# US 8,542,900 B2 · Automatic reduction of interfering elements from an image stream of a moving organ

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- Number: US 8,542,900 B2
- Document ID: US8542900B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 12/649,960
- Filed: 2009-12-30
- Published: 2010-07-08
- Granted: 2013-09-24
- Earliest claimed: 2008-11-18
- Assignees: Sync-Rx, Ltd.
- Applicants: David Tolkowsky; Ran Cohen; Alexander Steinberg; Sagiv Philipp; Eldad Klaiman
- Inventors: David Tolkowsky; Ran Cohen; Alexander Steinberg; Sagiv Philipp; Eldad Klaiman
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8542900B2

## CPC

- A61B 6/12: Arrangements for detecting or locating foreign bodies
- A61B 5/0044: {for the heart}
- A61B 6/469: {for selecting a region of interest [ROI]}
- A61B 6/481: {involving the use of contrast agents}
- A61B 6/501: {for diagnosis of the head, e.g. neuroimaging or craniography}
- A61B 6/504: {for diagnosis of blood vessels, e.g. by angiography}
- A61B 6/5217: {extracting a diagnostic or physiological parameter from medical diagnostic data}
- A61B 6/541: {involving acquisition triggered by a physiological signal}
- A61B 17/12036: {partial occlusion}
- A61B 17/1204: {temporary occlusion}
- A61B 17/12136: {Balloons}
- A61B 34/10: Computer-aided planning, simulation or modelling of surgical operations
- A61B 34/20: Surgical navigation systems; Devices for tracking or guiding surgical instruments, e.g. for frameless stereotaxis
- G06T 7/0012: {Biomedical image inspection}
- G06T 7/0014: {using an image reference approach}
- G06T 7/13: Edge detection
- G06T 7/246: using feature-based methods, e.g. the tracking of corners or segments
- G06T 7/62: of area, perimeter, diameter or volume
- G06T 11/60: Creating or editing images; Combining images with text
- G06V 40/103: {Static body considered as a whole, e.g. static pedestrian or occupant recognition}
- G16H 50/30: for calculating health indices; for individual health risk assessment
- A61B 5/7285: {for synchronizing or triggering a physiological measurement or image acquisition with a physiological event or waveform, e.g. an ECG signal}
- A61B 5/7289: {Retrospective gating, i.e. associating measured signals or images with a physiological event after the actual measurement or image acquisition, e.g. by simultaneously recording an additional physiological signal during the measurement or image acquisition}
- A61B 6/503: {for diagnosis of the heart}
- A61B 6/5247: {combining images from an ionising-radiation diagnostic technique and a non-ionising radiation diagnostic technique, e.g. X-ray and ultrasound}
- A61B 8/0883: {for diagnosis of the heart}
- A61B 8/0891: {for diagnosis of blood vessels}
- A61B 8/543: {involving acquisition triggered by a physiological signal}
- A61B 18/02: by cooling, e.g. cryogenic techniques
- A61B 18/1492: {having a flexible, catheter-like structure, e.g. for heart ablation (A61B18/1477 takes precedence)}
- A61B 18/24: with a catheter (A61B18/26, A61B18/28 take precedence)
- A61B 34/25: {User interfaces for surgical systems}
- A61B 2017/00252: {for by-pass connections, i.e. connections from heart chamber to blood vessel or from blood vessel to blood vessel}
- A61B 2017/00694: {with means correcting for movement of or for synchronisation with the body}
- A61B 2017/00703: {correcting for movement of heart, e.g. ECG-triggered}
- A61B 2017/1205: {Introduction devices}
- A61B 2017/22044: {with a pointed tip}
- A61B 2017/22094: {for crossing total occlusions, i.e. piercing}
- A61B 2034/105: {Modelling of the patient, e.g. for ligaments or bones}
- A61B 2034/107: {Visualisation of planned trajectories or target regions}
- A61B 2034/254: {being adapted depending on the stage of the surgical procedure}
- A61B 2090/365: {augmented reality, i.e. correlating a live optical image with another image}
- A61F 2/958: Inflatable balloons for placing stents or stent-grafts
- G06T 2207/10121: Fluoroscopy
- G06T 2207/30048: Heart; Cardiac
- G06T 2207/30101: Blood vessel; Artery; Vein; Vascular
- G06V 2201/034: of medical instruments
- A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D)
- G06T: IMAGE DATA PROCESSING OR GENERATION, IN GENERAL
- G06V: IMAGE OR VIDEO RECOGNITION OR UNDERSTANDING
- G16H: HEALTHCARE INFORMATICS, i.e. INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR THE HANDLING OR PROCESSING OF MEDICAL OR HEALTHCARE DATA
- A61F: FILTERS IMPLANTABLE INTO BLOOD VESSELS; PROSTHESES; DEVICES PROVIDING PATENCY TO, OR PREVENTING COLLAPSING OF, TUBULAR STRUCTURES OF THE BODY, e.g. STENTS; ORTHOPAEDIC, NURSING OR CONTRACEPTIVE DEVICES; FOMENTATION; TREATMENT OR PROTECTION OF EYES OR EARS; BANDAGES, DRESSINGS OR ABSORBENT PADS; FIRST-AID KITS (dental prosthetics A61C)

## Abstract

Apparatus and methods are described for imaging a portion of a body of a subject that undergoes a motion cycle. A plurality of image frames of the portion are acquired. The image frames are enhanced with respect to a first given feature of the image frames, by (a) image tracking the image frames with respect to the first given feature, (b) identifying a second given feature in each of the image frames, and (c) in response to the identifying, reducing visibility of the second given feature in the image frames. The image frames that (a) have been image tracked with respect to the first given feature, and (b) have had reduced therein the visibility of the second given feature, are displayed as a stream of image frames. Other embodiments are also described.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for imaging a portion of a body of a subject that undergoes a motion cycle, the method comprising:
acquiring a plurality of image frames of the portion of the subject's body; and
enhancing the image frames with respect to a first given feature of the image frames, by:
image tracking the image frames with respect to the first given feature; identifying a second given feature in each of the image frames;
in response to the identifying, reducing visibility of the second given feature in the image frames; and
displaying, as a stream of image frames, the image frames that (a) have been image tracked with respect to the first given feature, and (b) have had reduced therein the visibility of the second given feature, wherein as a result of the motion cycle of the portion of the subject's body, the first given feature moves by an amount that is different from an amount of movement of the second given feature as a result of the motion cycle of the portion of the subject's body, and wherein identifying the second feature comprises identifying the second feature using a filter selected from the group consisting of a spatial filter and a temporal filter.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein reducing the visibility of the second feature comprises reducing the visibility by a reduction factor that is a function of a distance of the second feature from the first feature.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein reducing visibility of the second given feature comprises eliminating visibility of the second given feature.

### Claim 4

Apparatus for use with a portion of a body of a subject that undergoes a motion cycle, the apparatus comprising:
an image-acquisition device configured to acquire a plurality of image frames of the portion of the subject's body;
a display; and
at least one processor configured to enhance the image frames with respect to a first given feature of the image frames, the processor comprising:
image-tracking functionality configured to image track the image frames with respect to the first given feature;
feature-identifying functionality configured to identify a second given feature in each of the image frames;
image-processing functionality configured, in response to the identifying, to reduce visibility of the second given feature in the image frames; and
display-driving functionality configured to drive the display to display, as a stream of image frames, the image frames that (a) have been image tracked with respect to the first given feature, and (b) have had reduced therein the visibility of the second given feature, wherein as a result of the motion cycle of the portion of the subject's body, the first given feature moves by an amount that is different from an amount of movement of the second given feature as a result of the motion cycle of the portion of the subject's body, and wherein the feature-identifying functionality is configured to identify the second feature using a filter selected from the group consisting of a spatial filter and a temporal filter.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the image-processing functionality is configured to reduce visibility of the second given feature by a reduction factor that is a function of a distance of the second feature from the first feature.

### Claim 6 (depends on 4)

The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the image-processing functionality is configured to eliminate visibility of the second given feature.

### Claim 7

A method for imaging a portion of a body of a subject that undergoes a motion cycle, the method comprising:
acquiring a plurality of image frames of the portion of the subject's body;
reducing visibility of a given feature within the image frames by masking the given feature in each of the image frames; and
displaying, as a stream of image frames, the image frames in which the given feature has reduced visibility, wherein:
acquiring the plurality of image frames comprises gating the image frames with respect to a given phase of the motion cycle,
masking the given feature in each of the image frames comprises generating a mask based on an image frame that is gated with respect to the given phase of the motion cycle, and applying the mask to the gated image frames, and
displaying the image frames comprises displaying the gated, masked image frames.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The method according to claim 7, wherein:
masking the given feature in each of the image frames comprises generating a plurality of masks, respective masks corresponding to given phases of the motion cycle, and
applying the mask to the image frames comprises applying to frames of the image stream that were acquired during respective phases of the motion cycle, a corresponding mask.

### Claim 9 (depends on 7)

The method according to claim 7, wherein reducing the visibility of the given feature comprises reducing the visibility in each of the image frames by a reduction factor that is a function of a distance of the given feature from a given portion of the image frame.

### Claim 10

Apparatus for use with a portion of a body of a subject that undergoes a motion cycle, the apparatus comprising:
an image acquisition device configured to acquire a plurality of image frames of the portion of the subject's body; a display; and at least one processor comprising:
image-receiving functionality configured to receive the image frames into the processor,
and masking functionality that is configured to reduce visibility of a given feature within the image frames by masking the given feature in each of the image frames; and
display-driving functionality configured to drive the display to display, as a stream of image frames, the image frames in which the given feature has reduced visibility, wherein:
the processor comprises gating functionality configured to gate the image frames with respect to a given phase of the motion cycle,
the masking functionality is configured to generate a mask based on an image frame that is gated with respect to the given phase of the motion cycle, and to apply the mask to the gated image frames, and
the display-driving functionality is configured to drive the display to display the gated, masked image frames.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the masking functionality is configured to:
generate a plurality of masks, respective masks corresponding to given phases of the motion cycle, and
apply to frames of the image stream that were acquired during respective phases of the motion cycle, a corresponding mask.

### Claim 12 (depends on 10)

The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the masking functionality is configured to reduce the visibility of the given feature in each of the image frames by a reduction factor that is a function of a distance of the given feature from a given portion of the image frame.