EP0149516A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Realtime digital diagnostic image processing system
Assignee: Northrop Grumman Guidance and Electronics Co Inc
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Filing: 1985-01-04
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2005-01-04
Abstract
Abstract A fluoroscopic image is processed digitally using a television camera operating at a frame rate of at least 30 frames per second viewing the image and providing an analog video output, a digitizer which digitizes the analog video output to provide digital information representative of the analog signal, a plurality of frame processors which carry out arithmetic and logical operations on the digital image information and are operable at the frame rate of the television camera coupled to the output of the digitizer, a 2-D filter operable at the frame rate of the television camera coupled to said frame processors, a converter and interface to convert digital image information processed in the frame processors and 2-D filter back into an analog signal and television display coupled to the output of the converter for displaying the processed signal.
Inventors
- 👤 David R. Wojcik
- 👤 James M. Aufiero
- 👤 Richard J. Jones
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-02 20:00
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06T; G06T5/00; G06T5/90; G06T5/92; G06T2207/00; G06T2207/10; G06T2207/10116; G06T2207/10121
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 28
Claim 1
Independent Claim
139 words
Apparatus for processing a fluoroscopic image comprising: a. a television camera operating at a frame rate of at least 30 frames per second providing an analog video output; b. means to digitize said analog video output to provide digital information representative of the analog signal; c. a plurality of frame processors for carrying out arithmetic and logical operations on said digital image information and operable at the frame rate of said television camera coupled to receive the output of said digitizer; d. a 2-D filter operable at the frame rate of said television camera coupled to said frame processors; , e. means to convert digital image information processed in said frame processors and 2-D filter back into an analog signal; and f. a television display coupled to the output of said means to convert for displaying said processed signal.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
139 words
Apparatus for processing a fluoroscopic image comprising: a. a television camera operating at a frame rate of at least 30 frames per second providing an analog video output; b. means to digitize said analog video output to provide digital information representative of the analog signal; c. a plurality of frame processors for carrying out arithmetic and logical operations on said digital image information and operable at the frame rate of said television camera coupled to receive the output of said digitizer; d. a 2-D filter operable at the frame rate of said television camera coupled to said frame processors; , e. means to convert digital image information processed in said frame processors and 2-D filter back into an analog signal; and f. a television display coupled to the output of said means to convert for displaying said processed signal.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
57 words
Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said television camera has an interlaced scan and wherein a first frame processor is provided for deinterlacing said interlaced scan to put the scan lines in sequential order and second and third frame processors are provided to reinterlace the digital information after processing and before conversion back into an analog signal.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
17 words
Apparatus according to claim 2, comprising means to accept an'interlaced or noninterlaced input from said television camera.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
46 words
Apparatus according to claim 3, wherein in addition to said first, second and third frame processors three additional frame processors are provided, fourth and fifth frame processors for use in carrying arithmetic and logic operations and a sixth frame processor for use as a display buffer.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
48 words
Apparatus according to claim 4, wherein each of said frame processors is capable of performing the following arithmetical and logical operations: add, subtract, exclusive or, negate and image intensity transformation, each frame processor including its own microprocessor controller for controlling which of the functions said frame processor performs.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
33 words
Apparatus according to claim 5, and further including a host processor having an interactive terminal, said host processor providing command inputs to said frame processors to select which function is to be performed.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
36 words
Apparatus according to claim 1 or 6, wherein said 2-D filter is a finite impulse response transversal filter capable of different modes of operation and wherein said host processor also provides commands to said 2-D filter.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
48 words
Apparatus according to claim 1, and further including a wide-band tape recorder and means coupling said wide-band tape recorder to said image enhancement system, whereby digitized information may be recorded on said wide-band tape recorder and later played back through said system and processed therein in non-real time.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
46 words
Apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said means for coupling said wide-band tape recorder to said image enhancement system includes means to pack and unpack information when being written onto and read from said tape recorder so as to use all channels on said tape recorder.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
25 words
Apparatus according to claim 9 and further including means to insert header information along with each frame of date recorded on sold wide-band tape recorder.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
25 words
Apparatus according to claim 10, and further including a video color display system adapted to provide pseudo-color, gray scale thresholding, gray expansion, and contrast enhancement.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
43 words
Apparatus according to claim 11, wherein.said display system includes a cursor and further including a joystick coupled to drive said cursor, said joystick coupled to said host computer whereby linear and area computations of cursor movement may be performed in said host computer.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
22 words
Apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said interactive terminal associated with said host computer includes keyboard, light pen and voice actuated inputs.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
40 words
Apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said host computer has stored therein a plurality of protocols each corresponding to a predetermined system configuration of said frame processors and 2-D filter, said protocols selectable by an operator through said interactive terminal.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
15 words
Apparatus according to claim 7, and furtner including a tape drive for said host computer.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
16 words
Apparatus according to claim 7, and further including a disc drive coupled to said host computer.
Claim 18
Independent Claim
147 words
A method of performing a diagnostic procedure on a person comprising: a. irradiating a portion of the body to be examined with X-ray radiation; b. converting tne radiation after passing through the person's body to a visible image; c. viewing said visible image with a television camera; and d. digitizing the television camera output; e. storing the digitized output as a mask; f. passing a radio opaque medium through a body passage in the person being examined and irradiating with X-radiation while doing so; g. converting said X-radiation to visible image and viewing said visible image with a television camera; h. digitizing the output of said television camera to obtain a medium image at a frame rate of at least 30 frames per second in real time; i. subtacting in real time said mask image from said medium image; and j. displaying the result of said subtraction.
Claim 19
Independent Claim
147 words
A method of performing a diagnostic procedure on a person comprising: a. irradiating a portion of the body to be examined with X-ray radiation; b. converting tne radiation after passing through the person's body to a visible image; c. viewing said visible image with a television camera; and d. digitizing the television camera output; e. storing the digitized output as a mask; f. passing a radio opaque medium through a body passage in the person being examined and irradiating with X-radiation while doing so; g. converting said X-radiation to visible image and viewing said visible image with a television camera; h. digitizing the output of said television camera to obtain a medium image at a frame rate of at least 30 frames per second in real time; i. subtacting in real time said mask image from said medium image; and j. displaying the result of said subtraction.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
33 words
The method according to claim 17, and further including the step of shifting one of said mask and medium images in the X and Y direction while subtracting to obtain a better match.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method according to claim 18 and further including filtering said image in a 2-D Filter before displaying.
Claim 22
Independent Claim
93 words
A method of performing a diagnostic procedure on a person comprising a. passing a radio opaque medium through a body passage in the person being examined and irradiating with X-radiation while doing so; b. converting said X-radiation to visible image and viewing said visible image with a television camera; c. digitizing the output of said television camera to obtain a medium image at a frame rate of at least 30 frames per second in real time; d. filtering said digitized output in a 2-D filter; and e. displaying the result of said subtraction.
Claim 23
Independent Claim
93 words
A method of performing a diagnostic procedure on a person comprising a. passing a radio opaque medium through a body passage in the person being examined and irradiating with X-radiation while doing so; b. converting said X-radiation to visible image and viewing said visible image with a television camera; c. digitizing the output of said television camera to obtain a medium image at a frame rate of at least 30 frames per second in real time; d. filtering said digitized output in a 2-D filter; and e. displaying the result of said subtraction.
Claim 24
Independent Claim
20 words
The method according to claim -20, and further including adding some of the original image back to the filtered image.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
16 words
The method according to claim 20, comprising storing the digitized information on a wide-band tape recorder.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
16 words
Tne method according to claim 22, and further comprising also storing header information on each frame.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
32 words
Tne method according to claim 23, wherein said header information includes information identifying the person being examined and information indicating the configuration of the system at the time said data was recorded.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
28 words
The method according to claim 24, and further including playing back said data from said wide- band tape recorder and reanalyzing said data with a different system configuration.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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