Colonography of an unprepared colon
AssigneeMayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research
InventorsC. Daniel Johnson, Judd E. Reed, Matthew R. Callstrom
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method for generating colonography images for colorectal screening of a patient. The patient is administered an amount of radiopaque stool marker which will enable stool present in the patient's colon to be distinguished from soft tissue. The patient's colon is imaged after the stool marker has been administered to generate colonography images. Preparation of the colon is simulated by processing the colonography images to remove marked stool before the images are observed during a diagnosis session.
Claims77
A method for generating colonography images of a patient's unprepared colon for colorectal screening, comprising:
- prescribing the administration of at least about 10 grams of stool marker in doses to the patient over at least a 48 hour administration period;
- with the patient free from administration of laxatives or cathartics for at least 24 hours, imaging the patient's colon after the administration period;
- and
- processing the colonography images to remove marked stool.
A method for generating colonography images of a patient's unprepared colon for colorectal screening, comprising:
- prescribing the administration of doses of barium stool marker to the patient over at least a 48 hour administration period;
- with the patient free from administration of laxatives or cathartics for at least 24 hours, imaging the patient's colon after the administration period and;
- processing the colonography images to remove marked stool, including:
- identifying the perimeter of marked stool;
- evaluating the nature of imaged substances adjacent to the perimeter of the marked stool;
- edge expanding the perimeter of marked stool as a function of the nature of the substances adjacent to the perimeter of the marked stool;
- identifying islands of unmarked stool surrounded by marked stool;
- and
- replacing identified islands of unmarked marked stool and identified marked stool, including the edge expanded perimeter, with representations of gas.
A method for generating colonography images of a patient's unprepared colon for colorectal screening, comprising:
- prescribing the administration of doses of stool marker to the patient over at least a 24 hour administration period, including at least 3 doses of stool marker less than about 7 hours before the end of the administration period;
- with the patient free from administration of laxatives or cathartics for at least 24 hours, imaging the patient's colon after the administration period and;
- processing the colonography images to remove marked stool.
A method for generating colonography images of a patient's unprepared colon for colorectal screening, comprising:
- prescribing the administration of doses of barium stool marker to the patient over at least a 24 hour administration period, including at least 3 doses of stool marker less than about 7 hours before the end of the administration period;
- with the patient free from administration of laxatives or cathartics for at least 24 hours, imaging the patient's colon after the administration period and;
- processing the colonography images to remove marked stool, including:
- identifying the perimeter of marked stool;
- evaluating the nature of imaged substances adjacent to the perimeter of the marked stool;
- edge expanding the perimeter of marked stool as a function of the nature of the substances adjacent to the perimeter of the marked stool;
- identifying islands of unmarked marked stool surrounded by marked stool;
- and
- replacing identified islands of unmarked stool and identified marked stool, including the edge expanded perimeter, with representations of gas.
A method for generating colonography images of a patient's unprepared colon for colorectal screening, comprising:
- prescribing the administration of doses of barium sulfate suspension stool marker to the patient over at least a 48 hour administration period, including at least 2 doses of stool marker less than about 6 hours before the end of the administration period, each dose including between about 0.8% and 1.5% barium sulfate;
- with the patient free from administration of laxatives or cathartics for at least 24 hours, imaging the patient's colon after the administration period and;
- processing the colonography images to remove marked stool, including:
- identifying the perimeter of marked stool;
- evaluating the nature of imaged substances adjacent to the perimeter of the marked stool;
- edge expanding the perimeter of marked stool as a function of the nature of the substances adjacent to the perimeter of the marked stool;
- identifying islands of unmarked marked stool surrounded by marked stool;
- and
- replacing identified islands of unmarked stool and identified marked stool, including the edge expanded perimeter, with representations of gas.
A method for prescribing the administration of stool marker to a patient in preparation for colonography, including prescribing the administration of the stool marker in pill form.
A method for generating colonography images of a patient's colon for colorectal screening, comprising:
- prescribing the administration of stool marker to a patient in pill form over at least a 24 hour administration period;
- processing the colonography images to remove marked stool, including:
- identifying the perimeter of marked stool;
- evaluating the nature of imaged substances adjacent to the perimeter of the marked stool;
- edge expanding the perimeter of marked stool as a function of the nature of the substances adjacent to the perimeter of the marked stool;
- and
- replacing identified marked stool, including the edge expanded perimeter, with representations of gas.
A method for generating colonography images of a patient's colon for colorectal screening, comprising:
- prescribing the administration of stool marker to a patient in pill form over at least a 48 hour administration period;
- processing the colonography images to remove marked stool, including:
- identifying the perimeter of marked stool;
- evaluating the nature of imaged substances adjacent to the perimeter of the marked stool;
- edge expanding the perimeter of marked stool as a function of the nature of the substances adjacent to the perimeter of the marked stool;
- and
- replacing identified marked stool, including the edge expanded perimeter, with representations of gas.
A method for electronically processing colonography images of patients that have been administered stool marker, including:
- identifying the perimeter of marked stool;
- evaluating the nature of substances adjacent to the perimeter of the marked stool;
- edge expanding the perimeter of the marked stool as a function of the nature of the substances adjacent to the perimeter of the marked stool;
- and
- replacing identified marked stool, including the edge expanded perimeter, with representations of gas.
A method for electronically processing colonography images of patients that have been administered stool marker, including:
- identifying the perimeter of marked stool;
- evaluating the nature of substances adjacent to the perimeter of the marked stool;
- edge expanding the perimeter of the marked stool if it is determined that the perimeter of the marked stool is adjacent to gas;
- and
- replacing identified marked stool, including the edge expanded perimeter, with representations of gas.
A method for electronically processing colonography images of patients that have been administered stool marker, including:
- identifying the perimeter of marked stool;
- identifying islands of substances surrounded by marked stool;
- replacing the marked stool and identified islands of substances with representations of gas.
A method for electronically processing colonography images of patients that have been administered stool marker, including:
- identifying the perimeter of marked stool;
- evaluating the nature of substances adjacent to the perimeter of the marked stool;
- edge expanding the perimeter of the marked stool as a function of the nature of the substances adjacent to the perimeter of the marked stool;
- identifying islands of unmarked substances surrounded by the marked stool;
- and
- replacing identified islands of unmarked substances and identified marked stool, including the edge expanded perimeter, with representations of gas.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.