Patent ID: 6021213
Filing Date: 2000-02-01
Classification: G06T

Abstract:
A computer implemented image processing method for identifying and measuring distinct portions of an image representing a target anatomical region which is examined for medical diagnosis, said method including the steps of:obtaining an image and converting the image into an array of pixel intensity values representing the image;threshholding by determining a threshold intensity value for the distinct portions of the image to be identified in the anatomical region;augmenting the array of pixel intensity values using the threshold value in performing an augmenting operation, the augmenting operation selected from the set of operations including dilations and region growing, said augmenting step being performed until a region of the array is identified which satisfies logical constraints of the target anatomical region;affiliating each pixel in the array with a region according to the initial intensity value of each pixel and the identified region to designate whether each pixel is part of the target anatomical region; andcalculating measured values of the target anatomical region based on the affiliation of each pixel.