Patent ID: 9456805
Filing Date: 2016-10-04
CPC Classification: A61B,G06T

Claim Text:
1. A method for improving quality of a parametric map based upon information contained in at least two optoacoustic images, the method comprising the steps of: a. acquiring a plurality of optoacoustic frames, the optoacoustic frames being associated with optoacoustic return signals sampled by a multi-wavelength optoacoustic imaging system, the optoacoustic return signals being sampled from the surface of a volume of tissue of a person after a light event at one of a first and second wavelength; b. generating a first sub-set of the plurality of optoacoustic frames, the first sub-set comprising uncorrelated optoacoustic frames associated with optoacoustic return signals sampled after a light event at the first wavelength; c. estimating an interframe persistent artifact for the first sub-set of uncorrelated optoacoustic frames to create a first artifact estimate; d. applying the first artifact estimate to at least one optoacoustic frame associated with optoacoustic return signals sampled after a light event at the first wavelength to mitigate the interframe persistent artifact in the at least one optoacoustic frame associated with optoacoustic return signals sampled after a light event at the first wavelength, thereby creating a first processed frame; e. generating a second sub-set of the plurality of optoacoustic frames, the second sub-set comprising uncorrelated optoacoustic frames associated with optoacoustic return signals sampled after a light event at the second wavelength; f. estimating an interframe persistent artifact for the second sub-set of uncorrelated optoacoustic frames to create a second artifact estimate; g. applying the second artifact estimate to at least one optoacoustic frame associated with optoacoustic return signals sampled after a light event at the second wavelength to mitigate the interframe persistent artifact in the at least one optoacoustic frame associated with optoacoustic return signals sampled after a light event at the second wavelength, thereby creating a second processed frame; h. generating at least one parametric map based upon, at least, information contained in the first processed frame and information contained in the second processed frame; i. displaying at least a portion of the at least one parametric map on a display; wherein at least one of the artifact estimates is a first principal component of the set of uncorrelated optoacoustic frames used to create the artifact estimate.