Patent ID: 9626759
Date: 2017-04-18
CPC Classifications: A61B,G06T

Claim:
1. Method for the automatic recognition of anatomical structures in images obtained by positron emission tomography, characterized in that it comprises the following steps: acquisition of a 3D matrix of data including standardized uptake values, SUVs, associated to a plurality of PET pixels in an anatomic volume of a patient; calculation of the Jacobian matrix of said 3D matrix of standardized uptake values, SUVs, and determination of the isotropic variation of the standardized uptake values, SUVs, of each pixel with respect to adjacent pixels, in three predefined orthogonal reference spatial directions; projection, along a predetermined anatomical direction of projection, of said 3D matrix of standardized uptake values, SUVs, or of said Jacobian matrix of the 3D matrix of standardized uptake values, SUVs, on an anatomical reference plane; location of at least one two-dimensional minimum of said matrix of standardized uptake values, SUVs, or of said Jacobian matrix of the matrix (SUVijk) of standardized uptake values, SUVs, projected onto said anatomical reference plane (ΠF), having a distance from a centre of gravity of the patient within a predetermined threshold interval; location of at least one one-dimensional minimum along said predetermined anatomical direction of projection, corresponding to the coordinates of said two-dimensional minimum localized on said anatomical reference projection plane; and determination of a centre of gravity of the anatomical structure according to the coordinates of said two-dimensional and one-dimensional minima.