System and method for patient privacy protection in medical images
US10679740B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jun 12, 2018 |
| Grant date | Jun 9, 2020 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Sep 21, 2038 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06V40/53
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
Systems and methods for de-identification of medical images can be applied to medical images acquired using various techniques. A 3D medical image can be analyzed to generate an image mask that partitions the image into a foreground region and a background region. From the image mask, a “skin surface” can be reconstructed based on the boundary between the foreground region and the background region. The image mask can be modified, e.g., by moving a randomly-selected subset of the voxels from the foreground region to the background region so that the shape of the skin surface is altered, thus obscuring patient-identifying features. The original medical image can be modified by changing the intensity of voxels in the background region while preserving the original intensity of voxels in the foreground region.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.