EP0354026A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Three-dimensional display of tomographic data
Assignee: General Electric Co
•
Filing: 1989-08-03
•
Granted: —
•
Expires: 2009-08-03
Abstract
Abstract Multiple desired objects or objects-of-interest within a three-dimensional tomographic data set which occupy the same portion of the image histogram with other unwanted objects are separated with reduced reliance on user interaction by applying connectivity to the unwanted objects and setting the voxels to a new value which removes them from the portion of the histogram. Unwanted objects can be identified by examination of the original two-dimensional slices or after examination of a three-dimensional image to excise objects which are not of interest. Unwanted objects can be modified so that they no longer occupy the same portion of the histogram or are flagged. Next, connectivity is applied to the desired object using a criterion different from the one used on the unwanted objects.
Inventors
- 👤 Carl Ross Crawford
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 12:23
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06T; G06T17/00
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 14
Claim 1
Independent Claim
96 words
A method for generating a three-dimensional surface definition of an object-of-interest within a three- dimensional tomographic data set including a plurality of voxel data points, each voxel having a respective density value and said object-of-interest including voxels having density values satisfying a predetermined property, said method comprising the steps of: identifying at least one non-object seed voxel not in said object-of-interest but having a density value satisfying said property; applying connectivity to each non-object seed voxel; modifying said density value for each voxel satisfying connectivity ; and extracting a surface definition of said object of interest.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
96 words
A method for generating a three-dimensional surface definition of an object-of-interest within a three- dimensional tomographic data set including a plurality of voxel data points, each voxel having a respective density value and said object-of-interest including voxels having density values satisfying a predetermined property, said method comprising the steps of: identifying at least one non-object seed voxel not in said object-of-interest but having a density value satisfying said property; applying connectivity to each non-object seed voxel; modifying said density value for each voxel satisfying connectivity ; and extracting a surface definition of said object of interest.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
48 words
The method of Claim 1 wherein the object-of-interest comprises a plurality of parts and the extracting step includes thresholding for defining a plurality of parts within a range of density values, whereby said three-dimensional surface definition of said parts is generated without specifying seed voxels in said parts.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
31 words
The method of claim 1 or 2, comprising the step of, prior to said identifying step; viewing a three-dimensional image corresponding to said tomographic data set;and selecting non-objects to be removed.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
60 words
The method of claim 1,2 or3 where the connectivity is applied to said non-object seed voxel according to a first criterion C₁; modifying the density value of each voxel satisfying connectivity according to C₁; identifying an object-of-interest seed voxel; and applying connectivity to said object-of-interest seed voxel according to a second criterion C₂, where C₁ is not equal to C₂.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
16 words
The method of Claim 4 wherein C₁ defines a neighbor of a voxel differently than C₂.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
16 words
The method of Claim 5 wherein C₁ is anisotropic and wherein C₂ defines a three-dimensional connectivity.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method of Claim 5 wherein C₁ defines a two-dimensional connectivity and wherein C₂ defines a three-dimensional connectivity.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
19 words
The method of anyone of claims 1 to 7 wherein said predetermined property is a range of density values.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
114 words
Apparatus for generating a three-dimensional surface definition of an object-of-interest within a three-dimensional tomographic data set, said data set including a plurality of voxel data points, each voxel having a respective density value, said object-of-interest including a voxel having density value satisfying a predetermined property, said apparatus comprising: seed means for specifying at least one non-object seed voxel outside said object-of-interest and having said predetermined property; connectivity means coupled to said seed means for applying connectivity to each non-object seed voxel; and modifying means coupled to said connectivity means for modifying, prior to extraction of said object-of-interest, the value of each voxel satisfying connectivity to be different from the voxel values in said object-of-interest.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
114 words
Apparatus for generating a three-dimensional surface definition of an object-of-interest within a three-dimensional tomographic data set, said data set including a plurality of voxel data points, each voxel having a respective density value, said object-of-interest including a voxel having density value satisfying a predetermined property, said apparatus comprising: seed means for specifying at least one non-object seed voxel outside said object-of-interest and having said predetermined property; connectivity means coupled to said seed means for applying connectivity to each non-object seed voxel; and modifying means coupled to said connectivity means for modifying, prior to extraction of said object-of-interest, the value of each voxel satisfying connectivity to be different from the voxel values in said object-of-interest.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
81 words
The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the seed means specifies an object seed voxel in the object of interest; the connectivity means applies connectivity according to a first criterion C₁, and for subsequently applying connectivity to the object seed voxel according to a second criterion C₂; the modifying means coupled to the connectivity means modifies, prior to application of criterion C₂, the value of each voxel satisfying connectivity according to C₁ so that the value fails to satisfy the predetermined property.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
29 words
The apparatus of Claim 9 or 10 wherein said predetermined property is a range of density values and wherein said apparatus further comprises range means for specifying said range.
Claim 14
Independent Claim
43 words
The method or apparatus of any preceding claim wherein modifying the density value of each voxel of the non-object satisfying connectivity comprises changing the value of said voxel or changing a flag associated with said voxel or operating a flag to said voxel.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
Maintenance schedule is calculated for granted US utility patents.