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. 08, 2011
Filed:
Oct. 06, 2006
James G. Reisman, Plainsboro, NJ (US);
Jan Hoeppner, Leipzig, DE;
James G. Reisman, Plainsboro, NJ (US);
Jan Hoeppner, Leipzig, DE;
Siemens Medical Solutions USA, Inc., Malvern, PA (US);
Abstract
A system and method for vertebrae and intervertebral disc localization in magnetic resonance (MR) images is disclosed. In this method, a target spine MR image is segmented by generating a binary segmentation. A spinal cord line is then estimated on the segmented image. Neighboring vertebrae in a region of interest around the estimated spinal cord line are then localized by labeling vertebral regions based on characteristics, such as size and shape, of regions of connected segmented pixels within the regions of interest. A center point of an intervertebral disc between the neighboring vertebrae is then calculated by finding a point halfway between respective borders of the vertebral regions on a line connecting the centers of mass of the vertebral regions.