Granted Patent B2

US 8,849,016 · App. 13/290,196 · Granted Sep 30, 2014

Abstract

Claims (32)

1. A method for forming a panoramic image from a computed tomography image volume, comprising:

acquiring image data elements for one or more computed tomographic volume images of a subject;

identifying a subset of the acquired computed tomographic images that include one or more high density features of interest;

defining, from the subset of the acquired computed tomographic images, a sub-volume having a curved shape that includes one or more of the high density features of interest;

defining a set of unfold lines wherein each unfold line extends at least between two curved surfaces of the curved shape sub-volume;

re-aligning the image data elements within the curved shape sub-volume according to a re-alignment of the set of unfold lines to form a unfolded curved sub-volume; and

displaying one or more views of the unfolded curved sub-volume.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein acquiring the image data elements comprises obtaining a set of cone-beam computed tomography images of tooth structures.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein defining the sub-volume comprises identifying a dental arch.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein defining the sub-volume comprises defining two or more substantially concentric curves over the subset of acquired images that includes the one or more features of interest.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein defining the set of unfold lines comprises defining unfold lines substantially perpendicular at their intersections with the two or more substantially concentric curves.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein displaying the one or more views of the unfolded sub-volume comprises displaying a composite view formed as a combination of two or more image slices.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising accepting an operator instruction that outlines an object of interest relative to the unfolded sub-volume.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

accepting an operator instruction that outlines an object of interest relative to the unfolded sub-volume;

forming an object sub-volume that includes the object of interest; and

segmenting the object of interest from within the object sub-volume.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein accepting an operator instruction comprises displaying an outline defined by the operator.

10. A method for forming a panoramic image of the teeth from a computed tomography image volume, the method executed at least in part on a computer and comprising:

acquiring image data elements for one or more computed tomographic volume images of a patient's teeth;

identifying acquired computed tomographic images that includes a dental arch;

defining, from the acquired computed tomographic images that includes the dental arch, a curved sub-volume that includes the dental arch;

defining a plurality of unfold lines wherein each unfold line extends at least from an inside surface to an outside surface of the curved sub-volume;

unfolding the curved sub-volume by re-aligning the image data elements according to a re-alignment of the unfold lines;

displaying one or more views of the unfolded curved sub-volume;

accepting an operator instruction that outlines a tooth of interest relative to the unfolded curved sub-volume;

forming an object sub-volume that includes the tooth of interest according to the operator instruction;

segmenting the tooth of interest from within the object sub-volume; and

displaying the segmented tooth of interest.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein defining a curved sub-volume that includes the dental arch comprises defining two or more substantially concentric curves over the subset of acquired images that includes the dental arch.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein defining the curved sub-volume comprises identifying two or more concentric curves over the teeth.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein defining the plurality of unfold lines comprises defining one or more lines that are perpendicular to the two or more concentric curves.

Assignments (8)