METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR AUTOMATIC DETECTION OF OBJECTS IN AN IMAGE

• US 20080267499A1
• Filed: 04/30/2007
• Published: 10/30/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Deischinger, Harald, Dehghani Bonaki, Seyed Ebrahim, Hoenigmann, Dieter, Jorgner, Iris
• Application Number:
  US11/742,327
• Publication Number:
  US 20080267499A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/173
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/463 characterised by displaying multiple images or images and diagnostic data on one display composite display in devices for short-range imaging with acoustic waves G01S7/52074
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/248 by interactive preprocessing or interactive shape modelling, e.g. feature points assigned by a user
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/25 Determination of region of interest [ROI] or a volume of interest [VOI]
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 2201/03 Recognition of patterns in medical or anatomical images

Abstract

A method and system for automatic detection of objects in an image are provided. The method includes segmenting image data defining the image using an initial threshold to identify a plurality of objects, separating the plurality of objects into discrete structures and fitting to a predetermined shape the discrete structures. The method further includes displaying with the image an identifier for the plurality of objects defined by the discrete structures.

Claims

1. A method for automatically identifying objects in an image, the method comprising:

segmenting image data defining the image using an initial threshold to identify a plurality of objects;

separating the plurality objects into discrete structures;

fitting to a predetermined shape the discrete structures; and

displaying with the image an identifier for the plurality of objects defined by the discrete structures.

2. A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein the initial threshold comprises a voxel intensity threshold.

3. A method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising automatically measuring a size of the identified objects.

4. A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein the separating is based on a surface to volume ratio.

5. A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein the separating comprises removing connecting elements between the discrete structures.

6. A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein the initial threshold is based on user defined settings.

7. A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein the displaying comprises graphically overlaying an indicator on each of the objects.

8. A method in accordance with claim 7 wherein the overlaid indicator is color coded and comprises one of an outline outlining the object and a fill area filling the object.

9. A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein the displaying comprises providing text indicators relating to the objects.

10. A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein the fitting comprises applying an active contour.

11. A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein the image comprises ultrasound image data and the objects are defined by a distinct echogenicity.

12. A method in accordance with claim 1 wherein the objects comprise ovarian follicles.

13. A method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising associating each of the identified objects with an indication of measured parameters for the objects in a displayed list.

14. A medical image displaying device comprising:

a display portion having at least one image including indicators of identified objects; and

a list of the identified objects that automatically classifies the objects based on the indicators.

15. A medical image displaying device in accordance with claim 14 wherein the indicators comprise one of a color coded outline and a color coded fill area.

16. A medical image displaying device in accordance with claim 14 wherein the indicators are color coded and the list includes corresponding color identifiers.

17. A medical image displaying device in accordance with claim 14 further comprising user selectable members to define parameters for automatically detecting the identified objects.

18. An ultrasound imaging system comprising:

a processor configured to process acquired ultrasound image data;

an object detection module configured to automatically detect objects of distinct echogenicity; and

a display configured to display the detected objects with an associated indicator.

19. An ultrasound imaging system in accordance with claim 18 wherein the processor is configured to perform a first segmentation of the image data using an initial threshold and an object dilation process using an active contour.

20. An ultrasound imaging system in accordance with claim 18 wherein the object detection module is configured to highlight on a list of objects on the display an object that is selected.