MULTIMODAL SEGMENTATION IN INTRAVASCULAR IMAGES

• US 20140254900A1
• Filed: 03/07/2014
• Published: 09/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Volcano Corporation (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Volcano Corporation (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Sturm, Bernhard
• Granted Patent: US 9,770,172 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/128
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/364 Correlation of different images or relation of image positions in respect to the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/3966 Radiopaque markers visible in an X-ray image
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0035 adapted for acquisition of images from more than one imaging mode, e.g. combining MRI and optical tomography
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0037 Performing a preliminary scan, e.g. a prescan for identifying a region of interest
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/061 Determining position of a probe within the body employing means separate from the probe, e.g. sensing internal probe position employing impedance electrodes on the surface of the body A61B1/00158 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/489 Blood vessels
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/4416 related to combined acquisition of different diagnostic modalities, e.g. combination of ultrasound and X-ray acquisitions
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/445 Details of catheter construction
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 18/253 of extracted features
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 2201/03 Recognition of patterns in medical or anatomical images

Abstract

The invention provides methods for detecting features of interest in cardiovascular images by receiving information from a first modality and transforming information from the first modality into a first coordinate space, receiving information from a second modality and transforming information from the second modality into a second coordinate space. The first coordinate space is aligned to the second coordinate space to combine information from the first modality and the second modality into a combined data set. The method can also involve detecting the feature of interest in a vascular image based on the combined data set.

Claims

1. A method for detecting a feature of interest in a vascular image, the method comprising:

receiving information from a first imaging modality and transforming information from the first imaging modality into a first coordinate space;

receiving information from a second imaging modality and transforming information from the second imaging modality into a second coordinate space;

aligning the first coordinate space and the second coordinate space, thereby combining information from the first modality and the second modality into a combined data set; and

detecting a feature of interest in a vascular image based on the combined data set.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the imaging modality of the first and second imaging modality is selected from a group consisting of:

intravascular ultrasound (IVUS), virtual histology intravascular ultrasound (VH-IVUS), optical coherence tomography (OCT), x-ray angiography, and magnetic resonance imaging.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first modality is different from the second imaging modality.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving information comprises receiving information regarding the feature of interest.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the feature of interest comprises a biological feature of interest.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the biological feature of interest is a vessel or lumen wall.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the feature of interest comprises a non-biological feature of interest

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the non-biological feature of interest is a stent.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the feature of interest comprises initializing a search for the feature of interest based on the combined data set.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the feature of interest comprises training an algorithm to detect the feature of interest based on the combined data set.

11. A system for determining the degree of improvement after a therapeutic procedure, the system comprising:

a processor; and

a computer readable storage medium comprising instructions that when executed cause the system to;

receive information from a first imaging modality and transform information from the first imaging modality into a first coordinate space;

receive information from a second imaging modality and transform information from the second imaging modality into a second coordinate space;

align the first coordinate space and the second coordinate space, thereby combining information from the first modality and the second modality into a combined data set; and

detect a feature of interest in a vascular image based on the combined data set.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the imaging modality of the first and second imaging modality is selected from a group consisting of:

intravascular ultrasound (IVUS), virtual histology intravascular ultrasound (VH-IVUS), optical coherence tomography (OCT), x-ray angiography, and magnetic resonance imaging.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the first modality is different from the second imaging modality.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein receiving information comprises receiving information regarding the feature of interest.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the feature of interest comprises a biological feature of interest.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the biological feature of interest is a vessel or lumen wall.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein the feature of interest comprises a non-biological feature of interest.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the non-biological feature of interest is a stent.

19. The system of claim 11, wherein detecting the feature of interest comprises initializing a search for the feature of interest based on the combined data set.

20. The system of claim 11, wherein detecting the feature of interest comprises training an algorithm to detect the feature of interest based on the combined data set.