Full-field breast image data processing and archiving
First Claim
1. A system for processing medical image data corresponding to a breast, comprising:
- a source of a three-dimensional data volume representing at least one physical property within the breast;
a processor coupled with said source to receive said three-dimensional data volume to compute therefrom a two-dimensional thick-slice image representing said at least one physical property of the breast in a slab-like subvolume thereof;
a display coupled with said processor and displaying said thick-slice image to a viewer;
an archiving device coupled with said processor to receive said two-dimensional thick-slice image, said archiving device generating an archival dataset including said two-dimensional thick-slice image, said archiving device transferring said archival dataset to a tangible storage medium for archiving purposes;
said display further displaying a two-dimensional planar view image corresponding to said at least one physical property along a planar slice within the breast, wherein said archival dataset further comprises said two-dimensional planar image;
wherein said at least one physical property is a sonographic property, and wherein said three-dimensional data volume is not included in said archival dataset thereby promoting archival efficiency in said archiving device.
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Abstract
A system, computer program product, and related methods are described for obtaining, processing, and/or and archiving full-field breast image data, such as full-field breast ultrasound (FFBU) data, in a manner that promotes ready integration with current x-ray mammogram-based breast cancer screening methodologies, and which can alternatively be used to support a full-field-only environment. Two-dimensional thick-slice images computed from a three-dimensional data volume are used to facilitate efficient archiving for a breast imaging session, the two-dimensional thick-slice images corresponding to slab-like subvolumes of the breast. Clinician data overload problems that can arise from the existence of large amounts of three-dimensional full-field breast image data are reduced. Archive space is also preserved while still providing sufficient information data for future reference purposes. Related adjunctive full-field workflow methods are also described. The described embodiments are applicable to FFBU imaging and other full-field breast imaging modalities such as MRI, CT, PET, and others.
130 Citations
21 Claims
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1. A system for processing medical image data corresponding to a breast, comprising:
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a source of a three-dimensional data volume representing at least one physical property within the breast; a processor coupled with said source to receive said three-dimensional data volume to compute therefrom a two-dimensional thick-slice image representing said at least one physical property of the breast in a slab-like subvolume thereof; a display coupled with said processor and displaying said thick-slice image to a viewer; an archiving device coupled with said processor to receive said two-dimensional thick-slice image, said archiving device generating an archival dataset including said two-dimensional thick-slice image, said archiving device transferring said archival dataset to a tangible storage medium for archiving purposes; said display further displaying a two-dimensional planar view image corresponding to said at least one physical property along a planar slice within the breast, wherein said archival dataset further comprises said two-dimensional planar image; wherein said at least one physical property is a sonographic property, and wherein said three-dimensional data volume is not included in said archival dataset thereby promoting archival efficiency in said archiving device. - View Dependent Claims (2)
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3. A system for processing medical image data corresponding to a breast, comprising:
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a source of a three-dimensional data volume representing at least one physical property within the breast; a processor coupled with said source to receive said three-dimensional data volume to compute therefrom a two-dimensional thick-slice image representing said at least one physical property of the breast in a slab-like subvolume thereof; a display coupled with said processor and displaying said thick-slice image to a viewer; an archiving device coupled with said processor to receive said two-dimensional thick-slice image, said archiving device generating an archival dataset including said two-dimensional thick-slice image, said archiving device transferring said archival dataset to a tangible storage medium for archiving purposes; said display further displaying a two-dimensional planar view image corresponding to said at least one physical property along a planar slice within the breast, wherein said archival dataset further comprises said two-dimensional planar image; and a user input device receiving a first viewer input identifying on said thick-slice image a location of interest in the breast, wherein said planar view image corresponds to a planar slice passing through that location of interest in the breast; said user input device further receiving a second viewer input identifying said location of interest for archiving, wherein said archival dataset includes the thick-slice image and the planar view image corresponding to that location of interest. - View Dependent Claims (4)
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5. A system for processing medical image data corresponding to a breast, comprising:
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a source of a three-dimensional data volume representing at least one physical property within the breast; a processor coupled with said source to receive said three-dimensional data volume to compute therefrom a two-dimensional thick-slice image representing said at least one physical property of the breast in a slab-like subvolume thereof; a display coupled with said processor and displaying said thick-slice image to a viewer; an archiving device coupled with said processor to receive said two-dimensional thick-slice image, said archiving device generating an archival dataset including said two-dimensional thick-slice image, said archiving device transferring said archival dataset to a tangible storage medium for archiving purposes; said display further displaying a two-dimensional planar view image corresponding to said at least one physical property along a planar slice within the breast, wherein said archival dataset further comprises said two-dimensional planar image; and a user input device receiving a first viewer input identifying on said thick-slice image a location of interest in the breast, wherein said planar view image corresponds to a planar slice passing through that location of interest in the breast; said user input device further receiving a second viewer input identifying said location of interest for archiving, wherein said archival dataset includes the thick-slice image corresponding to that location of interest but does not include the planar view image corresponding to that location of interest.
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6. A system for processing medical image data corresponding to a breast, comprising:
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a source of a three-dimensional data volume representing at least one physical property within the breast; a processor coupled with said source to receive said three-dimensional data volume to compute therefrom a two-dimensional thick-slice image representing said at least one physical property of the breast in a slab-like subvolume thereof; a display coupled with said processor and displaying said thick-slice image to a viewer; and an archiving device coupled with said processor to receive said two-dimensional thick-slice image, said archiving device generating an archival dataset including said two-dimensional thick-slice image, said archiving device transferring said archival dataset to a tangible storage medium for archiving purposes; said processor computing additional two-dimensional thick-slice images corresponding to different slab-like subvolumes of the breast to form a set of thick-slice images, said slab-like subvolumes for said set of thick-slice images collectively occupying substantially all of a clinically relevant portion of the breast volume, said display displaying each of said set of thick-slice images to the viewer; said archival dataset including each of said set of thick-slice images; wherein said slab-like subvolumes have an average thickness roughly equal to about 0.5-3.0 times an expected size of lesions L to be detected according to an imaging modality of said medical image data. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A system for processing medical image data corresponding to a breast, comprising:
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a source of a three-dimensional data volume representing at least one physical property within the breast; a processor coupled with said source to receive said three-dimensional data volume to compute therefrom a two-dimensional thick-slice image representing said at least one physical property of the breast in a slab-like subvolume thereof; a display coupled with said processor and displaying said thick-slice image to a viewer; and an archiving device coupled with said processor to receive said two-dimensional thick-slice image, said archiving device generating an archival dataset including said two-dimensional thick-slice image, said archiving device transferring said archival dataset to a tangible storage medium for archiving purposes; said processor computing additional two-dimensional thick-slice images corresponding to different slab-like subvolumes of the breast to form a set of thick-slice images, said slab-like subvolumes for said set of thick-slice images collectively occupying substantially all of a clinically relevant portion of the breast volume, said display displaying each of said set of thick-slice images to the viewer; said system further comprising a user input device receiving a viewer input identifying, in the event that the viewer has found no interesting locations in the breast, a most benign-looking one of said set of thick-slice images for archiving, said archival dataset including said most benign-looking one of said set of thick-slice images, said system dissociating said three-dimensional data volume and all others of said set of thick-slice images from said dataset. - View Dependent Claims (15)
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16. A method, comprising:
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receiving a three-dimensional data volume representing at least one physical property within a breast; computing from said three-dimensional data volume a two-dimensional thick-slice image representing said at least one physical property in a slab-like subvolume of the breast; displaying said two-dimensional thick-slice image to a viewer in conjunction with at least one x-ray mammogram image of the breast; generating an archival dataset including said two-dimensional thick-slice image and including data that associates said two-dimensional thick-slice image with said at least one x-ray mammogram image; and displaying a two-dimensional planar view image corresponding to said at least one physical property along a planar slice within the breast, said archival dataset further including said two-dimensional planar image; wherein said at least one physical property is a sonographic property, and wherein said slab-like subvolume has a thickness in the range of 2 mm-20 mm. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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Specification