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:
Feb. 01, 2000
Filed:
Jun. 13, 1996
Jeffrey Donald Helterbrand, Indianapolis, IN (US);
Richard Earl Higgs, Jr, New Palestine, IN (US);
Philip Wayne Iversen, Indianapolis, IN (US);
Eli Lilly and Company, Indianapolis, IN (US);
Abstract
An automatic contextual segmentation method which can be used to identify features in QCT images of femora, tibiae and vertebrae. The principal advantages of this automatic approach over traditional techniques such as histomorphometry are, 1) the algorithms can be implemented in a fast, uniform, non-subjective manner across many images allowing unbiased comparisons of therapeutic efficacy, 2) much larger volumes in the region of interest can be analyzed, and 3) QCT can be used longitudinally. Two automatic contextual segmentation algorithms relate to a cortical bone algorithm (CBA) and a whole bone algorithm (WBA). These methods include a preprocessing step, a threshold selection step, a segmentation step satisfying logical constraints, a pixel wise label image updating step, and a feature extraction step; with the WBA including whole bone segmentation, cortical segmentation, spine segmentation, and centrum segmentation. The algorithms are constructed to provide successful segmentations for known classes of bones with known topological constraints.