Abstract: Robotic navigation is provided for nuclear probe imaging. Using a three-dimensional scanner (19), the surface of a patient is determined (42). A calibrated robotic system positions (48) a nuclear probe about the patient based on the surface. The positioning (48) may be without contacting the patient and the surface may be used in reconstruction to account for spacing of the probe from the patient. By using the robotic system for positioning (48), the speed, resolution and/or quality of the reconstructed image may be predetermined, user settable, and/or improved compared to manual scanning.

Abstract: A method for automatic virtual endoscopy navigation, including: (a) using a fisheye camera to generate an endoscopic image and a depth image from a current position of the camera in lumen computed tomographic (CT) data; (b) segmenting a first region and a second region from the depth image, wherein the first region identifies a view direction of the camera and the second region is an area through which the camera can be moved without touching an inner surface of the lumen; (c) moving the camera from the current position, while pointing the camera in the view direction, to a next position in the second region; and (d) repeating steps (a-c) in sequence using the next position in step (c) as the current position in step (a).

Abstract: A nuclear probe and ultrasound transducer are interconnected, such as being in a same hand-held housing. The interconnection aligns the coordinate systems in a known spatial relationship. The ultrasound data is used to detect transducer offset or change in position without a tracking sensor. The radiation detected by the nuclear probe may be reconstructed into an image based on the detected transducer position since the nuclear probe moves with the ultrasound transducer. Both anatomical and functional imaging may be provided together without the complications of calibration and tracking. Where a therapeutic transducer is included, therapy may also be provided. The anatomical and functional information identifies the regions for treatment. The same device, already positioned correctly based on the functional and anatomical imaging, is then used for treatment with high intensity focused ultrasound.

Abstract: Ultrasound imaging is synchronized with measurements. Generating three-dimensional representations is synchronized with measuring one or more parameters. For example, measurements are preformed based on navigating through a volume. The measurements are linked to the corresponding three-dimensional representations. As another example, the user selects a measurement from a graph. A three-dimensional representation of the volume associated with the selected measurement is presented.

Abstract: In response to a request from a client, a server for volume rendering loads a volume dataset from a storage archive, creates a low resolution sub-sampled copy of such volume dataset and transmits it to a client. In response to subsequent requests from the client, the server for volume rendering renders a high quality image of the full resolution volume dataset and renders a low quality image of the sub-sampled copy of the volume dataset, then generates a pixel mask or a hybrid pixel mask indicative of a difference between the high quality image and the low quality image and transmits such pixel mask to the client. The client receives from the server the pixel mask and computes a high quality image based at least in part on the pixel mask and on a selective rendering of its local low resolution sub-sampled copy of the volume dataset.

Abstract: For cloud-based computer assisted detection, hierarchal detection is used, allowing detection on data at progressively greater resolutions. Detected locations at coarser resolutions are used to limit the data transmitted at greater resolutions. Data is only transmitted for neighborhoods around the previously detected locations. Subsequent detection using higher resolution data refines the locations, but only for regions associated with previous detection. By limiting the number and/or size of regions provided at greater resolutions based on the previous detection, the progressive transmission avoids transmission of some data. Additionally, or alternatively, lossy compression may be used without or with minimal reduction in detection sensitivity.

Abstract: A memory manager interfaces between a rendering application and the driver controlling one or more memories. A multi-level brick cache system caches bricks in a memory hierarchy to accelerate the rendering. One example memory hierarchy may include system memory, AGP memory, and graphics memory. The memory manager allows control of brick overwriting based on current or past rendering. Since different memories are typically available, one or more memory managers may control storage of bricks into different memories to optimize rendering. Management of different memory levels, overwriting based on current or previous rendering, and an interfacing memory manager may each be used alone or in any possible combination.

Abstract: A method for managing a memory system for large data volumes includes providing a central memory management system comprising a memory management interface between applications and a memory of a programmed computer, maintaining a global priority list of data buffers allocated by the applications, storing decompressed data of the data buffers into a cache which is managed by the central memory management system using a separate priority list, and accessing the decompressed data of the data buffers in the cache.

Abstract: An efficient memory management method for handling large data volumes, comprising a memory management interface between a plurality of applications and a physical memory, determining a priority list of buffers accessed by the plurality of applications, providing efficient disk paging based on the priority list, ensuring sufficient physical memory is available, sharing managed data buffers among a plurality of applications, mapping and unmapping data buffers in virtual memory efficiently to overcome the limits of virtual address space.

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: 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: A method for automatic virtual endoscopy navigation, including: (a) using a fisheye camera to generate an endoscopic image and a depth image from a current position of the camera in lumen computed tomographic (CT) data; (b) segmenting a first region and a second region from the depth image, wherein the first region identifies a view direction of the camera and the second region is an area through which the camera can be moved without touching an inner surface of the lumen; (c) moving the camera from the current position, while pointing the camera in the view direction, to a next position in the second region; and (d) repeating steps (a-c) in sequence using the next position in step (c) as the current position in step (a).

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: Using a conformal array or an ultrasound probe sequentially positioned at different locations, scans of overlapping regions are performed. A fiber optic sensor or light intensity based sensor determines the relative position of the probe or arrays for each of the scans. This relative position simplifies data correlation by limiting the search and/or is used to determine the relative position of the scans or data. The data may be aligned and combined.

Abstract: In response to a request from a client, a server for volume rendering loads a volume dataset from a storage archive, creates a low resolution sub-sampled copy of such volume dataset and transmits it to a client. In response to subsequent requests from the client, the server for volume rendering renders a high quality image of the full resolution volume dataset and renders a low quality image of the sub-sampled copy of the volume dataset, then generates a pixel mask or a hybrid pixel mask indicative of a difference between the high quality image and the low quality image and transmits such pixel mask to the client. The client receives from the server the pixel mask and computes a high quality image based at least in part on the pixel mask and on a selective rendering of its local low resolution sub-sampled copy of the volume dataset.

Abstract: A method for detecting and removing small isolated fragments in a 3D segmented volume is disclosed. The 3D segmented volume is projected onto several 2D images from different viewing directions. Isolated 2D fragments are detected in the 2D images. Corresponding 3D fragments are found in the 3D volume by unprojecting corresponding detected 2D fragment locations. The unprojected detected 2D fragment locations are used as seed points for region growing of isolated 3D fragments. Any of the 3D fragments having a volume size below a user-defined threshold are discarded.

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. One or more 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: A method of segmenting an image includes representing an image by a grid with a plurality of nodes, terminals, and edges, the terminals including a source and a sink. The edges include n-links and t-links, where each n-link connects a pair of nodes, and the t-links connect a node to a terminal, and each t-link and n-link has an associated cost. The method includes initializing a node height table, a flow excess table, a t-link capacity table, and an n-link capacity table based on the t-link and n-link costs, and updating the node height table, the flow excess table, the t-link capacity table, the said n-link capacity table in parallel for all nodes until the flow excess table is zero for all nodes. The method steps are performed in parallel for all nodes on a graphics processing unit.

Abstract: A method for managing a memory system for large data volumes includes providing a central memory management system comprising a memory management interface between applications and a memory of a programmed computer, maintaining a global priority list of data buffers allocated by the applications, storing decompressed data of the data buffers into a cache which is managed by the central memory management system using a separate priority list, and accessing the decompressed data of the data buffers in the cache.

Abstract: A memory manager interfaces between a rendering application and the driver controlling one or more memories. A multi-level brick cache system caches bricks in a memory hierarchy to accelerate the rendering. One example memory hierarchy may include system memory, AGP memory, and graphics memory. The memory manager allows control of brick overwriting based on current or past rendering. Since different memories are typically available, one or more memory managers may control storage of bricks into different memories to optimize rendering. Management of different memory levels, overwriting based on current or previous rendering, and an interfacing memory manager may each be used alone or in any possible combination.