Ultrasonic diagnostic imaging system with assisted border tracing
First Claim
1. A method of delineating the boundary of tissue or structure in a medical diagnostic image comprising:
- acquiring an image containing tissue or structure which is to be delineated;
manually marking at least three points of the boundary which is to be delineated; and
automatically fitting a predetermined border shape to the three points of the boundary, whereby the fitted border shape indicates a boundary of the tissue or structure in the image.
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Abstract
A method and system for tracing a tissue border in a medical diagnostic image are described in which a diagnostic image containing the tissue to be traced is acquired. A user manipulates a cursor on the image display to designate three landmarks on the boundary of the tissue. An automated border detector then fits a stored boundary shape to the three landmarks. The fitted border can thereafter be adjusted to precisely fit the boundary by a rubberbanding process. In an illustrated embodiment the myocardium is traced in an image of the left ventricle by first clicking on the mitral valve corners and the apex, then fitting an endocardial border to these three landmarks, then clicking on the apex of the epicardium, then fitting an epicardial border to the epicardial apex and the mitral valve corners.
54 Citations
17 Claims
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1. A method of delineating the boundary of tissue or structure in a medical diagnostic image comprising:
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acquiring an image containing tissue or structure which is to be delineated;
manually marking at least three points of the boundary which is to be delineated; and
automatically fitting a predetermined border shape to the three points of the boundary, whereby the fitted border shape indicates a boundary of the tissue or structure in the image. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A method of delineating the myocardium in a cardiac image comprising:
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acquiring a diagnostic image of the heart including the myocardium;
manually marking at least three points of the endocardium; and
automatically fitting a predetermined endocardial border shape to the three points of the endocardium, whereby the fitted border shape indicates a boundary of the myocardium. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. An ultrasonic diagnostic imaging system for delineating an anatomical boundary in an image comprising:
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a scanhead having an array transducer for scanning a region of interest;
a beamformer coupled to the array transducer which acts to beamform echo signals received from the region of interest;
an image processor coupled to the beamformer which acts to form an image of the region of interest;
a user operated pointing device which enables a user to manipulate a cursor in the image and to identify at least three points on an anatomical boundary in the image;
a source of border shapes; and
an assisted border detector, coupled to the source of border shapes and responsive to the image processor and the pointing device which acts to fit the border shapes to the points identified by the user operated pointing device. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17)
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Specification