US6310477B1
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
MR imaging of lesions and detection of malignant tumors
Assignee: General Electric Co
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Filing: 1999-05-10
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Granted: 2001-10-30
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Expires: 2019-05-10
Abstract
Abstract A 3D MR image is acquired before injection of a contrast agent and an enhanced 3D image is acquired after injection of the contrast agent. The two images are registered and then subtracted to remove background and to highlight lesion voxels. Lesion objects are identified by connecting contiguous lesion objects. Volume and surface area of any continuous lesion object in a discrete digital image are then calculated. Malignant lesions are identified by determining the ratio of volume to surface area for each lesion object. Malignant tumors are identified when this ratio drops below a preset threshold.
Inventors
- 👤 Erika Schneider
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-24 16:31
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01R; G01R33/00; G01R33/20; G01R33/44; G01R33/48; G01R33/4818; G01R33/482; G01R33/4822; G01R33/28; G01R33/281
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 11
Claim 1
Independent Claim
85 words
A method for identifying irregular shaped objects in a subject anatomy of a patient, comprising the steps of: acquiring a desired image of the subject anatomy with a digital imaging system; identifying voxels in the desired image which depict objects; determining the surface of objects containing the identified voxels; calculating the volume of each object; calculating the surface area of each object; calculating the ratio of volume and surface area of each object; and identifying irregularly-shaped objects when the ratio crosses a preselected threshold value.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
85 words
A method for identifying irregular shaped objects in a subject anatomy of a patient, comprising the steps of: acquiring a desired image of the subject anatomy with a digital imaging system; identifying voxels in the desired image which depict objects; determining the surface of objects containing the identified voxels; calculating the volume of each object; calculating the surface area of each object; calculating the ratio of volume and surface area of each object; and identifying irregularly-shaped objects when the ratio crosses a preselected threshold value.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
77 words
The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the step of acquiring an image of the subject anatomy is performed by: acquiring a first MRI image of the subject anatomy; injecting a contrast agent into the patient to enhance acquired NMR signals; acquiring an enhanced MRI image of the subject anatomy after arrival of the contrast agent in the subject anatomy; and subtracting the first MRI image from the enhanced MRI image to form said desired image.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method as recited in claim 1 in which the desired image is a three-dimensional image produced using a 3D Fourier transformation.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method as recited in claim 1 in which the objects are lesions and the identified irregularly-shaped objects are malignant tumors.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
16 words
The method as recited in claim 4 in which the subject anatomy is a human breast.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
35 words
The method as recited in claim 1 in which the step of determining the surface of objects containing the identified voxels is performed by: connecting contiguous object voxels; and identifying boundary voxels in each object.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
44 words
The method as recited in claim 6 in which the step of determining the surface of objects containing the identified voxels further includes: determining the fraction of each boundary voxel that is within the object; and estimating a surface location in each boundary voxel.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
45 words
The method as recited in claim 7 in which the step of determining the fraction of each boundary voxel that is within the object is performed by comparing brightness of the boundary voxel to the average of brightness values of voxels totally within the object.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method as recited in claim 7 in which the objects are lesions and the identified irregularly-shaped objects are malignant tumors.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
16 words
The method as recited in claim 9 in which the subject anatomy is a human breast.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2004-10-29 | 2005-04-30 | 2005-10-30 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2008-10-29 | 2009-04-30 | 2009-10-30 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2012-10-29 | 2013-04-30 | 2013-10-30 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |