METHOD AND SYSTEM OF GENERATING A 3D VISUALIZATION FROM 2D IMAGES

• US 20130016092A1
• Filed: 06/15/2012
• Published: 01/17/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Salient Imaging, Inc.
• Original Assignee: The Medipattern Corp.
• Inventors: Lachmann, Frederic, Chung, Desmond Ryan, Sterritt, Janet R., Collins, Jeffrey B., Timar, Ted, Norris, Scott Reginald, Walsh, Erin M., Sheinfeld, Tatiana, Nath, Sumit, Hu, Ning
• Granted Patent: US 9,119,559 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/419
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/0891 for diagnosis of blood vessels
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/466 adapted to display 3D data 3D imaging and stereoscopic displays in devices for short-range imaging with acoustic waves G01S15/8993 and G01S7/52068, respectively; 3D image rendering G06T15/00; manipulating 3D models for computer graphics G06T19/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/469 for selection of a region of interest
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/483 involving the acquisition of a 3D volume of data
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/488 involving Doppler signals
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/5215 involving processing of medical diagnostic data
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/5269 involving detection or reduction of artifacts for image enhancement algorithms G06T5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/003 Navigation within 3D models or images
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10132 Ultrasound image
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30101 Blood vessel; Artery; Vein; Vascular
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30172 Centreline of tubular or elongated structure
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2210/41 Medical
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2219/028 Multiple view windows (top-side-front-sagittal-orthogonal)
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/66 of image moments or centre of gravity
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/20 for computer-aided diagnosis, e.g. based on medical expert systems

Abstract

The invention relates to the field of computerized generation of a visualization from a plurality of images. In particular, the invention relates to generating a three-dimensional (3D) visualization from a plurality of two-dimensional (2D) medical images. The images may be obtained from an ultrasound device. Regions of interest are segmented in at least two images and the region of interest is then tracked and segmented among the remaining images.

Claims

1. A system for generating a three dimensional visualization from a plurality of two dimensional images obtained by a transverse scan, comprising:

(a) a segmentation utility to segment and track a region of interest in each image; and

(b) a visualization utility to render a three-dimensional visualization using said segmented and tracked region of interest.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said region of interest is identified by an operator in at least two of said images.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said region of interest is defined by a seed point defined in at least two of said images.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein said region of interest is further defined by an ellipse surrounding said seed point.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein said region of interest is tracked by said seed points.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said region of interest is stabilized by an image analysis process.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein said tracking comprises generating two independent tracks.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein one of said independent tracks is generated from a first of said images to a second of said images and another of said independent tracks is generated from said second of said images to said first of said images.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein said generating comprises utilizing a block-matching with mutual information process.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein said block-matching with mutual information process further comprises a constraint based on the angle generated by two of said seed points in an adjacent set of two of said images.

11. A method for generating a three dimensional visualization from a plurality of two dimensional images obtained by a transverse scan, comprising:

(a) segmenting and tracking, by a processor, a region of interest in each image; and

(b) rendering a three-dimensional visualization using said segmented and tracked region of interest.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising enabling an operator to identify said region of interest in at least two of said images.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein said region of interest is defined by a seed point defined in at least two of said images.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said region of interest is further defined by an ellipse surrounding said seed point.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising tracking said region of interest by said seed points.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising stabilizing said region of interest.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein said tracking comprises generating two independent tracks.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein one of said independent tracks is generated from a first of said images to a second of said images and another of said independent tracks is generated from said second of said images to said first of said images.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein said generating comprises utilizing a block-matching with mutual information process.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein said block-matching with mutual information process further comprises a constraint based on the angle generated by two of said seed points in an adjacent set of two of said images.