Abstract: A method including displaying a three-dimensional (3D) image of a lung, receiving a selection of an airway of the lung and displaying a two-dimensional (2D) cross-section image of the airway perpendicular to the airway's long axis, wherein the display of the 2D cross-section image occurs almost immediately after the selection of the airway is received.

Abstract: A method for visualizing airways in chest images, includes: computing a distance map of a segmented bronchial tree; extracting data from the segmented bronchial tree using the distance map; and visualizing a three-dimensional (3D) image of the segmented bronchial tree color-coded according to the extracted data.

Abstract: A method to automatically align magnetic resonance (MR) brain scans for diagnostic scan planning, including: acquiring a three-dimensional (3D) localizer image of a patient; selecting a two-dimensional (2D) coronal view and a 2D transverse view from the localizer image; identifying a mid-sagittal plane (MSP) line in each of the coronal and transverse views and calculating a 3D MSP based on the MSP lines; reconstructing the localizer image based on an equation for the 3D MSP to obtain an image of the MSP of the patient's brain; identifying crista galli (CG) and tip of the occipital bone (TOB) in the image of the MSP of the patient's brain; calculating a transformation matrix based on the MSP, CG and TOB in the image and using the transformation matrix to obtain a scan plan for the patient; and outputting the scan plan for the patient.

Abstract: A system and method for detecting an area of interest such as a pulmonary embolism in a structure of interest such as a vessel tree or airway tree are provided. The method comprises: segmenting image data of the structure of interest; and rendering two-dimensional images based on a function of the image data and the segmented image data within slabs defined by the segmented image data.

Abstract: A method (100) that evaluates the contours of patient airways and visualizes anatomical changes to the airways.

Abstract: A dynamic method (100) to better depict context among the different views of an imaging visualization application used by a medical workstation.

Abstract: A branch extension method and system for segmenting airways in 3D image data is disclosed. An initial airway segmentation is obtained from the 3D image data. Terminal branches of segmented airways of the initial airway segmentation are identified. The segmentation of the terminal branches is then extended. The segmentation of the terminal branches can be extended using various segmentation techniques. This method can use complex segmentation techniques to extend the terminal branches without having a large impact to the overall speed of the segmentation.

Abstract: A method for determining a size of an airway lumen and a thickness of an airway wall includes: computing a centerline of an airway; computing a three-dimensional (3D) gradient of a volume of the airway within a first threshold; positioning a tube along the centerline; iteratively expanding the tube by increasing its radius until the radius of the tube reaches the first threshold; determining inner and outer radii of the tube by checking the 3D gradient computed along an x-axis and a y-axis of the tube at a boundary of the tube at each iteration; and fitting the tube to the airway by using the determined inner and outer radii, wherein the inner radius of the fit tube is half a diameter of the airway lumen and the outer radius of the fit tube minus the inner radius of the fit tube is a thickness of the airway wall.

Abstract: An exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes a method of visualizing an airway of a bronchial tree. The method includes generating a tree model from an airway segmentation of a bronchial tree, determining a lumen, a wall thickness, and an adjacent artery for a branch of the tree model, determining whether the lumen of the branch has a first abnormal state and the wall thickness of the branch has a second abnormal state based on the adjacent artery, and illustrating the branch in one of a plurality of visually distinct styles based on the first and second abnormal states.

Abstract: A system and method for splicing medical image datasets are provided. The method for splicing medical image datasets comprises: segmenting first and second medical image datasets comprising an organ of interest and a nearby area to create a mask for points in the first and second medical image datasets, wherein the mask identifies points in the organ of interest and nearby area; and creating a spliced image of the first and second medical image datasets by using the points in the organ of interest and nearby area identified by the mask.

Abstract: A method for detecting polyp candidates in tagged stool or non-tagged stool images without performing stool subtraction, includes: applying a filter to locations in image data of a colon including tagged or non-tagged stool to generate a response image based on a gradient magnitude, angle, and radius in relation to another location in the image data for each of the locations, wherein the locations are indicated in the response image as tagged or non-tagged stool based on their density or brightness within the response image; and selecting locations in the response image above a threshold as polyp candidates.

Abstract: A method and system for detecting airways in 3D lung image data is disclosed. The 3D lung image data is filtered using one or more filters based on first and second order derivatives of the CT image data. Each filter calculates a value for each voxel of the 3D lung image data, and the values from all of the filters are combined to determine a voxel score for each voxel. If the voxel score for a voxel is greater than or equal to a threshold value, the voxel is considered an airway candidate.

Abstract: A system and method for endoscopic path planning is provided. The method comprises: identifying a target in a lung, wherein the target is located in a peripheral airway of the lung; generating an endoscopic path to the target, wherein a peripheral artery is used as a surrogate for the peripheral airway; and viewing the endoscopic path.

Abstract: A method for assigning a lymph node in a medical image with an anatomical name, the method including: identifying landmarks in a medical image; computing features relative to the landmarks given a location of a lymph node in the medical image; and assigning an anatomical name to the location of the lymph node by using a classifier that compares the computed features with classification rules.

Abstract: A method for detecting solid components in ground glass nodules (GGNs) in medical images, includes: performing an intensity-based segmentation on a segmented GGN to identify a high intensity region; and performing a shape analysis to determine whether the high intensity region is a solid component or a vessel, wherein the shape analysis comprises: computing a compactness of the high intensity region; and determining whether the high intensity region is a solid component or a vessel by using an area, a maximum distance on a distance transform map and the compactness of the region; or determining whether the high intensity region is a solid component or a vessel by scaling and normalizing the region and computing a compactness for the scaled and normalized region.

Abstract: A method for providing automatic detection of curvature of a spine and computation of specific angles in images of the spine includes automatically displaying the curvature of the spine as a line in an image of the spine, and computing at least one of a first angle or a second angle based on the line of the curvature of the spine.

Abstract: A system and method for 3D visualization of a pair of lungs are provided. The method comprises: segmenting image data of the pair of lungs and lung parenchyma; generating a 3D map as a function of the segmented image data; and rendering the 3D map as a color-coded semi-transparent 3D volume, wherein an opaque region highlights an area of interest.

Abstract: A fissure detection method for lung lobe segmentation in 3D image data is disclosed. In this method, 3D lung image data is filtered using one or more filters based on at least one of planar structures coupled with vessel suppression, curvature computations, and local gradient magnitude and direction comparisons. Fissures are detected in the 3D lung image data based on the filtered 3D lung image data, and lung lobes are segmented from the 3D lung image data based on the detected fissures.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method for determining a joint space width includes providing image data for a skeleton, thresholding the image data, and performing a connected component analysis on thresholded image data. The method further includes extracting contours of the thresholded image data according to the connected component analysis, performing a skeletonization of the thresholded image data using a first fast marching analysis of the thresholded image data, locating at least one finger joint of skeletonized image data, extracting bone boundaries using a second fast marching analysis of gradient information of the image data inside a region of interest, which includes a finger joint of the at least one finger joint, determining the joint space width given extracted bone boundaries, and outputting the joint space width.

Abstract: A system and method for tree matching are provided. The method for tree matching includes: acquiring tree-like structures representing a physical object or model; extracting a path from a first tree-like structure and a path from a second tree-like structure; comparing the paths of the first and second tree-like structures by computing a similarity measurement for the paths; and determining if the paths match based on the similarity measurement.