Patents by Inventor Stephen Metz
Stephen Metz 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).
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Patent number: 8324586Abstract: A configurable flat panel multi resolution X-ray detector is disclosed herewith. The detector comprises: a detector array having a plurality of rows and columns of detector elements; scan electronics designed to activate the detector array for reading data from the detector array and readout electronics associated with the scan electronics to read the data from the detector elements. At least one of the detector array, scan electronics and readout electronics is configured to achieve multi resolution.Type: GrantFiled: May 18, 2009Date of Patent: December 4, 2012Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Kay Schmidt, Paul Granfors, Stephen Metz
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Patent number: 8219181Abstract: An ultrasound medical imaging system and non-ultrasound medical imaging system are combined and communicate via a suitable docking port, which is supported by the non-ultrasound medical imaging system and configured to receive the ultrasound medical imaging system. The systems can communicate directly, indirectly, and/or wirelessly. Each can also be configured for cross-imaging in the other modality, displaying medical imagery from the other modality on respective and/or combined displays, and/or control by a user interface of the other and/or a common user interface. Registry between patient imagery is possible, and improved workflow is provided.Type: GrantFiled: December 16, 2008Date of Patent: July 10, 2012Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Anne Lindsay Hall, Vincent Stanley Polkus, Lucas Delaney, Stephen Metz
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Patent number: 8214021Abstract: An ultrasound medical imaging system and non-ultrasound medical imaging system are combined and communicate via a suitable docking port, which is supported by the non-ultrasound medical imaging system and configured to receive the ultrasound medical imaging system. The systems can communicate directly, indirectly, and/or wirelessly. Each can also be configured for cross-imaging in the other modality, displaying medical imagery from the other modality on respective and/or combined displays, and/or control by a user interface of the other and/or a common user interface. Registry between patient imagery is possible, and improved workflow is provided.Type: GrantFiled: December 16, 2008Date of Patent: July 3, 2012Assignee: General Electric CompanyInventors: Anne Lindsay Hall, Vincent Stanley Polkus, Lucas Delaney, Stephen Metz
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Publication number: 20100288948Abstract: A configurable flat panel multi resolution X-ray detector is disclosed herewith. The detector comprises: a detector array having a plurality of rows and columns of detector elements; scan electronics designed to activate the detector array for reading data from the detector array and readout electronics associated with the scan electronics to read the data from the detector elements. At least one of the detector array, scan electronics and readout electronics is configured to achieve multi resolution.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 18, 2009Publication date: November 18, 2010Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANYInventors: Kay Schmidt, Paul Granfors, Stephen Metz
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Publication number: 20100152578Abstract: An ultrasound medical imaging system and non-ultrasound medical imaging system are combined and communicate via a suitable docking port, which is supported by the non-ultrasound medical imaging system and configured to receive the ultrasound medical imaging system. The systems can communicate directly, indirectly, and/or wirelessly. Each can also be configured for cross-imaging in the other modality, displaying medical imagery from the other modality on respective and/or combined displays, and/or control by a user interface of the other and/or a common user interface. Registry between patient imagery is possible, and improved workflow is provided.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 16, 2008Publication date: June 17, 2010Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANYInventors: Anne Lindsay Hall, Vincent Stanley Polkus, Lucas Delaney, Stephen Metz
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Publication number: 20100152583Abstract: An ultrasound medical imaging system and non-ultrasound medical imaging system are combined and communicate via a suitable docking port, which is supported by the non-ultrasound medical imaging system and configured to receive the ultrasound medical imaging system. The systems can communicate directly, indirectly, and/or wirelessly. Each can also be configured for cross-imaging in the other modality, displaying medical imagery from the other modality on respective and/or combined displays, and/or control by a user interface of the other and/or a common user interface. Registry between patient imagery is possible, and improved workflow is provided.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 16, 2008Publication date: June 17, 2010Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANYInventors: Anne Lindsay Hall, Vincent Stanley Polkus, Lucas Delaney, Stephen Metz
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Publication number: 20080107324Abstract: Systems, methods and apparatus are provided through which in one aspect, a three-dimensional (3D) image of an object is constructed from a plurality of two-dimensional (2D) images of the object using a specialized filter. In some embodiments, the specialized filter implements a linear ramp function, a windowing function, and/or a polynomial function. In some embodiments, the 3D image is back-projected from the filtered two-dimensional images, yielding a 3D image that has improved visual distinction of overlapping anatomic structures and reduced blurring.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 4, 2007Publication date: May 8, 2008Applicant: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANYInventors: Jiang Hsieh, Stephen Metz, Gopal Avinash, Baojun Li, John Sabol
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Publication number: 20070183564Abstract: A method for creating a variable slice thickness for displaying an imaged object is disclosed. The method includes acquiring a plurality of projection images from a plurality of different projection angles within a defined sweep angle, reconstructing a plurality of object images from the plurality of projection images, each object image having a first slice thickness, and applying a function rule to combine images, whole images or portions thereof or attributes thereof, of the plurality of projection images, of the plurality of object images, or of both, thereby providing for the display of the object utilizing a second slice thickness that varies from the first slice thickness.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 2, 2006Publication date: August 9, 2007Inventors: Baojun Li, Stephen Metz, Jiang Hsieh, Yogesh Srinivas, Xianfeng Ni, Tabb Patz
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Publication number: 20060291711Abstract: A method of creating and displaying images resulting from digital tomosynthesis performed on a subject using a flat panel detector is disclosed. The method includes the step of acquiring a series of x-ray images of the subject, where each x-ray image is acquired at different angles relative to the subject. The method also includes the steps of applying a first set of corrective measures to the series of images, reconstructing the series of images into a series of slices through the subject, and applying a second set of corrective measures to the slices. The method further includes the step of displaying the images or slices according to at least one of a plurality of display options.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 29, 2006Publication date: December 28, 2006Inventors: Kadri Jabri, Gopal Avinash, Stephen Metz, John Sabol, Jeffrey Eberhard, Bernhard Claus, John Kaufhold
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Publication number: 20060269114Abstract: Certain embodiments of the present invention provide a method for performing tomosynthesis including: receiving an image representative of an anatomy of a patient; allowing an interaction with the image to arrange at least one element with respect to the image to form an arrangement; and prescribing at least one parameter for obtaining a tomosynthesis image based at least in part on the arrangement. In an embodiment, the method further includes performing tomosynthesis in accordance with the at least one parameter. In an embodiment, the at least one element includes a detector representation. In an embodiment, the at least one element includes at least one thickness guide. In an embodiment, the at least one element includes at least one slice location guide.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 8, 2006Publication date: November 30, 2006Inventor: Stephen Metz
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Publication number: 20060106854Abstract: A system for adding supplemental information to a reminder message to assist an actor comprises a database comprising supplemental information items related to reminders and a reminder module. The reminder module is adapted to determine that a reminder situation exists for which a reminder prompt is appropriate, determine whether to provide a supplemental information item with the reminder prompt, select a supplemental information item from the database relating to the reminder prompt situation upon determining to provide a supplemental information item with the reminder prompt, and generate a reminder message including the reminder prompt and the selected supplemental information item.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 1, 2004Publication date: May 18, 2006Inventors: Karen Haigh, Wende Dewing, Stephen Metz
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Publication number: 20050265590Abstract: Systems, methods and apparatus are provided through which in one aspect, a three-dimensional (3D) image of an object is constructed from a plurality of two-dimensional (2D) images of the object using a specialized filter. The specialized filter implements a linear ramp function, a windowing function, and/or a polynomial function. The 3D image is back-projected from the filtered two-dimensional images, yielding a 3D image that has improved visual distinction of overlapping anatomic structures and reduced blurring.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 1, 2004Publication date: December 1, 2005Applicant: General Electric CompanyInventors: Baojun Li, Stephen Metz, John Sabol, Gopal Avinash, Jiang Hsieh
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Publication number: 20050163278Abstract: A method for detecting an anomaly includes performing a computed tomography (CT) scout scan to obtain data, and supplying the obtained data to a radiographic computer aided detection (CAD) algorithm.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 28, 2004Publication date: July 28, 2005Inventors: Stephen Metz, Carson Thomas, Gopal Avinash, Jiang Hsieh
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Publication number: 20050149233Abstract: A controller includes a programmable schedule and a user interface, adapted and configured to illustratively display at least a portion of the programmable schedule along a time axis and a current time indicator positioned to indicate the current time along the time axis. A method is also described including the steps of: operating a programmable controller having a scheduled current set point and a scheduled future set point; and providing a message indicating a time of the scheduled future set point change.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 7, 2004Publication date: July 7, 2005Inventor: Stephen Metz
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Publication number: 20050129298Abstract: A method includes obtaining a first image of a subject at a first position, changing a position between the detector and the subject, obtaining a second image, and pasting the first and images to obtain a composite image. The first image and the second image may have an amount of overlap equal to no more than about 30 percent of a field of view of the detector in a direction of movement between the first image and the second image, and, according to some embodiments, may have an overlap of about 4 percent to about 16 percent. This may, in some embodiments, amount to an amount of overlap of about 1.5 cm to about 6.5 or 12 cm. In some embodiments, the span of overlap of the images is at least about 30 cm. The geometry of the images may be used to help paste the images together appropriately.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 25, 2005Publication date: June 16, 2005Inventors: Richard Warp, Vianney Battle, Kenneth Kump, Stephen Metz, Matthew Halsmer, Renuka Uppaluri
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Publication number: 20050121505Abstract: Patient-centric data acquisition protocol selection systems and methods, and identification tags therefor, are described. Embodiments comprise a patient-centric data acquisition protocol selection system comprising: a programmable identification tag capable of allowing predetermined information about a patient to be stored therein and retrieved therefrom; a medical imaging system capable of communicating with the programmable identification tag; and programming associated with the medical imaging system for selecting an optimal data acquisition protocol; wherein the medical imaging system reads information from the programmable identification tag and then the programming selects an optimal data acquisition protocol based, at least in part, on the predetermined information about the patient that is stored in the programmable identification tag.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 9, 2003Publication date: June 9, 2005Inventors: Stephen Metz, Christopher Unger
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Publication number: 20050111616Abstract: A technique is provided for non-uniform weighting in back-projection calculations in tomosythesis. The non-uniform weighting may include weighting based on a count map of the number of times pixels of individual slices are traversed by radiation in different projections. Weighting may also include non-uniform functions for contributions of features at different slice level to the sensed X-ray attenuation system response inconsistencies are accounted for by further weighting based upon projection maps which may be created in separate system calibration or configuration routines.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 26, 2003Publication date: May 26, 2005Inventors: Baojun Li, Bernhard Claus, Gopal Avinash, Stephen Metz, Jiang Hsieh
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Patent number: 6885764Abstract: A method and apparatus for quickly rendering thick CT slice images wherein the data corresponding to an optimal number of slice images to be combined to generate a thick image and the data set required to generate the thick image are determined as a function of an optimal Z-smoothing factor and wherein Z-smoothing is implemented in software that performs quickly and is useable with any helical weighting algorithm and Z-smoothing function.Type: GrantFiled: November 21, 2001Date of Patent: April 26, 2005Assignee: GE Medical Systems Global Technology Company, LLCInventors: Sharon X. Wang, Piero U. Simoni, Thomas Toth, Stephen Metz
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Publication number: 20050041768Abstract: Systems and methods that utilize asymmetric geometry to acquire radiographic tomosynthesis images are described. Embodiments comprise tomosynthesis systems and methods for creating a reconstructed image of an object from a plurality of two-dimensional x-ray projection images. These systems comprise: an x-ray detector; and an x-ray source capable of emitting x-rays directed at the x-ray detector; wherein the tomosynthesis system utilizes asymmetric image acquisition geometry, where ?1??0, during image acquisition, wherein ?1 is a sweep angle on one side of a center line of the x-ray detector, and ?0 is a sweep angle on an opposite side of the center line of the x-ray detector, and wherein the total sweep angle, ?asym, is ?asym=?1+?0. Reconstruction algorithms may be utilized to produce reconstructed images of the object from the plurality of two-dimensional x-ray projection images.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 22, 2003Publication date: February 24, 2005Inventors: Baojun Li, Abdulrahman Al-Khalidy, Jeffrey Eberhard, Stephen Metz, Bernhard Claus, Vianney Battle
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Publication number: 20050002550Abstract: A method of creating and displaying images resulting from digital tomosynthesis performed on a subject using a flat panel detector is disclosed. The method includes the step of acquiring a series of x-ray images of the subject, where each x-ray image is acquired at different angles relative to the subject. The method also includes the steps of applying a first set of corrective measures to the series of images, reconstructing the series of images into a series of slices through the subject, and applying a second set of corrective measures to the slices. The method further includes the step of displaying the images or slices according to at least one of a plurality of display options.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 3, 2003Publication date: January 6, 2005Inventors: Kadri Jabri, Gopal Avinash, Stephen Metz, John Sabol, Jeffrey Eberhard, Bernard Claus, John Kaufhold