Pulmonary nodule detection using cartwheel projection analysis
AssigneeSiemens Corporate Research, Inc.
InventorsLi Fan, Jianzhong Qian, Guo-Qing Wei
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method for automatic detection of lung nodules in high-resolution multi-slice CT images by using cartwheel projection analysis is disclosed. The projection analysis employs weighted area curves obtained from a series of 2-dimensional cutting planes rotated around a defined axis in the volume of interest. Nodules are detected if the shape analysis of the weighted area curves meets a set of test-criteria.
Claims19
A method for detecting lung nodules using cartwheel projection analysis of an object of interest in a set of volumetric image data, comprising the steps of:
- creating a set of cartwheel projection image slices by applying cartwheel projection centered at the object of interest in the set of axial image slices comprising the volumetric image data;
- analyzing a subset of the cartwheel projection image slices to determine whether characteristics of a lung nodule are indicated;
- and
- identifying the object of interest as being a lung nodule if it is determined that the characteristics of a lung nodule are indicated.
A program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable on the machine to perform method steps for detecting lung nodules using cartwheel projection analysis of an object of interest in a set of volumetric image data, the method steps comprising:
- creating a set of cartwheel projection image slices by applying cartwheel projection centered at the object of interest in the set of volumetric image data;
- analyzing a subset of the cartwheel projection image slices to determine whether characteristics of a lung nodule are indicated;
- and
- identifying the object of interest as being a lung nodule if it is determined that the characteristics of a lung nodule are indicated.
A lung nodule detecting apparatus for assisting in a diagnosis of lung cancer, comprising:
- an input unit for obtaining a set of cartwheel projection image slices associated with an object of interest;
- an analyzer for performing cartwheel projection analysis on the set of cartwheel projection image slices;
- and
- an output unit for identifying whether the object of interest is a lung nodule.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.