System and method for three-dimensional image rendering and analysis

• US 8,165,385 B2
• Filed: 07/13/2007
• Issued: 04/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: David Yankelevitz
• Original Assignee: Cornell Research Foundation Incorporated (Cornell University)
• Inventors: Reeves, Anthony P., Kostis, William J., Henschke, Claudia, Yankelevitz, David
• Primary Examiner(s): TUCKER, WESLEY J
• Application Number:
  US11/827,985
• Publication Number:
  US 20080002873A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,747 Days
• Field of Search: 382128-134, 382/154
• US Class Current: 382/154
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/008 Specific post-processing after tomographic reconstruction, e.g. voxelisation, metal artifact correction
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 15/08 Volume rendering
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 17/10 Constructive solid geometry [CSG] using solid primitives, e.g. cylinders, cubes
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2200/04 involving 3D image data
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10081 Computed x-ray tomography [CT]
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30064 Lung nodule
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30096 Tumor; Lesion
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 5/30 Erosion or dilatation, e.g. thinning
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 5/70 Denoising; Smoothing
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 5/77 Retouching; Inpainting; Scratch removal
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/0012 Biomedical image inspection
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/11 Region-based segmentation
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/136 involving thresholding
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/155 involving morphological operators
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/62 of area, perimeter, diameter or volume

Abstract

The present invention relates to methods and systems for conducting three-dimensional image analysis and diagnosis and possible treatment relating thereto. The invention includes methods of handling signals containing information (data) relating to three-dimensional representation of objects scanned by a scanning medium. The invention also includes methods of making and analyzing volumetric measurements and changes in volumetric measurements which can be used for the purpose of diagnosis and treatment.

Claims

1. A method of providing a three-dimensional image representation of an object, said object capable of detectably attenuating a signal resulting from scanning, comprising:

scanning said object with a scanning-medium capable of producing an original three-dimensional image of said object using original three-dimensional image representation units; and

supersampling said original three-dimensional image by representing the original three-dimensional image using three-dimensional image representation units comprising a higher spatial frequency than the original three-dimensional image representation units, the supersampling comprising recomputing voxel-values associated with the object in a higher spatial frequency coordinate space than a coordinate space associated with the original three-dimensional image representation units, thereby improving image resolution, the supersampling being performed using trilinear interpolation of each voxel value at location (x_n, y_n, z_n), wherein each supersampled voxel value is defined in terms of eight nearest neighbors in an original space v(x_i,y_j,z_k) associated with the original three-dimensional image using

2. A method as in claim 1, wherein said scanning-medium is selected from the group consisting of x-ray, magnetic field, ultrasound, laser, electrical current, visible light, ultraviolet light, infrared light, and radio frequency.

3. A method as in claim 1, wherein said scanning-medium is x-ray.

4. A method as in claim 1, wherein said supersampling comprises increasing a number of three-dimensional image representation units to reduce contribution of error per unit.

5. A method as in claim 1, wherein said supersampling comprises supersampling the original three-dimensional image to an isotropic space.

6. A method as in claim 1, wherein said object is located in a host body.

7. A method as in claim 6, wherein said object is a tissue mass.

8. A method as in claim 6, wherein said object is a growth.

9. A method as in claim 8, wherein said growth is a tumor.

10. A method as in claim 6, wherein said object is a pulmonary nodule.

11. A method as in claim 10, wherein said nodule is not greater than 10 mm in diameter.

12. A method as in claim 4, further comprising segmenting said object from other structures found proximal to said object and scanned with said object.

13. A method as in claim 12, wherein said segmenting comprises subtracting attached structures and other objects from said object.

14. A method as in claim 12, wherein said segmenting comprises subtracting said object from adjacent structures and other objects.

15. A method as in claim 12, wherein said segmenting further comprises restoring volumetric and surface characteristics of said object.

16. An article of manufacture for providing a three-dimensional image representation of an object, said object capable of detectably attenuating a signal resulting from scanning, the article of manufacture comprising:

a machine readable-medium containing one or more instructions which, when executed by a processing device, cause the processing device to;

scan said object with a scanning-medium capable of producing an original three-dimensional image of said object using original three-dimensional image representation units; and

supersample said original three-dimensional image by representing the original three-dimensional image using three-dimensional image representation units comprising a higher spatial frequency than the original three-dimensional image representation units, the supersampling comprising recomputing voxel-values associated with the object in a higher spatial frequency coordinate space than a coordinate space associated with the original three-dimensional image representation units, thereby improving image resolution, the supersampling being performed using trilinear interpolation of each voxel value at location (x_n,y_n,z_n), wherein each supersampled voxel value is defined in terms of eight nearest neighbors in an original space v(x_i,y_j,z_k) associated with the original three-dimensional image using

17. An article of manufacture as in claim 16, wherein said scanning-medium is selected from the group consisting of x-ray, magnetic field, ultrasound, laser, electrical current, visible light, ultraviolet light, infrared light, and radio frequency.

18. An article of manufacture as in claim 17, wherein said scanning-medium is x-ray.

19. An article of manufacture as in claim 16, wherein said supersampling comprises increasing a number of three-dimensional image representation units to reduce contribution of error per unit.

20. An article of manufacture as in claim 16, wherein said supersampling comprises supersampling the original three-dimensional image to an isotropic space.

21. An article of manufacture as in claim 16, wherein said object is located in a host body.

22. An article of manufacture as in claim 21, wherein said object is a tissue mass.

23. An article of manufacture as in claim 21, wherein said object is a growth.

24. An article of manufacture as in claim 23, wherein said growth is a tumor.

25. An article of manufacture as in claim 21, wherein said object is a pulmonary nodule.

26. An article of manufacture as in claim 25, wherein said nodule is not greater than 10 mm in diameter.

27. An article of manufacture as in claim 20, further comprising segmenting said object from other structures found proximal said object and scanned with said object.

28. An article of manufacture as in claim 27, wherein said segmenting comprises subtracting attached structures and other objects from said object.

29. An article of manufacture as in claim 27, wherein said segmenting comprises subtracting said object from adjacent structures and other objects.

30. An article of manufacture as in claim 27, wherein said segmenting further comprises restoring volumetric and surface characteristics of said object.

31. A system for providing a three-dimensional image representation of an object, said object capable of detectably attenuating a signal resulting from scanning, comprising:

a scanner for scanning an object with a scanning-medium capable of producing an original three-dimensional image of an object using original three-dimensional image representation units; and

a processor configured to supersample said original three-dimensional image by representing the original three-dimensional image using three-dimensional image representation units comprising a higher spatial frequency than the original three-dimensional image representation units, the supersampling comprising recomputing voxel-values associated with the object in a higher spatial frequency coordinate space than a coordinate space associated with the original three-dimensional image representation units, thereby improving image resolution, the supersampling being performed using trilinear interpolation of each voxel value at location (x_n,y_n,z_n), wherein each supersampled voxel value is defined in terms of eight nearest neighbors in an original space v(x_i,y_j,z_k) associated with the on mal three-dimensional image using

32. A system as in claim 31, wherein said scanning-medium is selected from the group consisting of x-ray, magnetic field, ultrasound, laser, electrical current, visible light, ultraviolet light, infrared light, and radio frequency.

33. A system as in claim 32, wherein said scanning-medium is x-ray.

34. A system as in claim 31, wherein said supersampling of said processor comprises increasing a number of image representation units to reduce contribution of error per unit, whereby estimation of object boundary is improved.

35. A system as in claim 31, wherein said supersampling comprising supersampling the original three-dimensional image to an isotropic space.

36. A system as in claim 31, wherein said object is located in a host body.

37. A system as in claim 36, wherein said object is a tissue mass.

38. A system as in claim 36, wherein said object is a growth.

39. A system as in claim 38, wherein said growth is a tumor.

40. A system as in claim 36, wherein said object is a pulmonary nodule.

41. A system as in claim 40, wherein said nodule is not greater than 10 mm in diameter.