Methods and systems for aligning views of image data

• US 6,500,123 B1
• Filed: 11/06/2000
• Issued: 12/31/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Original Assignee: Volumetrics Medical Imaging LLC
• Inventors: McAlister, Donald K., Smith, David W., Grenon, Stephen Michael, von Ramm, Olaf, Stefanski, John J., Holloway, Richard
• Primary Examiner(s): Lateef, Marvin M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Imam, Ali M.
• Application Number:
  US09/707,238
• Time in Patent Office: 785 Days
• Field of Search: 600/437, 600/441-447, 600/449-459, 128/916, 736/25, 736/26, 367/7, 367/11, 367/130, 367/138
• US Class Current: 600/443
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/503 for diagnosis of the heart
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/504 for diagnosis of blood vessels, e.g. by angiography
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/00 Diagnosis using ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves imaging of objects using sonar G01S15/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/08 Detecting organic movements or changes, e.g. tumours, cysts, swellings A61B8/02 - A61B8/06 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/483 involving the acquisition of a 3D volume of data
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/8993 Three dimensional imaging systems
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/52074 Composite displays, e.g. split-screen displays; Combination of multiple images or of images and alphanumeric tabular information
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/33 using feature-based methods
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/38 Registration of image sequences

Abstract

A first ultrasound dataset that represents an object in a first coordinate system can be acquired at a first time. Three landmarks of the object can be located in the first ultrasound dataset to define a second coordinate system. A first transform from the first to the second coordinate system can be determined for the first ultrasound dataset. A second ultrasound dataset that represents the object in the first coordinate system can be acquired at a second time. The same three landmarks in the second ultrasound dataset can be located to define a third coordinate system. A second transform from the first to the third coordinate systems can be determined for the second ultrasound dataset.

Claims

1. A method for aligning views of ultrasound data, the method comprising:

acquiring a first ultrasound dataset that represents an object in a first coordinate system at a first time;

locating a plurality of landmarks of the object in the first ultrasound dataset to define a second coordinate system;

determining a first transform function from the first to the second coordinate system for the first ultrasound dataset;

acquiring a second ultrasound dataset that represents the object in the first coordinate system at a second time;

locating the plurality of landmarks in the second ultrasound dataset to define a third coordinate system; and

determining a second transform function from the first to the third coordinate systems for the second ultrasound dataset.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the second and third coordinate systems are aligned.

3. A method for aligning views of ultrasound data, the method comprising:

acquiring a first ultrasound dataset that represents an object in a first coordinate system at a first time;

locating a plurality of landmarks of the object in the first ultrasound dataset to define a second coordinate system;

determining a first transform function from the first to the second coordinate system for the first ultrasound dataset;

acquiring a second ultrasound dataset that represents the object in the first coordinate system at a second time;

locating the plurality of landmarks in the second ultrasound dataset to define a third coordinate system; and

determining a second transform function from the first to the third coordinate systems for the second ultrasound dataset, the method further comprising;

displaying a first view of image data in the first ultrasound dataset in the second coordinate system using the first transform; and

displaying a second view of image data in the second ultrasound dataset in the third coordinate system aligned with the first view using the second transform.

5. A method according to claim 3, wherein the first view of image data has an associated first time within a cycle associated with the object and the second view of image data has an associated second time within the cycle that is different than the first time.

6. A method according to claim 3, wherein the first and second views do not include any of the plurality of landmarks.

7. A method according to claim 3 further comprising:

comparing the first and second views.

8. A method according to claim 3, wherein the first and second views are displayed simultaneously.

9. A method according to claim 3 further comprising:

displaying the first and second views on a single display.

4. A method for aligning views of ultrasound data, the method comprising:

acquiring a first ultrasound dataset that represents an object in a first coordinate system at a first time;

locating a plurality of landmarks of the object in the first ultrasound dataset to define a second coordinate system;

determining a first transform function from the first to the second coordinate system for the first ultrasound dataset;

acquiring a second ultrasound dataset that represents the object in the first coordinate system at a second time;

locating the plurality of landmarks in the second ultrasound dataset to define a third coordinate system; and

determining a second transform function from the first to the third coordinate systems for the second ultrasound dataset, wherein the act of locating the plurality of landmarks of the object in the first ultrasound dataset comprises locating a first one of the three landmarks in a first view of image data in the first ultrasound dataset and a second one of the three landmarks in a second view of image data in the first ultrasound dataset that is different from the first view.

10. A method for aligning views of ultrasound data, the method comprising:

acquiring a first ultrasound dataset that represents an object in a first coordinate system at a first time;

locating a plurality of landmarks of the object in the first ultrasound dataset to define a second coordinate system;

determining a first transform function from the first to the second coordinate system for the first ultrasound dataset;

acquiring a second ultrasound dataset that represents the object in the first coordinate system at a second time;

locating the plurality of landmarks in the second ultrasound dataset to define a third coordinate system; and

determining a second transform function from the first to the third coordinate systems for the second ultrasound dataset, the method further comprising;

displaying a series of first view of image data in the first ultrasound dataset; and

displaying a series of second views of image data in the second ultrasound dataset, wherein respective ones of the first views are aligned with respective ones of the second views.

11. A method for aligning views of ultrasound data, the method comprising:

acquiring a first ultrasound dataset that represents an object in a first coordinate system at a first time;

locating a plurality of landmarks of the object in the first ultrasound dataset to define a second coordinate system;

determining a first transform function from the first to the second coordinate system for the first ultrasound dataset;

acquiring a second ultrasound dataset that represents the object in the first coordinate system at a second time;

locating the plurality of landmarks in the second ultrasound dataset to define a third coordinate system; and

determining a second transform function from the first to the third coordinate systems for the second ultrasound dataset, the method further comprising;

displaying a series of first views of image data from the first ultrasound dataset that correspond to respective locations in the object; and

displaying a series of second views of image data from the second ultrasound dataset that correspond to the same locations in the object, wherein respective ones of the first and second views are aligned.

12. A method for aligning views of ultrasound data, the method comprising:

acquiring a first ultrasound dataset that represents an object in a first coordinate system at a first time;

locating a plurality of landmarks of the object in the first ultrasound dataset to define a second coordinate system;

determining a first transform function from the first to the second coordinate system for the first ultrasound dataset;

acquiring a second ultrasound dataset that represents the object in the first coordinate system at a second time;

locating the plurality of landmarks in the second ultrasound dataset to define a third coordinate system; and

determining a second transform function from the first to the third coordinate systems for the second ultrasound dataset, wherein the object comprises tissue.

13. A method for aligning views of ultrasound data, the method comprising:

acquiring a first ultrasound dataset that represents an object in a first coordinate system at a first time;

locating a plurality of landmarks of the object in the first ultrasound dataset to define a second coordinate system;

determining a first transform function from the first to the second coordinate system for the first ultrasound dataset;

acquiring a second ultrasound dataset that represents the object in the first coordinate system at a second time;

locating the plurality of landmarks in the second ultrasound dataset to define a third coordinate system; and

determining a second transform function from the first to the third coordinate systems for the second ultrasound dataset, wherein the plurality of landmarks comprises at least three landmarks.

14. A method for aligning views of ultrasound data, the method comprising:

acquiring a first ultrasound dataset that represents an object at a first time;

acquiring a second ultrasound dataset that represents the object at a second time;

locating a plurality of first landmarks of the object in the first ultrasound dataset;

locating a plurality of second landmarks of the object in the second ultrasound dataset; and

transforming image data, using a transform function, from the first ultrasound dataset to the second ultrasound dataset to align the plurality of first landmarks in the first ultrasound dataset with the plurality of second landmarks in the second ultrasound dataset.

15. A method according to claim 14, wherein the plurality of first landmarks and the plurality of second landmarks are the same.

16. A method according to claim 14, wherein the plurality of first landmarks comprises at least three landmarks.

17. A method for aligning views of ultrasound data, the method comprising:

acquiring a first ultrasound dataset that represents an object at a first time;

acquiring a second ultrasound dataset that represents the object at a second time;

locating a plurality of first landmarks of the object in the first ultrasound dataset;

locating a plurality of second landmarks of the object in the second ultrasound dataset; and

transforming image data, using a transform function, from the first ultrasound dataset to the second ultrasound dataset to align the plurality of first landmarks in the first ultrasound dataset with the plurality of second landmarks in the second ultrasound dataset, wherein the first ultrasound dataset has an associated first coordinate system and the second ultrasound dataset has an associated second coordinate system; and

wherein the act of transforming comprises transforming image data from the second coordinate system to the first coordinate system.

18. A system for aligning views of ultrasound data, the system comprising:

means for acquiring a first ultrasound dataset that represents an object in a first coordinate system at a first time;

means for locating a plurality of landmarks of the object in the first ultrasound dataset to define a second coordinate system;

means for determining a first transform function from the first to the second coordinate system for the first ultrasound dataset;

means for acquiring a second ultrasound dataset that represents the object in the first coordinate system at a second time;

means for locating the plurality of landmarks in the second ultrasound dataset to define a third coordinate system; and

means for determining a second transform function from the first to the third coordinate systems for the second ultrasound dataset.

19. A system according to claim 18, wherein the second and third coordinate systems are aligned.

20. A system according to claim 18, wherein the object comprises tissue.

21. A system according to claim 18, wherein the plurality of landmarks comprises at least three landmarks.

22. A system for aligning views of ultrasound data, the system comprising:

means for acquiring a first ultrasound dataset that represents an object in a first coordinate system at a first time;

means for locating a plurality of landmarks of the object in the first ultrasound dataset to define a second coordinate system;

means for determining a first transform function from the first to the second coordinate system for the first ultrasound dataset;

means for acquiring a second ultrasound dataset that represents the object in the first coordinate system at a second time;

means for locating the plurality of landmarks in the second ultrasound dataset to define a third coordinate system; and

means for determining a second transform function from the first to the third coordinate systems for the second ultrasound dataset, the system further comprising;

means for displaying a first view of image data in the first ultrasound dataset in the second coordinate system using the first transform; and

means for displaying a second view of image data in the second ultrasound dataset in the third coordinate system aligned with the first view using the second transform.

23. A system according to claim 22, further comprising:

means for displaying the first and second views on a single display.

24. A system according to claim 22, wherein the first view of image data has an associated first time within a cycle associated with the object and the second view of image data has an associated second time within the cycle that is different than the first time.

25. A system according to claim 22, wherein the first and second views do not include any of the plurality of landmarks.

26. A system according to claim 22 further comprising:

means for comparing the first and second views.

27. A system for aligning views of ultrasound data, the system comprising:

means for acquiring a first ultrasound dataset that represents an object in a first coordinate system at a first time;

means for locating a plurality of landmarks of the object in the first ultrasound dataset to define a second coordinate system;

means for determining a first transform function from the first to the second coordinate system for the first ultrasound dataset;

means for acquiring a second ultrasound dataset that represents the object in the first coordinate system at a second time;

means for locating the plurality of landmarks in the second ultrasound dataset to define a third coordinate system; and

means for determining a second transform function from the first to the third coordinate systems for the second ultrasound dataset;

wherein the means for locating the plurality of landmarks of the object in the first ultrasound dataset comprises means for locating a first one of the three landmarks in a first view of image data in the first ultrasound dataset and a second one of the three landmarks in a second view of image data in the first ultrasound dataset that is different from the first view.

28. A system for aligning views of ultrasound data, the system comprising:

means for acquiring a first ultrasound dataset that represents an object in a first coordinate system at a first time;

means for locating a plurality of landmarks of the object in the first ultrasound dataset to define a second coordinate system;

means for determining a first transform function from the first to the second coordinate system for the first ultrasound dataset;

means for acquiring a second ultrasound dataset that represents the object in the first coordinate system at a second time;

means for locating the plurality of landmarks in the second ultrasound dataset to define a third coordinate system; and

means for determining a second transform function from the first to the third coordinate systems for the second ultrasound dataset, the system further comprising;

means for displaying a series of first view of image data in the first ultrasound dataset; and

means for displaying a series of second views of image data in the second ultrasound dataset, wherein respective ones of the first views are aligned with respective ones of the second views.

29. A system for aligning views of ultrasound data, the system comprising:

means for acquiring a first ultrasound dataset that represents an object in a first coordinate system at a first time;

means for locating a plurality of landmarks of the object in the first ultrasound dataset to define a second coordinate system;

means for determining a first transform function from the first to the second coordinate system for the first ultrasound dataset;

means for acquiring a second ultrasound dataset that represents the object in the first coordinate system at a second time;

means for locating the plurality of landmarks in the second ultrasound dataset to define a third coordinate system; and

means for determining a second transform function from the first to the third coordinate systems for the second ultrasound dataset, the system further comprising;

means for displaying a series of first views of image data from the first ultrasound dataset that correspond to respective locations in the object; and

means for displaying a series of second views of image data from the second ultrasound dataset that correspond to the same locations in the object, wherein respective ones of the first and second views are aligned.

30. A system for aligning views of ultrasound data, the system comprising:

means for acquiring a first ultrasound dataset that represents an object in a first coordinate system at a first time;

means for locating a plurality of landmarks of the object in the first ultrasound dataset to define a second coordinate system;

means for determining a first transform function from the first to the second coordinate system for the first ultrasound dataset;

means for acquiring a second ultrasound dataset that represents the object in the first coordinate system at a second time;

means for locating the plurality of landmarks in the second ultrasound dataset to define a third coordinate system; and

means for determining a second transform function from the first to the third coordinate systems for the second ultrasound dataset, wherein the first and second views are displayed simultaneously.