X-ray Film Analysis (e.g., Radiography) Patents (Class 382/132)
  • Patent number: 9460513
    Abstract: A method reconstructs a three-dimensional (3D) scene as a three-dimensional (3D) model by first acquiring red, green, blue, and depth (RGBD) images with a sensor, and wide field-of-view (FOV) red, green, and blue (RGB) images with a camera from different viewpoints. Pair-wise point matches among the RGBD images and the RGB images are identified, and a graph of nodes and edges is constructed using the pair-wise point matches. Initial poses of the RGBD images and the RGB images are estimated using pose constraints associated with the edges, and an initial 3D model of the scene is estimated using the estimated poses. Then, erroneous edges are removed in the graph, and bundle adjustment is applied to the initial poses and the initial 3D model to obtain refined poses and the 3D model of the scene.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2016
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories, Inc.
    Inventors: Srikumar Ramalingam, Yuichi Taguchi
  • Patent number: 9449403
    Abstract: Reduction of artifacts in digital breast tomosynthesis and in computed tomography. Because of the limited angular range acquisition in DBT the reconstructed slices have reduced resolution in z-direction and are affected by artifacts. Out-of-plane blur caused by dense tissue and large masses complicates 3D visualization and reconstruction of thick slices volumes. The streak-like out-of-plane artifacts caused by calcifications and metal clips distort the true shape of calcification, an important malignancy predictor. Microcalcifications could be obscured by bright artifacts. The technique involves reconstructing a set of super resolution slices and predicting the “artifact-free” voxel intensity based on the corresponding set of projection pixels using a statistical model learned from a set of training data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2016
    Assignee: SIEMENS AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
    Inventor: Anna Jerebko
  • Patent number: 9439615
    Abstract: A non-invasive method distinguishes between two types of micro-calcification by x-ray imaging in mammography. Two major types of micro-calcifications are found and confirmed by histopathology and they are correlated to benign and malignant breast lesions. Distinguishing between them non-invasively will significantly improve early breast cancer diagnosis. This is based on the fact that these two types of micro-calcifications show opposite absorption and small-angle scattering signals in x-ray imaging. The imaging system, which can record these two signals of the breast tissue simultaneously for instance, an x-ray grating interferometer, can be used to uniquely determine the micro-calcification type. This is expected to be used in mammography to improve early breast cancer diagnosis, increase diagnosis accuracy and decrease the biopsy rate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2016
    Assignee: Paul Scherrer Institut
    Inventors: Marco Stampanoni, Zhentian Wang
  • Patent number: 9443160
    Abstract: A method to extract irradiation field areas in an X-ray image represented by a digital signal representation comprising the steps of segmenting the image in multiple regions of pixels which have similar local image characteristics, fitting line segments to the boundaries of these regions whereby said line segments correspond with candidate irradiation field boundaries and constitute a segmentation map, classifying regions in said segmentation map into at least two classes, one class being irradiation field and the other class being collimated region on the basis of at least one of local, regional and global image characteristics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2016
    Assignee: AGFA HEALTHCARE NV
    Inventor: Tom Bertens
  • Patent number: 9443161
    Abstract: A medical imaging system includes an imaging device configured to scan a region of interest to acquire at least one of a first image including a first plurality of pixels and a second image including a second plurality of pixels, a processing unit configured to receive the first and second images, calculate respective first neutrosophic similarity scores for each of the first plurality of pixels of the first image, calculate respective second neutrosophic similarity scores for each of the second plurality of pixels of the second image, perform a template matching algorithm based on differences between the respective first and second neutrosophic similarity scores for each of the first and second plurality, respectively, to determine one or more registration parameters, and register the first and second images using the one or more registration parameters, and a display output configured to allow the registered first and second images to be displayed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2016
    Assignee: Dimensions and Shapes, LLC
    Inventor: Yanhui Guo
  • Patent number: 9443315
    Abstract: In a method, a user interface, a magnetic resonance apparatus, and a storage medium encoded with programming instructions, in order to enable processing and/or display of magnetic resonance diffusion image data, diffusion image data are provided to a computer, a signal threshold are provided to a computer, and a b-value map is calculated by the computer on the basis of the diffusion image data and the predetermined signal threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 26, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2016
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Peter Gall, Heiko Meyer
  • Patent number: 9444973
    Abstract: An image processing apparatus is provided which includes: an inputting unit configured to input image data including a first process color and a second process color; and a determining unit configured to determine a density of the second process color for a target pixel in the inputted image data on the basis of a density of the first process color in the target pixel and on a density of the second process color in a peripheral pixel of the target pixel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2016
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Kenichirou Haruta
  • Patent number: 9423355
    Abstract: A plural camera images capturing and processing apparatus includes a plurality of cameras that capture images of a plurality of adjacent imaging regions which overlap each other, a plurality of laser devices that give a marker to each common imaging region in which imaging regions overlap each other, an imaging control unit that controls each camera and each laser device and acquires a markerless image group to which no marker is given and a marker-given image group to which the marker is given, a non-visible light image processing unit that calculates a correction parameter, which is information for aligning the inclinations, sizes, and positions of the imaging regions, on the basis of the marker-given image group, and a visible light image processing unit that composes the markerless image group to generate a composite image, on the basis of the correction parameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2016
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Shinji Sakano, Yuichi Nonaka
  • Patent number: 9418161
    Abstract: An information processing device may include a control unit to control movement of an image related to content within a predetermined area of a display, and a display format of the image based on at least one of a category of the content to which the image is related or meta-information corresponding to the content to which the image is related.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 4, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2016
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventor: Yoshinori Ohashi
  • Patent number: 9408562
    Abstract: A pet medical checkup device of the present disclosure includes a shooting section that shoots a moving image of a pet, a first storage section that stores the moving image of the pet shot by the shooting section, a first database that stores motion information representing a specific motion made by the pet when the pet has a disease for each disease of the pet, a first determination section that determines whether or not the pet is making the specific motion represented by the motion information stored in the first database using the moving image of the pet stored in the first storage section, and an estimation section that estimates the disease of the pet based on a determination result of the first determination section.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2016
    Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Corporation of America
    Inventors: Yoshihiro Kojima, Ryuji Inoue, Toru Tanigawa
  • Patent number: 9404875
    Abstract: The application discloses systems and methods for determining an atomic number of a material being scanned by generating a predetermined number of transmission data samples, determining a variance of the transmission data samples, and determining the atomic number of the material being scanned by comparing the variance or a derivative of the variance of the transmission data samples to one or more predetermined variances. The application also discloses systems and methods for determining an atomic number of a material being scanned by deriving transmission signal samples of the material being scanned, determining a variance of the signal samples, and determining an atomic number of the material being scanned by comparing the variance of the signal samples, or a derivative of the variance, to one or more predetermined variances.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2016
    Assignee: Rapiscan Systems, Inc.
    Inventor: Willem G. J. Langeveld
  • Patent number: 9395450
    Abstract: A radiation imaging apparatus includes a reset control unit configured to perform reset scanning to sequentially discharge charges accumulated in pixels; an irradiation detection unit configured to detect a start of radiation irradiation based on charges discharged by the reset scanning; an imaging control unit configured to perform control to stop the reset scanning in accordance with detection of the start of irradiation and obtain an image signal by reading out charges accumulated in the pixels; a generation unit configured to generate image data based on the image signal except for an image signal from a pixel on which the reset scanning is performed during the radiation irradiation; and an output unit configured to output the image data to an external apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2016
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Shimpei Tezuka
  • Patent number: 9390502
    Abstract: Certain embodiments provide a computer apparatus operable to carry out a data processing method to position a set of anatomical landmarks in a three-dimensional image data set of a part or all of a patient, comprising: providing a trained supervised machine learning algorithm which has been trained to place each of the set of anatomical landmarks; applying the supervised machine learning algorithm to place the set of anatomical landmarks relative to the data set; providing a trained point distribution model, including a mean shape and a covariance matrix, wherein the mean shape represents locations of the set of landmarks in a variety of patients; and applying the point distribution model to the set of landmarks with the locations output from the supervised machine learning algorithm by: removing any landmarks whose locations have an uncertainty above a threshold with reference to the mean shape and covariance matrix; followed by: an optimization of the locations of the remaining landmarks by maximizing joint
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2016
    Assignees: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA, TOSHIBA MEDICAL SYSTEMS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Mohammad Dabbah, Ian Poole
  • Patent number: 9384547
    Abstract: In order to follow the ABS conditions when the movement of the object position, such as the movement of an object or the movement of an X-ray tube, occurs during fluoroscopy, an X-ray image diagnostic apparatus includes a histogram generation unit 6b that generates a histogram showing the distribution of brightness values of an X-ray image of an object; an object region detection unit 6c that detects an object region, which is a region where the object is imaged, in the X-ray image on the basis of the histogram; and an X-ray condition determination unit 2a that determines X-ray conditions defining an output of X-rays so that a brightness value representing the object region approaches a target brightness value of the object region set in advance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2016
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Konosuke Temmei, Tadashi Nakamura, Yuji Sakai
  • Patent number: 9384415
    Abstract: According to an embodiment, an image processing apparatus includes an obtainer, a setter, a first calculator, a second calculator, and a third calculator. The obtainer obtains an image. The setter sets a plurality of first regions and a plurality of second regions on the image. Each of the first regions and the second regions includes two or more pixels, and at least one of the second regions is different in position or size from the first regions. The first calculator calculates first feature data representing an image feature of the first regions. The second calculator calculates second feature data which is a luminance gradient between the second regions. The third calculator calculates relative feature data representing a relative relationship between the first feature data and the second feature data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2016
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Hidetaka Ohira, Yusuke Tazoe, Masahiro Sekine, Masashi Nishiyama
  • Patent number: 9383196
    Abstract: A non-transitory computer readable medium, a system and a method. The method may include obtaining, by an image obtaining module, an image of a measurement site, the measurement site comprise the feature, the image of the measurement site comprises an image of the feature; processing, by an image processor, the image of the measurement site to provide an artificial image, the artificial image comprise a artificial image of an artificial feature, the artificial feature differs from the feature; measuring a parameter of the artificial feature to provide a measurement result, wherein the measuring comprises applying a measurement algorithm that is inadequate for measuring the parameter of the feature; and determining a value of the parameter of the feature in response to the measurement result.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2016
    Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS ISRAEL LTD.
    Inventors: Yuval Yahav, Ofer Adan
  • Patent number: 9373057
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for training a neural network to detect object in images. One of the methods includes receiving a training image and object location data for the training image; providing the training image to a neural network and obtaining bounding box data for the training image from the neural network, wherein the bounding box data comprises data defining a plurality of candidate bounding boxes in the training image and a respective confidence score for each candidate bounding box in the training image; determining an optimal set of assignments using the object location data for the training image and the bounding box data for the training image, wherein the optimal set of assignments assigns a respective candidate bounding box to each of the object locations; and training the neural network on the training image using the optimal set of assignments.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: Dumitru Erhan, Christian Szegedy, Dragomir Anguelov
  • Patent number: 9366757
    Abstract: Embodiments for arranging a 3D (three-dimensional) ultrasound image are disclosed. In one embodiment, by way of non-limiting example, an ultrasound system comprises: a storage unit for storing a plurality of reference position information each corresponding to a plurality of target objects; a user input unit configured to receive input information for selecting a target object; an ultrasound data acquisition unit configured to transmit and receive ultrasound signals to and from the target object to thereby output ultrasound data; and a processing unit in communication with the storage unit, the user input unit and the ultrasound data acquisition unit, the processing unit being configured to form a 3D ultrasound image based on the ultrasound data and perform position arrangement of the 3D ultrasound image based on reference position information corresponding to the input information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2016
    Assignee: SAMSUNG MEDISON CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Chul An Kim, Sung Yoon Kim, Sung Mo Lee
  • Patent number: 9361683
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an imaging technique and an imaging system and more particularly to an automatic assessment of quantitative measure(s)/properties(s) of an object wherein, for example, an imaging system is used to capture an image, following which image properties are quantified using image processing techniques. An imaging technique obtains an image of an object along a first axis, or by way of a first technique, and subsequently obtains an image of the object along a second axis, or by way of a second technique. One or more pixels from the first image are selected and designated as reference pixels. An automated comparison between corresponding regions of the first and second images are then performed which is based upon the reference pixels, so as to indicate regions of interest.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2016
    Inventors: Ralph Highnam, John Michael Brady
  • Patent number: 9339249
    Abstract: The medical image processing apparatus according to the embodiment comprises a photographing unit that scans the flexible sites of the living body including the plurality of components and obtains the projected data, a reconstruction processing unit that carries out reconstruction processing on the projected data and generated first image data of the plurality of timing points of the flexible sites, and an analyzing unit that compares the first image data of the plurality of timing points and the second image data showing the flexible sites, thereby specifying the data with the timing point shown in the second image data from among the first image data of the plurality of timing points.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2016
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation
    Inventors: Yasuko Fujisawa, Tatsuya Kimoto, Shinsuke Tsukagoshi, Yoshihiro Ikeda
  • Patent number: 9341583
    Abstract: A correction information generation method and a correction information generation apparatus enabling easy Flat-Field Correction operation without special accessory equipment are provided. The correction information generation method for performing Flat-Field Correction of X-ray detection sensitivity on a pixel detector, includes the steps of: moving the relative position of a detector 130 with respect to an incident X-ray having a cross-sectional beam shape traversing a detection surface so that the whole of the detection surface is irradiated with the incident X-ray in total time and each of pixels arranged in the moving direction is uniformly irradiated; and generating information for correcting the sensitivity of a pixel based on an intensity value detected for a given energy band of the incident X-ray.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2016
    Assignee: RIGAKU CORPORATION
    Inventors: Takuto Sakumura, Yasukazu Nakaye
  • Patent number: 9339245
    Abstract: A method for diagnosis and evaluation of tooth decay comprises: locating in an x-ray image the contour of the dento-enamel junction (DEJ); measuring optical density along contours substantially parallel to and on either side of the DEJ contour; and calculating at least one numerical decay value from the measured optical densities. A method for diagnosis and evaluation of periodontal disease comprises: measuring in an x-ray image a bone depth (BD) relative to the position of the cemento-enamel junctions (CEJs) of adjacent teeth; measuring bone density along a contour between the adjacent teeth; and calculating a numerical crestal density (CD) value from the measured bone density. Calibration standards may be employed for facilitating calculation of the numerical values. A dental digital x-ray imaging calibration method for at least partly correcting for variations of the optical densities of images acquired from the dental digital x-ray imaging system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2016
    Inventor: Leigh E. Colby
  • Patent number: 9336455
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for identifying lines in an image are described. An image to be processed is divided into a plurality of tiles, and processing is performed on a per tile basis. Lines are identified in tiles and a weight is assigned to each line based on among other things, the length of the line. Quantized first and second parameter values, e.g., values defining where lines enters and leave an area, are used in defining the identified lines. A set of lines is selected based on the weight information and output or used in image processing the image including the lines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2016
    Assignee: Accusoft Corporation
    Inventors: William Douglas Withers, Stephen A. Martucci
  • Patent number: 9330443
    Abstract: A computed tomography (CT) imaging system is provided including processing circuitry configured to obtain a plurality of basis images that are combined to generate a target image; de-noise the basis images using a noise-reduction method to generate de-noised basis images; calculate noise maps of the basis images by subtracting the de-noised basis images from the basis images; calculate a weight for each of the noise maps using the target image and the calculated noise maps; and generate a reduced-noise target image using the target image, the calculated noise maps, and the calculated weights.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2016
    Assignees: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA, TOSHIBA MEDICAL SYSTEMS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yu Zou, Dan Xu, Sachin Moghe
  • Patent number: 9324155
    Abstract: Systems and methods for determining parameters for image analysis are provided. One method includes obtaining ultrasound data of an object, generating an image of the object, and identifying a region of interest in the image. The method also includes determining a plurality of spatially varying parameters for image analysis of the region of interest using prior information for one or more objects of interest, including prior location information for the one or more objects of interest, and wherein the plurality of spatially varying parameters are determined for a plurality of sections of the region of interest and different for at least some of the plurality of sections. The method further includes using the plurality of spatially varying parameters for performing image analysis of the region of interest in the image to determine the location of the one or more objects of interest.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2016
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Paulo Ricardo Mendonca, Dirk Ryan Padfield, Chandan Kumar Mallappa Aladahalli, Shubao Liu, Theresa Rose Broniak
  • Patent number: 9311717
    Abstract: A system for processing a breast image is described. A glandular tissue contour detector (1) is arranged for detecting a contour (407) of a glandular tissue (303) represented in the breast image (310), the glandular tissue detector (1) detecting the contour of a region within the image that comprises the mammary glands of a breast (301) represented in the breast image (310).The glandular tissue contour detector (1) comprises a concave hull determiner (2) for determining a concave hull of the region to obtain the contour (407).A display unit (3) is arranged for displaying the breast image (310) with the contour (407) superimposed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2016
    Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
    Inventors: Iwo Willem Oscar Serlie, Rudolph Martherus
  • Patent number: 9310187
    Abstract: An image capturing apparatus includes a dividing unit configured to divide light from a light source into reference light and measurement light; a first dichroic mirror arranged in a measurement optical path for guiding the measurement light to an object to be examined; a second dichroic mirror arranged in a reference optical path for guiding the reference light to a reference object; and a light receiving unit configured to receive interference light between the measurement light passing through the first dichroic mirror and the reference light passing through the second dichroic mirror.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2016
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Tomasz Bajraszewski, Hirofumi Yoshida, Marek Różański, Maciej Szkulmowski
  • Patent number: 9305365
    Abstract: A system for tracking a moving target having up to six degrees of freedom and rapidly determining positions of the target, said system includes an easy to locate precision optical target fixed to the target. This system includes at least two cameras positioned so as to view the optical camera from different directions with each of the at least two cameras being adapted to record two dimensional images of the precision optical target defining precise target point. A computer processor is programmed to determine the target position of x, y and z and pitch, roll and yaw. In an embodiment, the system can be configured to utilize an iteration procedure whereby an approximate first-order solution is proposed and tested against the identified precise target points to determine residual errors which can be divided by the local derivatives with respect to each component of rotation and translation, to determine an iterative correction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2016
    Assignee: KINETICOR, INC.
    Inventors: John Arthur Lovberg, Xiaojiang Jason Pan
  • Patent number: 9301725
    Abstract: A radiation image capturing system includes a radiation image capturing apparatus, one or more radiation generation apparatuses and a calculation unit. The radiation image capturing apparatus includes a control unit which controls a scan driving unit and a readout integrated circuit of the radiation image capturing apparatus since before start of irradiation of the radiation image capturing apparatus and detects the start of the irradiation when data read out by the readout integrated circuit is equal to or more than a threshold. Before radiation image capturing, the calculation unit calculates a maximum body thickness for each of the radiation generation apparatuses on the basis of the data read out in the radiation image capturing apparatus irradiated by the radiation generation apparatus, the maximum body thickness up to which the control unit can detect the start of the irradiation through a subject.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2016
    Assignee: KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
    Inventors: Shikou Kaneko, Yuuichi Maruta
  • Patent number: 9304039
    Abstract: An integrated circuit for an imaging system is disclosed. In one aspect, an integrated circuit has an array of optical sensors, an array of optical filters integrated with the sensors and configured to pass a band of wavelengths onto one or more of the sensors, and read out circuitry to read out pixel values from the sensors to represent an image. Different ones of the optical filters are configured to have a different thickness, to pass different bands of wavelengths by means of interference, and to allow detection of a spectrum of wavelengths. The read out circuitry can enable multiple pixels under one optical filter to be read out in parallel. The thicknesses may vary non monotonically across the array. The read out, or later image processing, may involve selection or interpolation between wavelengths, to carry out spectral sampling or shifting, to compensate for thickness errors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2016
    Assignee: IMEC
    Inventors: Klaas Tack, Andy Lambrechts, Luc Haspeslagh
  • Patent number: 9277877
    Abstract: A method of determining the presence of a pneumothorax includes obtaining a series of frames of image data relating to a region of interest including a pleural interface of a lung. The image data includes at least a first frame and a second frame. The method further includes identifying, via processing circuitry, the pleural interface in at least the first frame and the second frame, determining, based on computing optical flow between the first and second frames, a pleural sliding classification of the image data at the pleural interface, and determining whether a pneumothorax is present in the pleural interface based on the pleural sliding classification.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2016
    Assignee: The Johns Hopkins University
    Inventors: Philippe M. Burlina, Ryan N. Mukherjee
  • Patent number: 9269139
    Abstract: A method for rib suppression in a chest x-ray image of a patient. The method detects and labels one or more ribs in a region of interest in the x-ray image that includes a lung region. The method obtains a rib model for one or more ribs of the image and modifies detection results for the one or more ribs by applying the rib model in the region of interest. A conditioned x-ray image is formed by suppressing rib content according to the modified detection results. The conditioned x-ray image is stored, displayed, or transmitted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2016
    Assignee: Carestream Health, Inc.
    Inventors: Zhimin Huo, Jing Zhang
  • Patent number: 9259202
    Abstract: An X-ray diagnostic apparatus according to an embodiment includes a generating unit and a display controller. The generating unit generates a diagram illustrating the angle information of an arm. The display controller performs display control to visualize, together with the diagram generated by the generating unit, at least one of information showing the status of the arm when the arm is at an angle illustrated in the diagram and information showing the status of a subject to be imaged when the arm is at the angle illustrated in the diagram.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation
    Inventors: Hajime Yoshida, Ryuji Zaiki, Masahiro Ozawa, Yusuke Narabu, Masaki Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 9262834
    Abstract: A method for visualizing an object of interest includes obtaining an image of an object of interest, automatically separating the image into tissue clusters, automatically selecting foreground clusters from the tissue clusters, automatically generating a contour based on the selected foreground clusters, and displaying an image of the object of interest including the foreground clusters and the contour. A system and non-transitory computer readable medium are also described herein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Gyula Molnar, Laszlo Rusko
  • Patent number: 9262691
    Abstract: The method for extracting salient object from stereoscopic video includes: dividing regions based on the similarity of color and the distance between pixels in a left-eye image and a right-eye image which are used for an input stereoscopic image; creating a disparity map based on a disparity obtained from a pixel difference of the left-eye image and the right-eye image; calculating a contrast-based saliency by comparing the divided regions and the divided regions of the disparity map; calculating a prior-knowledge-based saliency based on a prior-knowledge for the divided regions and the divided regions of the disparity map; and extracting salient regions of the image based on the contrast-based saliency and the prior-knowledge-based saliency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Assignee: CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY INDUSTRY ACADEMIC COOPERATION FOUNDATION
    Inventors: Hang-Bong Kang, Sang-Hyun Cho
  • Patent number: 9256958
    Abstract: An active attentional sampling technology for accelerating background subtraction from input videos, more specifically, an active attentional sampling technology for accelerating background subtraction by removing background region from the input video and then applying foreground probability map and sampling mask according to temporal property, spatial property and frequency property of the input video in favor of the pixel-wise background subtraction algorithm is provided. The background subtraction is accomplished by generating active attentional sampling mask for input video and then processing each frame of the input video only for regions corresponding to the sampling mask, which renders the background subtraction be much accelerated. That is, the present invention successfully speeds up pixel-wise background subtraction methods approximately 6.6 times without deteriorating detection performance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2016
    Assignee: SNU R&DB FOUNDATION
    Inventors: Hyung-Jin Chang, Ha-Wook Jeong, Jin-Young Choi
  • Patent number: 9256941
    Abstract: An analysis of a digitized image is provided. The digitized image is repeatedly convolved to form first convolved images, which first convolved images are convolved a second time to form second convolved images. Each first convolved image and the respective second convolved image representing a stage, and each stage represents a different scale or size of anomaly. As an example, the first convolution may utilize a Gaussian convolver, and the second convolution may utilize a Laplacian convolver, but other convolvers may be used. The second convolved image from a current stage and the first convolved image from a previous stage are used with a neighborhood median determined from the second convolved image from the current stage by a peak detector to detect peaks, or possible anomalies for that particular scale.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2016
    Assignee: VUCOMP, INC.
    Inventors: Jeffrey C. Wehnes, James P. Monaco, David S. Harding, James H. Pike, Anbinh T. Ho, Lawrence M. Hanafy
  • Patent number: 9253447
    Abstract: A computer implemented method of generating a scoreboard display comprising capturing and storing digital images at an entertainment venue during an entertainment event, selecting at least one of the captured images including selecting at least one template within which to dispose the selected image, and displaying on the scoreboard the template and the at least one selected digital image disposed therein. The captured image preferably includes a person attending the entertainment event and can be a motion image or a live motion image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2016
    Assignee: KODAK ALARIS INC.
    Inventors: Raymond W. Ptucha, William J. Bogart, Laura R. Whitby
  • Patent number: 9245325
    Abstract: A method and an apparatus for generating images are provided. The method includes generating a first sinogram for a state of an object from among states of the object based on a motion of the object, and a second sinogram for the states, based on data obtained from the object, and determining a region of interest (ROI) of the object based on the first sinogram. The method further includes extracting, from the second sinogram, third sinograms corresponding to the ROI, and estimating motion information of the ROI based on the third sinograms. The method further includes correcting the data based on the motion information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2016
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Byung-kwan Park, Tae-yong Song, Jae-mock Yi
  • Patent number: 9237871
    Abstract: An X-ray imaging apparatus includes an X-ray emitter that emits X-rays to an object at a plurality of positions; a detector that detects X-rays having passed through the object and converts the detected X-rays into electric signals; and an image processor that is configured to generate X-ray images at the plurality of positions by reading out the electric signals, acquire volume data of the object using the X-ray images, and reproject the acquired volume data by using different bands of energy spectrums to acquire reconstructed reprojection images of different energy bands.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 19, 2016
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kang Eui Lee, Jong Ha Lee, Kwang Eun Jang, Young Hun Sung
  • Patent number: 9235877
    Abstract: A method of operating an electronic device for image interpolation is provided. The method includes estimating a direction of pixels using a plurality of filters respectively corresponding to a plurality of angles, correcting the direction of the pixels using a direction of neighboring pixels, determining whether the direction estimation has an error according to a direction distribution of the neighboring pixels, and when the direction estimation is determined to have error, correcting the error in the direction estimation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2016
    Assignees: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., Chung-Ang University Industry-Academy Cooperation Foundation
    Inventors: Min-Kyu Park, Joon-Ki Paik, Won-Seok Kang, Han-Sae Song, Young-Sam Yu, Jae-Hwan Jeon, Young-Kwon Yoon, Yong-Gu Lee
  • Patent number: 9232923
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is an X-ray imaging apparatus. The X-ray imaging apparatus includes at least one X-ray emitter which is configured to irradiate an object with X-rays at a plurality of X-ray emission positions, an X-ray detector which is configured to detect X-rays which are emitted by the X-ray emitter and to convert the detected X-rays into an electric signal, and an image processor which is configured to acquire a plurality of original X-ray images which respectively correspond to the X-ray emission positions from the generated electric signal and to estimate a virtual X-ray image which is acquirable at an X-ray emission position located between at least two of the plurality of X-ray emission positions, based on at least two of the original X-ray images.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2016
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Jae Hak Lee, Young Hun Sung, Kang Eui Lee, Jong Ha Lee, Kwang Eun Jang
  • Patent number: 9232150
    Abstract: A system and method for calculating an ambient light estimate using an image sensor in a camera of a device. An array of pixels is obtained using the image sensor. A matrix of grid elements is defined. Each grid element is comprised of multiple adjacent pixels of the array of pixels. A first measurement value is generated for a grid element of the matrix of grid elements based on the pixels associated with a respective grid element. A set of grid elements are identified having a first measurement value that satisfies a brightness criteria. A weighted measurement value is calculated using the identified set of grid elements. The ambient light estimate is calculated based on the weighted measurement value and the first measurement value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2016
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Suppawan Kleekajai, Micah P. Kalscheur
  • Patent number: 9230320
    Abstract: A computer aided diagnostic system and automated method diagnose lung cancer through modeling and analyzing the shape of pulmonary nodules. A model used in such analysis describes the shape of pulmonary nodules in terms of spherical harmonics required to delineate a unit sphere corresponding to the pulmonary nodule to a model of the pulmonary nodule.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2016
    Assignee: University of Louisville Research Foundation, Inc.
    Inventors: Ayman S. El-Baz, Matthew Nitzken
  • Patent number: 9218531
    Abstract: An image identification apparatus includes following components. A first generative model creation unit extracts feature information from identification-target images which belong to an identification-target category, and creates a first generative model on the basis of the feature information. A classification unit applies the first generative model to each not-identification-target image which belongs to a not-identification-target category so as to determine a probability of the not-identification-target image belonging to the identification-target category, and classifies the not-identification-target image to a corresponding one of not-identification-target groups in accordance with the probability.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2015
    Assignee: FUJI XEROX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Motofumi Fukui, Ryota Ozaki, Noriji Kato
  • Patent number: 9202387
    Abstract: A system and method for planning volumetric treatment by percutaneous needle procedures obtains a volumetric image data set of a subject including an identifiable region requiring treatment. An effective treatment volume is defined relative to the needle position for at least one needle carrying a treatment applicator. One or more proposed inserted needle position is defined such that a effective treatment volume corresponding to the one or more proposed inserted needle position provides coverage of the region requiring treatment. The effective treatment volume for one or more needles can then be visualized in the context of slices of 3D image data. One or more entry point and corresponding virtual target are then defined relative to a frame of reference of the volumetric image data set for use in navigation of the at least one needle to the corresponding proposed inserted needle position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2015
    Assignee: STRYKER LEIBINGER GMBH & CO. KG
    Inventor: Pinhas Gilboa
  • Patent number: 9201150
    Abstract: According to an embodiment of the invention, signals coming from a number of pixels or sub-pixels are compared and those signals from pixels or sub-pixels, which are substantially brighter than the other pixels in the comparison, are excluded from contributing to the output signal, to suppress direct detection events in X-ray detectors. For this an X-ray detector apparatus (101) can comprise: —an array (102) of pixel arrangements (303), —each pixel arrangement (303) comprising at least one radiation collection device (311) for converting incident radiation into a collection device signal, —switching arrangements (313, 324, 314, 142; 313, 315, 314, 352, 142; 313, 315, 314; 361) for providing to respectively one output element (141) a signal derived from the collection device signals of a plurality of radiation collection devices (311) of at least one pixel arrangement (303).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2015
    Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
    Inventors: Walter Ruetten, Tiemen Poorter, Rainer Kiewitt
  • Patent number: 9198630
    Abstract: A method and a computing unit are disclosed for measuring and displaying the bone density of a patient. In at least one embodiment, separate projection data are used from a CT scan with at least two different x-ray energy regions; volume displays for bone material and at least one further material composition are generated; two DEXA projection recordings with different x-ray energy spectra are simulated from these volume displays; the two simulated DEXA projection recordings are used to determine the specific bone mass density according to the DEXA method; and at least one projection recording and at least one average specific bone mass density are output.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2015
    Assignees: SIEMENS AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT, SIEMENS MEDICAL SOLUTIONS USA INC.
    Inventors: Katharine Lynn Rowley Grant, Bernhard Schmidt
  • Patent number: 9192340
    Abstract: A self-learning imaging method is particularly suited radiation imaging, such as for mammography. A plurality of training data sets are displayed on a display apparatus. A grayscale value setting is selected for each training data set. A feature set with at least one feature is assigned to each training data set. The feature set and the grayscale value setting are stored for each training data set. The grayscale value setting of an examination data set is selected according to the feature sets and the grayscale value setting of the training data sets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2015
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventor: Anna Jerebko
  • Patent number: 9192784
    Abstract: Each image in a first set of images includes respective exposures of an image capture device to a beam of radiation, each of a plurality of components of a radiation delivery system being at respective specified orientations with respect to a three-dimensional coordinate system during each of the exposures. Respective beam images are reconstructed from each of the exposures by drawing a line at a predetermined angle to the first image and through a center of a radiation beam shown on each first image. The reconstructed beam images are combined on a second image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2015
    Assignee: Radiological Imaging Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Daniel Ritt, Charles Clements, Ryan Young