interest, and a model of the inspection cell. The system can further include a laser ultrasound inspection computer communication with the laser-ultrasound detection device and the part position locator, and laser ultrasound inspection program product adapted to perform automated three-dimensional image registration of the part.

System, program product, and related methods for registering three-dimensional models to point data representing the pose of a part

A method for processing medical images for use in the detection and diagnosis of disease comprises classifying regions of interest within the medical images based on a hierarchy of anatomical models and signal models of signal information of an image acquisition device used to acquire the medical images. The anatomical models are derived to be representative of anatomical information indicative of a given disease. A computer-aided system for use in the diagnosis and detection of disease comprises an image acquisition device for acquiring a plurality of image data sets and a processor adapted to process the image data sets. The processor is adapted to classify selected tissue types within the image data sets based on a hierarchy of signal and anatomical models and the processor is further adapted to differentiate anatomical context of the classified tissue types for use in the diagnosis and detection of disease.

Method and system for lung disease detection

A method and system for pacing a vehicle along a path of travel is described. The method includes determining a geographical location of the vehicle, displaying a vehicle position icon representative of the geographical location, determining an optimal position for the vehicle, displaying a pace icon representative of the optimal position for the vehicle, and operating the vehicle to maintain a vehicle position icon displayed on the operator pace display substantially coincident with the pace icon displayed on the operator pace display. The system includes at least one on-board tracking system configured to determine a geographical location of the vehicle, at least one on-board computer configured to determine a display position of a pace icon, and at least one on-board operator pace display configured to display the pace icon at a position determined by the on-board computer, the operator pace display further configured to display the vehicle position, as determined by the on-board computer, relative to the pace icon.

Method and apparatus for vehicle management

A mechanism for improving connectivity processing of computer axial tomography and magnetic resonance images by a fast, stack independent, iterative method first designates a pixel of an object material of interest in an image as a seed pixel. The mechanism then performs connectivity processing by starting at the seed pixel and evaluating the next forward direct neighbor pixel to determine if it is within the object material of interest. If the direct neighbor pixel is within the object, the direct neighbor pixel is marked as a new seed pixel and the connectivity mechanism evaluates the next forward direct neighbor pixel, continuing in a left-to-right and top-to-bottom fashion. Once forward processing of all pixels is complete, and if at least one pixel has been identified as a new seed pixel, the connectivity mechanism evaluates, in a backward progression, unevaluated pixel within the image, beginning at the lower right-most pixel in the image and proceeding through the pixels in a right-to-left, bottom-to-top fashion.

Apparatus and method for rapid connectivity processing of images

An analytical method for determining a cable occupancy volume includes obtaining a cable length and identifying a number and location of a plurality of cable supports for supporting the cable along its length. The cable occupancy volume that is generated is based on the cable length, the number of supports and the location of the supports. The instructions for practicing the method are encoded on a computer-readable storage medium.

Method and apparatus for generating cable occupancy volumes

A patient surface is registered with a model surface based on curvature by acquiring patient range data and determining the curvature of the patient surface based on the range data. The patient surface is generated and shaded based on the curvature. A model surface is generated from image data and processed to determine the curvature of the model surface. The model surface is shaded to represent the curvature. The shaded patient surface and the shaded model surface are aligned in registration with each other by manipulating the patient surface and/or the model surface until the curvature features coincide.

Method of registering surfaces using curvature

A system for display of interfaces within a block of raw data values comprises a model building portion groups data points into a cubes, receives a threshold and identifies cubes which a vertex data values which straddle the threshold. These are surface cubes. Gradient vectors for each vertex of each cube are determined by comparing the change in data values in three dimensions in a neighborhood around each vertex. The surface cubes and their associated gradient vectors are stored as a cube/vector model. his model may be tessellated and then displayed by conventional CAD/CAM workstations. A second display system is shown which employs a modified 'Dividing Cubes' method to subdivide the cubes, interpolate each to a center point and associated vector, then backprojected to produce perspective.

3-D surfaces generated from a list of cubic elements

A system for displaying sets of surface cubes with gradient vertex vectors first employs a pointer table constructed to order the surface cubes so as to generally cause a row by row and layer by layer ordering during model creation. During display, a viewpoint is selected and a scan controller causes cubes to be displayed according to this order of the pointer table. A test backprojection of cubes to image plane is performed to determine which pixels will be impinged by the cubes. For pixels which have not been updated, or pixels which have been updated by a less superficial cube than the current cube, projection rays are created through the center of impinged pixels in a direction opposite that of the backprojection. An intersection point of the ray with a surface within a current cube is determined. The data value and gradient vectors for the current cube are interpolated at this intersection point. These interpolated vector and value are then rendered to produce and image with less distortion and with less processing complexity.

Ray tracing through an ordered array

An interactive surgery planning and display system mixes live video of external surfaces of the patient with interactive computer generated models of internal anatomy obtained from medical diagnostic imaging data of the patient. The computer images and the live video are coordinated and displayed to a surgeon in real-time during surgery allowing the surgeon to view internal and external structures and the relation between them simultaneously, and adjust his surgery accordingly. In an alternative embodiment, a normal anatomical model is also displayed as a guide in reconstructive surgery. Another embodiment employs three-dimensional viewing.

Computer graphic and live video system for enhancing visualization of

A group visualization system allowing users of a group, either at a local site or a remote site to view images personalized to each users specific needs. Each user of the team interactively selects personalize viewing parameters, such as portions of the model to be displayed and the angle to view the model. Each user may select an overlay map to be superimposed on the model and displayed in the same manner which the model is displayed. A user who is an electrical engineer may select a voltage overlay, which a mechanical engineer may select a stress/strain overlay of the same model. Each user may select the parameters specified by another user or users, either at the local site or a remote sites, to see what they are viewing. Each user has access to a pointer which allows each user to specify a location which a symbol is superimposed and is visible to selected users. This results in a tool allowing users of a group at various sites to act as a team interact with each other.

Method and system for group visualization of virtual objects

A virtual internal cavity inspection system non-invasively provides images of cavities of a subject from a viewpoint within the cavity. An acquisition unit acquires imaging information about internal structures of a subject. This imaging information is segmented into separate structures, and a 3D surface model is constructed. An operator views an image of the 3D model to select a goal viewpoint and a start viewpoint. A viewpoint path is created linking the start viewpoint and the goal viewpoint. Images are created with a viewpoints along the viewpoint path. A variety of additional visualization techniques aid the viewer's localization of the current image viewpoint, and its relation to the subject.

Virtual internal cavity inspection system

A method of determining surfaces of swept volumes, which defines a region reserved for the removal of an object, or the motion of an object, is determined employing implicit modeling. A definition of an object and the trajectory in which it is to be moved are provided to the swept surface display device. An implicit model is created by determining shortest distance from each voxel of a object volume to a surface point of the object. A workspace volume has voxels each initialized with distances which are much larger than any distance envisioned. The implicit model space voxels are transformed relative to the workspace voxels according to the trajectory at a time t. Workspace voxels are updated with corresponding implicit model space voxels when the value of the implicit model space voxel is lower than the workspace voxel value. The implicit model space voxels are transformed relative to the workspace voxels for another time t and the number of workspace voxels are again updated. This process is repeated for a number of times, t, to result in workspace voxel values which reflect the closest each voxel would be to the surface of the object as it is swept through the trajectory. All workspace voxels having a predefined distance value are identified and a surface is constructed. This is the surface of the swept volume having a clearance defined by the predefined distance.

Implicit modeling of swept volumes and swept surfaces

Three-dimensional (3D) image data is acquired from a subject with a medical imaging device and stored. The stored 3D image data is processed by a model workstation to segment the model into discrete structures and produce a segmented computer graphic model. An operator interacts with the model workstation to cause it to display desired structures of the the segmented model in a desired view and orientation. The operator also selects a position and orientation of a cutting plane passing through the segmented model. Once selected, the position and orientation information is provided to a pulse sequencer of a magnetic resonance (MR) imaging system. The pulse sequencer controls an RF transmitter and gradient amplifiers to cause an MR image of the subject at an imaging plane, corresponding to the cutting plane of the model workstation, to be acquired. This allows fast, accurate image plane selection, which may be selected by an operator who is simultaneously performing a medical procedure on the subject, aid in the procedure.

Oblique MR image controlled from a 3D workstation model

A non-invasive imaging device obtains a four dimensional (4D) image data set of a living subject representing three dimensions and time in relation to the subject's cardiac cycle. In order to determine various vascular parameters, it is useful to segment the image data set into internal structures defined as having the same tissue types contiguous locations. To accomplish this, a gradient calculation unit constructs a gradient data set from the image data set indicating the magnitude of spatial changes in the image data set. A plurality of locations are selected by an operator with a pointing device during `training` along with corresponding data values in the image and gradient data sets. These data values are plotted by a scatter generator against each other to construct a scatter plot then processed to determine a bivariate statistical probability distribution. The remaining data values are then assigned a tissue type based upon their plot on the bivariate statistical probability distribution. Contiguous locations having the same tissue type assignment are identified as a solid structure by a connectivity calculator. These solid structures may be the internal volume of cardiac chambers. Since these volumes may be accurately measured over the cardiac cycle, a functionality calculator determines vascular functionality, such as ejection fraction, and cardiac output and displays the results on a monitor to the operator.

Cardiac functional analysis system employing gradient image segmentation

A 4D image data set of a living subject is obtained by non-invasive imaging means representing three dimensions and time in relation to the subject's cardiac cycle. In order to determine various vascular parameters, it is useful to segment the image data set into internal structures defined as having the same tissue types contiguous locations. To accomplish this, a gradient data set is constructed from the image data set indicating the magnitude of spatial changes in the image data set. A plurality of locations are selected in `training` along with corresponding data values in the image and gradient data sets. These data values are plotted against each other to construct a scatter plot then processed to determine a bivariate statistical probability distribution. The remaining data values are then assigned a tissue type based upon their plot on the bivariate statistical probability distribution. Contiguous locations having the same tissue type assignment are identified as a solid structure. These solid structures may be the internal volume of cardiac chambers. Since these volumes may be accurately measured over the cardiac cycle, vascular functionality, such as ejection fraction, and cardiac output may be measured.

Cardiac functional analysis method using gradient image segmentation

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Ballston Lake, NY, United States of America

William E Lorensen