Patent ID: 6175755
Filing Date: 2001-01-16
Classification: G06T

Abstract:
A method of estimating a lung's surface area to volume ratio using x-ray attenuation data obtained from computed tomography (CT) scans, comprising:(a) obtaining a plurality of CT images that include the image of a lung from a plurality of subjects;(b) for each CT image:(I) displaying the CT image on a screen such that an x-ray attenuation value is associated with each pixel, and(ii) based on user input, extracting the lung image from the CT image;(c) calculating the volume of each lung based on the lung images extracted from the plurality of CT images, respectively;(d) calculating the volume-of-gas to weight-of-tissue ratio of each lung, by:(i) calculating the volume-of-gas to weight-of-tissue ratio for each pixel included in each of the images of the lung using the x-ray attenuation value associated with the pixel, and(ii) calculating the median volume-of-gas to weight-of-tissue ratio for all of the pixels included in all of the lung images;(e) using quantitative histology, obtaining the surface area to volume ratio of each lung;(f) plotting the surface area to volume ratio versus the median volume-of-gas to weight-of-tissue ratio for each lung; and(g) determining a best-fit prediction equation that correlates the surface area to volume ratio to the volume-of-gas to weight-of-tissue ratio.