Method and Apparatus for Determining Asymmetry in an Image
First Claim
1. A method for determining asymmetry in an image, the method comprising the steps of:
- determining a symmetry plane to divide the image into a first part and a second part, that comprise left and right hemispheres respectively;
determining probability distributions of voxels against intensities for the first part and the second part;
generating a first histogram of intensities representative of the first part;
generating a second histogram of intensities representative of the second part;
compensating for any relative shift along a predetermined axis between the first histogram and the second histogram;
calculating a divergence value based on distance between the first and second histograms; and
determining if the calculated divergence value is greater than a predetermined threshold, a divergence of greater than the predetermined threshold being indicative of asymmetry in the image and indicative of one or more abnormalities, wherein the step of calculating the divergence value comprises determining probability distributions of intensities for the first part and the second part and calculating the J-divergence value according to the following equation;
J(p,q)=I(p,q)+I(q,p) where I(p/q) and I(q/p) are the Kullback-Leibler'"'"'s divergences for intensity distributions q and p of the first and second parts respectively.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method for determining asymmetry in an image such as an MR image of a brain comprises determining a symmetry plane to divide the image into a first part and a second part representative of, for example, the hemispheres of the brain. The probability distributions of voxels against intensities are determined for the first and second parts and histograms of intensities representative of the parts are generated. Compensation is made for any relative shift along a predetermined axis between the histograms. A divergence value based on a distance between the first and second histograms is then calculated and it is determined if the calculated divergence value is greater than a predetermined threshold. A divergence of greater than the predetermined threshold is indicative of asymmetry in the image that may be considered as suspicious for abnormality. There is also disclosed an apparatus for determining asymmetry in an image.
-
Citations
24 Claims
-
1. A method for determining asymmetry in an image, the method comprising the steps of:
-
determining a symmetry plane to divide the image into a first part and a second part, that comprise left and right hemispheres respectively;
determining probability distributions of voxels against intensities for the first part and the second part;
generating a first histogram of intensities representative of the first part;
generating a second histogram of intensities representative of the second part;
compensating for any relative shift along a predetermined axis between the first histogram and the second histogram;
calculating a divergence value based on distance between the first and second histograms; and
determining if the calculated divergence value is greater than a predetermined threshold, a divergence of greater than the predetermined threshold being indicative of asymmetry in the image and indicative of one or more abnormalities, wherein the step of calculating the divergence value comprises determining probability distributions of intensities for the first part and the second part and calculating the J-divergence value according to the following equation;
J(p,q)=I(p,q)+I(q,p)where I(p/q) and I(q/p) are the Kullback-Leibler'"'"'s divergences for intensity distributions q and p of the first and second parts respectively. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 23)
-
-
4. (canceled)
-
12. A computer program product comprising:
-
a computer usable medium having a computer readable code and computer readable system code embodied on said medium for determining a symmetry plane to divide the image into a first part and a second part;
that comprise left and right hemispheres respectively, said computer program product further comprising;
computer readable code within said computer usable medium for;
determining probability distributions of voxels against intensities for the first part and the second part;
generating a first histogram of intensities representative of the first part;
generating a second histogram of intensities representative of the second part;
compensating for any relative shift along a predetermined axis between the first histogram and the second histogram;
calculating a divergence value based on distance between the first and second histograms; and
determining if the calculated divergence value is greater than a predetermined threshold, a divergence of greater than the predetermined threshold being indicative of asymmetry in the image and indicative of one or more abnormalities, wherein the step of calculating the divergence value comprises determining probability distributions of intensities for the first part and the second part and calculating the J-divergence value according to the following equation;
J(p,q)=I(p,q)+I(q,p)where I(p/q) and I(q/p) are the Kullback-Leibler'"'"'s divergences for intensity distributions q and p of the first and second parts respectively.
-
-
13. An apparatus for determining asymmetry in an image, the apparatus comprising:
-
a device for determining a symmetry plane to divide the image into a first part and a second part;
that comprise left and right hemispheres respectively;
a device for determining probability distributions of voxels against intensities for the first part and the second part;
a generator for generating a first histogram of intensities representative of the first part and a second histogram of intensities representative of the second part;
a compensator for compensating for any relative shift along a predetermined axis between the first histogram and the second histogram;
a calculator for calculating a divergence value based on distance between the first and second histograms; and
a device for determining if the calculated divergence value is greater than a predetermined threshold, a divergence of greater than the predetermined threshold being indicative of asymmetry in the image and indicative of one or more abnormalities, wherein the calculator is arranged to determine probability distributions of intensities for the first part and the second part and to calculate the divergence value J according to the following equation;
J(p,q)=I(p,q)+I(q,p)where I(p/q) and I(q/p) are the Kullback-Leibler'"'"'s divergences for intensity distributions q and p of the first and second parts respectively. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 24)
-
-
16. (canceled)
Specification