Automated method for digital image quantitation
US5797396A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Dec 19, 1996 |
| Grant date | Aug 25, 1998 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Dec 19, 2016 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06T2207/30048
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A method for quantitatively analyzing digital images of approximately elliptical body organs, and in particular, echocardiographic images. In a first preferred embodiment, the invention automatically determines the center-point of an elliptical organ and a search region for border discrimination by finding the maximum value produced by a series of circular arc filters applied to the image data. In a second preferred embodiment, a pair of elliptical arc filters are used to make a first approximation of the positions of the right and left epicardium so that matched elliptical filters can be used to estimate the anterior epicardial position. The estimated position of the anterior epicardial, together with the posterior epicardial position, determines the center-point of the left ventricle. The positions of the organ borders are then approximated by generating amplitude distributions along each of a number of circular segments based on the center-point. The approximated borders are then compared on a best-fit basis to a set of paired elliptical arcs used to model the borders. The image may then be displayed with the modeled border superimposed on the image. A method of automated video …
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.