Computer-aided detection of regions of interest in tomographic breast imagery

Abstract

Disclosed are methods, and associated systems comprising processors, input devices and output devices, of detecting regions of interest in a tomographic breast image. The methods may comprise: acquiring tomographic breast image data; deriving a plurality of synthetic sub-volumes from the tomographic breast image data; wherein each subvolume is defined by parallel planar top and bottom surfaces; wherein planar top and bottom surfaces of successive subvolumes are parallel to each other; and wherein a top planar surface of a sub-volume is offset from a top planar surface of a prior sub-volume, such that successive sub-volumes overlap; for each sub-volume, deriving a two-dimensional image; for each two-dimensional image, identifying regions of interest therein; deriving at least one region of interest of potential clinical interest from a plurality of identified regions of interest; and outputting information associated with at least one derived region of interest of potential clinical interest.