Abstract: Systems and methods for iteratively computing an image registration or an image segmentation are driven by an optimization function that includes a similarity measure component whose effect on the iterative computations is relatively mitigated based on a monitoring of volume changes of volume elements at image locations during the iterations. A system and a related method quantify a registration error by applying a series of edge detectors to input images and combining related filter responses into a combined response. The series of filters are parameterized with a filter parameter. An extremal value of the combined response is then found and a filter parameter associated with said extremal value is then returned as output. This filter parameter relates to a registration error at a given image location.

Abstract: The invention relates to a system for assisting in evaluating a contour of an anatomic structure (22) with respect to a dose distribution corresponding to a treatment plan for a radiation therapy treatment of a patient. The system comprises an evaluation unit particularly configured to evaluate the dose distribution in varying distances from the contour of the anatomic structure (22) to determine at least one point where the evaluated dose distribution fulfills a predetermined condition, and to determine the distance between the at least one point and the contour and/or to visualize the at least one point to a user of the system.

Abstract: The present invention refers to providing a system that allows to very accurately determine the state of a disease, like COPD, in a patient. The system (100) comprises a unit (101) for providing images of the region of interest corresponding to different states of the region of interest, a unit (102) for elastically registering the images to each other resulting in an elastic registration output, a unit (103) for determining a specific tissue region in an image, a unit (104) for determining a specific elastic registration output for the specific tissue region based on the determined elastic registration output, and a unit (105) for determining an elastic indicator for the specific tissue type based on the specific elastic registration output. Thus, a state of a disease that influences the elastic properties of the specific tissue type can be determined very accurately.

Abstract: The invention relates to a system and a method for assisting in attenuation correction of gated PET data of a moving object (2). In the system, an evaluation unit (15) is configured to (i) receive a CT image of the object (2) and to segment the CT image into a plurality of CT sub-images, each CT sub-image correspond to an axial segment of an imaged volume, (ii) to determine for each CT sub-image a gate including PET data having a greatest correspondence with the CT sub-image, (iii) to construct, for each CT sub-image, a PET sub-image from the PET data included in the gate determined for the CT sub-image, the PET sub-image substantially corresponding to the same axial segment of the imaged volume as the CT sub-image, and (iv) to combine the PET sub-images to form a PET reference image of the object (2).

Abstract: The invention relates to a system for assisting in evaluating a contour of an anatomic structure (22) with respect to a dose distribution corresponding to a treatment plan for a radiation therapy treatment of a patient. The system comprises an evaluation unit particularly configured to evaluate the dose distribution in varying distances from the contour of the anatomic structure (22) to determine at least one point where the evaluated dose distribution fulfills a predetermined condition, and to determine the distance between the at least one point and the contour and/or to visualize the at least one point to a user of the system.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of MR imaging of an object (10). It is an object of the invention to enable MR imaging using the stack-of-stars or stack-of-spirals acquisition scheme providing an enhanced image quality in the presence of motion.

Abstract: The invention relates to a system and a method for assisting in attenuation correction of gated PET data of a moving object (2). In the system, an evaluation unit (15) is configured to (i) receive a CT image of the object (2) and to segment the CT image into a plurality of CT sub-images, each CT sub-image correspond to an axial segment of an imaged volume, (ii) to determine for each CT sub-image a gate including PET data having a greatest correspondence with the CT sub-image, (iii) to construct, for each CT sub-image, a PET sub-image from the PET data included in the gate determined for the CT sub-image, the PET sub-image substantially corresponding to the same axial segment of the imaged volume as the CT sub-image, and (iv) to combine the PET sub-images to form a PET reference image of the object (2).

Abstract: A system (100) includes an imaging system (102) and a pressure delivery system (104). The imaging system includes a data acquisition system (114 and 116) and is configured to produce data. The pressure delivery system is configured to produce a periodic airflow variation. The system further includes an operator console (120) configured to control the imaging system to scan a subject receiving the periodic airflow variation and map the periodic airflow variation and first data. The system further includes a reconstructor (516) configured to reconstruct the first data and generate first volumetric image data indicative of the periodic airflow variation.

Abstract: The invention relates to a system and a method for evaluating a treatment plan for an external radiation therapy treatment, the treatment plan comprising parameters for controlling an external radiation therapy apparatus during the treatment. The system comprises a database storing historic treatment plans and storing for each historic treatment plan a quality parameter indicative of whether a deviation between a planned dose distribution and a measured dose distribution resulting from an execution of the treatment plan is within an acceptable limit. An evaluation unit determines a threshold value for each of a plurality of treatment plan metrics based on the historic treatment plans and the associated quality parameters. Further, the evaluation unit calculates a value of each of the metrics for the treatment plan and compares the value of each of the metrics with the threshold value determined for the respective metric.

Abstract: The invention relates to a registration apparatus (14) for registering images comprising a unit (11) for providing a first and a second image of an object, such that an image element of the first image at a respective position has been reconstructed by multiplying projection data values of rays traversing the image element with weights and by backprojecting the weighted projection data values, a unit (12) for providing a confidence map comprising for different positions in the first image confidence values being indicative of a likelihood that an image feature is caused by a structure of the object, the confidence value being calculated as a sum of a function, which depends on the respective weight, over the rays traversing the respective image element, and a unit (13) for determining a transformation for registering the first and second image to each other under consideration of the confidence map.

Abstract: The invention relates to a device for processing CT imaging data, comprising a processing unit, which is configured to receive a plurality of sets of CT imaging data recorded at different imaging positions and at different points in time. Furthermore, the processing device is configured to provide a plurality of auxiliary sets of CT imaging data, each auxiliary set of CT imaging data comprising processed image data allocated to spatial positions inside a respective spatial section of the object space, wherein a given one of the spatial sections contains those spatial positions which are covered by those sets of CT imaging data acquired at a respective one of the imaging positions, and to generate the processed image data for a given spatial position using those of the sets of CT imaging data acquired at the respective one of the imaging positions.

Abstract: There is provided a method and apparatus for positioning markers in images of an anatomical structure. A first marker is positioned over a feature of an anatomical structure in a first image and a second marker is positioned over the same feature of the anatomical structure in a second image (202). The first image is translated under the first marker to adjust the position of the first marker with respect to the feature of the anatomical structure in the first image to correspond to the position of the second marker with respect to the feature of the anatomical structure in the second image (204).

Abstract: A method generates and uses a correspondence probability map for visualization of two image datasets. The method includes obtaining two image datasets and obtaining an image registration algorithm that includes a correspondence model. The method further includes registering the two image datasets to generate a displacement vector field and generating a correspondence probability map, using the correspondence model, based on the two image datasets. The method further includes using the correspondence probability map to visualize the two image datasets. A computing system (120) includes a memory device (124) configured to store instructions, including a visualization module (130), and a processor (122) that executes the instructions, which causes the processor to generate and employ a correspondence probability map for visualization of two image datasets.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a device and method for registration of two images. To increase the accuracy of the registration the device comprises an input unit (126) for receiving one or more pairs of negative landmarks, which are indicated in the two images, a pair comprising two negative landmarks, one in each image, which structures are not identical and should not be aligned by the registration.

Abstract: The present invention relates to device and method for correction of a medical breast image.

Abstract: The invention relates to a system and a method for evaluating a treatment plan for an external radiation therapy treatment, the treatment plan comprising parameters for controlling an external radiation therapy apparatus during the treatment. The system comprises a database storing historic treatment plans and storing for each historic treatment plan a quality parameter indicative of whether a deviation between a planned dose distribution and a measured dose distribution resulting from an execution of the treatment plan is within an acceptable limit. An evaluation unit determines a threshold value for each of a plurality of treatment plan metrics based on the historic treatment plans and the associated quality parameters. Further, the evaluation unit calculates a value of each of the metrics for the treatment plan and compares the value of each of the metrics with the threshold value determined for the respective metric.

Abstract: An image registration apparatus (118) includes an image quality driven image registration determiner (202) that determines an image quality driven image registration for a set of images to register based on a non-rigid registration (204), which includes an optimization of an image similarity term and a regularization term, and a registration steering factor, and a registration component (206) that registers the set of images using the image quality driven image registration. A method determining an image quality driven image registration for a set of images to register based on a non-rigid registration, which includes an optimization of an image similarity term and a regularization term, and a registration steering factor, and registering the set of images using the fidelity driven image registration, generating a set of registered images.

Abstract: The present invention relates to device and method for correction of a medical breast image.

Abstract: Systems and methods for iteratively computing an image registration or an image segmentation. The registration and segmentation computations are driven by an optimization function that includes a similarity measure component whose effect on the iterative computations is relatively mitigated based on a monitoring of volume changes o volume elements at image locations during the iterations. There is also a system and a related 5 method to quantify for a registration error. This includes applying a series of edge detectors to input images and combining related filter responses into a combined response. The series of filters are parameterized with a filter parameter. An extremal value of the combined response is then found and a filter parameter associated with said extremal value is then returned as output. This filter parameter relates to a registration error at a given image 10 location.

Abstract: A method includes obtaining projection data from a scan of a moving structure of interest. The method further includes reconstructing the projection data, generating first image data. The method further includes identifying a sub-set of the projection. The method further includes reconstructing the sub-set projection data, generating second image data. The method further includes identifying a region in which the moving structure of interest is located based on the first image data. The method further includes identifying a location of the moving structure of interest in the identified region based on the second image data.