SUPERIMPOSED DISPLAY OF IMAGE CONTOURS

• US 20090122082A1
• Filed: 11/07/2008
• Published: 05/14/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ImaCor, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Imacor, LLC
• Inventors: Heron, Nicolas
• Granted Patent: US 8,994,747 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/629
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/52073 Production of cursor lines, markers or indicia by electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/52074 Composite displays, e.g. split-screen displays; Combination of multiple images or of images and alphanumeric tabular information
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2200/24 involving graphical user interfaces [GUIs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10136 3D ultrasound image
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30048 Heart; Cardiac
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/0012 Biomedical image inspection
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/30 Determination of transform parameters for the alignment of images, i.e. image registration

Abstract

Disclosed are computer-implemented methods, systems, and computer program products for displaying superimposed image contours. A first centroid or center-of-mass of a contour extracted from a first image that depicts a moving object as the object appeared at a first time is calculated. A second centroid or center-of-mass of a second contour extracted from a second image that depicts the object as the object appeared at a second time is also calculated. The second image depicts the object in substantially the same plane as the first image. The first and second contours are displayed with the respective first and second centroids or centers-of-mass positioned at a common location. In some implementations, the images are ultrasound images depicting, for example, a human heart. The images can be transgastric short axis views of the human heart.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

calculating a first centroid or center-of-mass of a first contour extracted from a first image depicting a moving object as the object appeared at a first time;

calculating a second centroid or center-of-mass of a second contour extracted from a second image depicting the object as the object appeared at a second time, the second image depicting the object in substantially the same plane as the first image; and

displaying the first and second contours with the respective first and second centroids or centers-of-mass positioned at a common location.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second contours are extracted automatically by a contour-finding algorithm operating on the respective first and second images.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second images comprise ultrasound images.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the moving object comprises a chamber of a human heart and the ultrasound images comprise transgastric short axis views of the chamber.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising associating a first identifying feature with the first contour and associating a second identifying feature with the second contour.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the identifying features are colors or type of line.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second contours are associated with a left ventricle end diastolic area (LVEDA) or a left ventricle end systolic area (LVESA) of a human heart.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second contours are displayed over a background pattern different from a first or second background pattern of the respective first or second images.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the background pattern is a solid color.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying the first and second contours comprises;

determining a value for the common location;

transforming a first set of data representative of the first contour using the value of the common location;

illustrating the first contour based on the first set of transformed data;

transforming a second set of data representative of the second contour using the value of the common location; and

illustrating the second contour based on the second set of transformed data.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein illustrating the first and second contours further comprises processing a first cineloop associated with the first contour and a second cineloop associated with the second contour to display within a user interface window.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising

displaying the first and second images in a first display window, wherein displaying the first and second contours comprises displaying the first and second contours in a second display window.

13. A system comprising:

a computing apparatus comprising a processor, a memory, and an image capturing module;

a calculation module to calculate a first centroid or center-of-mass of a first contour extracted from a first image depicting a moving object as the object appeared at a first time and to calculate a second centroid or center-of-mass of a second contour extracted from a second image depicting the object as the object appeared at a second time, the second image depicting the object in substantially the same plane as the first image;

a first display window in communication with the processor to display images from the image capturing module; and

a second display window in communication with the processor and the calculation module to display the first and second contours of the object with the respective first and second centroids or centers-of-mass positioned at a common location.

14. The system of claim 13, further comprising a transesophageal echocardiography probe in communication with the processor.

15. The system of claim 13, further comprising a transformation module to transform the first and second contours based on the value of the common location.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the first and second images are displayed side-by-side in the first display window.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein the first and second contour are displayed superimposed in the second display window.

18. The system of claim 13, wherein the second display window is superimposed over the first display window.

19. The system of claim 13, wherein the second display window is displayed in response to a command by a user.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the command is available in response to a first cineloop and a second cineloop being populated with a respective first set of data associated with the first contour and a second set of data associated with the second contour.

21. A computer program product, tangibly embodied in an information carrier, the computer program product including instructions being operable to cause data processing apparatus to:

calculate a first centroid or center-of-mass of a first contour extracted from a first image depicting a moving object as the object appeared at a first time;

calculate a second centroid or center-of-mass of a second contour extracted from a second image depicting the object as the object appeared at a second time, the second image depicting the object in substantially the same plane as the first image; and

display the first and second contours of the object with the respective first and second centroids or centers-of-mass positioned at a common location.