# US 12,118,694 B2 · Progressive exploitation of multi-energy and photon counting modalities > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,118,694 B2 - Document ID: US12118694B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/319,053 - Filed: 2023-05-17 - Published: 2023-09-14 - Granted: 2024-10-15 - Earliest claimed: 2021-02-09 - Assignees: Elucid Bioimaging Inc. - Applicants: Elucid Bioimaging Inc. - Inventors: Andrew J. Buckler; Changguo Ji; Murali Ayyapillai - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12118694B2 ## CPC - A61B 6/5217: {extracting a diagnostic or physiological parameter from medical diagnostic data} - G06T 5/50: using two or more images, e.g. averaging or subtraction - A61B 5/055: involving electronic [EMR] or nuclear [NMR] magnetic resonance, e.g. magnetic resonance imaging - A61B 6/032: {Transmission computed tomography [CT]} - A61B 6/4241: {using energy resolving detectors, e.g. photon counting} - A61B 6/4417: {related to combined acquisition of different diagnostic modalities} - A61B 6/463: {characterised by displaying multiple images or images and diagnostic data on one display} - A61B 6/481: {involving the use of contrast agents} - A61B 6/482: {involving multiple energy imaging} - A61B 6/504: {for diagnosis of blood vessels, e.g. by angiography} - A61B 6/5247: {combining images from an ionising-radiation diagnostic technique and a non-ionising radiation diagnostic technique, e.g. X-ray and ultrasound} - A61B 8/5261: {combining images from different diagnostic modalities, e.g. ultrasound and X-ray} - G06T 7/0012: {Biomedical image inspection} - G06T 7/11: Region-based segmentation - G06T 7/174: involving the use of two or more images - G16H 30/40: for processing medical images, e.g. editing - A61B 8/481: {involving the use of contrast agents, e.g. microbubbles introduced into the bloodstream} - G06T 2207/10081: Computed x-ray tomography [CT] - G06T 2207/10088: Magnetic resonance imaging [MRI] - G06T 2207/10132: Ultrasound image - G06T 2207/20216: Image averaging - G06T 2207/20224: Image subtraction - G16H 50/20: for computer-aided diagnosis, e.g. based on medical expert systems - A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D) - G06T: IMAGE DATA PROCESSING OR GENERATION, IN GENERAL - G16H: HEALTHCARE INFORMATICS, i.e. INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR THE HANDLING OR PROCESSING OF MEDICAL OR HEALTHCARE DATA ## Abstract Systems and methods for improving soft tissue contrast, characterizing tissue, classifying phenotype, stratifying risk, and performing multi-scale modeling aided by multiple energy or contrast excitation and evaluation are provided. The systems and methods can include single and multi-phase acquisitions and broad and local spectrum imaging to assess atherosclerotic plaque tissues in the vessel wall and perivascular space. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system for implementing an analyzer module, the system comprising: a processor configured to: receive imaging data of multi-spectral Computed Tomography (CT), Magnetic Resonance (MR), or Ultrasound (US), wherein the received imaging data is obtained using different excitations; analyze the received imaging data to determine one or more characteristics of a vessel wall; determine a set of quantities that characterize vascular leak, macrophages, angiogenesis, calcification (CALC) map, lipid rich necrotic core (LRNC) map, fresh idiopathic pulmonary hemosiderosis (IPH) map, matrix (MATX) map, micro calcification, erosion, old IPH map, or thrombus or a combination thereof based on the one or more characteristics of the vessel wall, using digital subtraction, digital addition, a multivariate statistical process, excitation selection process or a combination thereof; and output the characterization of vascular leak, macrophages, angiogenesis, CALC map, LRNC map, fresh IPH map, MATX map, micro calcification, erosion, old IPH map, or thrombus to a display. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 wherein the set of quantities further characterize a potential effectiveness of one treatment over another in individual patient based on the set of quantities. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 wherein the digital additional process comprises averaging the received imaging data obtained at different excitations. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 wherein the processor is further configured to segment the received imaging data into three-dimensional objects. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 wherein the processor is further configured to segment the received imaging data into an outer wall boundary. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1 wherein the processor is further configured to segment the received imaging data into a lumen, perivascular region, or focal tissue boundaries. ### Claim 7 A method for implementing analyzing soft tissue, the method comprising receiving, by a processor, imaging data of multi-spectral Computed Tomography (CT), Magnetic Resonance (MR), or Ultrasound (US), wherein the received imaging data is obtained using different excitations; analyzing, by the processor, the received imaging data to determine one or more characteristics of a vessel wall; determining, by the processor, a set of quantities that characterize vascular leak, macrophages, angiogenesis, calcification (CALC) map, lipid rich necrotic core (LRNC) map, fresh idiopathic pulmonary hemosiderosis (IPH) map, matrix (MATX) map, micro calcification, erosion, old IPH map, or thrombus or a combination thereof based on the one or more characteristics of the vessel wall, using digital subtraction, digital addition, a multivariate statistical process, excitation selection process or a combination thereof; and outputting, by the processor, the vascular leak, macrophages, angiogenesis, CALC map, LRNC map, fresh IPH map, MATX map, micro calcification, erosion, old IPH map, or thrombus to a display. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7 wherein the set of quantities further characterize a potential effectiveness of one treatment over another in individual patient based on the set of quantities. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7 wherein the digital additional process comprises averaging the received imaging data obtained at different excitations. ### Claim 10 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7 further comprising segmenting the received imaging data into three-dimensional objects. ### Claim 11 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7 further comprising segmenting the received imaging data into an outer wall boundary. ### Claim 12 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7 further comprising segmenting the received imaging data into a lumen, perivascular region, focal tissue boundaries or any combination thereof.