Method and apparatus of scoring an arterial obstruction
First Claim
1. A method of scoring an arterial obstruction comprising the steps of:
- acquiring images for a number of slices of a subject;
determining a set of the images corresponding to an arterial obstruction that contains calcium;
determining a slice thickness for each image of the set;
determining an area of the arterial obstruction on each image;
determining a product of the slice thickness of each image and the area of the arterial obstruction of each image;
modifying each product by a scaling factor;
summing the modified products for the set of images; and
determining a characteristic of the arterial obstruction therefrom.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention is directed to a method and apparatus of scoring an arterial obstruction. The present invention includes identifying a particular group of pixels corresponding to a calcified region of coronary artery of a patient and based on the satisfaction of a number of thresholds connectivity criteria, determining a calcification score of that calcified region as indicative of the patient'"'"'s risk of cardiovascular disease including atherosclerosis, heart attack, heart failure, and stroke. The present invention further includes determining the scaling factor unique to a particular imaging slice of data to provide a value of calcium weight and volume that is indicative of the true obstruction and true volume of the calcified region.
94 Citations
29 Claims
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1. A method of scoring an arterial obstruction comprising the steps of:
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acquiring images for a number of slices of a subject; determining a set of the images corresponding to an arterial obstruction that contains calcium; determining a slice thickness for each image of the set; determining an area of the arterial obstruction on each image; determining a product of the slice thickness of each image and the area of the arterial obstruction of each image; modifying each product by a scaling factor; summing the modified products for the set of images; and determining a characteristic of the arterial obstruction therefrom. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A method of coronary artery calcification scoring comprising the steps of:
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(A) acquiring imaging data for a number of imaging slices of a patient; (B) identifying a set of pixels of the imaging data corresponding to calcium in a coronary artery of the patient; (C) determining an area of the calcium in each imaging slice; (D) determining a subset of pixels to be considered for calcification scoring; (E) determining a thickness of each imaging slice; (F) modifying the area of the calcium of each imaging slice by a corresponding slice thickness and determining a volume of the calcium in each imaging slice therefrom; (G) modifying each volume by a corresponding calibration factor for each imaging slice; and (H) summing the modified volumes to determine a total volume of the calcium in the coronary artery of the patient. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A computer readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon and representing a set of instructions that when executed by a computer causes the computer to:
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initiate a multi-slice scan of a subject; acquire imaging data of the subject for a number of imaging slices; determine a portion of the imaging data corresponding to calcium; determine a maximum CT number of the portion; determine a maximum CT number for calcium in each imaging slice; determine a scaling factor for each imaging slice from the maximum CT number for calcium in each imaging slice and the maximum CT number of the portion; determine an area of the calcium in each imaging slice; modify each area by a corresponding slice thickness; and determine a weighted sum of each imaging area modified by the corresponding slice thickness and the quantification factor. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. A radiation emitting imaging apparatus for acquiring imaging data of a subject and for determining a calcification score from the imaging data, the radiation emitting imaging apparatus comprising;
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a rotatable gantry having an opening therein to receive a subject to be scanned; an HF electromagnetic energy source configured to project HF electromagnetic energy toward the subject; a detector assembly configured to detect HF electromagnetic energy attenuated by the subject; a data acquisition system connected to the detector assembly and configured to receive electrical signals from the detector assembly indicative of the HF electromagnetic energy detected; and a computer programmed to; generate a set of imaging data from die electrical signals; arrange the imaging data to correspond to a number of imaging slices, each imaging slice having a slice thickness; determining a portion of the imaging data corresponding to calcium; determine a maximum CT number of the calcium; determine a maximum CT number of the calcium in each imaging slice; determine an area of the calcium in each imaging slice; modify each area by a slice thickness and a ratio of the maximum CT number of the calcium for a corresponding imaging slice and the maximum CT number of the calcium; and sum each modified area to determine a calcification score. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27)
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28. A CT imaging system comprising:
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means for acquiring imaging data of a coronary artery of a subject, the imaging data corresponding to a number of imaging slices; means for isolating a portion of the imaging data corresponding to a calcium obstruction in the coronary artery; means for determining a thickness of each imaging slice; means for determining an area of the calcium obstruction in each imaging slice; means for determining a maximum CT number of the calcium obstruction in each imaging slice; means for determining a maximum CT number of the calcium obstruction; means for weighting a product of the area of the calcium in each imaging slice and the thickness of each imaging slice by a ratio of the maximum CT number of the calcium obstruction in each imaging slice and the maximum CT number of the calcium obstruction; and means for summing the weighted products.
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29. A method of scoring an arterial obstruction comprising the steps of:
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acquiring images for a number of slices of a subject; determining a set of the images corresponding to an arterial obstruction; determining a slice thickness for each image of the set; determining an area of the arterial obstruction on each image; determining an effective density of each image from a calibration curve by determining a relationship between arterial obstruction density and mean CT number of calcium; determining a product of the slice thickness of each image and the area of the arterial obstruction of each image; modifying each product by a sealing factor that includes modifying each product by the effective density of each image; summing the modified products for the set of images; and determining a characteristic of the arterial obstruction therefrom, wherein the characteristic includes a weight of the arterial obstruction.
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Specification