Method and apparatus for providing measurement data of an anomaly in a medical image

• US 8,290,231 B2
• Filed: 01/23/2009
• Issued: 10/16/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Naveen Garg
• Original Assignee: Naveen Garg
• Inventors: Garg, Naveen
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, John
• Application Number:
  US12/359,002
• Publication Number:
  US 20100189325A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,362 Days
• Field of Search: 382/131, 382/132, 382/149, 382/199
• US Class Current: 382/131
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 18/40 Software arrangements specially adapted for pattern recognition, e.g. user interfaces or toolboxes therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2200/24 involving graphical user interfaces [GUIs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10072 Tomographic images
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10116 X-ray image
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/20104 Interactive definition of region of interest [ROI]
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/0012 Biomedical image inspection
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/60 Analysis of geometric attributes
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/44 Local feature extraction by analysis of parts of the pattern, e.g. by detecting edges, contours, loops, corners, strokes or intersections; Connectivity analysis, e.g. of connected components
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/945 User interactive design; Environments; Toolboxes

Abstract

Many image processing problems are concerned with determining measurements of an anomalous area in an image. Most automated systems suffer from low specificity, which may reduce their acceptance. An example embodiment of the present invention relates to a method and corresponding apparatus for providing measurement data of a region of interest in an image in a graphical user interface environment. The example embodiment locates a pair of edges in multiple dimensions of a region of interest selected by a user, calculates a center position between respective edges, and iterates until a convergence or divergence is determined. Linear calculation may be employed for rapid results, allowing an advance in speed of image processing over current techniques. In a case of convergence, the measurement data is reported. In a case of divergence, a failure state is reported. By reporting divergence, the example embodiment achieves high specificity, thereby reducing the number of false positive reports.

Claims

1. A method for providing measurement data of a region of interest in an image in a graphical user interface (GUI) environment, the method comprising:

locating a pair of edge points, along first and second directions, based on an initial center position of the region of interest selected by a user in a pixel field presented in the GUI;

calculating an updated center position of the region of interest based on located edge mints along the first and second directions;

repeating locating updated edge points and calculating an updated center position, based on a previously calculated center position and previously located edge points respectively, until a convergence or divergence is determined based at least in part on differences between consecutively calculated center positions;

computing the measurement data based on a final center position relative to edge points associated with the final center position in an event convergence is determined; and

reporting the measurement data in the event convergence is detected or reporting a failure state in an event divergence is detected.

2. The method of claim 1 further including compensating for noise during the locating of the pairs of edge points as a function of at least one of:

averaging multiple pixels at each pixel position along each direction during the locating of the pairs of edge points or smoothing multiple pixels at each pixel position along each direction during the locating of the pairs of edge points.

3. The method of claim 1 further including locating the pairs of edge points as a function of at least one of:

identifying a pixel value deviation corrected for noise, transitioning outward from the center position along a single pixel line in the first and second directions until the respective pairs of edge points are identified, using a gray-scale of the GUI and not a gray-scale of pixel values of the pixel field, or employing information stored in a Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM) image.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein computing the measurement data includes computing at least one of:

a size of the region of interest, a density of the region of interest optionally by computing the density of the region of interest as a function of using a gray-scale of the GUI, a texture of the region of interest, a position of the region of interest within the pixel field, a distance of the region of interest from the initial center position, or a distance of the region of interest from a second region of interest.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the pixel field presented in the GUI is a radiological image, computed tomography image, or X-ray image and the region of interest is an anomaly detected in a radiological image.

6. The method of claim 1 further including at least one of the following:

locating the pairs of edge points in response to the selection of a center position in the region of interest by the user, repeating locating updated edge points and calculating updated center positions for a selectable number of times, repeating the locating of updated edge points along the first or second direction but not along both directions, or allowing divergence after repeating the locating and calculating for a predetermined number of times.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the first and second directions are orthogonal directions.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the region of interest is non-homogenous.

9. The method of claim 1 further including calibrating the measurement data based on a resolution of the screen.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the reporting of the measurement data includes at least one of the following:

superimposing the measurement data on the pixel field, transmitting the measurement data via a data network, or storing the measurement data to a storage unit and optionally storing the measurement data in an electronic format.

11. An apparatus for providing measurement data of a region of interest in an image in a graphical user interface environment, the apparatus comprising:

a locator module to locate a pair of edge points along a first direction and a pair of edge points along a second direction, based on an initial center position of the region of interest selected by a user in a pixel field presented in a GUI;

a calculation module to calculate an updated center position of the region of interest based on located edge in points along the first and second directions, the locator module and calculation module continuing to locate updated edge points and calculate updated center positions, iteratively, based on a previously calculated center position and previously located pairs of edge points, respectively, until a convergence or divergence is determined based at least in part on differences between consecutively calculated center positions;

a measurement data computation module to compute measurement data based on a final center position relative to edge points associated with the final center position in an event convergence is determined; and

a reporting module to report the measurement data in the event convergence is detected or reporting a failure state in an event divergence is detected.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the locator module is configured to compensate for noise during the locating of the pairs of edge points as a function of at least one of:

averaging multiple pixels at each pixel position along each direction during the locating of the edge points, or smoothing multiple pixels at each pixel position along each direction during the locating of the edge points.

13. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the locator module is configured to locate the pairs of edge points as a function of at least one of:

identifying a pixel value deviation corrected for noise, transitioning outward from the center position along a single pixel line in the first and second directions until the respective pairs of edge points are identified, using a gray-scale of the GUI and not a gray-scale of pixel values of the pixel field, or employing information stored in a DICOM image.

14. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the measurement data computation module is configured to compute the measurement data as a function of computing at least one of:

a size of the region of interest, a density of the region of interest optionally by computing the density of the region of interest as a function of using a gray-scale of the GUI, a texture of the region of interest, a position of the region of interest within the pixel field, a distance of the region of interest from the initial center position, or a distance of the region of interest from a second region of interest.

15. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the pixel field presented in the GUI is a radiological image, computed tomography, or X-ray image and the region of interest is an anomaly detected in a radiological image.

16. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the locator module is arranged to locate the pairs of edge points in response to at least one of the following:

the selection of a center position in the region of interest by the user, repeating locating updated edge points and calculating updated center positions for a selectable number of times, repeating locating updated edge points along the first or second direction but not both directions, or allowing divergence after repeating the locating and calculating for a predetermined number of times.

17. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the first and second directions are orthogonal directions.

18. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the region of interest is non-homogenous.

19. The apparatus of claim 11 further including a calibration module configured to calibrate the measurement data based on a resolution of the screen.

20. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the reporting module is arranged to report the measurement data as a function of at least one of:

superimposing the measurement data on the pixel field, transmitting the measurement data via a data network, or storing the measurement data to a storage unit and optionally storing the measurement data in an electronic format.

21. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium having computer readable code stored thereon, which, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to:

locate a pair of edge points along a first direction and a pair of edge points along a second direction, based on an initial center position of the region of interest selected by a user in a pixel field presented in a GUI;

calculate an updated center position of the region of interest based on located edge points in the first and second directions;

continue to locate updated edge points and calculate updated center positions, iteratively, based on a previously calculated center position and previously located edge points, respectively, until a convergence or divergence is determined based at least in part on differences between consecutively calculated center positions;

compute measurement data based on a final center position relative to edge points associated with the final center position in an event convergence is determined; and

report the measurement data in the event convergence is detected or reporting a failure state in an event divergence is detected.