Method and system for processing multiple series of biological images obtained from a patient

• US 8,320,647 B2
• Filed: 03/26/2008
• Issued: 11/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Olea medical
• Original Assignee: Olea medical
• Inventors: Djeridane, Faycal
• Primary Examiner(s): Taningco, Alexander H
• Application Number:
  US12/055,751
• Publication Number:
  US 20090129649A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,707 Days
• Field of Search: 382/128, 382/130, 324306-307, 324/309, 378/4
• US Class Current: 382/128
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/481 involving the use of contrast agents
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/486 involving generating temporal series of image data
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/507 for determination of haemodynamic parameters, e.g. perfusion CT
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/5229 combining image data of a patient, e.g. combining a functional image with an anatomical image
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2200/24 involving graphical user interfaces [GUIs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10016 Video; Image sequence
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/20108 Interactive selection of 2D slice in a 3D data set
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30016 Brain
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/0014 using an image reference approach
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/44 using image operators, e.g. filters, edge density metrics or local histograms

Abstract

A computer-readable storage medium comprising computer-readable program code stored thereon which, when interpreted by a computing apparatus, causes the computing apparatus to implement an image processing tool for processing a plurality of biological images arranged in a plurality of image series wherein certain biological images across different image series have a predefined correspondence with one another. The computer-readable program code comprises computer-readable program code for causing the computing apparatus to: be attentive to receipt of an indication of a selected biological image from the plurality of biological images and belonging to a first one of the image series; be attentive to receipt of an indication of a segmentation mask created based on the selected biological image; apply the segmentation mask to a second biological image from the plurality of biological images, the second biological image belonging to a second one of the image series that is different from the first one of the image series, the second biological image having a predefined correspondence with the selected biological image; and display the second biological image after application of the segmentation mask.

Claims

1. A method of processing images that are arranged in a first series of biological images and a second series of biological images, each image being associated with a respective axial slice height, the method comprising:

a) initializing a threshold slice height difference;

b) attempting to identify one or more pairs of corresponding images such that (i) each pair of corresponding images includes one image from each of the first and second series and (ii) the images in each pair are associated with respective slice heights differing by no more than the threshold slice height difference;

c) increasing the threshold slice height difference;

d) repeating steps b) and c) until the threshold slice height difference reaches a maximum threshold slice height difference; and

e) for particular images in the first and second series that have been paired further to execution of step b), displaying each particular image in the first series in graphical correspondence with the particular image in the second series to which it is paired.

2. The method defined in claim 1, wherein the threshold slice height difference is initialized to a value of substantially zero.

3. The method defined in claim 1, further comprising providing a navigation bar to enable a selection of images in the first and second series to display, and displaying the images in accordance with the selection.

4. The method defined in claim 1, further comprising providing a touch-up panel to enable a selection of processing functions to be performed on the displayed images in a selected series.

5. The method defined in claim 4, further comprising varying a feature of the displayed images in the selected series in accordance with the selection.

6. The method defined in claim 5, wherein the feature is at least one of contrast, brightness and color scheme.

7. The method defined in claim 1, further comprising providing an autolevel function that can be activated.

8. The method defined in claim 7, wherein when the autolevel function is activated, the method comprises performing an autolevel of pixel or voxel intensities on all images in the selected series.

9. The method defined in claim 1, wherein displaying each image in the first series in graphical correspondence with the image in the second series to which it is paired comprises displaying the paired images alongside one another.

10. The method defined in claim 1, further comprising:

f) for each image in the first or second series that has not been paired further to execution of step b), pairing said image with a blank image and displaying said image in graphical correspondence with the blank image.

11. A method, comprising obtaining a plurality of series of biological images wherein certain images in any series are corresponding to certain images in other series, characterized in that it further comprises:

creating a respective segmentation mask for a selected image in a series associated with a first hemodynamic parameter; and

applying said segmentation mask to a corresponding image in another series associated with another hemodynamic parameter different from the first hemodynamic parameter,

wherein the applying comprises determining for each pixel or voxel in said corresponding image if the pixel or voxel is captured by said segmentation mask and, if so, setting the value of the pixel or voxel to a baseline value.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein each of the selected images in a series comprises an array of pixels or voxels having respective values, and wherein creating the segmentation mask for an image in a series comprises comparing the value of each pixel or voxel in the particular image to a range and adding the pixel or voxel to said segmentation mask if the value of the pixel or voxel is outside said range.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein each of the selected images in a series comprises an array of pixels or voxels having respective values, and wherein creating the segmentation mask for an image in a series consists in specifying a geometric figure based on user input.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein each of the selected images comprises an array of pixels or voxels having respective values, and wherein creating a segmentation mask consists in adding a region of pixels or voxels left isolated by creation of a previous segmentation mask.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising outputting a filtered image on which a segmentation mask was applied.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

selecting a set of images in a series on which to effect a volumetric computation; and

effecting a volumetric computation based on said images.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein following application of a respective segmentation mask to a given image in a series, the given image exhibits a region corresponding to a cross-section of a volume of interest spanning the images in said series.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein effecting the volumetric computation comprises estimating the volume of interest based on:

(i) an area of the region exhibited by each image in said set; and

(ii) an inter-slice distance between adjacent images in said set.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein a series is diffusion-weighted or perfusion-weighted.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein a diffusion-weighted series is of B1000-type or Apparent Diffusion Coefficient-type.

21. The method of claim 16, wherein the volumetric computation represents an estimate of a volume of a core ischemia zone.

22. The method of claim 16, wherein the volumetric computation represents an estimate of a volume of an ischemia penumbra zone.

23. The method of claim 16, further comprising outputting said volumetric computation.

24. The method of claim 11, further comprising a prior step establishing a correspondence between certain images in a series and certain images in another series.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein:

each image is associated with a respective axial slice; and

said prior step comprises;

a) initializing a threshold slice height difference;

b) attempting to identify a pair of corresponding images such that;

(i) said pair of corresponding images includes one image from each of said series; and

(ii) the images in each pair are associated with respective slice heights differing by no more than said threshold slice height difference;

c) increasing said threshold slice height difference; and

d) repeating steps b) and c) until said threshold slice height difference reaches a maximum threshold slice height difference.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

e) for each image in said series that has not been paired further to execution of step d), pairing said image with a blank image.

27. The method of claim 11, further comprising a prior step of registering each of certain images in a series and certain images in another series within a common frame of reference.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein registering a particular image within a common frame of reference comprises one or more of zooming, rotating and translating said image relative to an original frame of reference.

29. A system comprising:

means for obtaining a plurality of series of biological images including a first series in a first biological class and a second series in a second biological class different from the first biological class, wherein certain images in the first series and certain images in the second series are corresponding;

means for creating a respective segmentation mask for each selected image in said first series; and

means for applying said respective segmentation mask to the corresponding image in the second series, including a means for determining for each pixel or voxel in said image in the second series if the pixel or voxel is captured by said segmentation mask and, if so, setting the value of the pixel or voxel to a baseline value.

30. The system of claim 29, further comprising means for:

selecting a set of images in a series on which to effect a volumetric computation;

selecting a set of images in a series on which to effect a volumetric computation; and

effecting a volumetric computation based on said images.

31. The system of claim 30, further comprising means for:

selecting a set of images in a series on which to effect a volumetric computation;

effecting a volumetric computation based on said images; and

displaying outputs of said volumetric computation.

32. The system of claim 29, further comprising means for:

providing a navigation bar to enable a selection of an image in a series to display, and displaying the corresponding images in accordance with the selection;

providing a touch-up panel to enable a selection of processing functions to be performed on the displayed images in a selected series; and

varying a feature of the displayed images in a selected series in accordance with the selection.

33. The system of claim 29, wherein the first biological class is one of diffusion-weighted or perfusion-weighted, and the second biological class is the other of diffusion-weighted or perfusion-weighted.

34. The system of claim 29, wherein images in the first series and the second series exhibit respectively different hemodynamic parameters.

35. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising computer-readable program code stored thereon for processing a plurality of series of biological images wherein certain images in any series correspond to certain images in other series which, in response to execution by a computing device, causes the computing device to perform operations comprising:

causing the computing apparatus to be attentive to receipt of an indication of a selected biological image from the plurality of images, the selected image exhibiting a first hemodynamic parameter;

causing the computing device to be attentive to receipt of an indication of a segmentation mask created based on said selected image;

applying said segmentation mask to a corresponding image in another series exhibiting a second hemodynamic parameter different from the first hemodynamic parameter, to determine for each pixel or voxel in said image if the pixel or voxel is captured by said segmentation mask and, if so, to set the value of the pixel or voxel to a baseline value; and

displaying an image on which a segmentation mask was applied.