Patents by Inventor Jan Hoeppner

Jan Hoeppner has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Method and system for vertebrae and intervertebral disc localization in magnetic resonance images
    Patent number: 7903851
    Abstract: A system and method for vertebrae and intervertebral disc localization in magnetic resonance (MR) images is disclosed. In this method, a target spine MR image is segmented by generating a binary segmentation. A spinal cord line is then estimated on the segmented image. Neighboring vertebrae in a region of interest around the estimated spinal cord line are then localized by labeling vertebral regions based on characteristics, such as size and shape, of regions of connected segmented pixels within the regions of interest. A center point of an intervertebral disc between the neighboring vertebrae is then calculated by finding a point halfway between respective borders of the vertebral regions on a line connecting the centers of mass of the vertebral regions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2011
    Assignee: Siemens Medical Solutions USA, Inc.
    Inventors: James G. Reisman, Jan Hoeppner
  • METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR VERTEBRAE AND INTERVERTEBRAL DISC LOCALIZATION IN MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGES
    Publication number: 20070127799
    Abstract: A system and method for vertebrae and intervertebral disc localization in magnetic resonance (MR) images is disclosed. In this method, a target spine MR image is segmented by generating a binary segmentation. A spinal cord line is then estimated on the segmented image. Neighboring vertebrae in a region of interest around the estimated spinal cord line are then localized by labeling vertebral regions based on characteristics, such as size and shape, of regions of connected segmented pixels within the regions of interest. A center point of an intervertebral disc between the neighboring vertebrae is then calculated by finding a point halfway between respective borders of the vertebral regions on a line connecting the centers of mass of the vertebral regions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 6, 2006
    Publication date: June 7, 2007
    Applicant: SIEMENS CORPORATE RESEARCH INC
    Inventors: James Reisman, Jan Hoeppner