Abstract: A method and system for detecting the presence or absence of a target or desired object within a three-dimensional (3D) image. The 3D image is processed to extract one or more 3D feature representations, each of which is then dimensionally reduced into one or more two-dimensional (2D) feature representations. An object detection process is then performed on the 2D features map(s) to generate information about at least the presence or absence of an object within the 2D feature representations, and thereby the overall 3D image.

Abstract: The apparatus is adapted to detect a tool based on a 3D image obtained by a 3D ultrasound imaging system. The apparatus comprises an image processing unit, which includes a tool detection module configured to perform a tool detection procedure. The tool detection procedure involves identifying a shadow of the tool in the 3D image and calculating the position of a “tool plane section” of the 3D image in which the entire length of the tool is represented.

Abstract: Images may be preprocessed to select pixels or voxels of interest prior to being analyzed by a neural network. Only the pixels or voxels of interest may be analyzed by the neural network to identify an object of interest. One or more slices may be extracted from the voxels of interest and provided to the neural network for analysis. The object may be further localized after identification by the neural network. The preprocessing, analysis by the neural network, and/or localization may utilize pre-existing knowledge of the object to be identified.

Abstract: The apparatus is adapted to detect a tool based on a 3D image obtained by a 3D ultrasound imaging system. The apparatus comprises an image processing unit, which includes a tool detection module configured to perform a tool detection procedure. The tool detection procedure involves identifying a shadow of the tool in the 3D image and calculating the position of a “tool plane section” of the 3D image in which the entire length of the tool is represented.

Abstract: A system for processing an image data volume acquired with a medical imaging acquisition device 100 from a body comprising a needle is provided. It has been realized it is advantageous to display 150 a plane intersecting the image data volume showing the needle to a user of the system. This allows better positioning of the needle. The system comprises a needle-plane determination 110 module for determining a plane being parallel to and intersecting a representation in the image data volume of the needle and being parallel to a viewing direction. The needle plane determination module may make use of pixel processing and/or spectral transformation, in particular the Gabor transform.

Abstract: A system for processing an image data volume acquired with a medical imaging acquisition device 100 from a body comprising a needle is provided. It has been realized it is advantageous to display 150 a plane intersecting the image data volume showing the needle to a user of the system. This allows better positioning of the needle. The system comprises a needle-plane determination 110 module for determining a plane being parallel to and intersecting a representation in the image data volume of the needle and being parallel to a viewing direction. The needle plane determination module may make use of pixel processing and/or spectral transformation, in particular the Gabor transform.

Abstract: A system for processing an image data volume acquired with a medical imaging acquisition device 100 from a body comprising a needle is provided. It has been realized it is advantageous to display 150 a plane intersecting the image data volume showing the needle to a user of the system. This allows better positioning of the needle. The system comprises a needle-plane determination 110 module for determining a plane being parallel to and intersecting a representation in the image data volume of the needle and being parallel to a viewing direction. The needle plane determination module may make use of pixel processing and/or spectral transformation, in particular the Gabor transform.

Abstract: The invention relates to an imaging apparatus for imaging an object (3) being preferentially a catheter. A kinematics model (12) of a robot representing the object (3), which is defined by kinematics parameters, and projection data of the object (3), which correspond to different projection directions, are provided. The kinematics model (12) is modified by modifying the kinematics parameters such that a difference between simulated projection data, which are determined by simulating a forward projection of the kinematics model (12), and the provided projection data is minimized. Since the object (3) is represented by a kinematics model (12) of a robot, movements of the object (3), in particular, deformations of the object (3), can be described in a simple way by few kinematics parameters, thereby allowing modifying the model (12) and, thus, following a movement of the object fast by modifying the few kinematics parameters, in particular, in real-time.

Abstract: A system for processing an image data volume acquired with a medical imaging acquisition device 100 from a body comprising a needle is provided. It has been realized it is advantageous to display 150 a plane intersecting the image data volume showing the needle to a user of the system. This allows better positioning of the needle. The system comprises a needle-plane determination 110 module for determining a plane being parallel to and intersecting a representation in the image data volume of the needle and being parallel to a viewing direction. The needle plane determination module may make use of pixel processing and/or spectral transformation, in particular the Gabor transform.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for detecting and recognizing an object in an image, the method comprising a plurality of stages, wherein at least one of the stages comprises an integrated approach of feature detection and object recognition of at least a part of the object. In a further embodiment at least one of the stages comprises identifying an image part that contains a feature point, and matching the image part to a set of hierarchies of templates, wherein a hierarchy comprises templates for an object to be recognized, a template describes at least a part of an object to be recognized, and a child template describes a sub-part of the part of the object described by its parent template.

Abstract: A system for processing an image data volume acquired with a medical imaging acquisition device 100 from a body comprising a needle is provided. It has been realized it is advantageous to display 150 a plane intersecting the image data volume showing the needle to a user of the system. This allows better positioning of the needle. The system comprises a needle-plane determination 110 module for determining a plane being parallel to and intersecting a representation in the image data volume of the needle and being parallel to a viewing direction. The needle plane determination module may make use of pixel processing and/or spectral transformation, in particular the Gabor transform.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for detecting and recognizing an object in an image, the method comprising a plurality of stages, wherein at least one of the stages comprises an integrated approach of feature detection and object recognition of at least a part of the object. In a further embodiment at least one of the stages comprises identifying an image part that contains a feature point, and matching the image part to a set of hierarchies of templates, wherein a hierarchy comprises templates for an object to recognized, a template describes at least a part of an object to be recognized, and a child template describes a sub-part of the part of the object described by its parent template.

Abstract: The invention relates to an imaging apparatus for imaging an object (3) being preferentially a catheter. A kinematics model (12) of a robot representing the object (3), which is defined by kinematics parameters, and projection data of the object (3), which correspond to different projection directions, are provided. The kinematics model (12) is modified by modifying the kinematics parameters such that a difference between simulated projection data, which are determined by simulating a forward projection of the kinematics model (12), and the provided projection data is minimized Since the object (3) is represented by a kinematics model (12) of a robot, movements of the object (3), in particular, deformations of the object (3), can be described in a simple way by few kinematics parameters, thereby allowing modifying the model (12) and, thus, following a movement of the object fast by modifying the few kinematics parameters, in particular, in real-time.

Abstract: A system for processing an image data volume acquired with a medical imaging acquisition device 100 from a body comprising a needle is provided. It has been realized it is advantageous to display 150 a plane intersecting the image data volume showing the needle to a user of the system. This allows better positioning of the needle. The system comprises a needle-plane determination 110 module for determining a plane being parallel to and intersecting a representation in the image data volume of the needle and being parallel to a viewing direction. The needle plane determination module may make use of pixel processing and/or spectral transformation, in particular the Gabor transform.

Abstract: A motion estimation unit (500) for estimating a current motion vector comprises a match error unit (506) for calculating match errors of respective candidate motion vectors and a selector (508) for selecting the current motion vector from the candidate motion vectors by means of comparing the match errors of the respective candidate motion vectors. Some of the candidate motion vectors are extracted from a set of previously estimated motion vectors. Other candidate motion vectors are calculated based on multiple motion vectors which are selected from the set of previously estimated motion vectors.

Abstract: The invention provides coding (20) a set of input values (S1) into a set of coefficients by use of a given algorithm, by selecting (201) coefficients to be calculated, out of a total set of possible coefficients that can be calculated by the given algorithm given the set of input values, in which selecting higher priority is given to coefficients which require a lower calculation cost compared to other coefficients, and by calculating (201) the selected coefficients to obtain the set of coefficients. Preferably, for a given coefficient the calculation cost is at least partly based on an amount of calculation steps that is required to calculate the given coefficient reduced with an amount of calculations that can be shared with the calculation of other selected coefficients, and wherein in the step of calculating results of shared calculation steps are re-used in calculating (201) other coefficients which share the shared calculation steps.