SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR VIEWING MEDICAL 3D IMAGING VOLUMES

• US 20170046870A1
• Filed: 10/12/2016
• Published: 02/16/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Merative US LP
• Original Assignee: DR Systems Incorporated (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Inventors: Fram, Evan K., Reicher, Murray A.
• Granted Patent: US 10,614,615 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/367 creating a 3D dataset from 2D images using position information
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/5223 generating planar views from image data, e.g. extracting a coronal view from a 3D image
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/37 Surgical systems with images on a monitor during operation
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 15/08 Volume rendering
• 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 2210/41 Medical
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2219/008 Cut plane or projection plane definition
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 3/40 Scaling of whole images or parts thereof, e.g. expanding or contracting

Abstract

A method of automatically tracking the portions of a 3D medical imaging volume, such as the voxels, that have already been displayed according to use-defined display parameters, notating those portions, and providing the user with information indicating what portions of the imaging volume have been displayed at full resolution.

Claims

1. (canceled)

2. A computing system comprising:

a computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith; and

one or more processors configured to execute the program instructions to cause the one or more processors to;

determine at least one display parameter that is associated with a three dimensional imaging volume comprising a plurality of voxels, the at least one display parameter determined from a plurality of display parameters;

determine that the at least one display parameter indicates that at least one of;

a particular percentage of the plurality of voxels are to be displayed, or particular portions of the plurality of voxels are to be displayed;

receive indications of portions of the three dimensional imaging volume that are selectively displayed; and

determine whether portions of the three dimensional imaging volume have been displayed according to the at least one display parameter that is associated with the three dimensional imaging volume.

3. The computing system of claim 2, wherein the at least one display parameter is determined to be associated with the three dimensional imaging volume based on two or more of:

a user of the computing system, a type of user of the computing system, a modality of the three dimensional imaging volume, an exam type associated with the three dimensional imaging volume, a group of exams of which the three dimensional imaging volume is a part, a group of users of the computing system of which the user is a member, a facility in which the three dimensional imaging volume is displayed, or a system on which the three dimensional imaging volume is displayed.

4. The computing system of claim 2, wherein the at least one display parameter is further associated with a particular user, and the at least one display parameter is determined to be associated with the three dimensional imaging volume when the three dimensional imaging volume is displayed to the user.

5. The computing system of claim 2, wherein the at least one display parameter is associated with an exam type, and the at least one display parameter is determined to be associated with the three dimensional imaging volume when the three dimensional imaging volume is of the exam type.

6. The computing system of claim 2, wherein the at least one display parameter further indicates that all the plurality of voxels are to be displayed.

7. The computing system of claim 2, wherein the at least one display parameter further indicates that the plurality of voxels are to be displayed at a particular resolution.

8. The computing system of claim 2, wherein the one or more processors are configured to execute the program instructions to further cause the one or more processors to:

in response to determining that portions of the three dimensional imaging volume have not been displayed according to the at least one display parameter, provide a warning to a user.

9. A computer-implemented method comprising:

by one or more processors executing program instructions;

determining at least one display parameter that is associated with a three dimensional imaging volume comprising a plurality of voxels, the at least one display parameter determined from a plurality of display parameters;

determining that the at least one display parameter indicates that at least one of;

a particular percentage of the plurality of voxels are to be displayed, or particular portions of the plurality of voxels are to be displayed;

receiving indications of portions of the three dimensional imaging volume that are selectively displayed; and

determining whether portions of the three dimensional imaging volume have been displayed according to the at least one display parameter that is associated with the three dimensional imaging volume.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, wherein the at least one display parameter is determined to be associated with the three dimensional imaging volume based on two or more of:

a user of the computing system, a type of user of the computing system, a modality of the three dimensional imaging volume, an exam type associated with the three dimensional imaging volume, a group of exams of which the three dimensional imaging volume is a part, a group of users of the computing system of which the user is a member, a facility in which the three dimensional imaging volume is displayed, or a system on which the three dimensional imaging volume is displayed.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, wherein the at least one display parameter is further associated with a particular user, and the at least one display parameter is determined to be associated with the three dimensional imaging volume when the three dimensional imaging volume is displayed to the user.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, wherein the at least one display parameter is associated with an exam type, and the at least one display parameter is determined to be associated with the three dimensional imaging volume when the three dimensional imaging volume is of the exam type.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, wherein the at least one display parameter further indicates that all the plurality of voxels are to be displayed.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, wherein the at least one display parameter further indicates that the plurality of voxels are to be displayed at a particular resolution.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 9 further comprising:

by the one or more processors executing program instructions;

in response to determining that portions of the three dimensional imaging volume have not been displayed according to the at least one display parameter, providing a warning to a user.

16. A the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith, the program instructions executable by one or more processors to cause the one or more processors to:

determine at least one display parameter that is associated with a three dimensional imaging volume comprising a plurality of voxels, the at least one display parameter determined from a plurality of display parameters;

determine that the at least one display parameter indicates that at least one of;

a particular percentage of the plurality of voxels are to be displayed, or particular portions of the plurality of voxels are to be displayed;

receive indications of portions of the three dimensional imaging volume that are selectively displayed; and

determine whether portions of the three dimensional imaging volume have been displayed according to the at least one display parameter that is associated with the three dimensional imaging volume.

17. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the at least one display parameter is determined to be associated with the three dimensional imaging volume based on two or more of:

a user of the computing system, a type of user of the computing system, a modality of the three dimensional imaging volume, an exam type associated with the three dimensional imaging volume, a group of exams of which the three dimensional imaging volume is a part, a group of users of the computing system of which the user is a member, a facility in which the three dimensional imaging volume is displayed, or a system on which the three dimensional imaging volume is displayed.

18. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the at least one display parameter is further associated with a particular user, and the at least one display parameter is determined to be associated with the three dimensional imaging volume when the three dimensional imaging volume is displayed to the user.

19. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the at least one display parameter is associated with an exam type, and the at least one display parameter is determined to be associated with the three dimensional imaging volume when the three dimensional imaging volume is of the exam type.

20. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the at least one display parameter further indicates that all the plurality of voxels are to be displayed.

21. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the program instructions are executable by one or more processors to further cause the one or more processors to:

in response to determining that portions of the three dimensional imaging volume have not been displayed according to the at least one display parameter, providing a warning to a user.