Method and apparatus for evaluating regional changes in three-dimensional tomographic images
First Claim
1. A method for determining a change in at least one portion of a biological object, comprising:
- obtaining a first three-dimensional image and a second three-dimensional image of the object;
determining a first region of interest within at least one of the first three-dimensional image or the second three-dimensional image;
determining a second region of interest within another one of the first three-dimensional image or the second three-dimensional image, wherein the first and second regions have voxels therein;
using a computer arrangement, normalizing the first region of interest by determining a normalization factor, and adjusting a signal associated with one of the first image or the second image by the normalization factor; and
determining the change in the at least one portion by comparing the normalized first region of interest to the second region of interest.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Methods for measuring atrophy in a brain region occupied by the hippocampus and entorhinal cortex. In one example, MRI scans and a computational formula are used to measure the medial-temporal lobe region of the brain over a time interval. This region contains the hippocampus and the entorhinal cortex, structures allied with learning and memory. Each year this region of the brain shrank in people who developed memory problems up to six years after their first MRI scan. The method is also applicable for measuring the progression rate of atrophy in the region in an instance where the onset of Alzheimer'"'"'s disease has already been established.
29 Citations
41 Claims
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1. A method for determining a change in at least one portion of a biological object, comprising:
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obtaining a first three-dimensional image and a second three-dimensional image of the object; determining a first region of interest within at least one of the first three-dimensional image or the second three-dimensional image; determining a second region of interest within another one of the first three-dimensional image or the second three-dimensional image, wherein the first and second regions have voxels therein; using a computer arrangement, normalizing the first region of interest by determining a normalization factor, and adjusting a signal associated with one of the first image or the second image by the normalization factor; and determining the change in the at least one portion by comparing the normalized first region of interest to the second region of interest. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 12, 13, 14)
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10. A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing computer-executable instructions for determining a change in at least one portion of a biological object which, when executed by a hardware processing arrangement, configure the hardware processing arrangement to perform procedures comprising:
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obtaining a first three-dimensional image and a second three-dimensional image of the object; determining a first region of interest within at least one of the first three-dimensional image or the second three-dimensional image; determining a second region of interest within another one of the first three-dimensional image or the second three-dimensional image, wherein the first and second regions have voxels therein; normalizing the first region of interest; determining the change in the at least one portion by comparing the normalized first region of interest to the second region of interest; computing a first partial volume for the first region of interest; computing a second partial volume for the second region of interest; determining the change between the first and second partial volumes; reducing a first noise associated with the first partial volume prior to determining the change between the first and second partial volumes; and reducing a second noise associated with the second partial volume prior to determining the change between the first and second partial volumes.
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11. A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing computer-executable instructions for determining a change in at least one portion of a biological object which, when executed by a hardware processing arrangement, configure the hardware processing arrangement to perform procedures comprising:
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obtaining a first three-dimensional image and a second three-dimensional image of the object; determining a first region of interest within at least one of the first three-dimensional image or the second three-dimensional image; determining a second region of interest within another one of the first three-dimensional image or the second three-dimensional image, wherein the first and second regions have voxels therein; normalizing the first region of interest by determining a normalization factor, and adjusting a signal associated with one of the first image or the second image by the normalization factor; and determining the change in the at least one portion by comparing the normalized first region of interest to the second region of interest. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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15. An apparatus for determining a change in at least one portion of a biological object, comprising:
at least one hardware processing arrangement which is configured to; obtain a first three-dimensional image and a second three-dimensional image of the object, determine a first region of interest within at least one of the first three-dimensional image or the second three-dimensional image, determine a second region of interest within another one of the first three-dimensional image or the second three-dimensional image, wherein the first and second regions have voxels therein, normalize the first region of interest by determining a normalization factor, and adjusting a signal associated with one of the first image or the second image by the normalization factor, and determine the change in the at least one portion by comparing the normalized first region of interest to the second region of interest. - View Dependent Claims (34)
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16. A method for determining a volume change between a first acquired three-dimensional image and a second acquired three-dimensional image associated with a biological object, comprising:
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calculating a normalization factor for a first region of interest defined in the first acquired three-dimensional image, wherein the first region has first voxels therein; adjusting a signal strength of the acquired three-dimensional second image by applying the normalization factor thereto; computing a first partial volume for the first region of interest; computing a second partial volume for a second region of interest defined in the second image, wherein the second region has second voxels therein; and using a hardware processing arrangement, determining a change in volume between the first and second partial volumes, wherein the operations performed on the first and second regions of interest are not performed on any other portion of the first or second images. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 23, 35)
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19. A method for determining a change in a hippocampus of a brain, comprising:
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obtaining a first three-dimensional image and a second three-dimensional image of the brain; determining a first region of interest within at least one of the first and second three-dimensional images, the first region of interest including first voxels therein and encompassing the hippocampus; determining a second region of interest within the other of the first and second three-dimensional images, the second region of interest including second voxels therein and encompassing the hippocampus; normalizing the first region of interest by determining a normalization factor, and adjusting a signal associated with one of the first image or the second image by the normalization factor; and determining the change in hippocampus by comparing the normalized first region of interest to the second region of interest. - View Dependent Claims (20)
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21. A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing computer-executable instructions for determining a volume change between a first acquired three-dimensional image and a second acquired three-dimensional image associated with a biological object which, when executed by a hardware processing arrangement, configure the hardware processing arrangement to perform procedures comprising:
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calculating a normalization factor for a first region of interest defined in the first acquired three-dimensional image, wherein the first region has first voxels therein; adjusting a signal strength of the second acquired three-dimensional image by applying the normalization factor thereto; computing a first partial volume for the first region of interest; computing a second partial volume for a second region of interest defined in the second image, wherein the second region has second voxels therein; and determining a change in volume between the first and second partial volumes, wherein the operations performed on the first and second regions of interest are not performed on any other portion of the first or second images. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
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22. A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing computer-executable instructions for determining a change in a hippocampus of a brain which, when executed by a hardware processing arrangement, configure the hardware processing arrangement to perform procedures comprising:
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obtaining a first three-dimensional image and a second three-dimensional image of the brain; determining a first region of interest within at least one of the first and second three-dimensional images, the first region of interest including first voxel therein and encompassing the hippocampus; determining a second region of interest within the other of the first and second three-dimensional images, the second region of interest including second voxel therein and encompassing the hippocampus; normalizing the first region of interest; and determining the change in hippocampus by comparing the normalized first region of interest to the second region of interest.
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36. A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing computer-executable instructions for determining a change in at least one portion of a biological object which, when executed by a hardware processing arrangement, configure the hardware processing arrangement to perform procedures comprising:
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obtaining a first three-dimensional image and a second three-dimensional image of the object; determining a first voxel set comprising voxels associated with a first region of interest defined in the first image; determining a second voxel set comprising voxels associated with a second region of interest defined in the second image; operating on the first voxel set to obtain a first interior voxel set; operating on the second voxel set to obtain a second interior voxel set; operating on the first voxel set to obtain a first border voxel set; operating on the second voxel set to obtain a second border voxel set; computing a first partial volume for the first border voxel set as function of at least one of (i) a first signal intensity of the first interior voxel set, or (ii) a further signal intensity of voxels associated with a background; computing a second partial volume for the second border voxel set as function of at least one of (i) a second signal intensity of the second interior voxel set, or (ii) the further signal intensity; and determining a change between the first partial volume and the second partial volume. - View Dependent Claims (37, 38, 39)
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40. A method for determining a change in at least one portion of a biological object, comprising:
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obtaining a first three-dimensional image and a second three-dimensional image of the object; determining a first region of interest within at least one of the first three-dimensional image or the second three-dimensional image; determining a second region of interest within another one of the first three-dimensional image or the second three-dimensional image, wherein the first and second regions have voxels therein; normalizing the first region of interest; determining the change in the at least one portion by comparing the normalized first region of interest to the second region of interest; using a computing arrangement, computing a first partial volume for the first region of interest; computing a second partial volume for the second region of interest; determining the change between the first and second partial volumes; reducing a first noise associated with the first partial volume prior to determining the change between the first and second partial volumes; and reducing a second noise associated with the second partial volume prior to determining the change between the first and second partial volumes.
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41. A system for determining a change in at least one portion of a biological object, comprising:
at least one hardware processing arrangement which is configured to; obtain a first three-dimensional image and a second three-dimensional image of the object; determine a first region of interest within at least one of the first three-dimensional image or the second three-dimensional image; determine a second region of interest within another one of the first three-dimensional image or the second three-dimensional image, wherein the first and second regions have voxels therein; normalize the first region of interest; determine the change in the at least one portion by comparing the normalized first region of interest to the second region of interest; compute a first partial volume for the first region of interest; compute a second partial volume for the second region of interest; determine the change between the first and second partial volumes; reduce a first noise associated with the first partial volume prior to determining the change between the first and second partial volumes; and reduce a second noise associated with the second partial volume prior to determining the change between the first and second partial volumes.
Specification