Fusion of multiple imaging planes for isotropic imaging in MRI and quantitative image analysis using isotropic or near-isotropic imaging

• US 7,634,119 B2
• Filed: 12/04/2003
• Issued: 12/15/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Conformis Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Conformis Incorporated
• Inventors: Steines, Daniel, Tsougarakis, Konstantinos, Timsari, Bijan
• Primary Examiner(s): Tabatabai; Abolfazl
• Application Number:
  US10/728,731
• Publication Number:
  US 20040204644A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,203 Days
• Field of Search: 382/128, 382/129, 382/130, 382/131, 382/132, 382/13, 382/134, 382/190, 600/407, 600/410, 600/411, 600/419, 600/420, 600/425, 600/9, 600/10, 600/524, 378/21, 378/23, 378/62, 324/307, 324/309, 424/9.3
• US Class Current: 382/128
• CPC Class Codes: B23P 19/00 Machines for simply fitting together or separating metal parts or objects, or metal and non-metal parts, whether or not involving some deformation connecting metal parts or objects by metal-working procedures B21J, B23K; Tools or devices therefor so far as not provided for in other classes hand tools in general B25
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/56 Image enhancement or correction, e.g. subtraction or averaging techniques , e.g. improvement of signal-to-noise ratio and resolution
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/5608 Data processing and visualization specially adapted for MR, e.g. for feature analysis and pattern recognition on the basis of measured MR data, segmentation of measured MR data, edge contour detection on the basis of measured MR data, for enhancing measured MR data in terms of signal-to-noise ratio by means of noise filtering or apodization, for enhancing measured MR data in terms of resolution by means for deblurring, windowing, zero filling, or generation of gray-scaled images, colour-coded images or images displaying vectors instead of pixels image data processing or generation, in general G06T
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49 Method of mechanical manufacture

Abstract

In accordance with the present invention there is provided methods for generating an isotropic or near-isotropic three-dimensional images from two-dimensional images. In accordance with the present invention the method includes, obtaining a first image of a body part in a first plane, wherein the first image generates a first image data volume; obtaining a second image of the body part in a second plane, wherein the second image generates a second image data volume; and combining the first and second image data volumes to form a resultant image data volume, wherein the resultant image data volume is isotropic or near-isotropic.

Claims

1. A method of processing medical image data using a computer processing system, comprising:

obtaining a first image(s) of a body part in a first plane, wherein the first image(s) generates a first image data volume;

obtaining a second image(s) of the body part in a second plane, wherein the second image(s) generates a second image data volume;

extracting boundary image data of the body part from each of the first and second image data volumes using the computer processing system; and

combining the extracted boundary image data using the computer processing system to form a resultant boundary data volume of the body part.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the second image(s) is taken at an angle between about 0 and about 180 degrees from the first image(s).

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the second image(s) is taken at an angle between about 0 and about 90 degrees from the first image(s).

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first image(s) is taken at a first angle and the second image(s) is taken at a second angle, and further wherein the first angle does not equal the second angle.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first image(s) is taken at a first time and the second image(s) is taken at a second time.

6. The method of claim 1, further including:

obtaining at least one additional image of the body part in a plane different than the other planes, wherein the additional image generates an additional image data volume, wherein boundary image data of the body part is extracted from the additional image data volume using the computer processing system; and

wherein the boundary image data from the additional data volume is combined with the boundary image data from the first and second image data volumes using the computer processing system to form a resultant boundary data volume of the body part.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the resultant boundary image data volume is used to electronically derive an implant shape.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the implant is selected from the group consisting of knee, hip, spine and shoulder implants.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the scans are performed at ninety degrees relative to one another.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising selecting or monitoring a therapy using the resultant boundary data volume.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising electronically deriving the three-dimensional shape of the body part from the resultant boundary data volume;

and deriving electronically an implant shape utilizing the three-dimensional shape information.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the first image data volume is obtained at a first time point T₁ and the second image data volume is obtained at a second time point T₂.

13. A method for designing an implant for a body part from image data in a computer processing system, comprising:

obtaining a first image data volume of the body part from a first image(s) in a first plane;

obtaining a second image data volume of the body part from a second image(s) in a second plane;

extracting boundary image data of the body part from each of the first and second image data volumes using the computer processing system;

combining the extracted boundary image data from the first and second image data volumes to form a resultant boundary data volume of the body part using the computer processing system; and

using the resultant boundary data volume of the body part to electronically derive an implant shape.

14. The method of claim 13, further including:

obtaining at least one additional image data volume from at least one additional image in a plane different than the first plane and the second plane; and

extracting boundary image data of the body part from the additional image data volume using the computer processing system,

wherein combining the extracted boundary image data includes combining the extracted boundary image data from the first, second and the at least one additional image data volumes to form the resultant boundary data volume of the body part.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the resultant image data volume is near-isotropic.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the resultant image data volume is isotropic.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the first plane is at an angle relative to the second plane.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the angle is between about 0 and about 180 degrees.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the angle is between about 0 and about 90 degrees.

20. The method of claim 13, wherein the implant is a knee implant.

21. The method of claim 13, wherein the implant is a hip implant.

22. The method of claim 13, wherein the implant is a spine implant.

23. The method of claim 13, wherein the implant is a shoulder implant.

24. A method for treating a body part, comprising:

acquiring at least two data volumes from at least two body part images performed in two different planes;

extracting boundary image data of the body part from each of the data volumes using a computer processing system;

combining the extracted boundary image data from each of the data volumes to form a resultant data volume of the body part using the computer processing system; and

deriving a therapy for the body part using the resultant data volume.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the two scans are performed at ninety degrees relative to one another.

26. A method of deriving an implant shape by processing image data in a computer processing system, comprising:

obtaining at least one image of a body part in at least a first plane and a second plane, wherein the first plane generates a first image data volume and the second plane generates a second image data volume;

extracting boundary image data of the body part from each of the image data volumes using the computer processing system;

combining the extracted boundary image data from each of the image data volumes to form a resultant image data volume of the body part using the computer processing system wherein the resultant image data volume is near-isotropic or isotropic; and

using the resultant image data volume to electronically derive an implant shape.

27. A method for treating a body part based on image data combined in a computer processing system, comprising:

acquiring at least a first data volume and a second data volume from at least a first body part image and a second body part image, wherein the first body part image is obtained in a first plane and the second body part image is obtained in a second plane and further wherein the first plane is not equal to the second plane;

extracting boundary image data of the body part from each of the data volumes using the computer processing system;

combining the extracted boundary image data using the computer processing system to form a resultant boundary data volume;

deriving electronically the three-dimensional shape of the body part from the resultant boundary data volume; and

selecting a therapy utilizing the three-dimensional shape information.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the two scans are performed at ninety degrees relative to one another.

29. The method of claim 27, wherein the first data volume is obtained at a first time point T₁ and the second data volume is obtained at a second time point T₂.

30. A method for designing an implant for a body part, comprising:

acquiring at least two data volumes from at least two body part images performed in two different planes;

extracting boundary image data of the body part from each of the data volumes using a computer processing system;

combining the extracted boundary image data from each of the data volumes using the computer processing system to form a resultant data volume of the body part;

deriving electronically the three-dimensional shape of the body part from the resultant data volume; and

deriving electronically an implant shape utilizing the three-dimensional shape information.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the two scans are performed at ninety degrees relative to one another.

32. A method for selecting an implant for a body part, comprising:

obtaining a first image data volume from a first image(s) in a first plane;

obtaining a second image data volume from a second image(s) in a second plane;

extracting boundary image data of the body part from each of the first and second image data volumes using a computer processing system;

combining the extracted boundary image data from each of the first and second image data volumes using the computer processing system to form a resultant boundary data volume of the body part; and

using the resultant boundary data volume to select an implant shape.

33. The method of claim 32, further including:

obtaining at least one additional image data volume from at least one additional image in a plane different than the first plane and the second plane; and

extracting boundary image data of the body part from the additional image data volume using the computer processing system,

wherein combining the extracted boundary image data includes combining the first, second and the at least one additional image data volumes to form the resultant boundary data volume of the body part.

34. The method of claim 32, wherein the resultant image data volume is near-isotropic.

35. The method of claim 32, wherein the resultant image data volume is isotropic.

36. The method of claim 32, wherein the first plane is at an angle relative to the second plane.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein the angle is between about 0 and about 180 degrees.

38. The method of claim 36, wherein the angle is between about 0 and about 90 degrees.

39. The method of claim 32, wherein the implant is a knee implant.

40. The method of claim 32, wherein the implant is a hip implant.

41. The method of claim 32, wherein the implant is a spine implant.

42. The method of claim 32, wherein the implant is a shoulder implant.

43. A method for selecting an implant for a body part, comprising:

acquiring at least two data volumes from at least two body part images performed in two different planes;

extracting boundary image data of the body part from the at least two data volumes using the computer processing system;

combining the extracted boundary image data from the data volumes data volumes using the computer processing system to form a resultant boundary data volume of the body part;

deriving electronically the three-dimensional shape of the body part from the resultant boundary data volume; and

selecting an implant shape utilizing the three-dimensional shape information.

44. The method of claim 43, wherein the two scans are performed at ninety degrees relative to one another.

45. The method of claim 43, wherein the implant is selected from the group consisting of knee, hip, spine and shoulder implants.

46. A method for designing an implant for a body part, comprising:

obtaining a first image data volume from a first image(s) in a first plane;

obtaining a second image data volume from a second image(s) in a second plane;

extracting boundary image data of the body part from each of the first and second image data volumes using a computer processing system;

combining the extracted boundary image data from the first and second image data volumes using the computer processing system to form a resultant boundary data volume of the body part;

using the resultant boundary data volume to electronically derive an implant shape; and

manufacturing an implant based on the derived implant shape.

47. The method of claim 46, further including:

obtaining at least one additional image data volume from at least one additional image in a plane different than the first plane and the second plane; and

extracting boundary image data of the body part from the additional image data volume using the computer processing system,

wherein combining the extracted boundary image data includes combining the extracted boundary image data from the first, second and the at least one additional image data volumes using the computer processing system to form the resultant boundary data volume of the body part.

48. The method of claim 46, wherein the first plane is at an angle relative to the second plane.

49. The method of claim 48, wherein the angle is between about 0 and about 180 degrees.

50. The method of claim 49, wherein the angle is between about 0 and about 90 degrees.

51. A method for selecting an implant for a body part, comprising:

obtaining a first image data volume from a first image(s) in a first plane;

obtaining a second image data volume from a second image(s) in a second plane;

extracting boundary image data of the body part from each of the first and second image data volumes using a computer processing system;

combining the extracted boundary image data from the first and second image data volumes using the computer processing system to form a resultant boundary data volume of the body part;

using the resultant boundary data volume to select an implant shape; and

implanting an implant with the selected implant shape.

52. The method of claim 51, further including:

obtaining at least one additional image data volume from at least one additional image in a plane different than the first plane and the second plane; and

extracting boundary image data of the body part from the additional image data volume using the computer processing system,

wherein combining the extracted boundary image data includes combining the extracted boundary image data from the first, second and the at least one additional image data volumes using the computer processing system to form the resultant boundary data volume of the body part.

53. The method of claim 51, wherein the first plane is at an angle relative to the second plane.

54. The method of claim 53, wherein the angle is between about 0 and about 180 degrees.

55. The method of claim 54, wherein the angle is between about 0 and about 90 degrees.