The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Oct. 29, 1996
Filed:
Sep. 30, 1994
Cheng-Chung Liang, Lawrenceville, NJ (US);
Ajit Singh, Plainsboro, NJ (US);
Ming-Yee Chiu, Princeton Junction, NJ (US);
Jay Ezrielev, Jersey City, NJ (US);
Richard Fisler, Kendall Park, NJ (US);
Dietmar Hentschel, Little Silver, NJ (US);
Siemens Corporate Research, Princeton, NJ (US);
Abstract
A method for automatically editing a plurality of CT image slices to provide a three dimensional view of a selected object located within a patient's body comprises providing at least one slab of CT image slices produced by CT scanning system and computing a top MIP image of the slab. An undesirable object is automatically removed from the top MIP image by first detecting all the pixels having illuminating intensity values which represent the undesirable object. Then all the pixels of the object to be removed are set to a substantially zero illuminating intensity value in order to remove the object from the top MIP image of the slab. After the undesirable object is removed from the top MIP image, the edits made thereto are applied to each CT image slice in the slab. The present invention also includes apparatus for performing a 3D reconstruction of CT angiographic images to visualize a selected object located within a patient's body. The apparatus comprises an x-ray tube for projecting energy into a layer of interest in the patient's body and a detector for detecting changes in the projected energy as it exits the layer of interest. The changes detected in the projected energy are indicative of various objects including the selected object that are located within the layer of interest of the patient's body. Moreover, the x-ray tube and detector operate in conjunction to provide at least one slab of CT image slices.