Digital data registration and differencing compression system

Claim 1

A method for the processing of digital imagery data, comprising the steps of: modeling a two-dimensional subject image into a three-dimensional model in digital electronic form to provide a modeled subject image, said subject image being data produced in a two-dimensional field by a digital data collection system; providing a relatively unrelated standard reference image in digital electronic form modeled into said three-dimensional model in digital electronic form to provide a modeled reference image, said relatively unrelated standard reference image being adapted for correlation with subject images originating from more than one image source; performing registration of said modeled subject image with said modeled reference image to translationally correlate said images in spatial and spectral dimensions; differencing said modeled reference image and said modeled subject image to retain the differences between said images; transmitting the differences between said images to a predetermined receiving station for processing and/or storage thereat, wherein the differences between said images can be subsequently processed or recalled for addition to a duplicate of said relatively unrelated standard reference image to achieve an approximation of said original subject image.

Claim 2

A method for the processing of digital imagery data, comprising the steps of: modeling a two-dimensional subject image into a three-dimensional model in digital electronic form to provide a modeled subject image, said subject image being data produced in a two-dimensional field by a digital data collection system; providing a relatively unrelated standard reference image in digital electronic form modeled into said three-dimensional model in digital electronic form to provide a modeled reference image, said relatively unrelated standard reference image being adapted for correlation with subject images originating from more than one image source; performing registration of said modeled subject image with said modeled reference image to translationally correlate said images in spatial and spectral dimensions; differencing said modeled reference image and said modeled subject image to retain the differences between said images; transmitting the differences between said images to a predetermined receiving station for processing and/or storage thereat, wherein the differences between said images can be subsequently processed or recalled for addition to a duplicate of said relatively unrelated standard reference image to achieve an approximation of said original subject image.

Claim 11

A method for compression of radiographic imagery, said method comprising: modeling a two-dimensional subject X-ray into a three-dimensional model in digital electronic form representative of a particular element contained in said subject x-ray, so as to provide a modeled subject x-ray; said subject X-ray being electronic data produced in a two-dimensional field by a digital radiographic collection system, said subject X-ray being interactively edited to identify an area of interest; obtaining a modeled reference X-ray by modeling a relatively unrelated standard reference X-ray upon said three-dimensional model, said standard reference X-ray being a substantial equivalent of said subject X-ray without the diagnostically important data and being adapted for correlation with subject X-rays originating from more than one image source; registering said modeled subject X-ray and modeled reference X-ray so they are translationally correlated for correlation thereof in spatial and spectral dimensions; differencing said modeled reference X-ray and said modeled reference X-ray subsequent to said registration thereof, to provide a differenced X-ray including at least said previously identified area of interest; compressing at least said area of interest of said differenced X-ray to provide a compressed differenced X-ray; transmitting said compressed differenced X-ray to a predetermined receiving station and optionally storing same thereat, so that said compressed area of interest can be subsequently decompressed for addition to a duplicate of said relatively unrelated standard reference X-ray to achieve at said receiving station an approximation of said subject X-ray, which approximation is true to said subject image in a designated area of interest.

Claim 12

A method for compression of radiographic imagery, said method comprising: modeling a two-dimensional subject X-ray into a three-dimensional model in digital electronic form representative of a particular element contained in said subject x-ray, so as to provide a modeled subject x-ray; said subject X-ray being electronic data produced in a two-dimensional field by a digital radiographic collection system, said subject X-ray being interactively edited to identify an area of interest; obtaining a modeled reference X-ray by modeling a relatively unrelated standard reference X-ray upon said three-dimensional model, said standard reference X-ray being a substantial equivalent of said subject X-ray without the diagnostically important data and being adapted for correlation with subject X-rays originating from more than one image source; registering said modeled subject X-ray and modeled reference X-ray so they are translationally correlated for correlation thereof in spatial and spectral dimensions; differencing said modeled reference X-ray and said modeled reference X-ray subsequent to said registration thereof, to provide a differenced X-ray including at least said previously identified area of interest; compressing at least said area of interest of said differenced X-ray to provide a compressed differenced X-ray; transmitting said compressed differenced X-ray to a predetermined receiving station and optionally storing same thereat, so that said compressed area of interest can be subsequently decompressed for addition to a duplicate of said relatively unrelated standard reference X-ray to achieve at said receiving station an approximation of said subject X-ray, which approximation is true to said subject image in a designated area of interest.

Claim 18

A method for the compression and transmission and/or storage of a chest X-ray containing diagnostically important data, which method reduces transmission time and storage requirements by exploiting prior known information about such chest X-ray, said method comprising the steps of obtaining a subject chest X-ray, said subject chest X-ray containing data of relative diagnostic importance; interactive direct operator editing of said subject chest X-ray wherein an operator identifies an area of interest of said subject chest X-ray which includes at least said diagnostically important data; modeling said subject chest X-ray upon a computer-generated three-dimensional model of a human thorax to obtain a modeled subject chest X-ray; registering through an image warping operation said modeled subject chest X-ray with a previously obtained modeled reference chest X-ray, such being obtained by modeling a relatively unrelated standard reference chest X-ray based upon said computer-generated model of a human thorax, said standard reference chest X-ray being a relative equivalent of said subject chest X-ray without said diagnostically important data and adapted for correlation with subject X-rays originating from more than one image source, wherein by said registering said modeled subject chest X-ray and said modeled reference chest X-ray are translationally correlated, for resulting correlation of said X-rays in spatial and spectral dimensions; differencing said modeled reference chest X-ray and said modeled subject chest X-ray subsequent to said registering step, to provide a differenced chest X-ray including at least said previously identified area of interest; reducing said differenced chest X-ray to provide a reduced differenced chest X-ray including at least said area of interest; performing enhanced compression of said area of interest of said reduced differenced chest X-ray, using compression algorithms, to provide a compressed differenced X-ray; and transmitting said compressed differenced X-ray to a predetermined receiving station for processing and/or storage thereat, wherein said compressed differenced X-ray can be subsequently processed to be decompressed for addition to a duplicate of said reference chest X-ray to achieve an approximation of said original subject chest X-ray which approximation is true to said original subject image in a designated area of interest.

Claim 19

A method for the compression and transmission and/or storage of a chest X-ray containing diagnostically important data, which method reduces transmission time and storage requirements by exploiting prior known information about such chest X-ray, said method comprising the steps of obtaining a subject chest X-ray, said subject chest X-ray containing data of relative diagnostic importance; interactive direct operator editing of said subject chest X-ray wherein an operator identifies an area of interest of said subject chest X-ray which includes at least said diagnostically important data; modeling said subject chest X-ray upon a computer-generated three-dimensional model of a human thorax to obtain a modeled subject chest X-ray; registering through an image warping operation said modeled subject chest X-ray with a previously obtained modeled reference chest X-ray, such being obtained by modeling a relatively unrelated standard reference chest X-ray based upon said computer-generated model of a human thorax, said standard reference chest X-ray being a relative equivalent of said subject chest X-ray without said diagnostically important data and adapted for correlation with subject X-rays originating from more than one image source, wherein by said registering said modeled subject chest X-ray and said modeled reference chest X-ray are translationally correlated, for resulting correlation of said X-rays in spatial and spectral dimensions; differencing said modeled reference chest X-ray and said modeled subject chest X-ray subsequent to said registering step, to provide a differenced chest X-ray including at least said previously identified area of interest; reducing said differenced chest X-ray to provide a reduced differenced chest X-ray including at least said area of interest; performing enhanced compression of said area of interest of said reduced differenced chest X-ray, using compression algorithms, to provide a compressed differenced X-ray; and transmitting said compressed differenced X-ray to a predetermined receiving station for processing and/or storage thereat, wherein said compressed differenced X-ray can be subsequently processed to be decompressed for addition to a duplicate of said reference chest X-ray to achieve an approximation of said original subject chest X-ray which approximation is true to said original subject image in a designated area of interest.