Processes and apparatus for imaging protocols and analysis

• US 7,986,821 B2
• Filed: 08/15/2006
• Issued: 07/26/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/15/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: DuGal, Tiffany Ann
• Primary Examiner(s): Le; Vu
• Assistant Examiner(s): Abdi; Amara
• Application Number:
  US11/504,520
• Publication Number:
  US 20080044069A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,806 Days
• Field of Search: 382128-132, 345/424, 345/422, 715/700
• US Class Current: 382/128
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/0012 Biomedical image inspection
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 30/20 for handling medical images, e.g. DICOM, HL7 or PACS
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/20 for computer-aided diagnosis, e.g. based on medical expert systems

Abstract

Systems, processes and apparatus are described through which signals are modified within a system. A process for image conditioning in a nondestructive imaging system includes acts of: (i) selecting a protocol from a group of protocols, each protocol of the group being structured to provide multiple coordinated views of a particularized anatomical region and to facilitate automated characterization of an aspect of the anatomical region; (ii) opting for at least one of a plurality of viewing modalities for review of images associated with the selected protocol; and (iii) displaying the images in conformance with the at least one viewing modality.

Claims

1. A process for selecting a protocol to provide coordinated view and characterization of an anatomical region in a nondestructive imaging system, the process comprising:

receiving a body of data to generate relevant images for the anatomical region;

selecting an anatomically specific protocol from a group of anatomically specific protocols, each anatomically specific protocol of the group being structured to provide multiple coordinated views of a particularized anatomical region and to facilitate automated characterization of an aspect of the anatomical region;

opting for at least one of a plurality of viewing modalities for review of images associated with the selected anatomically specific protocol; and

displaying the images in conformance with the at least one viewing modality, the displayed view of each of the images being in a panel, the panel including a series of cross-sections showing a structure of interest at different positions along the length of the structure, and views, a first view being a lumen view, the lumen view being a two-dimensional rendering of three-dimensional data of the structure of interest and treated to reduce the central area of the structure as though the structure was a one-dimensional structure, a second view representing a 3D VR rendering of the structure being characterized; and

a third view being a curved view, the curved view being an image corresponding approximately to the anatomical region being laid flat on a planar surface wherein two-dimensional curvature is still present.

2. The process of claim 1, wherein the nondestructive imaging system comprises an X-ray system, and wherein the images are constructed by an image processing engine from tomographic data.

3. The process of claim 1, wherein the selecting an anatomically specific protocol from a group of anatomical protocols further comprises:

selecting the anatomically specific protocol from a group consisting of;

a thoracic aorta characterization protocol;

a bilateral carotid artery characterization protocol;

a renal artery characterization protocol and a mesenteric artery characterization protocol.

4. The process of claim 1, wherein the selected anatomically specific protocol provides measurements for a stent, responsive to a clinician designating a sequence of points along an artery being characterized.

5. The process of claim 1, wherein the anatomically specific protocols and viewing modalities available may be altered via modification of software.

6. The process of claim 1, wherein, following the selecting and opting, the process further comprises:

placing points on vessels of interest via the images;

reviewing the images and placements;

performing an analysis to provide data characterizing the vessels of interest; and

recording the data in a memory.

7. The process of claim 1, wherein, following the selecting and opting, the process further comprises:

placing points on vessels of interest via the images;

reviewing the images and placements;

performing an analysis to provide data characterizing the vessels of interest, the data including sizing parameters for a stent; and

saving the data in a memory.