Back to results
US 2007/0183641 A1Published application
Method and apparatus for tomosynthesis projection imaging for detection of radiological signs
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorsGero L. Peters, Serge Muller, Sylvain Bernard, Razvan Iordache
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In a method and apparatus for image processing an algorithm is used to detect radiological signals in a series of 3D data. The algorithm indicates the position of a radiological signs in a digital volume by means of markers. The algorithm has the potential to distinguish automatically between malignant elements and benign elements. The algorithm comprises a fuzzy logic approach to explain the ambiguities in the image. The algorithm is applied directly to the radiography projection images.
Claims116
A method for the processing of images in a radiological apparatus comprising:
- making several radiography projection images of a body;
- reconstructing a 3D image of the body;
- locating in the 3D image, structures presumed to be representative of 3D radiological signs with an associated degree of confidence, and thus presumed 3D radiological signs are obtained;
- determining in each projection image, a set of 2D candidate particles corresponding to projections of the presumed 3D radiological signs;
- assigning, by means of a fuzzy logic description, to each of the candidate particles a degree of membership in each of a 2D membership classes of a set of membership classes, each membership class being relative to a type of radiological sign, each class being preliminarily determined;
- considering a 2D fuzzy particle being formed by the set of the 2D candidate particles and by their respective degrees of membership in a class;
- making an aggregate of the 2D fuzzy particles in each projection image in order to obtain 3D fuzzy particles in a digital volume;
- extracting attribute information for each 3D fuzzy particle;
- and
- from the set of pieces of attribute information obtained, determining a degree of confidence for each radiological sign.
7 more elements
A radiological apparatus comprising:
- means for providing a source of radiation;
- means for detecting radiation after passing through a body to be imaged;
- means for providing control logic for processing signals detected by the means for detection;
- a memory or microprocessor associated with the means for providing control logic, the memory or microprocessor being programmed to carry out the following:
- making several radiography projection images of the body;
- reconstructing a 3D image of the body;
- locating in the 3D image, structures presumed to be representative of 3D radiological signs with an associated degree of confidence, and thus presumed 3D radiological signs are obtained;
- determining in each projection image, a set of 2D candidate particles corresponding to projections of the presumed 3D radiological signs;
- assigning, by means of a fuzzy logic description, to each of the candidate particles a degree of membership in each of a 2D membership classes of a set of membership classes, each membership class being relative to a type of radiological sign, each class being preliminarily determined;
- considering a 2D fuzzy particle being formed by the set of the 2D candidate particles and by their respective degrees of membership in a class;
- making an aggregate of the 2D fuzzy particles in each projection image in order to obtain 3D fuzzy particles in a digital volume;
- extracting attribute information for each 3D fuzzy particle;
- and
- from the set of pieces of attribute information obtained, determining a degree of confidence for each radiological sign.
11 more elements
A mammography apparatus comprising:
- a source of X-ray radiation;
- a detector of the X-ray radiation after passing through a body organ to be imaged;
- a rotatable support for the source of radiation;
- a holder for the body organ;
- a pad for compressing the body organ;
- a control logic unit having a memory or microprocessor for processing signal detected by the detector;
- the memory or processor being programmed to carry out the following:
- making several radiography projection images of the body;
- reconstructing a 3D image of the body;
- locating in the 3D image, structures presumed to be representative of 3D radiological signs with an associated degree of confidence, and thus presumed 3D radiological signs are obtained;
- determining in each projection image, a set of 2D candidate particles corresponding to projections of the presumed 3D radiological signs;
- assigning, by means of a fuzzy logic description, to each of the candidate particles a degree of membership in each of a 2D membership classes of a set of membership classes, each membership class being relative to a type of radiological sign, each class being preliminarily determined;
- considering a 2D fuzzy particle being formed by the set of the 2D candidate particles and by their respective degrees of membership in a class;
- making an aggregate of the 2D fuzzy particles in each projection image in order to obtain 3D fuzzy particles in a digital volume;
- extracting attribute information for each 3D fuzzy particle;
- and
- from the set of pieces of attribute information obtained, determining a degree of confidence for each radiological sign.
14 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.