Abstract: A system and method for automatically determining the standard cardiac image views as defined by the American Heart Association from volumetric data of the chest including the heart. The system and method can be used by a health practitioner to quickly see the two dimensional views from which a diagnosis is generally made. The left ventricle is detected. Then the relative orientation of the right ventricle is determined and the standard cardiac views are determined.

Abstract: A method for tracking images of a blood vessel wherein user indication of the source and terminus of an image of the blood vessel is provided and the Dijkstra algorithm is used to find the shortest path along the current established from a steady-state circuit model with the current source and sink given by user-placed seeds on the image. Since the method looks at the change in current flow, multiply-connected objects that are either significantly larger or smaller than the vessel will be ignored since the current flow will change dramatically. In contrast, a simple, shortest-path, approach between the source and terminus of the vessel would be unlikely to stay within the vessel if it were to touch another object with similar intensity.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for determining the quality of alignment of a pair of volumes of data of medical images is disclosed. The method for validating the alignment includes selecting one or more points in the first volume and one or more points in the second volume, determining the average distance between the one or more points in the first volume and the one or more points in the second volume, determining a distortion category based on the average distance, determining an average noise level in the first and second volumes, and assigning a Q value indicative of the quality of the alignment based on the distortion category.

Abstract: A method and system for guiding imaging reading for colon screening includes scrolling through a succession of two dimensional (2D) cross-sectional images of a colon in respective image planes. A point of intersection with a current image plane with the centerline of the colon is marked in a first color in the current cross-sectional image. As the scrolling proceeds and a new current cross-sectional image in a respective image plane is observed. a new point of intersection is marked in the current cross-sectional image in the first color and the prior point of intersection is projected onto the new current cross-sectional image and marked in a second color.

Abstract: A method includes providing a first set of location data using a first coordinate system that corresponds to a first building and a second set of location data using a second coordinate system that corresponds to a second building. A third set of location data is generated from the first and second sets of location data by converting the first set of location data from the first coordinate system to a third coordinate system and converting the second set of location data from the second coordinate system to the third coordinate system.

Abstract: A method for segmenting an object of interest from an image of a patient having such object. Each one of a plurality of training shapes is distorted to overlay a reference shape with a parameter ?i being a measure of the amount of distortion required to effect the overlay. A vector of the parameters ?i is obtained for every one of the training shapes through the minimization of a cost function along with an estimate of uncertainty for every one of the obtained vectors of parameters ?i, such uncertainty being quantified as a covariance matrix ?i. A statistical model represented as {circumflex over (f)}H (?,?) is generated with the sum of kernels having a mean ?i and covariance ?i. The desired object of interest in the image of the patient is identified by positioning of the reference shape on the image and distorting the reference shape to overlay the obtained image with a parameter ? being a measure of the amount of distortion required to effect the overlay.

Abstract: Apparatus for calibrating an ultrasound transducer providing B-scans for two-dimensional (2D) images, includes: an ultrasound probe for providing B-scans; a position sensing device, the position sensing device being attached to the ultrasound probe and operating as part of a position sensing system in cooperation with a fixed sensing control unit, for labeling the B-scans with their respective relative positions and orientations (pose); a phantom marker for being imaged by the ultrasound probe for providing measurements which together with known physical properties of the phantom marker are used to derive calibration information for relating measurement data from the position sensing device to the poses of the B-scans to construct a 3D image; and the phantom marker comprising an encoded line object with distinctive calibration characteristics indicative of position along the line object, wherein the line object is disposed in a generally circumferential manner about a common axis with the probe.

Abstract: A method for analyzing medical image includes obtaining a plurality of surface fronts on an object, such points being disposed in a three dimensional volume in the object; varying the volume of each one of the points such volumes combining into a common volume; and terminating the process when the common volume reaches boundaries of the object.

Abstract: Methods of statistical learning for Bayesian inference in the context of efficient optimization schemes for image restoration are presented. Second and third order priors that may be learned while maintaining graph representability are identified. A framework to learn and impose prior knowledge on the distribution of pairs and triplets of labels via graph cuts is presented. The disclosed methods optimally restore binary textures from very noisy images with runtimes in the order of seconds while imposing hundreds of statistically learned constraints per node.

Abstract: Motion of the heart during contrast enhancement is modeled at two hierarchical levels: global translation and local deformation. Large-scale, i.e., global, translational motion is identified using global template matching, while the local deformation of a portion of the object (e.g., the left ventricle where the object is a heart) is obtained using an adaptive local template matching scheme which adapts to the local edge distributions by varying the height and the width of the template as well as the location of the template followed by spatial regularization. To address the difficulty of rapid intensity changes across the image sequence as the contrast agent perfuse into the tissue, an edge-based similarity measure is used for template matching.

Abstract: A process includes: generation of knowledge of the anatomical object to be separated from neighboring objects and identification of high level features (e.g., prior knowledge that includes: a mean shape template of the vertebra; and, high level features, e.g., readily identifiable boundary regions between the vertebrae neighboring objects, such as neighboring vertebra and rib structures); and the subsequent use of this prior knowledge to level set.

Abstract: Subsets of volume data are sequentially stored for volume rendering from two dimensional textures. For example, pairs of adjacent two-dimensional images are loaded into RAM or cache. Strips of texture data are interpolated for polygons extending between the two-dimensional images. The strips or polygons are more orthogonal to a viewing direction than the two-dimensional images. After interpolating texture data from the two-dimensional images for a plurality of non-coplanar polygons, the texture data is rendered. The rendered information represents one portion of the three dimensional representation. Other portions are rendered by repeating the process for other pairs or subset groups of adjacent two-dimensional images. A lower cost apparatus, such as a programmed computer or a GPU with a limited amount of memory, is able to render images for three dimensional representations of very large three-dimensional arrays. The images may be rendered without copying volume data for different main axes.

Abstract: Systems, methods and computer program code for the measurement and control of sway in load transportation systems are provided which include using Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) devices to measure and control the sway of suspended loads such as loads suspended from cranes.

Abstract: A method and related system for automatically and efficiently isolating the heart in Computer Tomography (CT) or Magnetic Resonance Imaging cardiac scans is disclosed. The method involves segmenting a heart within a set of volumetric data. In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, the set of volumetric data is processed to determine the minimum value of an energy function having a first term, a second term and a third term. The heart is segmented based on the processing of the set of volumetric data.

Abstract: Segmentation of White Matter Fiber Tract in DT-MRI images is achieved by using level sets methods including a method which will increase the speed and quality of the surface evolvement. A method system representing a measure of coincidence of the tensor field with the normal of the surface front to increase the speed and quality of a level set method in DT-MRI is disclosed.

Abstract: System and methods of displaying one or more vessels, particularly blood vessels and more particularly coronary arteries, are disclosed. Each of the one or more vessels is associated with an outline of a tube generated from a set of image data. For a viewing point, a depth image is calculated by projecting a plurality of rays from the viewing point and, for each of the plurality of rays, determining distance between the viewing point and the point of intersection of ray and any of the tubes. The surrounding area of the one or more vessels within a bounding viewing box is extracted, interpolated and rendered, and the depth image of the surrounding area is calculated. Then, an image of the one or more vessels and their background information concerning data surroundings the vessels generated based on the depth image is displayed.

Abstract: A method for dynamic scene modeling and change detection applicable to motion analysis utilizes optical flow for capturing and modeling the dynamics of the scene. Uncertainties in the measurements are evaluated and utilized in order to develop a robust representation of the scene in a higher dimensional space. In another embodiment, a dynamical model of the scene is developed that utilizes multiple past frames to predict the next frame. Incremental methods for updating the model are developed and, towards detection of events, a new measure is introduced that is based on a state-driven comparison between the prediction and the actual observation.

Abstract: A method for selecting the b-values for diffusion weighted magnetic resonance scans. The method includes: identifying a single reference slice within a volume of interest (VOI); progressively changing b-values over a plurality of scans of the reference slice wherein each one of the scans has a different b-value to obtain a plurality of diffusion weighted images; calculating ADC maps for combinations of b-values from the obtained plurality of diffusion weighted images; evaluating the calculated ADC maps; selecting from the evaluation optimal b-values; and using the selected b-values for subsequent scans.

Abstract: A method for automatic centerline extraction for a virtual endoscopy image of an organ having a boundary surface includes centering on selected points of an initial path through the image, which is derived from an endoscopy dataset, respective spheres exhibiting respective maximal diameters short of contacting the boundary surface; and forming a centered path consecutively joining centers of the spheres.

Abstract: A method for virtual endoscopy in a lumen includes acquiring from a patient an imaging dataset exhibiting a lesion external to a lumen wall; deriving a three-dimensional (3-D) volume of the lesion; obtaining data on maximum bend characteristics for a given endoscope; and deriving projection criteria, based on the 3-D volume and the maximum bend, for projecting an endoluminal image of said lesion, indicating an optimal biopsy insertion point.