Method and system for identifying anomalies in medical images especially those including body parts having symmetrical properties

摘要

Method for locating anomalous features in medical images in which medical images are supplied by an external source. A sequence of specific measurements is executed on the supplied data to obtain image-related metrics. The metrics are compared to corresponding values in a database resulting in an anomalous/not anomalous determination. Anomalous determinations are presented to the test operator for analysis along with supplemental historical data. In application to all types of medical imagery, potential anomalies are located resulting in an efficient and accurate diagnosis. For a body part having symmetrical properties, as a pre-screening stage, a line of symmetry for the body part is determined and symmetric regions of the body part on opposite sides of the determined line of symmetry are analyzed for differences. The metric comparison using the database is performed between both symmetric regions only when differences between the symmetric regions of the subject medical image are present.

主权项

1. A method for analyzing a subject medical image containing a body part having symmetrical properties, comprising:
determining, using a processor, a line of symmetry for the body part in the subject medical image; analyzing, using a processor, symmetric regions of the body part on opposite sides of the determined line of symmetry for differences; and only when differences between the symmetric regions of the subject medical image are found,
retrieving, from a database, at least one set of a plurality of specific metrics from a plurality of sets of metrics stored in the database, each of the sets of metrics stored in the database being derived from an anomaly or a non-anomalous region in an associated one of a plurality of historical medical images such that at least one set is derived from an anomaly of an associated historical medical image and at least one set is derived from a non-anomalous region of an associated historical medical image, each of the metrics in each set of metrics being a different measurement of the associated historical medical image;determining, using a processor, a plurality of specific metrics from each of the symmetric regions of the subject medical image, each of the metrics being a different measurement of the symmetric region of the subject medical image;comparing, using a processor, each of the determined metrics from each of the symmetric regions of the subject medical image to a respective one of the metrics of the retrieved at least one set of the plurality of metrics from the database to determine a degree of similarity therebetween;creating, using a processor, a contour map based on the determined degree of similarity between the plurality of determined metrics from each of the symmetric regions of the subject medical image and the retrieved at least one set of the plurality of metrics from the database; anddisplaying the created contour map on the subject medical image on a display.