METHOD FOR MODIFYING A MEDICAL DATA SET

• US 20130142407A1
• Filed: 08/24/2010
• Published: 06/06/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brainlab AG
• Original Assignee: Brainlab AG
• Inventors: Blumhofer, Dr. Andreas
• Granted Patent: US 9,460,504 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/128
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/20096 Interactive definition of curve of interest
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/20104 Interactive definition of region of interest [ROI]
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/20128 Atlas-based segmentation
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30004 Biomedical image processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30008 Bone
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/0012 Biomedical image inspection
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/12 Edge-based segmentation

Abstract

A method for modifying a first data set, which is called the target data set and represents the contour of an anatomical object, the method comprising the steps of: matching a second data set, which is called the template data set and comprises a template for the modification and a template of the object, to the target data set such that the object template in the template data set matches the object in the target data set, thereby also adapting the modification template; applying the adapted modification template to the target data set.

Claims

1. A method for modifying a first data set, which is called the target data set and represents the contour of an anatomical object, the method comprising the steps of:

matching a second data set, which is called the template data set and comprises a template for the modification and a template of the object, to the target data set such that the object template in the template data set matches the object in the target data set, thereby also adapting the modification template;

applying the adapted modification template to the target data set;

characterized by;

the step of correcting a border between the object and the adapted modification template in order to close a gap between the object and the adapted modification template.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the modification template represents a first number of first areas or volumes to be added to the contour of the anatomical object and a second number of second areas or volumes to be subtracted from the contour of the anatomical object.

3. The method claim 1, wherein the modification template represents a contour to replace the contour of the anatomical object in the target data set.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the object template in the template data set comprises:

the contour of an actual test object generated by performing medical imaging on a test person;

a generic model of the anatomical object;

or

an atlas containing a generic model of the anatomical object.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the target data set represents:

image data generated by performing medical imaging on a patient, wherein the image data represent at least the anatomical object;

a generic model of the anatomical object, wherein the model is matched to the contour of the anatomical object in image data generated by performing medical imaging on a patient;

or

an atlas containing a generic model of the anatomical object, wherein the atlas is matched to image data generated by performing medical imaging on a patient and the image data represent at least the anatomical object.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the modification represented by the modification template is made to the template data set manually.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein if the template data set represents an atlas, then:

a modification is made to a third data set, which is called the model data set and represents the contour of an actual object generated by performing medical imaging on a test person or represents the contour of a generic object;

the model data set is matched to the atlas such that the image data of the actual or generic object matches the atlas, thereby also adapting the modification; and

the adapted modification in the matched model data set is transferred into the template data set as the modification template.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein if the template data set represents an atlas, then:

a modification is made to a third data set, which is called the model data set and represents the contour of an actual object generated by performing medical imaging on a test person or represents the contour of a generic object;

the atlas is matched to the object in the model data set;

the modification is transformed using a transformation which is inverse to the transformation used in the preceding matching step; and

the transformed modification is transferred into the template data set as the modification template.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the match is achieved using elastic or rigid image fusion.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the modification template is an average of multiple input templates.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the correction in the correcting step is based on the distances between the voxels or pixels within the target data set and the contour of the object and on the distances between the voxels or pixels within the matched template data set and the contour of the object template and/or the adapted modification template.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the adapted modification template is amended on the basis of the target data set.

14. A medical imaging system, comprising a calculating unit configured to perform the method of claim 1.

15. A program which, when running on a computer or when loaded onto a computer, causes the computer to perform the method according to claim 1, and/or a program storage medium on which the program is stored (in particular in a non-transitory form).

11. (canceled)