Methods for color enhanced detection of bone density from ct images and methods for opportunistic screening using same

A computer system for opportunistic bone density screening using digital computed tomography (CT) image data, the computer system comprising:

• one or more processors;
• and
• one or more computer readable hardware storage devices, wherein the one or more computer readable hardware storage devices comprise computer executable instructions executable by at least one of the one or more processors to cause the computer system to perform at least the following:
• receive, at an image processor, digital CT image data obtained by a digital image capture device, wherein the digital CT image data comprises at least one medical image;
• process the digital CT image data with the image processor to obtain a straightened sagittal image of the midline spine such that processing the digiatal CT image comprises removing a spinal curvature by aligning vertebrae in a co-localized plane;
• identify an attenuation value for one or more pixels in the at least one medical image;
• provide a color palette comprising one or more colors, wherein the one or more colors are each related to a specific range of attenuation values, and wherein each specific range of attenuation values corresponds to one or more different bone density conditions;
• and
• map the selected color palette to the straightened thick slab sagittal image of the spine to screen for abnormal bone density conditions.

A computer system for opportunistic bone density screening, comprising:

• a receiver configured to receive one or more portions of computed tomography (CT) image data obtained during a CT scan of a clinical indication unrelated to bone density using an image capture device, the CT image data including an image of at least a portion of a patient's body comprising a bone;
• an image processor configured to process the CT image data to obtain a specified type of image relevant for that portion of the patient's body;
• an attenuation determining module executed at one or more processors configured to identify an attenuation value for one or more pixels in the processed image associated with the bone;
• a color palette provider configured to provide a color palette comprising one or more colors, wherein the one or more colors are each related to a specific range of attenuation values, and wherein each specific range of attenuation values corresponds to one or more different bone density conditions;
• and
• a mapping module executed at the one or more processors configured to map the provided color palette to the processed image according to the identified attenuation values to opportunistically screen for abnormal bone density conditions.