Patent ID: 9192348
Filing Date: 2015-11-24
Classification: A61B,G06T,G16H

Abstract:
1. A method for automatically detecting a region of interest in a 3D image of a mammal corresponding to soft tissue largely or exclusively interior to the mammal rib cage, the method comprising: automatically determining from the 3D image of the mammal, by a processor of a computing device, a surface distance image comprising intensity values at each of a plurality of points in three dimensions, each of the intensity values corresponding to a distance from a given point in 3D space to the nearest point on the outer surface of the mammal; automatically determining, by the processor, a bone distance image comprising intensity values at each of a plurality of points in three dimensions, each of the intensity values of the bone distance image corresponding to a distance from a given point in 3D space to the nearest identified bone tissue of the mammal; and automatically detecting, by the processor, the region of interest corresponding to soft tissue interior to the mammal rib cage using the surface distance image and the bone distance image.