Multiple-stage apparatus and method for detecting objects in computed tomography data
US6035014A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Feb 11, 1998 |
| Grant date | Mar 7, 2000 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Feb 11, 2018 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY10S378/901
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A method and apparatus for detecting objects in computed tomography (CT) data are disclosed. Sheet-shaped objects such as sheet explosives can be detected by analyzing a neighborhood of voxels surrounding a test voxel. If the density of the test voxel is sufficiently different from the mean density of the neighboring voxels, then it is concluded that the test voxel is associated with a sheet object. Sheet objects can also be detected by eroding the CT data so as to eliminate voxels associated with thin objects. Remaining objects are then subtracted from the original data, leaving only thin sheet-shaped objects. Bulk objects can be detected by a modified morphological connected components labeling (CCL) approach which performs a series of erosion and dilation steps to separate adjacent objects in the data such that they can be individually labeled and analyzed. The process of the invention can be carried out in multiple paths. That is, for example, a sheet object detection process and a bulk object detection process can be implemented separately and in parallel. During the sheet object detection process, the data can be analyzed to identify bulk objects. Those objects can then be re…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.