Method for determining a path along a biological object with a lumen
US7379062B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Aug 1, 2005 |
| Grant date | May 27, 2008 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jan 15, 2026 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06T2207/30101
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A path between specified start and end voxels along a biological object with a lumen, such as a vessel, within a patient image three-dimensional volume data set comprising an array of voxels of varying value is identified using an algorithm that works outwards from the start voxel to identify paths of low cost via intermediate voxels. The intermediate voxels are queued for further expansion of the path using a priority function comprising the sum of the cost of the path already found from the start voxel to the intermediate voxel and the Euclidean distance from the intermediate voxel to the end voxel. A cost function that depends on the voxel density is used to bias the algorithm towards paths inside the object. The number of iterations of the voxel required to find a path from the start to the end voxel, and hence the time taken, can be significantly reduced by scaling the Euclidean distance by a constant. Usefully, the constant is greater than 1, such as between 1.5 and 2.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.