Reliability measure concerning the registration of cardiac MR perfusion measurements

• US 20020136438A1
• Filed: 01/29/2002
• Published: 09/26/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Breeuwer, Marcel
• Granted Patent: US 7,020,311 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/128
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30048 Heart; Cardiac
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/35 using statistical methods

Abstract

A method is developed for automatic analysis of the reliability of an automatic registration of perfusion cardiovascular MR images. A parameter, for example, a similarity measure between the successive images, is calculated first in order to quantify the success of the registration process between these images for the data set. A criterion is then introduced, for example a threshold is imposed on the similarity measure. The successively registered images that have a calculated similarity measure that exceeds the defined threshold are automatically accepted for further analysis.

Claims

1. A method of quantifying a reliability of an automatic registration of anatomically corresponding positions in the images in an image data set (11, 12) that includes a series of images, which method includes the steps of:

performing a registration operation (30) on the image data set so as to obtain a registered image data set (13,14);

calculating a first parameter for the registered image data set (13, 14),

applying a predetermined criterion (15, 16) to the calculated first parameter;

classifying a degree of reliability of the registration operation in dependence on whether the first parameter satisfies the applied criterion.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, in which the first parameter is a geometrical similarity measure and the predetermined criterion is a threshold imposed on the geometrical similarity measure.

3. A method as claimed in claim 2, in which the reliability of the automatic registration of anatomically corresponding positions is classified on the basis of one adjusted threshold (D1) that is imposed on the geometrical similarity measure.

4. A method as claimed in claim 2, in which the reliability of the automatic registration of anatomically corresponding positions is classified on the basis of two adjusted thresholds (D1,D2) that are imposed on the geometrical similarity measures.

5. A method as claimed in claim 2, in which the geometrical similarity measure is applied to at least one combination of two successive images (N, N+1) in the registered image data set.

6. A method as claimed in claim 1, which method is applied to a first as well as to a second image data set (11, 12) in order to obtain a first registered image data set (13) and a second registered image data set (14) while the degree of reliability of the registration operation is classified, and also includes the steps of:

calculating a second parameter for the registered first image data set (13);

calculating a third parameter for the registered second image data set (14);

performing a registration operation (30′

) of the second parameter relative to the third parameter.

7. A method as claimed in one of the preceding claims, in which the registration operation is performed in a batch job.

8. A system for carrying out the method claimed in claim 1, which system includes an MR apparatus (1) and an ECG apparatus (10) that co-operates with the MR apparatus so as to produce a first and a second image data set (11, 12), first registration means (30) for performing a registration operation on the image data set so as to obtain a registered image data set (13, 14), first calculation means (40) for calculating the first parameter and the criterion (15, 16), and second calculation means (50) for classifying (17, 18) the degree of reliability of the registration operation in dependence on the extent to which the first parameter satisfies the applied criterion (15, 16).