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:
Mar. 09, 2004
Filed:
Apr. 11, 2002
Sarah K. Patch, Milwaukee, WI (US);
Tejaswini Shubhachint, Waukesha, WI (US);
Graeme C. McKinnon, Hartland, WI (US);
Sandhya Parameswaran, Gurnee, IL (US);
Joseph K. Maier, Milwaukee, WI (US);
GE Medical Systems Global Technology Co. LLC, Waukesha, WI (US);
Abstract
A method for processing digital images includes acquiring a phase difference image which includes one or more phase wraps, creating a modulated phase difference image from the phase difference image, comparing the modulated phase difference image to the phase difference image to locate areas in the phase difference image to be unwrapped, and unwrapping the phase difference image based on the areas located in the comparing step. The unwrapping step is performed by replacing wrapped pixels in the phase difference image with pixels in the modulated phase difference image plus an integer multiple of &pgr;. The integer multiplier is computed by comparing overlapping pixels in the image segments. This has a smoothing effect causing the wrapped pixels in the phase difference image to become unwrapped. As a result of this pixel replacement process, an image of improved quality and information content is produced compared with conventional methods.