Method and apparatus for editing abdominal CT angiographic images for blood vessel visualization
First Claim
1. A method for automatically editing a plurality of computed tomograms to provide a three dimensional view of a selected object located within a patient'"'"'s body, each of said computed tomograms comprising an array of pixels having various illuminating intensities which depict various objects scanned by a computed tomogram scanning system within a layer of a patient'"'"'s body, said method comprising the steps of:
- providing at least one slab of computed tomographic image slices produced by said computed tomogram scanning system, said image slices including an undesirable object;
computing a top maximum intensity projection of said slab;
automatically removing said undesirable object from said top maximum intensity projection of said slab in order to define modifications to be applied to said image slices of said at least one slab; and
applying said modifications to each computed tomographic image slice in said at least one slab in order to remove said undesirable object from said image slices.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method for automatically editing a plurality of CT image slices to provide a three dimensional view of a selected object located within a patient'"'"'s body comprises providing at least one slab of CT image slices produced by CT scanning system and computing a top MIP image of the slab. An undesirable object is automatically removed from the top MIP image by first detecting all the pixels having illuminating intensity values which represent the undesirable object. Then all the pixels of the object to be removed are set to a substantially zero illuminating intensity value in order to remove the object from the top MIP image of the slab. After the undesirable object is removed from the top MIP image, the edits made thereto are applied to each CT image slice in the slab. The present invention also includes apparatus for performing a 3D reconstruction of CT angiographic images to visualize a selected object located within a patient'"'"'s body. The apparatus comprises an x-ray tube for projecting energy into a layer of interest in the patient'"'"'s body and a detector for detecting changes in the projected energy as it exits the layer of interest. The changes detected in the projected energy are indicative of various objects including the selected object that are located within the layer of interest of the patient'"'"'s body. Moreover, the x-ray tube and detector operate in conjunction to provide at least one slab of CT image slices.
68 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method for automatically editing a plurality of computed tomograms to provide a three dimensional view of a selected object located within a patient'"'"'s body, each of said computed tomograms comprising an array of pixels having various illuminating intensities which depict various objects scanned by a computed tomogram scanning system within a layer of a patient'"'"'s body, said method comprising the steps of:
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providing at least one slab of computed tomographic image slices produced by said computed tomogram scanning system, said image slices including an undesirable object; computing a top maximum intensity projection of said slab; automatically removing said undesirable object from said top maximum intensity projection of said slab in order to define modifications to be applied to said image slices of said at least one slab; and applying said modifications to each computed tomographic image slice in said at least one slab in order to remove said undesirable object from said image slices. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. Apparatus for performing a 3D reconstruction of a plurality of computed tomographic angiographic images slices to visualize a selected object located within a patient'"'"'s body, each of said computed tomographic image slices comprising an array of pixels having various illuminating intensities which depict various objects scanned by a computed tomogram scanning system within a layer of a patient'"'"'s body, said apparatus comprising:
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projecting means for projecting energy into said layer of said patient'"'"'s body; detecting means for detecting changes in said energy which are indicative of said various objects including said selected objected located within said patient'"'"'s body, whereby said projecting means and detecting means operate to provide at least one slab of computed tomographic image slices; and automatic editing means for removing an undesirable one of said various objects from a top maximum intensity projection of a slab of said computed tomographic images slices to define modifications to be applied to said image slices of said at least one slab and applying said modifications to each of said image slices in said at least one slab in order to freely visualize the selected object. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification