Location-sensitive cursor control and its use for vessel analysis

• US 8,290,228 B2
• Filed: 05/17/2010
• Issued: 10/16/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sync-Rx, Ltd. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Sync-Rx, Ltd. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Cohen, Ran, Steinberg, Alexander, Philipp, Sagiv, Stein, Yoav, Klaiman, Eldad, Tolkowsky, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Azarian, Seyed
• Application Number:
  US12/781,414
• Publication Number:
  US 20100290693A1
• Time in Patent Office: 883 Days
• Field of Search: 382/100, 382/103, 382/128, 382/129, 382/130, 382/131, 382/132, 382/133, 382/134, 382/168, 382/173, 382/181, 382/195, 382/199, 382/232, 382/254, 382/274, 382/275, 382/312, 600/424, 600/443, 600/434, 600/513, 600/479, 600/481, 378/95
• US Class Current: 382/128
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/12036 partial occlusion
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/1204 temporary occlusion
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/12136 Balloons
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/02 by cooling, e.g. cryogenic techniques devices for cooling specific reflex points of the body within cell-life limits A61H39/06
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/1492 having a flexible, catheter-like structure, e.g. for heart ablation A61B18/1477 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/24 with a catheter A61B18/26, A61B18/28 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00252 for by-pass connections, i.e. connections from heart chamber to blood vessel or from blood vessel to blood vessel
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00694 with means correcting for movement of or for synchronisation with the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00703 correcting for movement of heart, e.g. ECG-triggered
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/1205 Introduction devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/22044 with a pointed tip
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/22094 for crossing total occlusions, i.e. piercing
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/105 Modelling of the patient, e.g. for ligaments or bones
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/107 Visualisation of planned trajectories or target regions
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/254 being adapted depending on the stage of the surgical procedure
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/365 augmented reality, i.e. correlating a live optical image with another image
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/10 Computer-aided planning, simulation or modelling of surgical operations
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/20 Surgical navigation systems; Devices for tracking or guiding surgical instruments, e.g. for frameless stereotaxis
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/25 User interfaces for surgical systems
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0044 for the heart
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7285 : for synchronising or triggering a physiological measurement or image acquisition with a physiological event or waveform, e.g. an ECG signal A61B6/5205, A61B6/541, A61B8/5207, A61B8/543 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7289 : Retrospective gating, i.e. associating measured signals or images with a physiological event after the actual measurement or image acquisition, e.g. by simultaneously recording an additional physiological signal during the measurement or image acquisition
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/12 : Arrangements for detecting or locating foreign bodies
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/469 : for selecting a region of interest [ROI]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/481 : involving the use of contrast agents
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/501 : for diagnosis of the head, e.g. neuroimaging or craniography
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/503 : for diagnosis of the heart
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/504 : for diagnosis of blood vessels, e.g. by angiography
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/5217 : extracting a diagnostic or physiological parameter from medical diagnostic data
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/5247 : combining images from an ionising-radiation diagnostic technique and a non-ionising radiation diagnostic technique, e.g. X-ray and ultrasound
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/541 : involving acquisition triggered by a physiological signal
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/0883 : for diagnosis of the heart
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/0891 : for diagnosis of blood vessels
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/543 : involving acquisition triggered by a physiological signal
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/958 : Inflatable balloons for placing stents or stent-grafts
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/60 : Editing figures and text; Combining figures or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10121 : Fluoroscopy
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30048 : Heart; Cardiac
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30101 : Blood vessel; Artery; Vein; Vascular
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 5/00 : Image enhancement or restoration
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/0012 : Biomedical image inspection
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/0014 : using an image reference approach
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/13 : Edge detection
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/246 : using feature-based methods, e.g. the tracking of corners or segments
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/62 : of area, perimeter, diameter or volume
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 2201/034 : of medical instruments
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/103 : Static body considered as a whole, e.g. static pedestrian or occupant recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/30 : for calculating health indices; for individual health risk assessment

Abstract

Apparatus and methods are provided, including displaying an image of one or more lumens of a subject. A processor includes lumen-identification functionality configured to automatically identify one or more lumens in the image. Envelope-designation functionality of the processor designates as lumen envelopes, portions of the image in vicinities of respective lumens. In response to the user designating a location inside a lumen envelope of a given lumen, via an input device, the location corresponding to a given longitudinal location within the given lumen, feature-generation functionality of the processor generates a feature on the image that corresponds to the given longitudinal location. An output is displayed in response to the generated feature. Other embodiments are also described.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

displaying an image of one or more lumens of a subject;

automatically identifying one or more lumens in the image;

designating as lumen envelopes, portions of the image in vicinities of respective lumens; and

in response to a user designating a location inside a lumen envelope of a given lumen, via an input device, the location corresponding to a given longitudinal location within the given lumen,

generating a feature on the image that corresponds to the given longitudinal location; and

displaying an output in response to the generated feature.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the one or more lumens include one or more blood vessels, and wherein generating the feature comprises generating a feature that corresponds to a longitudinal location of a given blood vessel.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein generating the feature comprises generating the feature in response to the user designating the location by moving a cursor to the location, via the input device.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein generating the feature comprises generating the feature adjacent to the lumen at the longitudinal location.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein generating the feature comprises generating an indication of an extent of a narrowing of the lumen at the longitudinal location.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein generating the feature comprises generating an alphanumeric indication of the extent of the narrowing.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein generating the feature comprises generating an indication of a diameter of the lumen at the longitudinal location.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein generating the feature comprises generating an alphanumeric indication of the diameter.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein generating the feature comprises generating the feature inside the vessel at the longitudinal location.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the generating the feature comprises generating a line, a length of which indicates a diameter of the lumen at the longitudinal location.

11. The method according to claim 1, further comprising, in response to the user designating the location inside the lumen envelope of the given lumen, via the input device, automatically identifying a segment of the given lumen that corresponds to the location.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein generating the feature comprises generating an indication of a minimum lumen diameter of the segment.

13. The method according to claim 11, wherein generating the feature comprises generating an indication of reference diameters of the segment.

18. The method according to claim 1, wherein the lumens include blood vessels, and wherein the identifying the segment comprises identifying a segment of a blood vessel.

19. The method according to claim 18, wherein the blood vessels include a main vessel and a plurality of side-branches, and wherein identifying the segment comprises identifying a segment that includes a portion of one of the side branches and a portion of the main vessel.

14. A method, comprising:

displaying an image of lumens of a subject'"'"'s body;

automatically identifying a plurality of lumens in the image;

designating as lumen envelopes, portions of the image in the vicinity of respective lumens; and

in response to the user designating a location inside a lumen envelope of a given lumen, via the input device,

automatically identifying a segment of the given lumen that corresponds to the location; and

displaying an output in response to the identified segment.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein identifying the segment comprises identifying the segment in response to the user designating the location by moving a cursor to the location, via the input device.

16. The method according to claim 14, wherein identifying the segment comprises automatically determining locations of a center line and edge lines of the segment.

17. The method according to claim 14, wherein identifying the segment comprises automatically determining locations of reference diameters of the segment.

20. A method, comprising:

displaying an image of lumens of a subject'"'"'s body;

displaying a feature in the image, in a vicinity of one of the lumens on the image;

receiving an input from a user, via an input device, indicating that the feature should be moved; and

in response to receiving the input, only allowing movement of the feature along directions of paths of the lumens,

wherein the feature includes a cursor, and wherein only allowing movement of the feature along directions of paths of the lumens comprises only allowing movement of the cursor along the directions of the paths of lumens.

21. The method according to claim 20, wherein the lumens include blood vessels, and wherein only allowing movement of the feature along directions of paths of the lumens comprises only allowing movement of the feature along directions of paths of the blood vessels.

22. The method according to claim 20, wherein only allowing movement of the feature along directions of paths of the lumens comprises only allowing movement of the feature within the lumens along the directions of the paths.

23. The method according to claim 20, wherein only allowing movement of the feature along directions of paths of the lumens comprises only allowing movement alongside the lumens, along the directions of the paths.

24. The method according to claim 20,

further comprising, in response to the user designating a location in a vicinity of a given lumen, via the input device, the location corresponding to a given longitudinal location within the given lumen, generating a derived-feature on the image at a location that corresponds to the given longitudinal location,

wherein only allowing movement of the feature along directions of paths of the lumens comprises only allowing movement of the derived-feature along the directions of the paths of the lumens.

25. A method, comprising:

displaying an image of lumens of a subject'"'"'s body;

in response to a user moving a cursor to a given location on the image via an input device, automatically identifying a lumen in the image, by interpreting the movement of the cursor to the location as indicating that there is a greater probability that there is a lumen in the vicinity of the location of the cursor than in another portion of the image; and

displaying an output in response to the identified lumen,

wherein;

identifying the lumen comprises assigning vesselness values to respective regions of the image, the vesselness values indicating probabilities that respective regions correspond to a lumen, and

interpreting the movement of the cursor comprises assigning different weightings to vesselness values of regions in the vicinity of the location of the cursor from weightings assigned to vesselness values of regions in the other portion of the image.