Method and apparatus for soft-tissue volume visualization
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorsGopal B. Avinash, John Michael Sabol, Matthew Joseph Walker
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method for obtaining data including scanning an object using a multi-energy computed tomography (MECT) system to obtain data to generate an anatomical image, and decomposing the obtained data to generate a first density image representative of bone material and a second density image representative of soft-tissue. The method further includes segmenting at least one of the first density image and the second density image, and volume rendering the second density image.
Claims20
A method for obtaining data, said method comprising:
- accessing multi-energy computed tomography (MECT) scanned image data for an object;
- decomposing the accessed data into a first density image representative of bone material and a second density image representative of soft-tissue;
- identifying, within the first density image, areas smaller than a predetermined size;
- extracting the identified areas within the first density image using an algorithm configured to use the connectivity of binary pixels;
- and
- displaying the obtained image data, the first density image, and the second density image on a display to facilitate radiation therapy planning and simulation calculations.
A multi-energy computed tomography (MECT) system for inspection of objects, said system comprising:
- at least one radiation source;
- at least one radiation detector;
- and
- a computer operationally coupled to said radiation source and said radiation detector, said computer configured to:
- receive scanned image data of an object scanned by said system;
- decompose said received image data into a first density image representative of a first material and a second density image representative of a second material;
- segment at least one of the first density image and the second density image;
- and
- volume render the second density image.
A method for obtaining data, said method comprising:
- accessing multi-energy computed tomography (MECT) scanned data of an object to generate a computed tomographic (CT) object image;
- decomposing the accessed data to generate a first CT density image representative of a first material and a second CT density image representative of a second material;
- segmenting at least one of the first CT density image and the second CT density image;
- and
- volume rendering the second CT density image.
A computer readable medium embedded with a program configured to instruct a computer to:
- receive data regarding a first energy spectrum of a scan of an object;
- receive data regarding a second energy spectrum of the scan of the object;
- decompose said received data to generate a first density image and a second density image;
- threshold said first density image to produce a first binary mask image;
- extract areas identified as smaller than a predetermined size from said first binary mask image to produce a second binary mask image;
- import data into said second density image from said received data according to said extracted areas of said first binary mask image;
- and
- generate data representative of an image.
A method for obtaining data, said method comprising:
- scanning an object using a multi-energy computed tomography (MECT) system to obtain data to generate an image;
- decomposing the obtained data to generate a first density image and a second density image;
- and
- volume rendering at least one of the first and second density image.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.