Patent ID: 7251374

Claim:
A method of processing contrast enhanced medical imaging information, the medical imaging information corresponding to a time dependent imaging signal behavior associated with at least one tissue volume, the method comprising: detecting an initial increase in the imaging signal intensity following the administration of an imaging contrast agent; subsequent to the initial increase in the imaging signal intensity, automatically determining whether a portion of a tissue volume exhibits an imaging signal washout behavior; if a portion of the tissue volume exhibits the imaging signal washout behavior, analyzing the portion of the tissue volume to determine a section of the portion of the tissue volume exhibiting the greatest degree of washout behavior and identifying the portion of the tissue volume exhibiting the greatest degree of washout behavior as a likely malignancy; only in the event that the portion of a tissue volume fails to exhibit the imaging signal washout behavior, automatically determining whether the portion of a tissue volume exhibits an imaging signal plateau behavior; if a portion of the tissue volume exhibits the imaging signal plateau behavior, analyzing the portion of the tissue volume to determine a section of the portion of the tissue volume exhibiting the greatest degree of plateau behavior; only in the event that the portion of the tissue volume fails to exhibit the imaging signal washout behavior and fails to exhibit the imaging signal plateau behavior, automatically determining whether the portion of the tissue volume exhibits an imaging signal persistent enhancement behavior; if a portion of the tissue volume exhibits the imaging signal persistent enhancement behavior, analyzing the portion of the tissue volume to determine a section of the portion of the tissue volume exhibiting the greatest degree of washout behavior; and identifying at least one likely malignancy within the portion of the tissue volume.