Patent · US Active

Heat diffusion based detection of structures of interest in medical images

US7729739B2 · kind B2 · utility

19Cited by
7References
7Claims
0Family size

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Key dates

Filing dateNov 29, 2004
Grant dateJun 1, 2010
Priority date
Expiry dateApr 14, 2028

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG06T2207/30032
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A method for detecting and identifying structures of interest such as colonic polyps or similar structures like lung nodules in volumetric (medical) images data is provided. The method includes obtaining a heat diffusion field (HDF) by applying a heat diffusion scheme to a volume of interest that includes structures. The obtained heat diffusion field is then used for identifying a structure of interest from the structures in the volume of interest using a geometrical analysis of the heat diffusion field. The heat diffusion scheme is, at least partly, governed by non-linear diffusion parameters. The identification includes two parts: (i) the computation of a spherical symmetry parameter, and (ii) the performance of a local analysis of the volume of interest and computation of a triangulization parameter.

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