Image processing using measures of similarity
AssigneeMediSpectra, Inc.
InventorsHoward Kaufman, Philippe Schmid
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The invention provides methods of relating a plurality of images based on measures of similarity. The methods of the invention are useful in the segmentation of a sequence of colposcopic images of tissue, for example. The methods may be applied in the determination of tissue characteristics in acetowhitening testing of cervical tissue, for example.
Claims39
A method of relating a plurality of images of a tissue, said method comprising:
- obtaining a plurality of images of a tissue;
- determining a relationship between two or more regions in each of two or more of said images;
- segmenting at least a subset of said two or more images based at least in part on said relationship;
- and
- relating two or more images of said subset of images based at least in part on said segmenting.
A method of relating a plurality of images of a tissue, said method comprising:
- obtaining a plurality of images of a tissue;
- determining a measure of similarity between two or more regions in each of two or more of said images;
- and
- relating at least a subset of said two or more images based at least in part on said measure of similarity.
A method of determining a tissue characteristic, said method comprising:
- obtaining a plurality of images of a tissue;
- determining a relationship between two or more regions in each of two or more of said images;
- segmenting at least a subset of said two or more images based at least in part on said relationship;
- and
- determining a characteristic of said tissue based at least in part on said segmenting.
A method of determining a characteristic of a tissue comprising the steps of:
- (a) for each of a first plurality of reference sequences of images of tissue having a first known characteristic, quantifying one or more features of each of a plurality of mean signal intensity data series corresponding to segmented regions represented in said each of said first plurality of reference sequences of images;
- (b) for a test sequence of images, quantifying one or more features of each of one or more mean signal intensity data series corresponding to one or more segmented regions represented in said test sequence of images;
- and
- (c) determining a characteristic of a tissue represented in said test sequence of images based at least in part on a comparison between said one or more features quantified in step (a) and said one or more features quantified in step (b).
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.