Border detection in medical image analysis

• US 7,831,081 B2
• Filed: 04/20/2006
• Issued: 11/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/15/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Boston Scientific Scimed (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Boston Scientific Scimed (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Li, Wenguang
• Primary Examiner(s): Le; Long V
• Assistant Examiner(s): HOFFA, ANGELA MARIE
• Application Number:
  US11/409,343
• Publication Number:
  US 20070036404A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,664 Days
• Field of Search: 600407-472
• US Class Current: 382/131
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/12 in body cavities or body tracts, e.g. by using catheters catheters per se A61M25/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10068 Endoscopic image
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10132 Ultrasound image
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/20096 Interactive definition of curve of interest
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30101 Blood vessel; Artery; Vein; Vascular
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/0012 Biomedical image inspection
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/12 Edge-based segmentation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/922 including image analysis

Abstract

A system and method of analysis for a medical image are described. A medical image is received and analyzed, and an initial border of a region within the medical image is determined based on the analysis of the medical image. A user input is received indicating one or more control points, where each of the one or more control points is located inside or outside of the initial border. A modified border of the region is determined based on the analysis and the user input, the modified border passing through the one or more control points.

Claims

1. A method of analysis for an intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) image comprising:

receiving an IVUS image;

analyzing the IVUS image;

determining an initial border of a region within the IVUS image based on the analysis of the IVUS image;

receiving a first user input interacting with a display device to indicate one or more first control points on the IVUS image displayed on the display device, wherein each of the one or more first control points is independent of the initial border and located inside or outside of the initial border;

determining a first modified border of the region based on the analysis and the first user input, the first modified border passing through the one or more first control points;

displaying the IVUS image including the first modified border on the display device;

wherein the steps of analyzing the IVUS image, determining the initial border and determining the first modified border are performed by one or more programmable processors;

wherein the IVUS image is a single IVUS;

dividing the IVUS image into a plurality of sectors;

receiving a second user input indicating one or more second control points, wherein for each of the one or more second control points the second control point is located in one of the plurality of sectors either inside or outside of the modified border; and

determining a second modified border based on the analysis, the first user input, and the second user input, wherein when at least one of the one or more first control points and at least one of the one or more second control points are both disposed the same sector of the plurality of sectors, the second modified border passes through the one or more second control points and ignores the one or more first control points.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the analysis of the IVUS image includes an analysis of the brightness contrast between a plurality of pixels comprising the IVUS image.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the initial border is a border of the luminal region of a blood vessel.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the initial border is a medial-adventitial boundary of a blood vessel.

5. The method of claim 1, where analyzing the IVUS image comprises generating an edge strength map including'"'"'a plurality of edge strength values corresponding to a plurality of pixels comprising the IVUS image.

6. The method of claim 5, where determining an initial border comprises performing an edge detection process to detect an edge based at least in part on the edge strength map, where the edge represents the initial border.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising, generating a modified edge strength map based on the first user input selecting one or more control points;

wherein determining the first modified border comprises performing the edge detection process to detect the edge based at least in part on the modified edge strength map, and wherein the edge represents the first modified border.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a third user input indicating one or more third control points; and

determining a third modified border based on the analysis, the first user input, the second user input, and the third user input, wherein when at least one of the one or more third control points and at least one of either the one or more first control points or the one or more second control points are disposed in the same sector of the plurality of sector, the third modified border passes through the one or more third control points and ignores the one or more first control points and the one or more second control points.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein dividing the IVUS image into a plurality of sectors comprises dividing the IVUS image into a plurality of wedge-shaped sectors.

10. A method of analysis for an intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) image comprising:

receiving the IVUS image;

analyzing the IVUS image;

determining an initial outer border of an outer region within the IVUS image based on the analysis of the IVUS image;

determining an initial inner border of an inner region within the IVUS image based on the analysis of the IVUS image;

receiving a first user input to modify one of the initial outer or initial inner borders;

receiving a second user input interacting with a display device to indicate a first control point on the IVUS image displayed on the display device, where the first control point is independent of the initial border to be modified and located at a point other than on the initial border to be modified;

when the first user input is to modify the initial outer border, then, determining a first modified outer border of the outer region is based on the analysis and the second user input, the first modified outer border passing through the first control point;

when the first user input is to modify the initial inner border, then, determining a first modified inner border of the inner region is based on the analysis and the second user input, the first modified inner border passing through the first control point;

displaying the IVUS image including the first modified border on the display device;

wherein the steps of analyzing the IVUS image, determining the initial inner and outer borders and determining either the first modified inner border or the first modified outer border are performed by one or more programmable processors;

wherein the IVUS image is a single IVUS image;

dividing the IVUS image into a plurality of sectors;

receiving a third user input to modify one of the initial outer border, the initial inner border, the first modified outer border, or the first modified inner border;

receiving a fourth user input indicating a second control point, wherein the second control point is located in one of the plurality of sectors;

when the fourth user input is to re-modify the first modified inner border, then, determining a second modified inner border is based on the analysis, the second user input, and the fourth user input;

when the fourth user input is to re-modify the first modified outer border, then, determining a second modified outer border is based on the analysis, the second user input, and the fourth user input; and

wherein when the first control point and the second control point are both disposed in the same sectors of the plurality of sectors, the second modified outer border passes through the second control point and ignores the first control point.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

receiving a fifth user input to modify one of the initial outer border, the initial inner border, the first modified outer border, the first modified inner border, the second modified outer border, or the second modified inner border;

receiving a sixth user input indicating a third control point, wherein the third control point is located in one of the plurality of sectors;

when the sixth user input is to re-modify the second modified inner border, then, determining a third modified inner border is based on the analysis, the second user input, the fourth user input, and the sixth user input;

when the fourth user input is to re-modify the second modified outer border, then, determining a third modified outer border is based on the analysis, the second user input, the fourth user input, and the sixth user input; and

wherein when the third control point and at least one of the first control point or the second control point are disposed in the same sector of the plurality of sectors, the third modified outer border passes through the third control point and ignores the at least one of the first control point or the second control point.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein dividing the IVUS image into a plurality of sectors comprises dividing the IVUS image into a plurality of wedge-shaped sectors.

13. A method of analysis for a medical image comprising:

receiving a medical image;

analyzing the medical image;

determining an initial border of a region within the medical image based on the analysis of the medical image;

receiving a first user input interacting with a display device to indicate one or more first control points on the medical image displayed on the display device, where each of the one or more first control points is independent of the initial border and located inside or outside of the initial border;

determining a first modified border of the region based on the analysis and the first user input, the first modified border passing through the one or more first control points;

displaying the medical image including the first modified border on the display device;

wherein the steps of analyzing the medical image, determining an initial border and determining the first modified border are performed by one or more programmable processors;

wherein the medical image is a single medical image;

dividing the medical image into a plurality of sectors;

receiving a second user input indicating one or more second control points, wherein for each of the one or more second control points the second control point is located in one of the plurality of sectors either inside or outside of the modified border; and

determining a second modified border based on the analysis, the first user input, and the second user input, wherein when at least one of the one or more first control points and at least one of the one or more second control points are both disposed in the same sectors of the plurality of sectors, the second modified border passes through the one or more second control points and ignores the one or more first control points.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the medical image is an echocardiograph image and the region represents a cardiac chamber.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the medical image is an intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) image and the region represents a blood vessel.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the initial border is a border of the luminal region of a blood vessel.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the initial border is a medial-adventitial boundary of a blood vessel.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the analysis of the medical image includes an analysis of the brightness contrast between a plurality of pixels comprising the medical image.

19. The method of claim 13, where analyzing the medical image comprises generating an edge strength map including a plurality of edge strength values corresponding to a plurality of pixels comprising the medical image.

20. The method of claim 19, where determining the initial border comprises performing an edge detection process to detect an edge based at least in part on the edge strength map, where the edge represents the initial border.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising, generating a modified edge strength map based on the first user input selecting one or more first control points;

wherein determining the first modified border comprises performing the edge detection process to detect an edge based at least in part on the modified edge strength map, where the edge represents the first modified border.

22. A medical imaging system comprising:

a processor; and

a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having processor-executable instructions, the processor-executable instructions when installed onto a system enable the system to perform actions, comprising;

receive a medical image;

analyze the medical image;

determine an initial border of a region within the medical image based on the analysis of the medical image;

receive a first user input interacting with a display device to indicate a first control point on the medical image displayed on the display device, where the first control point is independent of the initial border and located inside or outside of the initial border;

determine a first modified border of the region based on the analysis and the first user input, the modified border passing through the first control point;

wherein the medical image is a single medical image;

divide the medical image into a plurality of sectors;

receive a second user input indicating a second control point, wherein the second control point is located in one of the plurality of sectors either inside or outside of the modified border; and

determine a second modified border based on the analysis, the first user input, and the second user input, wherein when the first control point and the second control point are both disposed in the same sector of the plurality of sectors, the second modified border passes through the second control point and ignores the first control point.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the medical image is an echocardiograph image and the region represents a cardiac chamber.

24. The system of claim 22, wherein the medical image is an intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) image and the region represents a blood vessel.

25. The system of claim 24, further comprising:

an ultrasound imaging device, the ultrasound imaging device being operable to generate the IVUS image.

26. The system of claim 22, further comprising:

a display device, the display device being operable to display the medical image; and

a user input device, the user input device being operable to interact with a user to receive the user input.

27. The system of claim 26, where the display device is further operable to display a graphical representation of the initial border superimposed on the display of the medical image.

28. The system of claim 26, where the display device is further operable to display a graphical representation of the first modified border superimposed on the display of the medical image.

29. The system of claim 22, wherein a plurality of first control points are received as the first user input.

30. The system of claim 22, wherein the analysis of the medical image is based on an analysis of the brightness contrast between a plurality of pixels comprising the medical image.

31. A method of analysis for a medical image comprising:

receiving the medical image;

analyzing the medical image;

determining an initial outer border of an outer region within the medical image based on the analysis of the medical image;

determining an initial inner border of an inner region within the medical image based on the analysis of the medical image;

receiving a first user input to modify one of the initial outer or initial inner borders;

receiving a second user input interacting with a display device to indicate a first control point on the medical image displayed on the display device, where the first control point is independent of the initial border to be modified and located at a point other than on the initial border to be modified;

when the first user input is to modify the initial outer border, then, determining a first modified outer border of the outer region based on the analysis and the second user input, the first modified outer border passing through the first control point;

when the first user input is to modify the initial inner border, then, determining a first modified inner border of the inner region based on the analysis and the second user input, the first modified inner border passing through the first control point;

displaying the medical image including the first modified outer border or the first modified inner border on the display device; and

wherein the steps of analyzing the medical image, determining the initial inner and outer borders and determining either the first modified outer border or the first modified inner border are performed by one or more programmable processors;

wherein the medical image is a single medical image;

dividing the medical image into a plurality of sectors;

receiving a third user input to modify one of the initial outer border, the initial inner border, the first modified outer border, or the first modified inner border;

receiving a fourth user input indicating a second control point, wherein the first modified inner border and is located in one of the plurality of sectors;

when the fourth user input is to re-modify the first modified inner border, then, determining a second modified inner border is based on the analysis, the second user input, and the fourth user input;

when the fourth user input is to re-modify the first modified outer border, then, determining a second modified outer border is based on the analysis, the second user input, and the fourth user input; and

wherein when the first control point and the second control point are both disposed in the same sector of the plurality of sectors, the second modified outer border passes through the second control point and ignores the first control point.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the medical image is an echocardiograph image and the region represents a cardiac chamber.