US 7,280,683 B2 · Method, code, and system for assaying joint deformity

Abstract

A method, machine-readable storage medium embodying computer-readable code and automated system for assaying or monitoring the extent of joint or bone deformity reported by a summarized score that may include joint space narrowing, bone erosion and periarticular osteoporosis in a joint-degenerative or joint-damaging disease in a subject are disclosed. From a digitized image of one of the subject's straight bone terminated with a joint such as fingers, coordinates of right and left bone contours of a selected middle or proximal phalange are determined, and these coordinates are in turn used to determine the coordinates of a minimum width in the middle region of the phalange and one or more apices in a region adjacent at least one side of a joint of the selected phalange. These latter coordinates are used in selecting a reference joint contour representing normal-bone contour for that phalange, or the contour of the patient phalange from an earlier x-ray image. Guided by the reference joint contour, a region of the selected joint of the patient is analyzed to assay or monitor the extent of joint or bone deformity in the subject.

Claims27

Dependent claims

An automated method of assaying or monitoring the extent of joint or bone deformity in a joint-degenerative or joint-damaging disease in a subject, comprising the steps of

(a) determining from a digitized x-ray image of a patient's selected straight bone that terminates at a joint, coordinates of at least one of the right and left bone contours of a selected bone,
(b) determining from bone contour coordinates determined in step (a), the coordinates of one or more apices in a region adjacent at least one side of the joint formed by the selected bone, and, optionally, the coordinates of a minimum width in the middle region of the bone,
(c) using the coordinates determined in step (b) for selecting a reference joint contour corresponding to one of (i) the contours of confronting joint portions of adjacent straight bones in a normal joint formed by the selected bone;
(ii) the contour of a normal joint in a joint region formed by the selected bone;
and (iii) the contour from previous x-ray of the subject's bone in the region of the joint, and
(d) guided by the reference joint contour selected in step (c), analyzing a region of the selected joint of the patient, to assay or monitor the extent of bone or joint deformity in the subject.

3 more elements

A machine readable storage medium embodying computer-readable code which is operable, when used to control the operation of an electronic computer, to assay or monitor the extent of joint or bone deformity in a joint-degenerative or joint-damaging disease in a subject, by the steps of

(a) determining from a digitized x-ray image of a patient's selected straight bone that terminates at a joint, coordinates of at least one of the right and left bone contours of a selected bone,
(b) determining from bone contour coordinates determined in step (a), the coordinates of one or more apices in a region adjacent at least one side of the joint formed by the selected bone, and, optionally, the coordinates of a minimum width in the middle region of the bone,
(c) using the coordinates determined in step (b) for selecting a reference joint contour corresponding to one of (i) the contours of confronting joint portions of adjacent straight bones in a normal joint formed by the selected bone;
(ii) the contour of a normal joint in a region adjacent at least one side of the joint formed by the selected bone, and (iii) the contour of the subject's joint in a region adjacent at least one side of the joint formed by the selected bone, and
(d) guided by the reference joint contour selected in step (c), analyzing a region of the selected joint of the patient, to assay or monitor the extent of joint or bone deformity in the subject.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Method, code, and system for assaying joint deformity

Life of this patent

Method, code, and system for assaying joint deformity

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims27