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AssigneeGE Medical Systems Global Technology Company, LLC
InventorsSarah K. Patch, Tejaswini Shubhachint, Graeme C. McKinnon, Sandhya Parameswaran, Joseph K. Maier
Estimating the term…
A method for processing digital images includes acquiring a phase difference image which includes one or more phase wraps, creating a modulated phase difference image from the phase difference image, comparing the modulated phase difference image to the phase difference image to locate areas in the phase difference image to be unwrapped, and unwrapping the phase difference image based on the areas located in the comparing step. The unwrapping step is performed by replacing wrapped pixels in the phase difference image with pixels in the modulated phase difference image plus an integer multiple of π. The integer multiplier is computed by comparing overlapping pixels in the image segments. This has a smoothing effect causing the wrapped pixels in the phase difference image to become unwrapped. As a result of this pixel replacement process, an image of improved quality and information content is produced compared with conventional methods.
A method for processing digital images, comprising:
A system for processing digital images, comprising:
A computer-readable medium including a computer program for processing digital images, said computer program including:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.
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Image enhancement or correction, e.g. subtraction or averaging techniques , e.g. improvement of signal-to-noise ratio and resolution: correction…
Compensation of inhomogeneities: using correction coil assemblies, e.g. active shimming
Correction of image distortions, e.g. due to magnetic field inhomogeneities: due to chemical shift effects
Correction of image distortions, e.g. due to magnetic field inhomogeneities: caused by a distortion of the main magnetic field B0, e.g. temporal…
Term end not estimated
1. Field of the Invention
This invention generally relates to processing images, and more particularly to a system and method for unwrapping a phase difference image in order to produce an image of improved quality and information content.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 1 is a flow diagram showing steps included in one embodiment of a method for processing digital images in accordance with the present invention.
FIGS. 2A-2D show various stages in the development of a masked phase difference image, where FIG. 2A shows an MR magnitude image, FIG. 2B shows an MR phase difference image, FIG. 2C shows a magnitude mask, and FIG. 2D shows a masked phase difference image.
FIG. 3 is a flow diagram showing additional steps included in the aforementioned embodiment of the method of the present invention.
The present invention is a system and method for processing digital images, and more specifically for unwrapping a phase difference image produced, for example, from two original images. The phase difference image may be any one of a magnetic resonance image, a computed tomography image, an ultrasound image, an X-ray image, an astronomy-related image, an image generated by a synthetic aperture radar system, or the image may be any type of other phase difference image which requires processing for information recovery. The invention is especially well suited to unwrapping images generated by an open MRI system, however the invention is not in any way intended to be limited in this manner.
Referring to FIG. 1, an embodiment of the method of the present invention includes as an initial step acquiring two phase images. (Block 1). The two phase images may be obtained using known techniques, which, for example, may include scanning a particular location of a patient's body with a medical imaging machine, scanning a particular area with a synthetic aperture radar, or using various other imaging systems.
A second step includes generating a phase difference image from the two phase images acquired in the initial step. (Block 2). The phase difference image may be measured as: