Method and system for image processing and assessment of blockages of heart blood vessels

• US 20080317310A1
• Filed: 12/10/2007
• Published: 12/25/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Chase Medical LP
• Original Assignee: PHI Health, Inc.
• Inventors: Dalton, Jude, Suresh, Mitta
• Application Number:
  US11/953,649
• Publication Number:
  US 20080317310A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/130
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02007 Evaluating blood vessel condition, e.g. elasticity, compliance
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/055 involving electronic [EMR] or nuclear [NMR] magnetic resonance, e.g. magnetic resonance imaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/415 the glands, e.g. tonsils, adenoids or thymus
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/417 the bone marrow
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/418 lymph vessels, ducts or nodes
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10072 Tomographic images
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30101 Blood vessel; Artery; Vein; Vascular
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 5/50 using two or more images, e.g. averaging or subtraction
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/0012 Biomedical image inspection

Abstract

One embodiment discloses a computerized method of assessing deposits and/or blockages in blood vessels in a human, specifically in a human heart. The method may include inputting patient data and creating a computerized interactive model of a heart based on the patient data. Patient data may include a plurality of images of a least a portion of a human heart. Images may include three-dimensional images. An image may be divided into regions. A property of a region may be assessed. A property may include intensity of brightness of a region or a portion of a region. A region may include one or more voxels or one or more pixels. A method may include comparing a property of a region of a heart from a first image to a second image. The first image and the second image may include equivalent regions acquired during different time periods.

Claims

1. A method of imaging blood vessels in a human body, comprising:

providing a plurality of three-dimensional images of at least a portion of a human body acquired over a period of time to a computer system, wherein the plurality of images comprises at least a first image and a second image acquired at different times;

dividing the first image and the second image into a plurality of regions, wherein each of the regions corresponds between the first image and the second image;

assessing a property in a plurality of regions of the body from the first image;

assessing the property in a corresponding region of the body from the second image; and

comparing the property of the regions of the body from the first image to the property of the regions of the body from the second image to select either a region from the first image or a corresponding region from the second image; and

creating a third image of at least a portion of human blood vessels using the selected regions.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first image and the second image comprise at least a portion of a human heart.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein a region comprises one or more voxels.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein a property comprises an intensity of a region.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein comparing the property of the regions comprises using a mathematical operator to compare the regions.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein comparing the property of the regions comprises using a mathematical operator to compare the regions, and wherein the mathematical operator comprises the operator greater than.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the third image at least appears three-dimensional.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the third image is two-dimensional.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the plurality of three-dimensional images are acquired using computed tomography imaging.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the plurality of three-dimensional images are acquired using magnetic resonance imaging.

11. A system, comprising:

a CPU; and

a system memory coupled to the CPU, wherein the system memory stores one or more computer programs executable by the CPU;

wherein one or more computer programs are executable to perform a method, comprising;

providing a plurality of three-dimensional images of at least a portion of a human body acquired over a period of time, wherein the plurality of images comprises at least a first image and a second image acquired at different times;

dividing the first image and the second image into a plurality of regions, wherein each of the regions corresponds between the first image and the second image;

assessing a property in a plurality of regions of the body from the first image;

assessing the property in a corresponding region of the body from the second image; and

comparing the property of the regions of the body from the first image to the property of the regions of the body from the second image to select either a region from the first image or a corresponding region from the second image; and

creating a third image of at least a portion of human blood vessels using the selected regions.

91. The system of claim 11, wherein the first image and the second image comprise at least a portion of a human heart.

92. The system of claim 11, wherein a region comprises one or more voxels.

93. The system of claim 11, wherein a property comprises an intensity of a region.

94. The system of claim 11, wherein comparing the property of the regions comprises using a mathematical operator to compare the regions.

12. (canceled)

13. A method of imaging blood vessels in a human body, comprising:

providing a plurality of three-dimensional images of at least a portion of a human body acquired over a period of time to a computer system, wherein the plurality of images comprises at least a first image and a second image acquired at different times;

dividing the first image and the second image into a plurality of regions, wherein each of the regions corresponds between the first image and the second image;

assessing an intensity in a plurality of regions of the body from the first image;

assessing the intensity in a corresponding region of the body from the second image; and

comparing the intensity of the regions of the body from the first image to the intensity of the regions of the body from the second image to select either a region from the first image or a corresponding region from the second image with the greater intensity; and

creating a third image of blood vessels of the body using the selected regions.

95. The method of claim 13, wherein the first image and the second image comprise at least a portion of a human heart.

96. The method of claim 13, wherein a region comprises one or more voxels.

97. The method of claim 13, wherein the third image at least appears three-dimensional.

14-90. -90. (canceled)