Guidewire artifact removal in images

• US 9,858,668 B2
• Filed: 10/03/2013
• Issued: 01/02/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Volcano Corporation (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Volcano Corporation (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Jones, Jesse, Begin, Elizabeth, Nair, Anuja, Sproul, Jason
• Primary Examiner(s): KISH, JAMES M
• Application Number:
  US14/044,968
• Publication Number:
  US 20140100439A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,552 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2576/02 specially adapted for a particular organ or body part
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0066 Optical coherence imaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0086 using infrared radiation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02007 Evaluating blood vessel condition, e.g. elasticity, compliance
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6852 Catheters
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/12 in body cavities or body tracts, e.g. by using catheters catheters per se A61M25/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/13 Tomography A61B8/10, A61B8/12 take precedence; tomography for radiation diagnosis A61B6/02
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/5269 involving detection or reduction of artifacts for image enhancement algorithms G06T5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10016 Video; Image sequence
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10101 Optical tomography; Optical coherence tomography [OCT]
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10132 Ultrasound image
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30021 Catheter; Guide wire
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30101 Blood vessel; Artery; Vein; Vascular
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 5/50 using two or more images, e.g. averaging or subtraction
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 5/70 Denoising; Smoothing
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 5/77 Retouching; Inpainting; Scratch removal
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/0016 involving temporal comparison
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 30/40 for processing medical images, e.g. editing

Abstract

This invention relates generally to methods and systems for removing an artifact within an image. Typically, the artifact is a guidewire artifact. In one aspect, at least two images of an imaging surface are acquired. Each acquired image comprises a set of data. A guidewire artifact is detected in one of the at least two images. The guidewire artifact is replaced with data representing the imaging surface obtained from another one of the at least two images. In certain embodiments, the at least two images are of the same imaging surface having a guidewire or object causing the artifact moved to a different position.

Claims

1. A computer-readable, non-transitory, medium storing software code representing instructions that when executed by a computing system cause the computing system to perform a method of removing a guidewire artifact, the method comprising:

acquiring at least two intravascular images of an imaging surface using a rotating transducer or probe movable relative to a guidewire, each image comprising a set of data associated with the same imaging modality and associated with the imaging surface having the guidewire moved to a different position;

registering and aligning the at least two intravascular images;

detecting a guidewire artifact present in at least one of the at least two intravascular images, wherein the detecting comprises determining the coordinates of the artifact in the at least one of the at least two intravascular images; and

replacing the guidewire artifact in the at least one of the at least two intravascular images with data representing the imaging surface obtained from at least one other image of the at least two intravascular images.

2. The computer-readable, non-transitory medium of claim 1, wherein the images are automatically registered.

3. The computer-readable, non-transitory medium of claim 1, wherein the images are registered using the phase correlation method.

4. The computer-readable, non-transitory medium of claim 1, wherein the guidewire artifact present in the at least one of the at least two intravascular images shares the same three-dimensional Cartesian coordinates as the data representing the portion of the imaging surface obtained from at least one other image of the at least two intravascular images.

5. The computer-readable, non-transitory medium of claim 1, wherein the images are acquired using optical coherence tomography, ultrasound technology, intravascular spectroscopy, or photo-acoustic tomography.

6. A system for imaging and removing a guidewire artifact, comprising:

a central processing unit (CPU); and

a storage device coupled to the CPU and having stored there information for configuring the CPU to;

acquire at least two intravascular images of an imaging surface using a rotating transducer or probe movable relative to a guidewire, each image comprising a set of data associated with the same imaging modality and associated with the imaging surface having the guidewire moved to a different position;

register and align the at least two intravascular images;

detect a guidewire artifact present in at least one of the at least two intravascular images, wherein the detecting comprises determining the coordinates of the artifact in the at least one of the at least two intravascular images; and

replace the guidewire artifact in the at least one of the at least two intravascular images with data representing the imaging surface obtained from at least one other image of the at least two intravascular images.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the images are automatically registered.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the images are registered using the phase correlation method.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein the data defines a Cartesian coordinate system and the guidewire artifact present in the image shares the same Cartesian coordinates as the data representing the imaging surface obtained from at least one other image of the at least two intravascular images.

10. The system of claim 6, wherein the images are acquired using optical coherence tomography, ultrasound technology, intravascular spectroscopy, or photoacoustic tomography.

11. The system of claim 6, wherein storage device has information stored there for further configuring the CPU to:

determine size and position within the Cartesian coordinate system of an object causing the artifact.

12. A method of removing an imaging artifact, the method comprising:

acquiring a first intravascular image of an imaging surface using a rotating transducer or probe in a first position relative to a guidewire;

acquiring a second intravascular image of the imaging surface using the rotating transducer or probe in a second position relative to the guidewire, the first and second intravascular images associated with the same imaging modality;

registering and aligning the at least two intravascular images;

detecting an artifact present in one of the first or second intravascular images, wherein the detecting comprises determining the coordinates of the artifact in the at least one of the first or second intravascular images; and

replacing the artifact in the at least one of the first or second intravascular images with data representing the imaging surface obtained from the other image of the first or second intravascular images.