Patent Document ID: 8750585
Application ID: 13502121
Patent Status: 1

Claim One:
1. A method for segmenting an object of interest in an input image comprising a plurality of points having respective intensity values representing medical data, the method comprising the steps of: (1a) segmenting the points in a region of interest in the input image into a first and second group of points using predetermined intensity threshold values; (1b) identifying a first set of small connected components formed by points in the first group of points and transferring the points in the first set of small connected components to the second group of points; (1c) identifying a second set of small connected components formed by points in the second group of points and transferring the points in the second set of small connected components to the first group of points; and (1d) forming the segmented object of interest using the first group of points; wherein each set of small connected components formed by points in the respective group of points is identified by a method comprising the steps of: (1i) locating connected components formed by points in the respective group of points; (1 ii) calculating a cutoff value representing the maximum number of points in a small connected component, the cutoff value being calculated based on the number of points in the located connected components; and (1 iii) for each located connected component, if the number of points in the located connected component is less than the cutoff value, identifying the located connected component as a small connected component.