Patent ID: 6711282
Filing Date: 2004-03-23
Classification: G06T

Abstract:
A method for automatically determining the contour of a target bone in a digital image of a body extremity comprising:a) receiving a digital image of a body extremity that has at least one digit; wherein each digit has at least two bones; b) determining a right bone edge that includes a right edge of the target bone and at least a portion of an edge of another bone in the same digit; c) determining a left bone edge that includes a left edge of the target bone and at least a portion of an edge of another bone in the same digit; d) determining a top joint edge point pair that includes a right top joint edge point disposed on the right bone edge and a left top joint edge point disposed on the left bone edge; e) determining a bottom joint edge point pair that includes a right bottom joint edge point disposed on the right bone edge and a left bottom joint edge point disposed on the left bone edge; and f) using the top joint edge point pair and the bottom joint edge point pair to determine the contour of the target bone.