Patent · US Expired

Method and system for the computerized analysis of bone mass and structure

US6442287B1 · kind B1 · utility

53Cited by
8References
54Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateAug 28, 1998
Grant dateAug 27, 2002
Priority date
Expiry dateAug 28, 2018

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG06T7/0012
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

An automated method, storage medium, and system for analyzing bone. Digital image data corresponding to an image of the bone are obtained. Next there is determined, based on the digital images, a measure of bone mineral density (BMD) and at least one of a measure of bone geometry, a Minkowski dimension, and a trabecular orientation. The strength of the bone is estimated based upon the measure of BMD and at least one of the measure of bone geometry, the Minkowski dimension, and the trabecular orientation. To improve bone texture analysis, the present invention also provides a novel automated method, storage medium, and system in which digital image data corresponding to an image of the bone is obtained, and a region of interest (ROI) is selected within the bone. A fractal characteristic of the image data within the ROI using an artificial neural network is extracted. The strength of the bone is estimated based at least in part on the extracted fractal characteristic. To perform bone analysis with an improved measure of bone mineral density, the present invention also provides a novel automated method, storage medium, and system in which digital image data corresponding to an image o…

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.