DETECTION OF THE DETACHMENT OF IMMOBILIZED CONTRAST AGENT IN MEDICAL IMAGING APPLICATIONS
First Claim
1. A method for imaging a body-part being perfused with a contrast agent, wherein the method includes the step of:
- providing a sequence of input images offering a digital representation over time of the body-part, each input image including a plurality of input values each one indicative of a response to an interrogation signal of a corresponding location of the body-part possibly including the contrast agent; and
generating at least one filtered image from a plurality of selected ones of the input images, wherein each filtered image includes a filtered value for each of a plurality of selected ones of the locations, the filtered value of each selected location being indicative of the contrast agent leaving the selected location after being substantially stationary at the selected location for a period of time comprised between a first non-zero threshold and a second threshold higher than the first threshold, the filtered value being obtained by;
reducing, where present, a contribution of the contrast agent being substantially stationary at the selected location along the selected input images for a period of time equal to or shorter than the first threshold; and
reducing a contribution of the contrast agent being substantially stationary at the selected location along the selected input images for a period of time equal to or longer than the second threshold.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An embodiment of a solution is proposed for imaging a body-part that is perfused with a contrast agent. A corresponding method includes the step of providing a sequence of input images (for example, acquired with an ultrasound scanner); the input images offer a digital representation over time of the body-part. Each input image includes a plurality of input values (i.e., pixel or voxel values); each input value is indicative of a response to an interrogation signal (such as an echo signal for ultrasound waves) of a corresponding location of the body-part, which possibly includes the contrast agent. The method further includes the step of generating at least one filtered image from a plurality of selected ones of the input images (such as all of them or a subset thereof). Each filtered image includes a filtered value for each of a plurality of selected ones of the locations (for example, in a region of interest, or ROI). The filtered value of each selected location is indicative of the contrast agent that leaves the selected location after being substantially stationary at the selected location for a period of time, which is comprised between a first non-zero threshold and a second threshold higher than the first threshold (such as because the contrast agent detaches from the location after having been immobilized thereon, or because it was moving very slowly). The filtered value is obtained by reducing, where present, a contribution of the contrast agent that is substantially stationary at the selected location along the selected input images for a period of time equal to or shorter than the first threshold, and by reducing a contribution of the contrast agent that is substantially stationary at the selected location along the selected input images for a period of time equal to or longer than the second threshold.
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Citations
23 Claims
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1. A method for imaging a body-part being perfused with a contrast agent, wherein the method includes the step of:
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providing a sequence of input images offering a digital representation over time of the body-part, each input image including a plurality of input values each one indicative of a response to an interrogation signal of a corresponding location of the body-part possibly including the contrast agent; and generating at least one filtered image from a plurality of selected ones of the input images, wherein each filtered image includes a filtered value for each of a plurality of selected ones of the locations, the filtered value of each selected location being indicative of the contrast agent leaving the selected location after being substantially stationary at the selected location for a period of time comprised between a first non-zero threshold and a second threshold higher than the first threshold, the filtered value being obtained by; reducing, where present, a contribution of the contrast agent being substantially stationary at the selected location along the selected input images for a period of time equal to or shorter than the first threshold; and reducing a contribution of the contrast agent being substantially stationary at the selected location along the selected input images for a period of time equal to or longer than the second threshold. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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Specification