US 11,308,355 B2 · Methods and apparatus for classification

Abstract

A human expert may initially label a white light image of teeth, and computer vision may initially label a filtered fluorescent image of the same teeth. Each label may indicate presence or absence of dental plaque at a pixel. The images may be registered. For each pixel of the registered images, a union label may be calculated, which is the union of the expert label and computer vision label. The union labels may be applied to the white light image. This process may be repeated to create a training set of union-labeled white light images. A classifier may be trained on this training set. Once trained, the classifier may classify a previously unseen white light image, by predicting union labels for that image. Alternatively, the items that are initially labeled may comprise images captured by two different imaging modalities, or may comprise different types of sensor measurements.

Claims21

Dependent claims

A method comprising:

(a) creating a set of union-labeled modality A images in such a way that each union-labeled image in the set is created by
(i) capturing a modality A image,
(ii) capturing a modality B image,
(iii) applying initial labels to the modality A image on a region-by-region basis,
(iv) applying initial labels to the modality B image on a region-by-region basis,
(v) performing registration of the modality A image and modality B image, and
(vi) after the registration, computing union labels for the modality A image in such a way that, for each specific region in a group of regions of the modality A image, a union label for the specific region is a union of (A) the initial label for the specific region and (B) the initial label for a corresponding region of the modality B image;
(b) training a classifier on at least the set of union-labeled modality A images;
and
(c) after the training, calculating, with the classifier, labels for a previously unseen modality A image, on a region-by-region basis.

7 more elements

A system comprising:

(a) a modality A imaging device;
(b) a modality B imaging device;
and
(c) one or more computers;
wherein
(i) the one or more computers are programmed to acquire a set of union-labeled modality A images, in such a way that for each specific union-labeled image in the set, the one or more computers are programmed
(A) to output an instruction for the modality A imaging device to capture a modality A image,
(B) to output an instruction for the modality B imaging device to capture a modality B image,
(C) to apply initial labels to the modality A image on region-by-region basis,
(D) to apply initial labels to the modality B image on a region-by-region basis,
(E) to perform registration of the modality A image and modality B image, and
(F) to compute, after the registration, union labels for the modality A image in such a way that, for each specific region in a group of regions of the modality A image, a union label for the specific region is a union of (I) the initial label for the specific region and (II) the initial label for a corresponding region of the modality B image, and
(ii) the one or more computers are also programmed
(A) to train a classifier on the set of union-labeled modality A images;
and
(B) after the training, to calculate, with the classifier, labels for a previously unseen modality A image, on a region-by-region basis.

13 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Methods and apparatus for classification

Life of this patent

Methods and apparatus for classification

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims21