Method, apparatus and computer program product for automatic segmenting of cardiac chambers
First Claim
1. A method for machine-based segmentation of a cardiac chamber in four-dimensional magnetic resonance image data that contains short-axis cine sequences and long-axis cine sequences, the segmentation based on temporal variations in the image, the method performed by a data processing system with access to the image data, the method comprising:
- preprocessing the image data to eliminate high local image variances and inhomogeneity;
processing the image data to localize the cardiac chamber within the image data by identifying positions of a base slice, an apex slice, an end-diastole phase, and an end-systole phase;
machine-based segmentation of an endocard based on fuzzy object extraction;
machine-based segmentation of an epicard through finding a radial minimum cost with dynamic sign definition and tissue classification; and
determining a volume of the cardiac chamber based upon the segmentations of the endocard and epicard, the volume corrected on the basis of an apex position on a curve which is obtained from image data corresponding to long-axis cine sequences.
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Abstract
A method, apparatus and computer program product for machine-based segmentation of the cardiac chambers in a four-dimensional magnetic resonance image data that contains at least short-axis cine sequences. The segmenting is based on temporal variations in the data set and on features extracted from the image data. In particular, the method and apparatus process the image data to automatically segment an endocard based on fuzzy object extraction and to automatically segment an epicard through finding a radial minimum cost with dynamic sign definition and tissue classification. In addition, image data is preferably preprocessed to eliminate high local image variances and inhomogeneity. The image data is also preferably processed to identify positions of a base slice, an apex slice, an end-diastole, an end-systole and an LVRV connection.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method for machine-based segmentation of a cardiac chamber in four-dimensional magnetic resonance image data that contains short-axis cine sequences and long-axis cine sequences, the segmentation based on temporal variations in the image, the method performed by a data processing system with access to the image data, the method comprising:
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preprocessing the image data to eliminate high local image variances and inhomogeneity; processing the image data to localize the cardiac chamber within the image data by identifying positions of a base slice, an apex slice, an end-diastole phase, and an end-systole phase; machine-based segmentation of an endocard based on fuzzy object extraction; machine-based segmentation of an epicard through finding a radial minimum cost with dynamic sign definition and tissue classification; and determining a volume of the cardiac chamber based upon the segmentations of the endocard and epicard, the volume corrected on the basis of an apex position on a curve which is obtained from image data corresponding to long-axis cine sequences. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 19)
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10. An apparatus for machine-based segmentation of a cardiac chamber in a four-dimensional magnetic resonance image data that contains short-axis cine sequences and long-axis cine sequences, the segmentation based on temporal variations in the data set and on features extracted from the image, the apparatus comprising:
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preprocessing means for preprocessing the image data to eliminate high local image variances and inhomogeneity; means for processing the image data to localize the cardiac chamber within the image data by identifying positions of a base slice, an apex slice, an end-diastole phase, and an end-systole phase; means for machine-based segmentation of an endocard based on fuzzy object extraction; means for machine-based segmentation of an epicard through finding a radial minimum cost with dynamic sign definition and tissue classification; and means for determining a volume of the cardiac chamber based upon the segmentations of the endocard and epicard, the volume corrected on the basis of an apex position on a curve which is obtained from image data corresponding to long-axis cine sequences. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 20)
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13. A non-transitory computer readable medium that is installable onto a computer processing platform, the computer readable medium readable by the computer processing platform, tangibly embodying a non-transitory program of instructions executable by the computer processing platform to perform methods steps for machine-based segmentation of the cardiac chambers in four-dimensional magnetic resonance image data that contains short-axis cine sequences and long- axis cine sequences, the segmentation based on temporal variations in the image and on features extracted from the image, the method steps comprising:
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preprocessing the image data to eliminate high local image variances and inhomogeneity; processing the image data to identify positions of a base slice, an apex slice, an end-diastole phase, and an end-systole phase machine-based segmentation of an endocard based on fuzzy object extractions; machine-based segmentation of an epicard through finding a radial minimum cost with dynamic sign definition and tissue classification; and determining a volume of the cardiac chamber based upon the segmentations of the endocard and epicard, the volume corrected on the basis of an apex position on a curve which is obtained from image data corresponding to long-axis cine sequences. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18)
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14. A computer readable medium as claimed in claimed 13, the method steps further comprising:
- correcting for data acquisition movements.
Specification