Methods and devices for evaluating and treating a bone condition based on x-ray image analysis

• US 8,639,009 B2
• Filed: 03/29/2010
• Issued: 01/28/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Imatx, Inc. (Conformis Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Imatx, Inc. (Conformis Incorporated)
• Inventors: Lang, Philipp, Steines, Daniel, Liew, Siau-Way, Vargas-Voracek, Rene, Arnaud, Claude
• Primary Examiner(s): Mehta, Bhavesh
• Assistant Examiner(s): ANSARI, TAHMINA N
• Application Number:
  US12/749,231
• Publication Number:
  US 20110036360A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,401 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 382/132
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/4423 related to hygiene or sterilisation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/482 involving multiple energy imaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/505 for diagnosis of bone
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/583 using calibration phantoms
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10116 X-ray image
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30008 Bone
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/0012 Biomedical image inspection
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/20 Analysis of motion motion estimation for coding, decoding, compressing or decompressing digital video signals H04N19/43, H04N19/51

Abstract

This disclosure relates to methods and devices for analyzing x-ray images. Furthermore, bone condition of a subject can be evaluated by analyzing x-ray images of the subject'"'"'s bone from a sliding region of interest (ROI), e.g., an ROI that is moved on a pixel-by-pixel basis on the image, and therapies can then be selected or devised for the subject.

Claims

1. A method of treating a bone condition comprising (a) obtaining an image from a subject;

(b) analyzing, using a computer system, the image obtained in step (a) to derive quantitative information on bone structure, wherein the quantitative information is obtained from a sliding region of interest (ROI) on the image;

(c) diagnosing a bone condition based on the analysis of step (b); and

(d) selecting and administering a suitable treatment to said subject based on said diagnosis.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of comparing the information with information in a database of bone structure measurements obtained from selected subjects.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the treatment comprises administering one or more antiresorptive agents.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the treatment comprises administering one or more anabolic agents.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the treatment further comprises administering one or more anabolic agents.

6. A method of determining bone mineral density from an x-ray image in a computer system, the method comprising the steps of

(a) determining density of one or more internal standards in said image;

(b) creating a weighted mean between the values obtained in step (a); and

(c) utilizing said weighted mean to determine bone mineral density of bone in a sliding ROI in said image.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the internal references are selected from the group consisting of air, fat, water, metal and combinations thereof.

8. A method of determining bone structure from an x-ray image in a computer system comprising the steps of

(a) identifying one or more internal standards on said x-ray image;

(b) determining the density or structure of said one or more standards; and

(c) utilizing the density, structure or combinations thereof of said one or more standards to determine bone structure in a sliding ROI in the x-ray image.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said internal standard is selected from the group consisting of a tooth, a portion of a tooth, cortical bone, air, subcutaneous fat, and muscle.

10. A method of evaluating, using a computer system, bone disease in a subject, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) obtaining an x-ray image from said subject, wherein said image includes one or more bones;

(b) assessing bone mineral density in at least one sliding ROI of said image;

(c) assessing bone structure in said sliding ROI; and

(d) combining said assessments of bone mineral density and bone structure to evaluate bone disease.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said bone disease comprises the risk of bone fracture or the risk of osteoporotic fracture.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein said evaluation comprises diagnosing bone disease.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein said evaluation comprises monitoring the progression of bone disease.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising selecting a therapy based on the evaluation of bone disease and administering said therapy to said subject.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said evaluation comprises monitoring the progression of bone disease during or after administration of said selected therapy.

16. The method of claim 10, further comprising the step of assessing one or more macro-anatomical parameters in said image and combining said assessment of bone mineral density, bone structure and macro-anatomical parameters to diagnose bone disease.

17. A method of treating bone disease in a subject, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) obtaining an image from said subject, wherein said image includes one or more bones;

(b) assessing, using a computer system, bone mineral density in at least one sliding ROI of said image;

(c) assessing bone structure in said sliding ROI;

(d) combining said assessments of bone mineral density and bone structure to evaluate bone disease;

(e) selecting a therapy based on the evaluation of bone disease; and

(f) administering said therapy to said subject.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein steps (a) to (d) are repeated.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein steps (a) to (e) are repeated.

20. A method for evaluating, using a computer system, bone disease in a subject, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) obtaining an image of said subject wherein said image includes one or more bones;

(b) assessing bone structure of said bone in a sliding ROI in said image;

(c) assessing one or more macro-anatomical parameters in said image; and

(d) combining the assessments bone structure and macro-anatomical parameter assessment to evaluate bone disease.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein said bone disease comprises the risk of bone fracture.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein said fracture is osteoporotic fracture.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein said evaluation comprises diagnosing bone disease.

24. The method of claim 20, wherein said evaluation comprises monitoring the progression of bone disease.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the monitoring comprises repeating steps (a) to (d) at two or more time points.

26. The method of claim 20, further comprising selecting a therapy based on the evaluation of bone disease and administering said therapy to said subject.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein said evaluation comprises monitoring the progression of bone disease during or after administration of said selected therapy.