Abstract: A method and apparatus for providing reports of medical procedures includes a biometric data recorder to record and transmit biometric data of a patient, the biometric data being transmitted with a medical report of the medical procedure. The medical report and biometric data are transmitted as an encrypted transmission to an information center for storage. The medical reports of steps in the medical procedure for a patient are linked using the biometric data even if performed by different medical service providers. Medical reports of plural patients undergoing the procedure are stored, linked according to patient using the patient biometric data. Reports generated from the linked data anonymously report a given patient's status following the procedure. Statistical reports are generated on plural patients undergoing the procedure, and competing procedures are compared using the statistical reports.

Abstract: A method wherein images of different types of objects within a class are partitioned into region stacks. For each one of the stacks, the method: (a) applies a template to extract fragments having a predetermined size and one of a plurality of different spatial orientations, to generate extracted templates; (b) determines, from the extracted templates, a most frequent one thereof having only a first number of fragments with a common spatial orientations; (c) records the number of images having the determined most frequent extracted template; (d) repeats (b) and (c) with successively increasing number of fragments until the number of recoded images falls below a threshold; and (e) selects as a master extracted template the one of the most frequent templates having the largest recorded number of fragments. The master extracted templates for the stacks are combined into a map that is then compared with background images to remove extracted templates matching segment in the background.

Abstract: A radio frequency energy harvester harvests RF energy from the environment. The energy harvester may include a local power source. The energy harvester may have an associated crystal radio antenna that harvests AM radio waves ubiquitously. The radio frequency energy harvested may be stored via a super capacitor. The stored energy may power a self-contained processing unit directly when the level of the energy harvested remains above a threshold level. However, if the energy harvested drops below the threshold level, the processing unit, which may include a radio, may switch to the local power source and/or a low power mode of operation. The low power mode of operation may reduce the amount of processing and/or transmitting by the radio. The processing unit may be part of a network of radios. The energy harvester may supply energy for a variety of applications, including building automation, industrial automation, power generation, and healthcare.

Abstract: In a method for image data acquisition of a region of interest in a subject with a magnetic resonance device, wherein, to establish the field of view, a minimal geometric shape encompassing the subject to be acquired and/or the surface of the subject is determined automatically from previously acquired localizer exposures as aliasing information for each exposure, at least one slice plane is determined for the acquisition of the region, and the phase coding direction and/or the extent of the field of view in the phase coding direction is determined for every slice plane using the aliasing information.

Abstract: A computer readable medium is provided embodying instructions executable by a processor to perform a method for sparse volume segmentation for 3D scan of a target. The method including learning prior knowledge, providing volume data comprising the target, selecting a plurality of key contours of the image of the target, building a 3D spare model of the image of the target given the plurality of key contours, segmenting the image of the target given the 3D sparse model, and outputting a segmentation of the image of the target.

Abstract: Methods and systems dedicated to automatic object segmentation from image data are provided. In a first step a fuzzy seed set is generated that is learned from training data. The fuzzy seed set is registered to image data containing an object that needs to be segmented from a background. In a second step a random walker segmentation is applied to the image data by using the fuzzy seed set as an automatic seeding for segmentation. Liver segmentation, lung segmentation and kidney segmentation examples are provided.

Abstract: A speed limit assistant (SLA) system includes a camera based SLA, a map based SLA, and a fusion unit. The camera based SLA is configured to determine a first set of probabilities for an input image, wherein the probabilities indicate how likely the image includes a discrete set of speed limit signs. The map based SLA is configured to determine a second set of probabilities for an input coordinate, wherein the probabilities indicate how likely the coordinate is to correspond to one of a discrete set of speed limits. The fusion unit is configured to perform a Bayesian fusion on the first and second set of probabilities to determine a final speed limit from the discrete set of speed limits.

Abstract: Macroscopic imaging data, such as CT, MR, PET, or SPECT, is obtained. Microscopic imaging data of at least a portion of the same tissue is obtained. The microscopic imaging data is spatially aligned with the macroscopic imaging data. The spatial alignment allows calculation and/or imaging using both types of data as a multi-resolution data set. A given image may include information about the relative position of the microscopically imaged tissue to the macroscopically imaged body portion. This positional relationship may allow viewing of affects or changes at cellular levels as well as less detailed tissue structure or organism levels and may allow determination of any correlation between changes in both levels.

Abstract: A method for automatic femur segmentation and condyle line detection. The method includes: scanning a knee of a patient with medical imaging equipment to obtain 3D imaging data with such equipment; processing the obtained 3D imaging data in a digital processor to determine two lines tangent to the bottom of the knee condyles in an axial and a coronal plane; and automatically scanning the patient in the defined plane. The processing includes: determining an approximate location of the knee; using the determined the location to define a volume of interest; segmenting the femur in the defined volume of interest; and determining a bottom point on the femur portion on a right side and a left side of the segmented femur in an axial and a coronal slice to determine the two lines.

Abstract: A method for segmenting a digital image includes initializing object and background seed nodes in an image, where the image is represented as a graph G=(V, E) whose nodes i?V correspond to image points and whose edges e?E connect adjacent points, where set M?V contains locations of nodes marked as seeds, set U?V contains locations of unmarked nodes, set O?M contains locations of object seed nodes, and set B?M contains locations of background seed nodes, assigning to each seed node a membership value such that ?i?O,xi=1 and ?i?B, xi=0, where each node i?V is associated with a membership xi?[0,1], and finding a membership vector x?, whose ith entry is given by xi that minimizes E p ? ( x ) = ? eij ? E ? w ij ? ? x i - x j ? pij , where each edge eij?E connecting nodes i and j in V is associated with a weight wij and an exponent pij, and ?eij?E,1?pij<?, such that xi=1 if i?O and xi=0 if i?B.

Abstract: A method for designing a prosthetic device includes acquiring a three-dimensional image of an anatomical surface. A rules script for automatically performing a plurality of image processing rules using a script interpreter is executed. For each particular rule of the plurality of rules, one or more anatomical features that are relevant to the particular rule using a surface shaping engine are determined, the one or more determined anatomical features are automatically segmented from the acquired three-dimensional image using a feature detector, and the particular image processing rule is performed on the acquired three-dimensional image based on the automatically segmented anatomical features using a CAD tool. A prosthetic device design is produced based on the three-dimensional image upon which the rules of the plurality of image processing rules have been performed.

Abstract: A method for displaying medical image data includes receiving medical image data including a myocardium. An endocardial contour is automatically segmented from the received medical image data. A center of mass of the automatically segmented endocardial contour is determined. A plurality of equiangular projections is defined beginning from the center of mass and projecting outwardly and cross the endocardial contour. A plurality of normal projections that correspond to the plurality of equiangular projections is defined. Each normal projection begins from an end of a corresponding equiangular projection and extends for a predetermined length, crossing the endocardial contour at a right angle. Dynamics of the myocardium along each normal projection are displayed as a function of time.

Abstract: A method for diagnosing pulmonary hypertension from phase-contrast magnetic resonance (MR) images includes providing a time series of one or more magnetic resonance (MR) flow images of a patient's mediastinum during one or more cardiac cycles, segmenting the pulmonary artery within each image of the times series of images, identifying the anterior wall and pulmonary valve within the segmented pulmonary artery, analyzing blood flow during a diastolic phase of the one or more cardiac cycles to determine a relative duration of blood flow, tstreamlines, during the diastolic phase, analyzing blood flow during a latter portion of a systolic phase and a subsequent diastolic phase of the one or more cardiac cycles to detect the presence and duration tvortex of a vortex, and diagnosing the presence of pulmonary hypertension from tstreamlines and tvortex.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for hierarchical parsing and semantic navigation of a full or partial body computed tomography CT scan is disclosed. In particular, organs are segmented and anatomic landmarks are detected in a full or partial body CT volume. One or more predetermined slices of the CT volume are detected. A plurality of anatomic landmarks and organ centers are then detected in the CT volume using a discriminative anatomical network, each detected in a portion of the CT volume constrained by at least one of the detected slices. A plurality of organs, such as heart, liver, kidneys, spleen, bladder, and prostate, are detected in a sense of a bounding box and segmented in the CT volume, detection of each organ bounding box constrained by the detected organ centers and anatomic landmarks. Organ segmentation is via a database-guided segmentation method.

Abstract: A method and system for segmenting multiple brain structures in 3D magnetic resonance (MR) images is disclosed. After intensity standardization of a 3D MR image, a meta-structure including center positions of multiple brain structures is detected in the 3D MR image. The brain structures are then individually segmented using marginal space learning (MSL) constrained by the detected meta-structure.

Abstract: A method and system for automatic coronary stenosis detection in computed tomography (CT) data is disclosed. Coronary artery centerlines are obtained in an input cardiac CT volume. A trained classifier, such as a probabilistic boosting tree (PBT) classifier, is used to detect stenosis regions along the centerlines in the input cardiac CT volume. The classifier classifies each of the control points that define the coronary artery centerlines as a stenosis point or a non-stenosis point.

Abstract: A method and system for detecting anatomic landmarks in medical images is disclosed. In order to detect multiple related anatomic landmarks, a plurality of landmark candidates are first detected individually using trained landmark detectors. A joint context is then generated for each combination of the landmark candidates. The best combination of landmarks in then determined based on the joint context using a trained joint context detector.

Abstract: A method and system for coronary artery detection in 3D cardiac volumes is disclosed. The heart chambers are segmented in the cardiac volume, and an initial estimation of a coronary artery is generated based on the segmented heart chambers. The initial estimation of the coronary artery is then refined based on local information in the cardiac volume in order to detect the coronary artery in the cardiac volume. The detected coronary artery can be extended using 3D dynamic programming.

Abstract: A method and system for generating a patient specific anatomical heart model is disclosed. Volumetric image data, such as computed tomography (CT) or echocardiography image data, of a patient's cardiac region is received. Individual models for multiple heart components, such as the left ventricle (LV) endocardium, LV epicardium, right ventricle (RV), left atrium (LA), right atrium (RA), mitral valve, aortic valve, aorta, and pulmonary trunk, are estimated in said volumetric cardiac image data. A patient specific anatomical heart model is generated by integrating the individual models for each of the heart components.

Abstract: A method and system for physiological image registration and fusion is disclosed. A physiological model of a target anatomical structure in estimated each of a first image and a second image. The physiological model is estimated using database-guided discriminative machine learning-based estimation. A fused image is then generated by registering the first and second images based on correspondences between the physiological model estimated in each of the first and second images.