# US 12,183,309 B2 · System and method for generating a 2D image using mammography and/or tomosynthesis image data > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,183,309 B2 - Document ID: US12183309B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/493,433 - Filed: 2023-10-24 - Published: 2024-05-23 - Granted: 2024-12-31 - Earliest claimed: 2011-11-27 - Assignees: Hologic, Inc. - Applicants: Hologic, Inc. - Inventors: Kevin Kreeger; Andrew P. Smith; Ashwini Kshirsagar; Jun Ge; Xiangwei Zhang; Haili Chui; Christopher Ruth; Yiheng Zhang; Liyang Wei; Jay Stein - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12183309B2 ## CPC - G09G 5/377: for mixing or overlaying two or more graphic patterns (G09G5/02, G09G5/397 take precedence) - A61B 6/025: {Tomosynthesis} - A61B 6/502: {for diagnosis of breast, i.e. mammography} - A61B 6/5205: {involving processing of raw data to produce diagnostic data} - A61B 6/5235: {combining images from the same or different ionising radiation imaging techniques, e.g. PET and CT} - A61B 6/5241: {combining overlapping images of the same imaging modality, e.g. by stitching} - G06T 7/30: Determination of transform parameters for the alignment of images, i.e. image registration - G06T 12/20: Inverse problem, i.e. transformations from projection space into object space - G06T 12/30: Image post-processing, e.g. metal artefact correction - G06T 2207/10081: Computed x-ray tomography [CT] - G06T 2207/20221: Image fusion; Image merging - G06T 2207/30068: Mammography; Breast - G06T 2211/436: Limited angle - G09G: ARRANGEMENTS OR CIRCUITS FOR CONTROL OF INDICATING DEVICES USING STATIC MEANS TO PRESENT VARIABLE INFORMATION (arrangements for transferring data between digital computers and displays G06F3/14; static indicating arrangements comprising an association of a number of separate sources or light control cells G09F9/00; static indicating arrangements comprising integral associations of a number of light sources H01J, H01K, H10H, H05B33/12; scanning, transmission or reproduction of documents or the like, e.g. facsimile transmission, details thereof H04N1/00) - A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D) - G06T: IMAGE DATA PROCESSING OR GENERATION, IN GENERAL ## Abstract The invention includes a method including the steps of obtaining a plurality of images, each of the images in the plurality having at least one corresponding region, generating a merged image, the merged image also having the corresponding region. The step of generating includes selecting an image source from the plurality of images to source image data for the corresponding region in the merged image by comparing attributes of the corresponding regions of the plurality of images to identify the image source having preferred attributes. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for processing breast image data, the breast image data comprising one or more reconstruction images Tr generated from a plurality of projection images Tp of a breast, the method comprising: comparing the reconstruction images Tr in the one or more reconstruction images Tr to one another at pixel or multi-pixel granularities; defining, in each of the reconstruction images Tr in the one or more reconstruction images Tr, boundaries for one or more corresponding regions using the comparing; generating, from the reconstruction images Tr, a synthesized 2D mammography image of an entire thickness of the breast, wherein the synthesized 2D mammography image contains the one or more corresponding regions and is generated by selecting a source image from the plurality of reconstruction images Tr to source image data for each corresponding region in the synthesized 2D mammography image using the comparing and the boundaries; displaying the synthesized 2D mammography image of the entire thickness of the breast; receiving, in the displayed synthesized 2D mammography image of the entire thickness of the breast, a selection of the corresponding region; and displaying the reconstruction images Tr used to source the image data of the selection. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the boundaries define arbitrary shapes. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the boundaries for the one or more corresponding regions are identified according to detection of a feature within the reconstruction images Tr. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, wherein the boundaries define a contour of the feature. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, further comprising applying a computer assisted detection (CAD) algorithm to the reconstruction images Tr to detect the feature. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, further comprising assigning a weight to each pixel or each region based on the detected feature. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein a highest weight is assigned to a most relevant feature in each corresponding region. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein comparing the reconstruction images Tr in the one or more reconstruction images Tr to one another at pixel or multi-pixel granularities comprises identifying for each pixel or multi-pixel the projection image with one of a highest pixel value, a lowest pixel value, or a pixel or multi-pixel which has been assigned a threshold value or weight based on application of a CAD algorithm. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising comparing each of the one or more corresponding regions, wherein generating the synthesized 2D mammography image by selecting the source image from the one or more reconstruction images Tr to source image data for the corresponding region in the synthesized 2D mammography image uses the comparing of the each of the one or more corresponding regions. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, further comprising assigning a weight to each of the corresponding regions using the boundaries and the comparing of the each of the one or more corresponding regions. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising identifying features within the respective corresponding region of each of the reconstruction images Tr. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein identifying features within the respective corresponding region of each of the reconstruction images Tr comprises comparing attributes of the corresponding regions of the plurality of images to identify the image source having preferred attributes. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, further comprising assigning a weight to the respective corresponding region of each reconstruction images Tr based on the identified features. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising generating a synthesized 2D reconstructed image slab of the breast, the synthesized 2D reconstructed image slab also having the corresponding region. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, further comprising displaying the synthesized 2D reconstructed image slab based on the selection. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein the synthesized 2D reconstructed image slab is generated by selecting a source image from the one or more reconstruction images Tr to source image data for the corresponding region in the synthesized 2D mammography image using the comparing. ### Claim 17 A workstation for reviewing breast image data, the breast image data comprising one or more reconstruction images Tr generated from a plurality of projection images Tp of a breast, the workstation comprising: a processor; a display operatively coupled with the processor; and an interface operatively coupled with the processor, wherein the processor and interface are configured to selectively cause the processor to: compare the reconstruction images Tr in the one or more reconstruction images Tr to one another at pixel or multi-pixel granularities; define, in each of the reconstruction images Tr in the one or more reconstruction images Tr, boundaries for one or more corresponding regions using the comparing; generate, from the reconstruction images Tr, a synthesized 2D mammography image of an entire thickness of the breast, wherein the synthesized 2D mammography image of the entire thickness of the breast contains the one or more corresponding regions and is generated by selecting a source image from the one or more reconstruction images Tr to source image data for each corresponding region in the synthesized 2D mammography image using the comparing; display the synthesized 2D mammography image of the entire thickness of the breast; receive, in the displayed synthesized 2D mammography image of the entire thickness of the breast, a selection of the corresponding region; and display the reconstruction images Tr used to source the image data of the selection. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The workstation of claim 17, wherein the boundaries for the one or more corresponding regions are identified according to the detection of a feature within the reconstruction images Tr. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The workstation of claim 18, wherein the boundaries define a contour of the feature. ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) The workstation of claim 18, further comprising assigning a weight to each pixel or each region based on the detected feature.