Patent ID: 6888916
Filing Date: 2005-05-03
Classification: A61B,G06T,Y10S

Abstract:
1. A method for obtaining a pre-processed voxel dataset for use in a tracking algorithm for accurately tracking coronary arteries in CT images, the method comprising the steps of: obtaining an original CT voxel dataset comprising a plurality of voxels; creating a heart voxel dataset from the original CT voxel dataset comprising only voxels belonging to the heart; creating a heart minus cavities voxel dataset by removing voxels belonging to the left ventricle, the right ventricle, the left atrium, the right atrium, and the aorta from the heart voxel dataset; enhancing predetermined voxels in the heart minus cavities voxel dataset to create an enhanced heart minus cavities voxel dataset; and mixing an intensity of the original CT voxel dataset with an intensity of the enhanced heart minus cavities voxel dataset to create the pre-processed voxel dataset.