Apparatus and method for medical image searching

• US 9,351,703 B2
• Filed: 09/09/2011
• Issued: 05/31/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ACIST Medical Systems Incorporated (Bracco SPA)
• Original Assignee: ACIST Medical Systems Incorporated (Bracco SPA)
• Inventors: Jamello, Joseph A. III
• Primary Examiner(s): Augustine, Nicholas
• Application Number:
  US13/228,941
• Publication Number:
  US 20120065511A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,726 Days
• Field of Search: 715/723, 715/864, 715/839
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/0883 for diagnosis of the heart
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/0891 for diagnosis of blood vessels
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/12 in body cavities or body tracts, e.g. by using catheters catheters per se A61M25/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/13 Tomography A61B8/10, A61B8/12 take precedence; tomography for radiation diagnosis A61B6/02
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/14 Echo-tomography
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/463 characterised by displaying multiple images or images and diagnostic data on one display composite display in devices for short-range imaging with acoustic waves G01S7/52074
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/465 adapted to display user selection data, e.g. icons or menus
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/466 adapted to display 3D data 3D imaging and stereoscopic displays in devices for short-range imaging with acoustic waves G01S15/8993 and G01S7/52068, respectively; 3D image rendering G06T15/00; manipulating 3D models for computer graphics G06T19/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/467 characterised by special input means
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/565 involving data transmission via a network
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04808 Several contacts: gestures triggering a specific function, e.g. scrolling, zooming, right-click, when the user establishes several contacts with the surface simultaneously; e.g. using several fingers or a combination of fingers and pen
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03545 Pens or stylus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04815 Interaction with a metaphor-based environment or interaction object displayed as three-dimensional, e.g. changing the user viewpoint with respect to the environment or object
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04845 for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/003 Reconstruction from projections, e.g. tomography
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 15/00 3D [Three Dimensional] image rendering
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2219/008 Cut plane or projection plane definition
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 3/60 : Rotation of whole images or parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 30/20 : for handling medical images, e.g. DICOM, HL7 or PACS
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 30/40 : for processing medical images, e.g. editing

Abstract

An intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) imaging system and catheter with an intuitive interface for rapid operator interaction using acquired medical images. In an embodiment, an IVUS imaging system and catheter are used to acquire a sequence of a specific area of interest in the human anatomy, for example, tomographic images of a coronary artery. The IVUS imaging system displays at least one tomographic image of the area of interest. The IVUS imaging system generates and displays at least one longitudinal image, wherein the longitudinal image represents a cut-plane of the sequence of tomographic images. The IVUS imaging system further includes a touch screen, wherein the system recognizes touch movements to facilitate searching the sequence of images. Touch movements in a longitudinal direction may pan the longitudinal image in the longitudinal direction. Touch movements in the transverse direction may rotate the cut-plane of the longitudinal image.

Claims

1. A computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable instructions that when executed on a computer cause the computer to:

display at least a first image produced from a sequence of tomographic images on a display with a touch screen, the sequence of tomographic images combinable to form a three-dimensional image, the three-dimensional image having a longitudinal axis extending therethrough, the first image representing a first cut-plane view at a cut-plane of the three-dimensional image, the cut-plane containing the longitudinal axis;

display a cut-plane indicator on the display to indicate a first rotational orientation of the cut-plane corresponding to the first cut-plane view shown in the first image;

detect an object engaging the touch screen;

determine a primary direction of movement of the object engaging the touch screen using at least one heuristic, wherein the at least one heuristic comprises a vertical screen scrolling heuristic for determining the primary direction of movement of the object engaging the touch screen;

manipulate the at least first image based on the determined primary direction, wherein the manipulation comprises rotating the orientation of the cut-plane to a second rotational orientation about the longitudinal axis in response to the vertical screen scrolling heuristic, the vertical screen scrolling heuristic being oriented in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal axis;

update the display screen to display a second image corresponding to a second cut-plane view of the three-dimensional image taken at the second rotational orientation of the cut-plane; and

update the display screen to display the cut-plane indicator oriented at the second rotational orientation at which the second image is taken.

2. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1 wherein the at least one heuristic comprises a horizontal screen scrolling heuristic for determining that movement of the object engaging the touch screen corresponds to a one-dimensional horizontal panning command for the at least one image.

3. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 2 wherein the determination of a horizontal movement displays a second image corresponding to a manipulated image.

4. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1 wherein the at least one heuristic comprises a vertical screen scrolling heuristic for determining that movement of the object engaging the touch screen corresponds to a one-dimensional vertical panning command for the at least one image.

5. A console, comprising:

a display for displaying one or more images, and having a touch screen for receiving tactile input;

a decision engine configured to process detected tactile inputs on the touch screen;

the decision engine further configured to;

determine a running average of detected horizontal movements based on either one of a predetermined number of previous horizontal movements or a set of horizontal movements within a specific time window;

determine a running average of detected vertical movements based on either one of a predetermined number of previous vertical movements or a set of vertical movements within a specific time window;

repeatedly determine which running average is higher;

if the running average of the horizontal movements is higher, then change a first image displayed on the display; and

if the running average of the vertical movements is higher, then rotate a cut-plane of a second image displayed on the display, the second image produced from a sequence of tomographic images that are combinable to form a three-dimensional image, the three-dimensional image having a longitudinal axis extending therethrough, the second image representing a cut-plane view at a cut-plane of the three-dimensional image, the cut-plane containing the longitudinal axis.

6. The console of claim 5, wherein the displayed image is an image of a coronary artery.

7. The console of claim 5, wherein the displayed image is a tomographic image of a portion of human anatomy.

8. The console of claim 5 further comprising a communication module configured to receive a sequence of images, the sequence of images received from a coupled catheter.

9. The console of claim 5 further comprising a communication module configured to receive a sequence of images, the sequence of images received from a communicatively coupled server computer.

10. The console of claim 5, wherein the running average of detected horizontal movements is a weighted average of horizontal movements and the running average of detected vertical movements is a weighted average of vertical movements.

11. The console of claim 5, wherein changing the first image when the running average of the horizontal movements is higher comprises changing a cross-sectional view.

12. A method in a computing environment, comprising:

providing image data from a sequence of tomographic images of an object, the sequence of tomographic images combinable to form a three-dimensional image of the object, the three-dimensional image having a longitudinal axis extending therethrough;

displaying, on a display screen, a longitudinal sectional image of the three-dimensional image taken along a cut-plane of the three-dimensional image, the cut-plane containing the longitudinal axis;

displaying a selection marker on the longitudinal sectional image at a point along the longitudinal axis;

displaying, on the display screen, near the longitudinal image, a cross-sectional image of the three-dimensional image taken at a plane normal to the longitudinal axis and taken at the point on the longitudinal axis corresponding to the location of the selection marker;

detecting a tactile input on the display screen corresponding to a horizontal movement;

in response to the horizontal tactile input, moving the selection marker proportional to the detected horizontal movement to a new position along the longitudinal axis relative to the longitudinal image;

updating the display screen to display a second cross-sectional image of the three-dimensional image taken at a plane normal to the longitudinal axis and taken at a new point on the longitudinal axis corresponding to the new location of the selection marker;

displaying the new location of the selection marker on the display screen;

detecting a tactile input on the display screen corresponding to a vertical movement;

in response to the vertical tactile input, rotating the orientation of the cut-plane to a new rotational orientation, the rotation being proportional to the detected vertical movement about the longitudinal axis in response to the vertical movement, the vertical movement being oriented in a direction generally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis;

updating the display screen to display, on the display screen, a second longitudinal sectional image of the three-dimensional image taken along the rotated cut-plane; and

displaying the cut-plane oriented at the new rotational orientation.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

determining whether the vertical movement or the horizontal movement is more prominent; and

disregarding the less prominent movement.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising calculating a lumen area corresponding to the displayed tomographic image.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

determining a lumen area for each tomographic image; and

displaying the tomographic image corresponding to the lowest lumen area calculated.

16. The method of claim 12, further comprising receiving the sequence of tomographic images from a catheter coupled to the display.

17. The method of claim 12, further comprising receiving the sequence of tomographic images from a server computer coupled to the display.