# US 9,436,869 B2 · Method and apparatus for acquiring nerve fiber structure information of object by using MRI system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,436,869 B2 - Document ID: US9436869B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/033,627 - Filed: 2013-09-23 - Published: 2014-08-21 - Granted: 2016-09-06 - Earliest claimed: 2013-02-20 - Assignees: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.; Industry-University Cooperation Foundation Hanyang University - Applicants: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.; Industry-University Cooperation Foundation Hanyang University - Inventors: Hei-soog Kim; Jong-min Lee; Hun-ki Kwon; Hyug-rae Cho - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9436869B2 ## CPC - G06V 20/64: Three-dimensional [3D] objects - G06T 7/11: Region-based segmentation - G06T 2200/04: involving 3D image data - G06T 2207/10092: Diffusion tensor magnetic resonance imaging [DTI] - G06T 2207/30016: Brain - G06V: IMAGE OR VIDEO RECOGNITION OR UNDERSTANDING - G06T: IMAGE DATA PROCESSING OR GENERATION, IN GENERAL ## Abstract A method of obtaining fiber structure information of a nerve fiber in an object by using an MRI system includes: obtaining image information of voxels of the object; setting a tracking start area including at least one voxel of the object; setting at least one voxel adjacent to the tracking start area as a tracking processing area; determining a similarity between image information of a voxel included in the set tracking processing area and a voxel included in the tracking start area; and obtaining the fiber structure information according to the determined similarity. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of obtaining fiber structure information of a nerve fiber in an object, the method comprising: obtaining image information of voxels of the object; setting a tracking start area including one or more of first voxels; setting a tracking processing area to include one or more of second voxels, which are adjacent to the tracking start area, based on a criteria; determining similarity between image information of the second voxels and the first voxels; and obtaining the fiber structure information according to the determined similarity, wherein the similarity comprises diffusion direction similarity between diffusion directions of the first voxels and the second voxels, and the fiber structure information is obtained according to a first diffusion time obtained based on the diffusion direction similarity, the first diffusion time including a time of a substance diffusing from the first voxels to the second voxels. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the obtaining the image information comprises obtaining diffusion direction information from diffusion tensor image (DTI) of the object. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the criteria comprises a first diffusion direction which substantially coincides with a diffusion directivity of the tracking start area, and the setting the tracking processing area comprises setting the tracking processing area to include the second voxels which have second diffusion directions located along the first diffusion direction. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, wherein the criteria further comprises a range of angles between the first diffusion direction and the second diffusion directions of the second voxels. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the determining the similarity comprises: obtaining the diffusion direction similarity between the diffusion directions of the first voxels and the second voxels, as a scalar value; and obtaining the first diffusion time as an inverse value of the scalar value. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, wherein the obtaining the fiber structure information comprises: resetting the tracking start area to include at least one of the second voxels whose the diffusion direction similarity is determined; resetting the tracking processing area to include a third voxel, which is adjacent to the reset tracking start area; determining diffusion direction similarity between diffusion directions of the third voxel and the at least one of the second voxels; acquiring a second diffusion time based on the diffusion direction similarity determined in regard to the reset tracking start area; accumulating the first diffusion time and the second diffusion time; and acquiring a total diffusion time by mapping the accumulated time to the third voxel, wherein the total diffusion time comprises a time of a substance diffusing from the first voxels of the tracking start area to the third voxel. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein the fiber structure information is obtained as a path for which the total diffusion time indicating the time of the substance diffusing from the first voxels of the tracking start area to each of the second and the third voxels is the smallest. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the similarity is weighted by using at least one of white matter probability information and a fractional anisotropy (FA) value of the object, and is expressed as a scalar value. ### Claim 9 An apparatus for acquiring fiber structure information of a nerve fiber in an object, the apparatus comprising: one or more processors configured to: obtain image information of voxels of the object; set a tracking start area including one or more of first voxels; set a tracking processing area to include one or more of second voxels, which are adjacent to the tracking start area, based on a criteria; determine similarity between image information of the second voxels and the first voxels; and obtain the fiber structure information according to the determined similarity, wherein the similarity comprises diffusion direction similarity between diffusion directions of the first voxels and the second voxels, and the fiber structure information is obtained according to a first diffusion time obtained based on the diffusion direction similarity, the first diffusion time including a time of a substance diffusing from the first voxels to the second voxels. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the obtained image information includes diffusion direction information that is obtained from a diffusion tensor image (DTI) of the object. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the criteria comprises a first diffusion direction which substantially coincides with a diffusion directivity of the tracking start area, and the one or more processors are configured to set the tracking processing area to include the second voxels which have second diffusion directions located along the first diffusion direction. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the criteria further comprises a range of angles between the first diffusion direction and the second diffusion directions of the second voxels. ### Claim 13 (depends on 9) The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to: obtain the diffusion direction similarity between the diffusion directions of the first voxels and the second voxels, as a scalar value; and obtain the first diffusion time as an inverse value of the scalar value. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to: reset the tracking start area to include at least one of the second voxels whose the diffusion direction similarity is determined; reset the tracking processing area to include a third voxel, which is adjacent to the reset tracking start area; determine diffusion direction similarity between diffusion directions of the third voxel and the at least one of the second voxels; obtain a second diffusion time based on the diffusion direction similarity determined in regard to the reset tracking start area; accumulate the first diffusion time and the second diffusion time; and map the accumulated diffusion time to the third voxel. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to extract a path for which the accumulated diffusion time indicating the time of the substance diffusing from the first voxels of the tracking start area to each of the second and the third voxels is the smallest. ### Claim 16 (depends on 9) The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the similarity is weighted by using at least one of white matter probability information and a fractional anisotropy (FA) value of the object, and is expressed as a scalar value. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium having recorded thereon a program which, when executed by a computer, causes the computer to execute the method of claim 1. ### Claim 18 A method of obtaining fiber structure information of a nerve fiber in an object, the method comprising: obtaining image information of voxels of the object; determining similarity between a reference voxel and one or more of adjacent voxels adjacent to the reference voxel; and obtaining fiber structure information according to the determined similarity, wherein the similarity is weighted by using at least one of white matter probability information and a fractional anisotropy (FA) value of the object, and is expressed as a scalar value, and the similarity comprises diffusion direction similarity between diffusion directions of the reference voxel and the adjacent voxels, and the fiber structure information is obtained according to a diffusion time obtained based on the diffusion direction similarity, the diffusion time including a time of a substance diffusing from the reference voxel to the one of the adjacent voxels. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The method of claim 18, wherein the obtained image information comprises diffusion direction information obtained from diffusion tensor image (DTI) of the object. ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) The method of claim 18, wherein the determining the similarity comprises: obtaining the diffusion direction similarity between the diffusion directions of the reference voxel and the adjacent voxels, as a scalar value; and obtaining a diffusion time as an inverse value of the scalar value, wherein the diffusion time comprises a time of a substance diffusing from the reference voxel to the one of the adjacent voxels. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The method of claim 20, further comprising obtaining diffusion times from the reference voxel to each of the adjacent voxels, wherein the fiber structure information is obtained as a path for which an accumulated diffusion time indicating the time of the substance diffusing from the reference voxel to the each of the adjacent voxels is the smallest, by using the obtained diffusion time from the reference voxel to the each of the adjacent voxels. ### Claim 22 An apparatus for acquiring fiber structure information of a nerve fiber in an object, the apparatus comprising: one or more processors configured to: obtain image information of voxels of the object; determine similarity between a reference voxel and one or more adjacent voxels adjacent to the reference voxel; and obtain the fiber structure information according to the determined similarity, wherein the similarity is weighted by using at least one of white matter probability information and a fractional anisotropy (FA) value of the object and is obtained as a scalar value, and the similarity comprises diffusion direction similarity between diffusion directions of the reference voxel and the adjacent voxels, and the fiber structure information is obtained according to a diffusion time obtained based on the diffusion direction similarity, the diffusion time including a time of a substance diffusing from the reference voxel to the one of the adjacent voxels. ### Claim 23 (depends on 22) The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the obtained image information comprises diffusion direction information that is obtained from diffusion tensor image (DTI) of the object. ### Claim 24 (depends on 22) The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to: obtain the diffusion direction similarity between the diffusion directions of the reference voxel and the adjacent voxels, as a scalar value; and obtain the diffusion time, as an inverse value of the scalar value. ### Claim 25 (depends on 24) The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to obtain diffusion times from the reference voxel to each of the adjacent voxels, and the fiber structure information is obtained as a path for which an accumulated diffusion time indicating the time of the substance diffusing from the reference voxel to the each of the adjacent voxels is the smallest, by using the obtained diffusion time from the reference voxel to the each of the adjacent voxels.