Automatic rib fracture detection from unfolded scan images

Abstract

Method and apparatus of automatic fracture detection from imaging scans are disclosed. A innovative manifold view combing advantages of earlier approaches while avoiding the limitations of these approaches is coupled with a deep learning based fracture detection model. Ribs and spine from a three-dimensional scan are segmented, rib centerlines and vertebra center landmarks are detected and labeled. Three-dimensional position coordinates corresponding to the received data are mapped to a defined two-dimensional manifold plane followed by interpolation and sampling techniques to generate a two-dimensional manifold slice and corresponding mapping function. A three-dimensional visualization of the rib cage is generated from a plurality of manifold slices. A trained fracture prediction model receives the plurality of manifold slices and generates a revised stack of two-dimensional manifold slices showing predicted fractures. The predicted fractures may be shown in the two-dimensional manifold slice or mapped back to the image space of the original three-dimensional scan.