Abstract: A method is arranged to segment a surface in a multi-dimensional dataset comprising a plurality of images. Data processing and data acquisition steps can be temporally or geographically distanced, so that the results of a suitable data segmentation are accessed. Next, suitable plurality of image features resembling possible spatial positions of the surface conceived to be segmented are selected and accessed. The features are subsequently matched for all image portions, whereby for each feature a matching error is assigned. A pre-defined selectivity factor is accessed defining a maximum allowable variable fraction of the features having largest matching errors which can be discarded. The segmentation of the sought surface is performed, whereby the discarded features are not taken into account for evaluating the quality of fit of a candidate deformation. The resulting surface is displayed on a suitable display means.

Abstract: In a diagnostic imaging system (10), a user interface (82) facilitates viewing of 4D kinematic data sets. A set of reference points is selected in a first 3D image to designate an anatomical component. An algorithm (104) calculates a propagation of the selected reference points from the first 3D image into other 3D images. Transforms which describe the propagation of the reference points between 3D images are defined. An aligning algorithm (112) applies inverse of the transforms to the 3D images to define a series of frames for the video processor (120) to display, in which frames the designated anatomical component defined by the reference points in each of the 3D images remains fixed while the other portions of the anatomical region of interest move relative to the fixed designated anatomical component.

Abstract: In a computer-assisted visualization of a three-dimensional anatomical object, two or more diagnostic image data records (1, 3, 4, 5) of the object are recorded. Thereafter, an imaging specification is defined for imaging the image data (1, 3, 4, 5) onto a two-dimensional display plane (8). In order to define the imaging specification, anatomical features (2) of the object are identified in at least one of the image data records (1). Finally, a combined two-dimensional representation is calculated by imaging the two or more image data records (1, 3, 4, 5) according to the previously defined imaging specification onto a common display plane (8).

Abstract: The system 10 comprises an input 2 for accessing the suitable input data. The core of the system 10 is formed by a processor 4 which is arranged to operate the components of the system 10, it being the input 2, a computing unit 5, a working memory 6. The computing unit 5 preferably comprises a suitable number of executable subroutines 5a, 5b, 5c, 5d, 5e, and 5f to enable a constructing of a geometric model of the movable body based on the results of the segmentation step, finding a spatial correspondence between the first and second image dataset, mapping the texture image dataset on geometric model, fusing the geometric model and the mapped texture image dataset. The apparatus 10 according to the invention further comprises a coder 7 arranged to code the determined region of interest in accordance to a pre-selected criterion. The criterion may be selectable from a list of valid criteria, stored in a file 7a.

Abstract: A diagnostic imaging system includes a magnetic resonance imaging scanner (10) for imaging an organ of interest, a reformatting processor (70) for constructing reformatted images corresponding to a scout image in different coordinate systems, and a graphical user interface (62) for displaying acquired images and reformatted images to an associated user. An imaging processor (60) causes the scanner (10) to acquire a base sparse scout image of an organ of interest in a standard coordinate system, causes the reformatting processor (70) to generate one or more reformatted images from the sparse scout image in coordinate systems other than the standard coordinate system, determines a diagnostic imaging coordinate system aligned with the organ of interest using the base sparse scout image and the one or more reformatted images, and causes the scanner (10) to acquire one or more diagnostic images of the organ of interest in the diagnostic imaging coordinate system.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for data processing. At stage 3 the position of the reference object in the reference image and its relation to a set of reference landmarks in the reference image is established at step 6. In order to enable this, the reference imaging of learning examples may be performed at step 2 and each reference image may be analyzed at step 4, the results may be stored in a suitably arranged database. In order to process the image under consideration, the image is accessed at step 11, the suitable landmark corresponding to the reference landmark in the reference image is identified at step 13 and the spatial relationship established at step 6 is applied to the landmark thereby providing the initial position of the object in the actual image. In case when for the object an imaging volume is selected, the method 1 according to the invention follows to step 7, whereby the scanning 17 is performed within the boundaries given by the thus established scanning volume.

Abstract: The system 10 comprises an input 2 for accessing the suitable input data. The core of the system 10 is formed by a processor 4 which is arranged to operate the components of the system 10, it being the input 2, a computing unit 5, a working memory 6. The computing unit 5 preferably comprises a suitable number of executable subroutines 5a, 5b, 5c, 5d, 5e, and 5f to enable a constructing of a geometric model of the movable body based on the results of the segmentation step, finding a spatial correspondence between the first and second image dataset, mapping the texture image dataset on geometric model, fusing the geometric model and the mapped texture image dataset. The apparatus 10 according to the invention further comprises a coder 7 arranged to code the determined region of interest in accordance to a pre-selected criterion. The criterion may be selectable from a list of valid criteria, stored in a file 7a.

Abstract: A diagnostic imaging system includes a magnetic resonance imaging scanner (10) for imaging an organ of interest, a reformatting processor (70) for constructing reformatted images corresponding to a scout image in different coordinate systems, and a graphical user interface (62) for displaying acquired images and reformatted images to an associated user An imaging processor (60) causes the scanner (10) to acquire a base sparse scout image of an organ of interest in a standard coordinate system, causes the reformatting processor (70) to generate one or more reformatted images from the sparse scout image in coordinate systems other than the standard coordinate system, determines a diagnostic imaging coordinate system aligned with the organ of interest using the base sparse scout image and the one or more reformatted images, and causes the scanner (10) to acquire one or more diagnostic images of the organ of interest in the diagnostic imaging coordinate system.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a geometry planning software product for magnetic resonance system, comprising a database manager arranged to process an anatomical landmark set and a planning geometry of a current geometry planning session by forming a combination of both, and to add said combination to a database. The invention enables the learning of relevance of different anatomical structures for a specific planning geometry from user input. It also enables fully automated outlier detection.

Abstract: The method according to the invention is arranged to segment a surface in a multi-dimensional dataset comprising a plurality of images, which may be acquired using a suitable data-acquisition unit at a preparatory step 2. It is possible that data processing and data acquisition steps are temporally or geographically distanced, so that at step 4 the results of a suitable data segmentation step 6 are accessed, whereby said results comprise portions of the image which are subsequently used to segment the surface using the method of the invention. Next, at step 8 a suitable plurality of image features resembling possible spatial positions of the surface conceived to be segmented are selected and accessed. The features are subsequently matched for all image portions at step 10, whereby for each feature a matching error is assigned. At step 14 a pre-defined selectivity factor is accessed defining a maximum allowable variable fraction of the features having largest matching errors which can be discarded.

Abstract: The method (1) according to the invention may be schematically divided into three major phases. Phase (2) comprises step (3) of acquiring a suitable dataset, which is then subjected to a suitable binary segmentation at step (4) results of which are being accessed at step (5). The results comprise temporally sequenced binary coded images, whereby image portions corresponding to blood are labeled as unity, the rest is set to zero. The subsequent phase (12) of the method according to the invention is directed to performing the image processing for segmenting a structure. At step (8) a computation is performed whereby a preceding binary coded image (8a) corresponding to a phase from the temporal sequence is subtracted from a subsequent binary coded image 8b corresponding to a phase yielding a multi-dimensional temporal feature map (8c). At step (9) spatial positions corresponding to a certain voxel value are derived and are used to segment the structure.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for volumetric registration of a floating image with a reference image. At step 2? a floating image and a reference image are accessed. At step 4 and at step 6 a transformation function T and a similarity function (S) are accessed. The method according to the invention uses a-priori knowledge, notably a restricted parameter set, which is accessed at step 3. Preferably, the restricted parameter set is obtained by performing a suitable volumetric registration of a set of training images. The training set preferably comprises a sequence of floating images and reference images for each clinical application. Likewise, the training set may be composed of images of a patient group representing a certain group of disease, age, gender, race, etc. The invention further relates to a system and a computer program for enabling volumetric registration.

Abstract: It may be desirable to obtain three-dimensional information on a sample 2 to be studied in an electron microscope. Such information can be derived from a tilt series 2-i of the sample and a subsequent reconstruction of the three-dimensional structure by means of a computer algorithm. For a proper reconstruction of the structure in the volume of the sample it is important that the measurement geometry be known; therefore it is important that the images be properly aligned. Therefore markers 8-i (e.g. gold particles) are applied to the sample, which markers yield straight lines 10-i as the sample is rotated and projections of that rotated sample are made onto one image plane. According to the invention the straight lines are recognized, which gives the possibility to identify the individual markers in the images of the tilt series, and to align those images on the basis of the information thus obtained.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method 1 of image segmentation where in step 2 a prior model representative of a structure conceived to be segmented in an image is accessed. Preferably, the image comprises a medical diagnostic image. Still preferably, the medical diagnostic image is prepared in a DICOM format, whereby supplementary information is stored besides diagnostic data. In these cases the method 1 according to the invention advantageously proceeds to step 3, where the supplementary information is extracted from electronic file 5, comprising for example suitable patient-related information 5a and/or suitable structure-related information 5b. Examples of the patient-related information comprise a patient's age, sex, group, etc., whereas examples of the structure-related information may comprise an anatomic location of the structure, such as rectum, bladder, lung etc, or the suspected/diagnosed pathology of the patient.

Abstract: A method for creating a model of a part of the anatomy from the scan data of several subjects is described. The method comprises the steps of collecting scan data; applying a feature detector to the scan data; converted the output of the feature detector into a common reference system; and accumulating the converted data to generate the model. It is therefore possible for the method to generate a model from the scan data of several subjects automatically. The method may also include an optional step of receiving user input to select which of the accumulated data should be included in the final model. This user input requires much less effort than manual contouring and is substantially independent of the number of subjects used to create the model.

Abstract: A 3D image of a region of an object is computed from truncated cone beam projection data acquired with an x-ray device and a prior CT image representing a larger region of the object. The truncated projection data are extrapolated to derive pseudoprojection data associated with projection directions outside the detector, and an intermediate CT image is reconstructed based on the truncated projection data completed with the pseudoprojection data. The prior CT image is then registered with the intermediate CT image. Forward projection data associated with projection directions outside the detector are computed from the truncated projection data and the registered prior CT image. The 3D image is finally reconstructed based on the truncated projection data completed with the forward projection data.

Abstract: The method 1 according to the invention is preferably practiced in real time and directly after a suitable acquisition 3 of the multi-dimensional dataset, which is accessed at step 5 and the images constituting the multi-dimensional dataset are classified at step 8. Preferably, for reducing an amount of data to be processed at step 6 the image data is subjected to a restrictive region of interest determination. At step 9 the classified cardiac images are subjected to a an image thinning operator so that the resulting images comprise a plurality of connected image components which are further analyzed at step 14. After the thinning step 9 a labeling step 11 is performed, where different connected components in the multi-dimensional dataset are accordingly labeled. This step is preferably followed by a region growing step 13, which is constrained by binary threshold used at step 8b. For each connected image component a factor F is computed at step 14.

Abstract: In a diagnostic imaging system (10), a user interface (82) facilitates viewing of 4D kinematic data sets. A set of reference points is selected in a first 3D image to designate an anatomical component. An algorithm (104) calculates a propagation of the selected reference points from the first 3D image into other 3D images. Transforms which describe the propagation of the reference points between 3D images are defined. An aligning algorithm (112) applies inverse of the transforms to the 3D images to define a series of frames for the video processor (120) to display, in which frames the designated anatomical component defined by the reference points in each of the 3D images remains fixed while the other portions of the anatomical region of interest move relative to the fixed designated anatomical component.

Abstract: A liquid collection system for liquid coolant from a series of a plurality of machine tools with magnets for arresting and holding magnetic objects, such as broken bits from the milling machines or inadvertently dropped hand tools, entrained in the liquid coolant before they can damage liquid coolant recirculation pumps, with adjustable supports for adjusting the height of a coolant liquid collecting trough, and with a system of seals for sealing the collecting trough to support rails for the machine tools.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for the computer-assisted visualization of a three-dimensional anatomical object, wherein firstly two or more diagnostic image data records (1, 3, 4, 5) of the object are recorded. Thereafter, an imaging specification is defined for imaging the image data (1, 3, 4, 5) onto a two-dimensional display plane (8), wherein in order to define the imaging specification anatomical features (2) of the object are identified in at least one of the image data records (1). Finally, a combined two-dimensional representation is calculated by imaging the two or more image data records (1, 3, 4, 5) according to the previously defined imaging specification onto a common display plane (8).