Analysis of Pulmonary Nodules from Ct Scans Using the Contrast Agent Enhancement as a Function of Distance to the Boundary of the Nodule

• US 20080144909A1
• Filed: 02/03/2006
• Published: 06/19/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Wormanns, Dag, Wiemker, Rafael, Blaffert, Thomas, Buelow, Thomas
• Application Number:
  US11/815,601
• Publication Number:
  US 20080144909A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/131
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10081 Computed x-ray tomography [CT]
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30064 Lung nodule
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/62 of area, perimeter, diameter or volume

Abstract

For differential diagnosis of pulmonary nodules, a certain fraction of malignant nodules do not exhibit significant enhancement when averaged over the whole nodule volume. According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, not only a single averaged contrast enhancement number is determined, but an enhancement curve for each nodule, showing the enhancement as a function of distance to boundary of the nodule. This may provide for an improved differential diagnosis.

Claims

1. An examination apparatus for examination of an object of interest, the examination apparatus comprising:

a determination unit adapted for determining enhancement characteristics of the object of interest;

a comparison unit adapted for comparing the enhancement characteristics with a reference, resulting in a comparison result;

wherein the enhancement characteristics is a function of a distance to a boundary of the object of interest.

2. The examination apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a segmentation unit adapted for performing a two-dimensional or a three-dimensional segmentation of image data of the object of interest;

wherein the determination unit is adapted for determining the enhancement characteristics of the object of interest on the basis of the segmentation.

3. The examination apparatus of claim 1,

wherein the determination unit is further adapted for determining a centre of the object of interest on the basis of a distance transformation procedure;

and

wherein the centre of the object of interest is used as a starting point for the enhanced characteristics determination.

4. The examination apparatus of claim 1,

wherein the object of interest is a nodule;

and

wherein the comparison result is a measure for one of a malignancy and an inflammation of the nodule.

5. The examination apparatus of claim 1,

further comprising an interpolation unit for interpolating the image data to isotropic resolution.

6. The examination apparatus of claim 2,

wherein the segmentation unit is further adapted for performing a removal of lung wall tissue from the image data of the object of interest.

7. The examination apparatus of claim 1,

wherein the examination apparatus is one of a CT scanner system, an MRI scanner system, a PET scanner system, a SPECT scanner system, and an ultrasound imaging system.

8. The examination apparatus according to claim 1, comprising an electromagnetic radiation source adapted to emit electromagnetic radiation to the object of interest and comprising a collimator arranged between the electromagnetic radiation source and the detecting elements, the collimator being adapted to collimate an electromagnetic radiation beam emitted by the electromagnetic radiation source.

9. The examination apparatus of claim 1,

wherein the electromagnetic radiation source is a polychromatic x-ray source;

wherein the electromagnetic radiation source moves along a helical path around the object of interest; and

wherein the beam has a fan-beam geometry.

10. An image processing device for examining an object of interest, the image processing device comprising:

a memory for storing image data of an object of interest;

an image processor adapted for performing the following operation;

determining enhancement characteristics of the object of interest;

comparing the enhancement characteristics with a reference, resulting in a comparison result;

wherein the enhancement characteristics is a function of a distance to a boundary of the object of interest.

11. A method of examining an object of interest with an examination apparatus, the method comprising the steps of:

determining enhancement characteristics of the object of interest;

comparing the enhancement characteristics with a reference, resulting in a comparison result;

wherein the enhancement characteristics is a function of a distance to a boundary of the object of interest.

12. A computer-readable medium, in which a computer program of examining an object of interest with an examination apparatus is stored, which, when being executed by a processor, is adapted to carry out the steps of:

determining enhancement characteristics of the object of interest;

comparing the enhancement characteristics with a reference, resulting in a comparison result;

wherein the enhancement characteristics is a function of a distance to a boundary of the object of interest.

13. A program element of examining an object of interest, which, when being executed by a processor, is adapted to carry out the steps of

determining enhancement characteristics of the object of interest;

comparing the enhancement characteristics with a reference, resulting in a comparison result;

wherein the enhancement characteristics is a function of a distance to a boundary of the object of interest.