Method and system for the presentation of blood vessel structures and identified pathologies

• US 7,860,283 B2
• Filed: 11/22/2006
• Issued: 12/28/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Rcadia Medical Imaging, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Rcadia Medical Imaging, Ltd.
• Inventors: Begelman, Grigory, Walach, Eugene, Levanon, Shai, Ohayon, Shay, Goldenberg, Roman
• Primary Examiner(s): Perungavoor; Sath V
• Assistant Examiner(s): HEIDEMANN, JASON E
• Application Number:
  US11/562,897
• Publication Number:
  US 20080101667A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,497 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 382/128
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02007 Evaluating blood vessel condition, e.g. elasticity, compliance
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/03 Computed tomography [CT] echo-tomography A61B8/14
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10081 Computed x-ray tomography [CT]
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/20092 Interactive image processing based on input by user
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30101 Blood vessel; Artery; Vein; Vascular
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/11 Region-based segmentation
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/155 involving morphological operators
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/62 of area, perimeter, diameter or volume

Abstract

A method of presenting information associated with a blood vessel to a user for assessment of the blood vessel is provided. A two-dimensional slice of three-dimensional imaging data of a blood vessel is presented to a user in a first user interface. A blood vessel selection is received from the user. The user selects the blood vessel through an interaction with the first user interface. A blood vessel path associated with the received blood vessel selection is identified from the three-dimensional imaging data. An intensity of the selected blood vessel along the identified blood vessel path is presented to the user for analysis of the selected blood vessel.

Claims

1. A method of presenting information associated with a blood vessel to a user for assessment of the blood vessel, the method comprising:

presenting a two-dimensional slice of three-dimensional imaging data of a blood vessel to a user in a first user interface;

receiving a blood vessel selection from the user, wherein the user selects the blood vessel through an interaction with the first user interface;

identifying a blood vessel path associated with the received blood vessel selection from the three-dimensional imaging data;

presenting an intensity of the selected blood vessel along the identified blood vessel path to the user for analysis of the selected blood vessel;

receiving imaging data including a heart region, a pulmonary artery region, an ascending aorta region, and a thoraco-abdominal aorta region of a patient;

identifying the heart region from the imaging data;

analyzing the identified heart region to detect a coronary pathology;

identifying an ascending aorta object from the ascending aorta region of the imaging data;

analyzing the identified ascending aorta object to detect an aortic dissection;

identifying an abdominal aorta object from the thoraco-abdominal aorta region;

analyzing the identified abdominal aorta object to detect an aortic dissection;

identifying a left main pulmonary artery object and a right main pulmonary artery object from the pulmonary artery region of the imaging data;

analyzing the identified left main pulmonary artery object and the identified right main pulmonary artery object to detect a pulmonary embolism; and

generating a report including any detected coronary pathology, any detected aortic dissection, and any detected pulmonary embolism,

wherein identifying the heart region comprises;

projecting the received imaging data into a first plane of three dimensions of the received imaging data;

applying a first threshold to the first plane of data, wherein the first threshold is selected to eliminate a first pixel associated with air;

identifying a largest first connected component from the first threshold applied data;

calculating a first center of mass of the identified largest first connected component to define a first coordinate and a second coordinate;

projecting the received imaging data into a second plane of the three dimensions, wherein the second plane is perpendicular to the first plane;

applying a second threshold to the second plane of data, wherein the second threshold is selected to eliminate a second pixel associated with air;

identifying a largest second connected component from the second threshold applied data; and

calculating a second center of mass of the identified largest second connected component to define a third coordinate;

wherein a center of a heart region is defined from the defined first coordinate, the defined second coordinate, and the defined third coordinate; and

further wherein the heart region has a width in each of the three dimensions.

2. A system for presenting information associated with a blood vessel to a user for assessment of the blood vessel, the system comprising:

an imaging apparatus configured to generate imaging data of a patient; and

a processor operably coupled to the imaging apparatus to receive the generated imaging data, the processor configured to;

present a two-dimensional slice of three-dimensional imaging data of a blood vessel to a user in a first user interface;

receive a blood vessel selection from the user, wherein the user selects the blood vessel through an interaction with the first user interface;

identify a blood vessel path associated with the received blood vessel selection from the three-dimensional imaging data;

present an intensity of the selected blood vessel along the identified blood vessel path to the user for analysis of the selected blood vessel;

receive imaging data including a heart region, a pulmonary artery region, an ascending aorta region, and a thoraco-abdominal aorta region of a patient;

identify the heart region from the imaging data;

analyze the identified heart region to detect a coronary pathology;

identify an ascending aorta object from the ascending aorta region of the imaging data;

analyze the identified ascending aorta object to detect an aortic dissection;

identify an abdominal aorta object from the thoraco-abdominal aorta region;

analyze the identified abdominal aorta object to detect an aortic dissection;

identify a left main pulmonary artery object and a right main pulmonary artery object from the pulmonary artery region of the imaging data;

analyze the identified left main pulmonary artery object and the identified right main pulmonary artery object to detect a pulmonary embolism; and

generate a report including any detected coronary pathology, any detected aortic dissection, and any detected pulmonary embolism,

wherein the heart region is identified by;

projecting the received imaging data into a first plane of three dimensions of the received imaging data;

applying a first threshold to the first plane of data, wherein the first threshold is selected to eliminate a first pixel associated with air;

identifying a largest first connected component from the first threshold applied data;

calculating a first center of mass of the identified largest first connected component to define a first coordinate and a second coordinate;

projecting the received imaging data into a second plane of the three dimensions, wherein the second plane is perpendicular to the first plane;

applying a second threshold to the second plane of data, wherein the second threshold is selected to eliminate a second pixel associated with air;

identifying a largest second connected component from the second threshold applied data; and

calculating a second center of mass of the identified largest second connected component to define a third coordinate;

wherein a center of a heart region is defined from the defined first coordinate, the defined second coordinate, and the defined third coordinate; and

further wherein the heart region has a width in each of the three dimensions.

3. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising computer-readable instructions to present information associated with a blood vessel to a user for assessment of the blood vessel, the instructions comprising:

presenting a two-dimensional slice of three-dimensional imaging data of a blood vessel to a user in a first user interface;

receiving a blood vessel selection from the user, wherein the user selects the blood vessel through an interaction with the first user interface;

identifying a blood vessel path associated with the received blood vessel selection from the three-dimensional imaging data;

presenting an intensity of the selected blood vessel along the identified blood vessel path to the user for analysis of the selected blood vessel;

receiving imaging data including a heart region, a pulmonary artery region, an ascending aorta region, and a thoraco-abdominal aorta region of a patient;

identifying the heart region from the imaging data;

analyzing the identified heart region to detect a coronary pathology;

identifying an ascending aorta object from the ascending aorta region of the imaging data;

analyzing the identified ascending aorta object to detect an aortic dissection;

identifying an abdominal aorta object from the thoraco-abdominal aorta region;

analyzing the identified abdominal aorta object to detect an aortic dissection;

identifying a left main pulmonary artery object and a right main pulmonary artery object from the pulmonary artery region of the imaging data;

analyzing the identified left main pulmonary artery object and the identified right main pulmonary artery object to detect a pulmonary embolism; and

generating a report including any detected coronary pathology, any detected aortic dissection, and any detected pulmonary embolism,

wherein identifying the heart region comprises;

projecting the received imaging data into a first plane of three dimensions of the received imaging data;

applying a first threshold to the first plane of data, wherein the first threshold is selected to eliminate a first pixel associated with air;

identifying a largest first connected component from the first threshold applied data;

calculating a first center of mass of the identified largest first connected component to define a first coordinate and a second coordinate;

projecting the received imaging data into a second plane of the three dimensions, wherein the second plane is perpendicular to the first plane;

applying a second threshold to the second plane of data, wherein the second threshold is selected to eliminate a second pixel associated with air;

identifying a largest second connected component from the second threshold applied data; and

calculating a second center of mass of the identified largest second connected component to define a third coordinate;

wherein a center of a heart region is defined from the defined first coordinate, the defined second coordinate, and the defined third coordinate; and

further wherein the heart region has a width in each of the three dimensions.