Methods and apparatus for displaying diagnostic data

• US 7,136,518 B2
• Filed: 04/18/2003
• Issued: 11/14/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Luma Imaging Corp. (SpectraScience, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: MediSpectra, Inc. (SpectraScience, Inc.)
• Inventors: Jiang, Chunsheng, Griffin, Christopher E., Flewelling, Ross F., Abele, Charles C., Schomacker, Kevin T., Schott, Jean-Pierre
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu, Jingge
• Assistant Examiner(s): GORADIA, SHEFALI DINESH
• Application Number:
  US10/418,902
• Publication Number:
  US 20040207625A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,306 Days
• Field of Search: 382/128, 382133-134, 382/224, 600/476, 345/440, 345/629
• US Class Current: 382/133
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0059 using light, e.g. diagnosis by transillumination, diascopy, fluorescence A61B5/0093, A61B5/1455, A61B5/02416 and A61B5/0261 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7257 using Fourier transforms
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7264 Classification of physiological signals or data, e.g. using neural networks, statistical classifiers, expert systems or fuzzy systems neural networks per se G06N3/00; expert systems per se G06N5/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7267 involving training the classification device
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/274 Calibration, base line adjustment, drift correction
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/31 Investigating relative effect of material at wavelengths characteristic of specific elements or molecules, e.g. atomic absorption spectrometry G01N21/72 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/206 Drawing of charts or graphs
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10016 Video; Image sequence
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10068 Endoscopic image
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30024 Cell structures in vitro; Tissue sections in vitro
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/223 using block-matching
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 20/698 Matching; Classification
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/20 for computer-aided diagnosis, e.g. based on medical expert systems

Abstract

The invention provides methods for displaying diagnostic results obtained from a tissue sample. In general, the invention assigns tissue-class probability values to discrete regions of a patient sample, and creates an overlay for displaying the results. The overlay facilitates display of the tissue class probabilities in a way that reflects the diagnostic relevance of the data. For example, methods of the invention comprise applying filtering and color-blending techniques in order to facilitate display of diagnostic results.

Claims

1. A method of displaying diagnostic data, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a reference image of a tissue sample, said tissue sample comprising epithelial cells;

(b) providing a tissue-class probability corresponding to each member of a plurality of regions of said tissue sample, wherein said tissue-class probability is a probability that a region comprises tissue of a predetermined type, wherein said type is selected from the group consisting of CIN 1, CIN 2, CIN 3, GIN 2/3, metaplasia, NED, and cancer;

(c) creating a visual indication of said tissue-class probabilities using color values that correspond to said tissue-class probabilities, wherein said color values vary over a range according to said tissue-class probabilities; and

(d) displaying said reference image with said visual indication.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said creating step comprises assigning grayscale values as a proxy for said tissue-class probabilities.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said creating step comprises assigning RGB color values as a proxy for said tissue-class probabilities.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said creating step comprises assigning grayscale luminance values to said tissue-class probabilities and converting said luminance values to RGB color values.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said creating step comprises blending colors to provide diagnostically relevant information.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein at least one of said colors is yellow.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein at least one of said colors is blue.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein said colors comprise a continuum from yellow to blue.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said continuum varies from an average tissue color to a first reference color.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said creating step comprises assigning grayscale luminance values to said tissue-class probabilities, spatially filtering said grayscale luminance values, and converting said filtered grayscale luminance values to RGB color values.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein said creating step comprises spatially filtering values of said tissue-class probabilities, assigning grayscale luminance values to said filtered probability values, and converting said grayscale luminance values to RGB color values.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein said visual indication identifies at least one indeterminate region of said tissue sample.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein said visual indication identifies an indeterminate region without obscuring a corresponding portion of said reference image.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein said indeterminate region is identified using a crosshatch pattern or a trellis pattern.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein said visual indication identifies at least one necrotic region of said tissue sample.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein said visual indication identifies a necrotic region without obscuring a corresponding portion of said reference image.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein said necrotic region is identified using a crosshatch pattern or a trellis pattern.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein said displaying step is performed in real time during a patient examination.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein said displaying step is performed within about an hour of a patient examination.

20. A method of displaying diagnostic data, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a reference image of a tissue sample, said tissue sample comprising epithelial cells;

(b) providing a tissue-class probability corresponding to each member of a plurality of regions of said tissue sample, wherein said tissue-class probability is a probability that a region comprises tissue of a predetermined type, wherein said type is selected from the group consisting of CIN 1, CIN 2, CIN 3, CR4 2/3, metaplasia, NED, and cancer;

(c) creating an overlay comprising colors as a proxy for said tissue-class probabilities, wherein said overlay represents a range of tissue-class probabilities as a spectral blend of colorsthat varies over a range; and

(d) displaying said reference image with said overlay.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein said creating step comprises assigning grayscale luminance values to said tissue-class probabilities, spatially filtering said grayscale luminance values, and converting said filtered grayscale luminance values to RGB color values.

22. A method of creating an overlay for displaying diagnostic data, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a tissue-class probability corresponding to each member of a plurality of regions of a tissue sample, said tissue sample comprising epithelial cells, wherein said tissue-class probability is a probability that a region comprises tissue of a predetermined type, and wherein said type is selected from the group consisting of CIN 1, CIN 2, CiN 3, CIN 2/3, metaplasia, NED, and cancer; and

(b) creating an overlay comprising colors as a proxy for said tissue-class probabilities, wherein said overlay represents a range of tissue-class probabilities as a spectral blend of colors that varies over a range.

23. An apparatus for displaying diagnostic data, the apparatus adapted to:

(a) provide a tissue-class probability corresponding to each member of a plurality of regions of a tissue sample, said tissue sample comprising epithelial cells, wherein said tissue-class probability is a probability that a region comprises tissue of a predetermined type, and wherein said type is selected from the group consisting of C114 1, GiN 2, CiN 3, GIN 2/3, metaplasia, NED, and cancer; and

(b) create an overlay comprising colors as a proxy for said tissue-class probabilities, wherein said overlay represents a range of tissue-class probabilities as a spectral blend of colorsthat varies over a range.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, further adapted to display a reference image of said tissue sample with said overlay.