Methods and devices for analysis of x-ray images

• US 9,767,551 B2
• Filed: 01/06/2014
• Issued: 09/19/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Imatx, Inc. (Conformis Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Imatx, Inc. (Conformis Incorporated)
• Inventors: Lang, Philipp, Steines, Daniel
• Primary Examiner(s): Dang, Duy M
• Application Number:
  US14/148,393
• Publication Number:
  US 20140126800A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,352 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/4423 related to hygiene or sterilisation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/505 for diagnosis of bone
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/508 for non-human patients
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/51 for dentistry
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/583 using calibration phantoms
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30008 Bone
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/0012 Biomedical image inspection

Abstract

The present invention relates to methods and devices for analyzing x-ray images. In particular, devices, methods and algorithms are provided that allow for the accurate and reliable evaluation of bone structure from x-ray images.

Claims

1. A method of diagnosing a bone condition in a subject comprising:

(a) obtaining image data from said subject, which image data includes image data of one or more bones of said subject;

(b) analyzing, in a computer system, the image data obtained in step (a) to derive quantitative information on bone structure based on one or more measurements of one or more bone structural parameters and one or more macro-anatomical parameters, wherein the analyzed image data includes image data of trabecular bone; and

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

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

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the computer system for the analysis of step (b) is in a remote location away from a health care provider.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein a health care provider directly uses the computer system for the analysis of step (b).

5. The method of claim 1, further including selecting and/or administering a therapy for the subject based on the bone condition.

6. The method of claim 5, further including repeating steps (a) and (b) after the subject receives the therapy.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more bone structural parameters include microarchitecture parameters and/or trabecular skeleton parameters.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the macro-anatomical parameters include one or more parameters describing a shape, size or thickness of bone or surrounding structure.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the macro-anatomical parameters include one or more parameters greater than 0.5 mm in size in at least one dimension.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the macro-anatomical parameters include one or more parameters selected from the group consisting of a thickness of a femoral shaft cortex of a hip joint of the subject, a thickness of a femoral neck cortex of a hip joint of the subject, a hip axis length, a CCD (caput-collum-diaphysis) angle, a width of the trochanteric region, and any combination thereof.