System and method for performing a three-dimensional virtual segmentation and examination
First Claim
1. A method for electronically cleansing a virtual object, formed from image data, comprising:
- converting the image data to a plurality of volume elements forming the virtual object, each volume element having an intensity value;
classifying the volume elements into a plurality of clusters in accordance with the intensity values; and
removing at least one cluster of volume elements from the virtual object.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system and method for generating a three-dimensional visualization image of an object such as an organ using volume visualization techniques and exploring the image using a guided navigation system which allows the operator to travel along a flight path and to adjust the view to a particular portion of the image of interest in order, for example, to identify polyps, cysts or other abnormal features in the visualized organ. An electronic biopsy can also be performed on an identified growth or mass in the visualized object. Virtual colonoscopy can be enhanced by electronically removing residual stool, fluid and non-colonic tissue from the image of the colon, by employing bowel preparation followed by image segmentation operations. Methods are also employed for virtually expanding regions of colon collapse using image segmentation results.
-
Citations
26 Claims
-
1. A method for electronically cleansing a virtual object, formed from image data, comprising:
-
converting the image data to a plurality of volume elements forming the virtual object, each volume element having an intensity value;
classifying the volume elements into a plurality of clusters in accordance with the intensity values; and
removing at least one cluster of volume elements from the virtual object. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
performing feature vector analysis on at least one of the clusters which include image data for a material of interest; and
performing high level feature extraction to remove volume elements from the virtual object which are not substantially indicative of the material of interest.
-
-
6. The method for electronically cleansing a virtual object according to claim 5, wherein the image data represents a region of the human body including at least a portion of the colon and the material of interest is tissue of a colon.
-
7. The method for electronically cleansing a virtual object according to claim 1, wherein the image data represents a region of the human body including at least a portion of the colon.
-
8. The method for electronically cleansing a virtual object according to claim 7, wherein the removing operation removes volume elements representing at least one of intracolonic fluid, residual stool within the colon, bone, and non-colonic tissue.
-
9. A method for preparing image data for virtual colonoscopy comprising:
-
acquiring an image data set including at least a portion of the colon;
converting the image data set to a plurality of volume elements, each volume element having an intensity value;
classifying the volume elements into a plurality of clusters in accordance with the intensity values, each cluster representing at least one material proximate the colon; and
removing at least one cluster of volume elements from the image data set. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
identifying the interior of the colon;
generating a centerline for navigating through the interior of the colon;
detecting a collapsed region of the interior of the colon; and
extending the centerline through the collapsed region.
-
-
17. The method of performing virtual colonoscopy according to claim 16, wherein entropy values are calculated for the intensity values proximate the centerline and the detecting operation includes identifying at least one of the entropy values being above a threshold value.
-
18. The method of performing virtual colonoscopy according to claim 17, further comprising virtually expanding a detected collapsed region of the colon in accordance with properties of the colon wall.
-
19. An imaging system including an image segmentation feature, comprising:
-
an imaging scanner for acquiring image data;
a processor, said processor converting the image data into a plurality of volume elements forming a volume element data set, each volume element having an intensity value, the processor performing an image segmentation operation on the volume element data set comprising classifying the volume elements into a plurality of clusters in accordance with the intensity values and removing at least one cluster of volume elements from the image data; and
a display unit operatively coupled to the processor for displaying a representation of the image data with the at least one cluster of volume elements removed. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
performing feature vector analysis on at least one of the clusters which include image data for a material of interest; and
performing high level feature extraction to remove volume elements from the image which are not substantially indicative of the material of interest.
-
-
24. The imaging system according to claim 23, wherein the imaging scanner is adapted to acquire image data of a human body including at least a portion of the colon and the material of interest is tissue of a colon.
-
25. The imaging system according to claim 19, wherein the imaging scanner is adapted to acquire image data of a region of the human body including at least a portion of the colon.
-
26. The imaging system according to claim 19, wherein the classifying operation performed by the processor removes volume elements from the volume element data set which represent at least one of intracolonic fluid, residual stool within the colon, bone, and non-colonic tissue.
Specification