MEDICAL IMAGE PROCESSING

Abstract

In one aspect, the invention is a method to reduce a blooming effect of a bright object in a medical image generated from a low-dose imaging system. The method includes characterizing an ideal image as a composition of a first component and a second component. The first component is characterized by a first function and the second component is characterized by a second function. The method also includes minimizing the first function and the second function using a smoothing process and generating the medical image based on the minimizing.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic view of a computed tomography (CT) system.

FIG. 2A is a diagrammatic view of an artery having calcification.

FIG. 2B is a CT image of the artery.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart for a process of processing an image.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart for a process of minimizing total energy functional across all image components.

FIG. 5 is a diagrammatic view of a computer system on which the processes of FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 may be implemented.

Claims

1. A method to reduce a blooming effect of a bright object in a medical image generated from a low-dose imaging system, comprising: characterizing an ideal image as a composition of a first component and a second component, the first component being characterized by a first function and the second component being characterized by a second function;minimizing the first function and the second function using a smoothing process; andgenerating the medical image based on the minimizing.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein minimizing the first function and the second function using the smoothing process comprises implementing a smoothing process in accordance with an equation:

3. The method of claim 2 wherein f′ represents an image of the first component.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein f′ represents an image of the second component.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein f′ represents the ideal image.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein minimizing the first function and the second function using the smoothing process comprises using an equation:

7. The method of claim 6 wherein f′ represents an image of the first component.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein f′ represents an image of the second component.

9. The method of claim 6 wherein f′ represents the ideal image.

10. An apparatus comprising: a memory that stores executable instructions to reduce a blooming effect of a bright object in a medical image generated from a low-dose imaging system; anda processor that executes the instructions to: characterize an ideal image as a composition of a first component and a second component, the first component being characterized by a first function and the second component being characterized by a second function;minimize the first function and the second function using a smoothing process; andgenerate the medical image based on the instructions to minimize.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the instructions to minimize the first function and the second function using the smoothing process comprises instructions to implement a smoothing process in accordance with an equation:

12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein f′ represents an image of the first component.

13. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein f′ represents an image of the second component.

14. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein f′ represents the ideal image.

15. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the instructions to minimize the first function and the second function using the smoothing process comprises instructions to implement a smoothing process in accordance with an equation:

16. An article comprising a machine-readable medium that stores executable instructions to reduce a blooming effect of a bright object in a medical image generated from a low-dose imaging system, the instructions causing a machine to: characterize an ideal image as a composition of a first component and a second component, the first component being characterized by a first function and the second component being characterized by a second function;minimize the first function and the second function using a smoothing process; andgenerate the medical image based on the instructions causing a machine to minimize.

17. The article of claim 16 wherein the instructions causing the machine to minimize the first function and the second function using the smoothing process comprises instructions causing the machine to use an equation:

18. The article of claim 17, wherein f′ is from a group of images consisting of an image of the first component, an image of the second component and the ideal image.

19. The article of claim 16 wherein the instructions causing the machine to minimize the first function and the second function using the smoothing process comprises instructions causing the machine to use an equation:

20. The article of claim 19, wherein f′ is from a group of images consisting of an image of the first component, an image of the second component and the ideal image.