Method for segmenting features in an image

The method as recited in claim I wherein each element in the X images corresponds to an amount of space in the object;

• and further comprises:
• separately multiplying the amount of space by each fractional quantity of the first feature determined at step (g) to produce a plurality of fractional measurements;
• and
• summing the plurality of fractional measurements to produce a total space measurement for the first feature.

A method for generating an image of an patient, steps of which comprise:

• (a) transmitting electromagnetic radiation toward the patient;
• (b) detecting electromagnetic radiation carrying image information from the patient;
• (c) forming a first image and a second image from detected radiation wherein each of the first and second images is a two dimensional array of image elements;
• (d) creating a two dimensional feature space histogram of intensity levels of the image elements in the first and second images;
• (e) locating a first centroid for a first tissue type in the feature space histogram;
• (f) locating a second centroid for a second tissue type in the feature space histogram;
• (g) defining a Cartesian coordinate system in the feature space histogram wherein the Cartesian coordinate system has an origin at one of the first and second centroids and has one axis that passes through the first and second centroids;
• (h) for a given image element in the first image, projecting an associated point in the feature space histogram onto a point on the one axis;
• (i) determining from the point on the one axis a fractional quantity of the first type of tissue in the given image element;
• (j) setting a value of an element in a first tissue image to the fractional quantity of the first type of tissue;
• (k) repeating steps (h) through (j) for a plurality of image elements in the first image;
• and
• (l) displaying the first tissue image.

A method for generating an image of a patient, steps of which comprise:

• (a) detecting electromagnetic radiation carrying image information from the patient;
• (b) forming a first image and a second image from detected radiation wherein each of the first and second images is a two dimensional array of image elements;
• (c) creating a two-dimensional feature space histogram of intensity levels of the image elements in the first and second images;
• (d) locating first, second and third centroids in the feature space histogram which centroids respectively correspond to first, second and third features in the first and second images;
• (e) defining a first Cartesian coordinate system in the feature space histogram wherein one axis of the first Cartesian coordinate system passes through the first and second centroids;
• (f) decomposing a vector that defines the location for a given image element in one of the plurality of images into a first component vector along the one axis;
• (g) determining from the first component vector, a first fractional amount of the first feature in the given image element, and a second fractional amount of the second feature in the given image element;
• (h) storing the first and second fractional amounts in a memory device;
• (i) repeating steps (f) through (h) for a plurality of image elements in the one image;
• and
• (j) defining a second Cartesian coordinate system in the feature space histogram wherein one axis of the second Cartesian coordinate system passes through the first and third centroids;
• (k) decomposing a vector that defines the location for a given image element in one of the plurality of images into a second component vector along the one axis of the second Cartesian coordinate system;
• (l) determining from the second component vector, a third fractional amount of the first feature in the given image element, and a fourth fractional amount of the third feature in the given image element;
• (m) storing the third and fourth fractional amounts in a memory device;
• (n) repeating steps (k) through (m) for a plurality of image elements in the first image;
• (o) from first, second, third and fourth fractional amounts for each of a plurality of image elements in the first image, deriving fractional quantities for the first, second, and third features in each a plurality of image elements;
• and
• (p) utilizing the fractional quantities derived in step (o) to produce a measurement of a physical parameter of one of the first, second, and third features.