Generating views of medical images

• US 8,786,601 B2
• Filed: 12/15/2009
• Issued: 07/22/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Inventors: Lehmann, Helko, Weese, Juergen, Boughorbel, Sabri, Qian, Yuechen, Sevenster, Merlijn, Silfen, Eric Zachery
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu, Xiao
• Assistant Examiner(s): Cobb, Michael J
• Application Number:
  US13/133,407
• Publication Number:
  US 20120098838A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,680 Days
• Field of Search: 345419-427, 345/501, 382/128, 382/131, 382/284, 382/293, 382/249
• US Class Current: 345/427
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/00 Manipulating 3D models or images for computer graphics
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2210/41 Medical

Abstract

A system for generating a view of a medical image comprises an input (1) for receiving information indicative of a suspected diagnosis of a patient. An input (2) for receiving a medical image of the patient. A mapper (3) for mapping the suspected diagnosis of the patient to a set of viewing parameters for viewing the medical image. A view generator (8) for providing a view of the medical image in accordance with the set of viewing parameters. A database (4) for mapping a suspected diagnosis into a set of generic viewing parameters. A transformer (5) for transforming the set of generic viewing parameters into a set of image-specific viewing parameters based on content of the medical image.

Claims

1. A system for generating a view of a medical image, comprising:

a database which stores mappings of suspected diagnoses into sets of generic viewing parameters, the generic viewing parameters including a geometric parameter based on one of (1) an image model, (2) a standard anatomical reference model and (3) a shape model;

a processor configured for;

receiving information indicative of suspected diagnoses of a patient;

receiving a medical image of the patient;

transforming each set of generic viewing parameters received from the database into a set of image-specific viewing parameters based on anatomical structures of the medical image, wherein the image-specific viewing parameters vary across the image in dependence on local image content;

generating an ordered list of sets of image-specific viewing parameters; and

causing a display device to display respective views of the medical image in accordance with the respective sets of image-specific viewing parameters, in an order specified by the ordered list,

wherein the set of generic viewing parameters are independent of the patient and the medical image of the patient.

2. The image processing system of claim 1, wherein the generic viewing parameters are defined in respect of the image model, and the processor is further configured for:

adapting the image model to the medical image, for obtaining a set of adaptation parameters; and

adapting the set of generic viewing parameters to the set of image-specific viewing parameters, based on the set of adaptation parameters.

3. The image processing system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured for controlling the display to indicate to a user an image finding to which the view of the medical image is directed.

4. The image processing system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured for controlling the display to indicate to a user a suspected diagnosis associated with the view of the medical image.

5. The image processing system of claim 1, wherein the generic viewing parameters further including viewing information including at least one of image processing techniques, a relevant view, a specific cross-sectional plane of an image, brightness, contrast, window width, window level, gamma level, projection image direction, and a combination of medical diagnostic images from different imaging modalities.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured for providing an indication to a user of an image finding to which the view of the displayed image is directed.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured for:

providing an indication to the user of what to look for in the displayed view of the medical image.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the database associates each of a plurality of suspected diagnoses with an image finding indicative of what to look for in a displayed image and a view description indicative of which one or more views is to be displayed.

9. A method of generating a view of a medical image, comprising

receiving information relating to a suspected diagnosis of a patient;

receiving a medical image of the patient;

retrieving a set of generic viewing parameters corresponding to the suspected diagnosis, the generic viewing parameters including a geometric parameter based on one of (1) an image model, (2) a standard anatomical reference model and (3) a shape model, wherein the set of generic viewing parameters are independent of the patient and the medical image of the patient;

transforming the retrieved generic viewing parameters into a set of image specific viewing parameters for viewing the medical image, wherein the image-specific viewing parameters vary across the image in dependence on local image content; and

generating an ordered list of sets of image-specific viewing parameters;

on a display device, providing respective views of the medical image in accordance with the set of image-specific viewing parameters in an order specified by the ordered list.

10. A non-transitory computer-readable medium carrying computer executable instructions for causing a computerized system to perform the method according to claim 9.

11. A system for recommending whether a proposed diagnosis is accurate, the system comprising:

a database which provides for each of a plurality of proposed diagnoses at least one specific slice of a generic patient image model including an orientation and a location of the specific slice;

a medical image storage which stores at least one diagnostic image of a patient being diagnosed;

a computerized system which receives the proposed diagnoses generates an ordered list of slice views in order by a probability of occurrence or an urgency of the proposed diagnoses, accesses the database to retrieve the at least one specific slice of the generic patient image model, including the location and the orientation, and controls a view generator to generate at least one slice view of the diagnostic image of the patient stored in the medical image storage, wherein the at least one diagnostic image slice view corresponds to the at least one generic patient image model specific slice; and

a display configured to display the generated corresponding slice views in an order specified by the ordered list.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the computerized system further controls the view generator to generate at least one of a label, auditive cue, or visual icon prompting a user what to look for in the displayed slice view.