Imaging device, assignment system and method for assignment of localization data

1. A method of assigning first localization data of a breast of a patient derived from first image data of the breast, the first image data being a result of a first radiological data acquisition process, to second localization data of the same breast derived from second image data, the second image data being a result of a second radiological data acquisition process, or vice versa, which comprises the step of:

assigning the first localization data to the second localization data by intermediately mapping them into breast model data representing a patient-specific breast shape of the patient and then onto the second image data—or vice versa, thereby deriving assignment data; and

performing the first radiological data acquisition process and the second radiological data acquisition process by scanning the breast in a compressed state;

wherein the breast model data represent a breast model of the breast in an uncompressed state; and

wherein the first image data resulting from the first radiological data acquisition process and the second image data resulting from second radiological data acquisition process are obtained from the same image data acquisition unit.

2. The method according to claim 1 , which further comprises transforming the localization data of the first image data and/or the second image data for integration into the breast model data.

3. The method according to claim 1 , which further comprises transforming the first image data and/or the second image data into the breast model data using a breast modeling method.

4. The method according to claim 3 , wherein the breast modeling method is based on breast shape data from a database of empirical breast shape data of a plurality of breast samples.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the breast model data are modeled by the further steps of:

determining a set of a defined plurality of input feature values in the first image data and/or the second image data, a prognostic determination of a set of target form parameters of a target form model with a defined plurality of target form parameters by means of a data-driven regression method from the plurality of input feature values, wherein the plurality of target form parameters is smaller than the plurality of input feature values; and

determining the breast model data from the set of target form parameters, whereby the data-driven regression method is embodied as multiple, multivariate random forest regression.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the breast model data represent a three-dimensional breast model.

7. The method according to claim 1 , which further comprises matching the first image data and the second image data thus forming combined image data for display in a form of an image containing matched localization data derived from matching the first localization data and the second localization data and bringing them into a combined coordinate system.

8. The method according to claim 7 , which further comprises registering corresponding first location data and corresponding second location data, and the first image data and the second image data are matched on a basis of such registration.

9. The method according to claim 1 , which further comprises displaying a first image resulting from the first image data and a second image resulting from the second image data together to a user and whereby upon the user navigating along first locations based on the first localization data in the first image, second locations based on corresponding second localization data to the first localization data are indicated to the user in the second image or vice versa.

10. The method according to claim 9 , which further comprises displaying, in addition to the first and second images, a breast model image resulting from the breast model data and whereby upon the user navigating along the first locations and/or the second locations based on the first localization data and/or the second localization data in the first image and/or the second image, model locations in the breast model image based on third localization data, corresponding to the first and second localization data are indicated to the user.

11. An assignment system for assigning first localization data of a breast of a patient derived from first image data, the first image data being a result of a first radiological data acquisition process, to second localization data of the same breast from second image data derived in a second radiological data acquisition process or vice versa, the assignment system comprising:

at least one interface for inputting the first image data and the second image data; and

an assignment unit which in operation assigns the first localization data to the second localization data by intermediately mapping them into breast model data representing a patient-specific breast shape of the patient and then onto the second image data—or vice versa, thereby deriving assignment data;

wherein the first radiological data acquisition process and the second radiological data acquisition process are performed by scanning the breast in a compressed state;

wherein the breast model data represent a breast model of the breast in an uncompressed state; and

wherein the first image data resulting from the first radiological data acquisition process is obtained from an image data acquisition unit and the second image data resulting from second radiological data acquisition process is also obtained from the image data acquisition unit.

12. An imaging device, comprising:

an image data acquisition unit; and

an assignment system for assigning first localization data of a breast of a patient derived from first image data, resulting from a first radiological data acquisition process performed by scanning the breast in a compressed state, to second localization data of the same breast from second image data derived in a second radiological data acquisition process performed by scanning the same breast in a compressed state or vice versa, said assignment system having an assignment unit which in operation assigns the first localization data to the second localization data by intermediately mapping them into breast model data representing a patient-specific breast shape of the patient and then onto the second image data—or vice versa, thereby deriving assignment data; and

an image data acquisition unit for performing at least one radiological data acquisition process selected from the group consisting of the first radiological data acquisition process and the second radiological data acquisition process by scanning the breast in a compressed state;

wherein the breast model data represent a breast model of the breast in an uncompressed state; and

wherein the first image data resulting from the first radiological data acquisition process and the second image data resulting from second radiological data acquisition process are obtained from the image data acquisition unit.

13. A non-transitory computer readable medium having computer executable instructions stored thereon, the computer executable instructions performing a method of assigning first localization data of a breast of a patient derived from first image data of the breast, the first image data being a result of a first radiological data acquisition process, to second localization data of the same breast derived from second image data, the second image data being a result of a second radiological data acquisition process, or vice versa, which comprises the step of:

assigning the first localization data to the second localization data by intermediately mapping them into breast model data representing a patient-specific breast shape of the patient and then onto the second image data—or vice versa, thereby deriving assignment data;

performing the first radiological data acquisition process and the second radiological data acquisition process by scanning the breast in a compressed state;

wherein the breast model data represent a breast model of the breast in an uncompressed state; and

wherein the first image data resulting from the first radiological data acquisition process and the second image data resulting from second radiological data acquisition process are obtained from the same image data acquisition unit.