System and method for generating a 2D image from a tomosynthesis data set

• US 9,808,215 B2
• Filed: 04/01/2016
• Issued: 11/07/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/27/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hologic Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Hologic Incorporated
• Inventors: Ruth, Christopher, Smith, Andrew P., Stein, Jay
• Primary Examiner(s): Bayat, Ali
• Application Number:
  US15/088,844
• Publication Number:
  US 20160220210A1
• Time in Patent Office: 585 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/025 Tomosynthesis
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/461 Displaying means of special interest
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/463 characterised by displaying multiple images or images and diagnostic data on one display
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/502 for diagnosis of breast, i.e. mammography
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/003 Reconstruction from projections, e.g. tomography
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/006 Inverse problem, transformation from projection-space into object-space, e.g. transform methods, back-projection, algebraic methods
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/008 Specific post-processing after tomographic reconstruction, e.g. voxelisation, metal artifact correction
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/60 Editing figures and text; Combining figures or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/00 Manipulating 3D models or images for computer graphics
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/20 Editing of 3D images, e.g. changing shapes or colours, aligning objects or positioning parts
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10081 Computed x-ray tomography [CT]
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10112 Digital tomosynthesis [DTS]
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/20221 Image fusion; Image merging
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30068 Mammography; Breast
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30204 Marker
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2210/41 Medical
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2219/2008 Assembling, disassembling

Abstract

A 2D mammogram image is synthesized from at least one of tomosynthesis projection images and/or the tomosynthesis reconstructed image data. In a simplest form, the mammogram may be synthesized by selecting one of the tomosynthesis projection images for display as a synthesized mammogram. Other methods of synthesizing a mammogram include re-projecting and filtering projection data and/or reconstructed data. The synthesized mammogram is advantageously displayed together with at least a portion of the reconstructed data to aid in review of the reconstructed data. The present invention thus provides a familiar image which may be used to facilitate review of a tomosynthesis data set.

Claims

1. A method for imaging breast tissue, comprising:

obtaining a plurality of tomosynthesis projection images;

processing the plurality of tomosynthesis projection images to generate a plurality of tomosynthesis reconstructed images;

analyzing a tomosynthesis data set comprising one or more of the plurality of tomosynthesis projection images and/or the plurality of tomosynthesis reconstructed images using computer aided detection (CAD);

generating a two-dimensional synthesized mammogram from the tomosynthesis data set; and

displaying the synthesized mammogram on a display device, wherein the synthesized mammogram comprises a synthesized two-dimensional image that simulates a conventional mammography image.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the two-dimensional synthesized mammogram from the tomosynthesis data set comprises generating the synthesized mammogram from only the plurality of tomosynthesis reconstructed images.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the two-dimensional synthesized mammogram from the tomosynthesis data set comprises generating the synthesized mammogram from only the plurality of tomosynthesis projection images.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating a CAD mark by analyzing the tomosynthesis data set using CAD.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising displaying the CAD mark on the synthesized mammogram on the display device.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising displaying the CAD mark on a tomosynthesis reconstructed image from the plurality of tomosynthesis reconstructed images on the display device.

7. The method of claim 4, further comprising displaying the CAD mark on a tomosynthesis projection image from the plurality of tomosynthesis projection images on the display device.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying a tomosynthesis reconstructed image from the plurality of tomosynthesis reconstructed images along with the synthesized mammogram on the display device.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying a tomosynthesis projection image from the plurality of tomosynthesis projection images along with the synthesized mammogram on the display device.

10. A system for generating and displaying a synthesized mammogram, comprising:

a computer system, comprising;

a reconstruction engine configured to receive a tomosynthesis data set comprising one or more of a plurality of tomosynthesis projection images and/or a plurality of tomosynthesis reconstructed slices, and

a synthesizer configured to generate a two-dimensional synthesized mammogram from the tomosynthesis data set; and

a display device configured to display one or more images from the tomosynthesis data set and the synthesized mammogram, wherein the synthesized mammogram comprises a synthesized two-dimensional image that simulates a conventional mammography image.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the display device is a radiologist workstation.

12. The system of claim 10, further comprising a storage device configured to store the tomosynthesis data set.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the computer system is configured to analyze the tomosynthesis data set using computer aided detection (CAD) to generate a CAD mark, and

wherein the display device is configured to display the CAD mark on the synthesized mammogram.

14. A method for imaging breast tissue, comprising:

obtaining a tomosynthesis data set comprising one or more of a plurality of tomosynthesis projection images and/or a plurality of tomosynthesis reconstructed slices;

transmitting the tomosynthesis data set to a display device;

generating a two-dimensional synthesized mammogram from the tomosynthesis data set; and

displaying the synthesized mammogram, wherein the synthesized mammogram comprises a synthesized two-dimensional image that simulates a conventional mammography image.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the synthesized mammogram is displayed on a radiologist workstation.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising storing the tomosynthesis data set.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising

analyzing the tomosynthesis data set using computer aided detection (CAD) to generate a CAD mark;

and

displaying the CAD mark on the synthesized mammogram.