Image creation, analysis, presentation and localization technology

• US 20100086185A1
• Filed: 06/10/2008
• Published: 04/08/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ABSIST, LLC
• Original Assignee: ABSIST, LLC
• Inventors: Weiss, Kenneth L.
• Granted Patent: US 8,805,042 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/131
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0036 including treatment, e.g., using an implantable medical device, ablating, ventilating
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0042 for the brain
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0263 using NMR
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 25/00 Fittings or systems for preventing or indicating unauthorised use or theft of vehicles locks for vehicles E05B77/00-E05B85/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10016 Video; Image sequence
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10072 Tomographic images
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10081 Computed x-ray tomography [CT]
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10088 Magnetic resonance imaging [MRI]
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/20101 Interactive definition of point of interest, landmark or seed
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/20221 Image fusion; Image merging
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30004 Biomedical image processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30012 Spine; Backbone
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30016 Brain
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/0012 Biomedical image inspection
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/11 Region-based segmentation
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 2201/033 of skeletal patterns
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/10 relating to drugs or medications, e.g. for ensuring correct administration to patients
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 30/40 for processing medical images, e.g. editing
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 70/60 relating to pathologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/40273 the transportation system being a vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24 : Structurally defined web or sheet [e.g., overall dimension, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24744 : Longitudinal or transverse tubular cavity or cell

Abstract

Image processing, creation and analysis techniques include using computer technology to identify a plurality of structures of interest in an image, such as spinal discs in a medical diagnostic image. Such techniques can also be used to improve image creation through the use of localizers which can help identify portions of an image, and the use of computer programs to combine multiple images into a single image for review.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

(a) a memory configured to receive a medical diagnostic image representing a neuro axis of a current patient;

(b) a database, said database comprising a plurality of archival medical diagnostic images representing a plurality of previously imaged patients;

(c) a processor configured to detect and label a plurality of spinal structures in the medical diagnostic image using an iterative process;

wherein said iterative process comprises utilizing information derived from a subset of said previously imaged patients to determine the positions of the plurality of spinal structures in said medical diagnostic image; and

wherein said subset of said previously imaged patients is determined based on a similarity between the patients from the subset of previously imaged patients and the current patient.

2. An apparatus comprising:

(a) a memory configured to receive a medical diagnostic image comprising a volumetric data set comprising the neuro axis of a patient

(b) a processor configured to;

i) reconstruct a two dimensional sagittal image following the midline of the patient'"'"'s neural axis; and

ii) detect and label a plurality of spinal structures in the reconstructed midline image using an iterative process.

3. An apparatus comprising:

(a) a memory configured to receive a set of multi-spectral source data representing a region comprising the neuro axis of a patient, wherein set of multi-spectral source data comprises;

i) a first image medical diagnostic image; and

ii) a second medical diagnostic image;

(b) a processor configured to;

i) create a derived medical diagnostic image, wherein said derived medical diagnostic image characterizes tissue using information from at least the first medical diagnostic image and the second medical diagnostic image;

ii) detect and label a plurality of spinal structures in the neuro-axis of the patient via application of an iterative process to the derived medical diagnostic image;

wherein the first and second medical diagnostic images are spatially coextensive;

wherein the first medical diagnostic image represents the region as determined using a first imaging parameter; and

wherein the second medical diagnostic image represents the region as determined using a second imaging parameter.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the first and second medical diagnostic images are magnetic resonance images, wherein the derived medical diagnostic image is a water—

fat image.

5. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the first and second medical diagnostic images are x-ray images, and wherein the first imaging parameter has a higher energy level than the second imaging parameter.

6. A computer readable medium having stored thereon computer executable instructions operable to configure a computer to perform a method comprising:

(a) obtaining a set of original images of a region under study, said set of original images comprising;

i) a first original image, said first original image created using a first convolution kernel with a first filtering algorithm;

ii) a second original image, said second original image created using a second convolution kernel with a second filtering algorithm;

wherein each image from the set of original images is co-registered;

wherein each image from the set of original images comprises a plurality of voxels, each of said voxels representing a location in the region under study;

wherein the first filtering algorithm reduces noise and spatial resolution of the first original image more than the second filtering algorithm reduces noise and spatial resolution of the second original image; and

wherein the first original image is spatially coextensive with the second original image;

(b) creating a composite image of the region under study, said composite image comprising;

i) each voxel from the first original image representing a location shown in the first original image as having an intensity value from a first set of intensity values; and

ii) a plurality of replacement voxels, said plurality of replacement voxels taken from the second original image, wherein each voxel from said plurality of replacement voxels represents a location shown in the first original image as having an intensity value from a second set of intensity values.

7. The computer readable medium of claim 6 wherein the first set of intensity values comprises all values within a range having a lower bound of between −

225 and −

75 HU, and an upper bound of between 75 and 225 HU and wherein the second set of intensity values comprises all values not within the first set of intensity values.

8. The computer readable medium of claim 7 wherein the lower bound of the first set of intensity values is −

150 HU, and wherein the upper bound of the first set of intensity values is 150 HU.

9. The computer readable medium of claim 6, wherein the plurality of original images comprises a third original image, and wherein creating the composite image of the region under study comprises creating an image comprising:

i) each voxel from the first original image representing a location shown in the first original image as having an intensity value from a first set of intensity values;

ii) a plurality of replacement voxels, said plurality of replacement voxels taken from the second original image, wherein each voxel from said plurality of replacement voxels represents a location shown in the first original image as having an intensity value from a second set of intensity values; and

iii) a second plurality of replacement voxels said second plurality of replacement voxels taken from the third original image, wherein each voxel from the second plurality of replacement voxels represents a location shown in the second original image as having an intensity value from a third set of intensity values.

10. The computer readable medium of claim 6 wherein the computer executable instructions stored on the computer readable medium is operable to configure a computer to reduce a set of images to review by at least a factor of 2 to obtain a reduced set of images to review.

11. A computer readable medium having stored thereon computer executable instructions operable to configure a computer to perform a method comprising:

(a) obtaining a set of original images of a region under study;

(b) creating a composite image of the region under study from a plurality of underlying images, wherein creating the composite region of the image under study comprises performing a combination taken from the group consisting of;

i) combining a first underlying image with a second underlying image, wherein the first underlying image is spatially coextensive with the second underlying image, wherein the first underlying image represents the region under study as determined using a first imaging parameter, and wherein the second underlying image represents the region under study as determined using a second imaging parameter; and

ii) combining a plurality of slices of the region of interest, wherein each slice in the plurality of slices is coextensive in two dimensions with all other slices in the plurality of slices, and wherein each slice in plurality of slices is adjacent to at least one other slice in the plurality of slices in a third dimension;

(c) displaying the composite image of the region under study in a visually perceptible manner.

12. The computer readable medium of claim 11 wherein the computer executable instructions are operable to configure the computer to:

(a) receive an indication of a region of interest in the composite image, wherein the region of interest in the composite image is created by combining a plurality of underlying voxels from the plurality underlying images combined to create the composite image;

(b) create a data display, said data display comprising;

i) one or more axes, each axis from said one or more axes representing a measurement parameter for the plurality of underlying images; and

ii) a plurality of points displayed in a space defined by the one or more axes, each point representing a voxel from the plurality of underlying voxels combined to create the region of interest;

wherein the position of each point on each axis from the one or more axes is determined based on the represented voxel'"'"'s value for the axis'"'"' measurement parameter; and

(c) present the data display in a visually perceptible manner.

13. The computer readable medium of claim 12 wherein the one or more axes comprises:

(a) a first axis representing a first measurement parameter; and

(b) a second axis representing a second measurement parameter;

wherein the first measurement parameter is HU at the 140 kVp level;

wherein the second measurement parameter is HU at the 80 kVp level.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 12, wherein the computer executable instructions are operable to configure the computer to:

(a) receive a selection of a point from the plurality of points;

(b) in response to receiving the selection, displaying the underlying image containing the voxel represented by the selected point.

15. An article of manufacture comprising:

(a) one or more sheets; and

(b) a plurality of linear structures disposed on said one or more sheets;

wherein said plurality of linear structures is positioned such that;

(a) on each sheet from said one or more sheets, there is disposed a set of at least two linear structures oriented relative to each other to form a cross subdividing the sheet into a set of four regions; and

(b) on each sheet from said one or more sheets, there are one or more crossing linear structures disposed on a line which crosses the intersection of the cross formed by the set of at least two linear structures oriented to form a cross on the sheet, wherein the line along which the one or more crossing tubes are disposed bisects two nonadjacent regions from said set of four regions on said sheet.

16. The article of manufacture of claim 15, wherein the one or more sheets comprises a sheet having linear structures disposed thereon such that no portion of any linear structure is located in the intersection of the cross subdividing that sheet into four regions.

17. The article of manufacture of claim 15, wherein the one or more sheets comprises a plurality of sheets and wherein each sheet from said plurality of sheets is attached to at least one other sheet from said plurality of sheets on a border adapted to facilitate separation of the attached sheets.

18. The article of manufacture of claim 15 wherein the plurality of linear structures comprises a plurality of flattened empty tubes and wherein the plurality of sheets comprises a plurality of flexible sheets.

19. The article of manufacture of claim 15 wherein the plurality of linear structures comprises a plurality of filled hollow tubes.

20. The article of manufacture of claim 15, wherein the plurality of linear structures comprises a plurality of solid tubes.