Tooth identification in digital X-ray images and assignment of information to digital X-ray images

• US 20060067568A1
• Filed: 09/19/2005
• Published: 03/30/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Jurgen Zimmermann
• Original Assignee: Jurgen Zimmermann
• Inventors: Zimmermann, Jurgen
• Granted Patent: US 7,324,680 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/132
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10116 X-ray image
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30036 Dental; Teeth
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/0012 Biomedical image inspection
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/12 Edge-based segmentation

Abstract

A method and device for identifying objects, especially teeth, on a digitized X-ray picture, by using image processing algorithms to localize areas containing the object by segmenting and/or edge detection, these areas being computationally linked with parameters of the X-ray unit and, optionally, with patient-heightened specific parameters. Another method and device for assigning information to objects, especially teeth, determined in a digitized X-ray picture or in a schematic representation, includes a first step detecting the digitized X-ray image for the schematic representation, a second step in which a determination of objects manually or automatically ensues in the event these objects have not yet been determined, a third step selecting the object for which additional information should be stored, retrieved or deleted, and a fourth step in which a reference tht is stored is followed for a query operation to determine the information displayed by using such reference.

Claims

1. A method of identifying at least one object, particularly teeth, in a digitized X-ray image, comprising, specifying the areas depicting the object, using image-processing algorithms, by one of segmenting and edge detection of the X-ray image, and that these areas are, for further specification of said areas linking, linked by computation to those image parameters of the X-ray apparatus which are used for making the X-ray image.

2. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the apparatus-specific parameters are linked to parameters of a non-patient-related tooth data bank, in order to obtain probable actual geometrical positions across the areas depicting the possible object.

3. A method as defined in claim 1, comprising the further step of clustering of recognized areas carried out prior to said linking to the apparatus-specific parameters.

4. A method as defined in claim 1, comprising the further step of linking additionally patient-specific parameters by computation for further specification of the areas depicting the possible object.

5. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein position data, trajectories, and starting and finishing points of the X-ray apparatus are taken into account during the computation.

6. A method as defined in any claim 1, wherein anatomic patient characteristics including race, age, sex, size, weight, and/or previous treatments are taken into account during the computation.

7. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the user is presented with proposals concerning the at least one recognized object, which proposals can be interactively edited or confirmed.

8. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein the determined information on the object is stored separately in a data bank and can be called on for re-use.

17. A system as defined in claim 1, wherein statistical data, including the ratio of the individual anatomic dimensions to each other, are included in a data bank and are taken into account during the computation.

18. A system as defined in claim 1, wherein the system comprises a PC controlled by software.

9. A system for the identification of objects, including teeth, in a digitized X-ray image, comprising

an input and output device for interactive control of the system, and

a processing unit which has access to the digitized X-ray image and has access to apparatus-specific information concerning the X-ray apparatus and which delimits the objects in the digitized X-ray image on the basis of said information and also by one of segmentation and edge detection.

10. A system as defined in claim 9, wherein the processing unit is accessible to a non-patient-related tooth data bank.

11. A system as defined in claim 9, wherein the processing unit has means for clustering the areas existing after segmentation and edge detection.

12. A system as defined in claim 9, wherein the processing unit is accessible to patient-specific information.

13. A system as defined in claim 9, wherein means are provided for submitting a proposal to a user, which user can accept, reject, or modify.

14. A system as defined in claim 9, further comprising a computer interface to the X-ray apparatus, via which the apparatus-specific data is accessible.

15. A system as defined in claim 9, wherein apparatus-specific parameters including position data, trajectories, and starting and finishing points of the X-ray apparatus are provided for inclusion in the computation.

16. A system as defined in claim 9, wherein anatomic patient characteristics including race, age, sex, size, weight and/or previous treatments are present in a data bank and are taken into consideration during the computation.

19. (canceled)

20. (canceled)

21. (canceled)

22. (canceled)

23. (canceled)

24. (canceled)

25. (canceled)

26. (canceled)

27. (canceled)

28. (canceled)

29. (canceled)

30. (canceled)

31. (canceled)

32. (canceled)

33. (canceled)

34. (canceled)