IP Library Granted Patent US 12,333,714
Granted Patent B2
US 12,333,714 · App. 17/546,806 · Granted Jun 17, 2025

Estimation of b-value in prostate magnetic resonance diffusion weighted images

Inventors: Wen Wei (Orsay, FR); Giovanni John Jacques Palma (Orsay, FR); Amin Katouzian (Cambridge, MA)
Assignee: Merative US L.P.
G06T7/0012G06N3/044G06T7/10G06V10/22G06V10/764G06T2207/10088G06T2207/20081G06T2207/30081
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,333,714
App. No.
17/546,806
Filed
Dec 9, 2021
Granted
Jun 17, 2025
Kind
B2
Art Unit
2681
USPC
382/128
Abstract

Methods and systems of estimating b-values. One system including an electronic processor configured to receive a set of medical images associated with a patient, where the set of medical images are diffusion-weighted images. The electronic processor is also configured to extract a set of patches from each medical image included in the set of medical images. The electronic processor is also configured to determine, via an estimation model trained using machine learning, a set of estimated b-values, where each estimated b-value is associated with a patch included in the set of patches. The electronic processor is also configured to determine a b-value for each of the medical images included in the set of medical images, where the b-value is based on the set of estimated b-values.

Claims (34)

1. A system of estimating b-values, the system comprising:

an electronic processor configured to

receive a set of medical images associated with a patient, wherein the set of medical images are diffusion-weighted images,

extract a set of patches from each medical image included in the set of medical images,

determine, via an estimation model trained using machine learning, a set of estimated b-values, wherein each estimated b-value is associated with a patch included in the set of patches,

determine a b-value for each of the medical images included in the set of medical images, wherein the determined b-value for each of the medical images is based on the set of estimated b-values, and

perform an image analysis function on the set of medical images based on the b-value for each of the medical images included in the set of medical images, wherein the image analysis function includes at least one selected from a group consisting of a segmentation function, a detection function, a classification function, and an arbitrary b-value DWI image generation function.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the set of patches are extracted from an organ of interest of the patient.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the estimation model is a long short-term memory model.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the electronic processor is configured to determine the b-value for each of the medical images by performing a statistical analysis on the set of estimated b-values.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the statistical analysis includes generating a histogram of the set of estimated b-values, wherein the b-value for each of the medical images is associated with a peak of the histogram.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein each patch included in the set of patches is centered at a voxel of each of the medical images.

7. A method of estimating b-values, the method comprising:

receiving, with an electronic processor, a set of medical images associated with a patient, wherein the set of medical images are diffusion-weighted images;

extracting, with the electronic processor, a set of patches for each medical image included in the set of medical images;

determining, with the electronic processor, via an estimation model trained using machine learning, a set of estimated b-values, wherein each estimated b-value is associated with a patch included in the set of patches;

determining, with the electronic processor, a b-value for each of the medical images included in the set of medical images, wherein the determined b-value for each of the medical images is based on the set of estimated b-values; and

performing an image analysis function on the set of medical images based on the b-value for each of the medical images included in the set of medical images, wherein performing the image analysis function includes performing at least one selected from a group consisting of a segmentation function, a detection function, a classification function, and an arbitrary b-value DWI image generation function.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein receiving the set of medical images includes receiving a medical image associated with a prostate of the patient.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein determining the set of estimated b-values includes determining the set of estimated b-values via a long short-term memory model.

10. The method of claim 7 , wherein determining the b-value for each of the medical images includes performing a statistical analysis on the set of estimated b-values.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein determining the b-value for each of the medical images includes generating a histogram of the set of estimated b-values and performing an analysis of the histogram to determine a peak of the histogram.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein determining the b-value includes determining the b-value as the peak of the histogram.

13. A non-transitory, computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by an electronic processor, perform a set of functions, the set of functions comprising:

receiving a set of medical images associated with a patient, wherein the set of medical images are diffusion-weighted images;

extracting a set of patches from each medical image included in the set of medical images;

determining, via an estimation model trained using machine learning, a set of estimated b-values, wherein each estimated b-value is associated with a patch included in the set of patches;

determining a b-value for each of the medical images included in the set of medical images, wherein the determined b-value for each of the medical images is based on the set of estimated b-values; and

performing an image analysis function on the set of medical images based on the b-value for each of the medical images included in the set of medical images, wherein performing the image analysis function includes performing at least one selected from a group consisting of a segmentation function, a detection function, a classification function, and an arbitrary b-value DWI image generation function.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the set of functions further comprises:

generating a histogram of the set of estimated b-values; and

performing an analysis of the histogram to determine a peak of the histogram, wherein the b-value for each of the medical images is associated with the peak of the histogram.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 13 , wherein receiving the set of medical images includes receiving a medical image of a prostate of the patient.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 13 , wherein determining the set of estimated b-values includes determining the set of estimated b-values via a long short-term memory model.

Assignments (3)
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Oct 1, 2025
From: MERATIVE US L.P.; MERGE HEALTHCARE INCORPORATED
To: TCG SENIOR FUNDING L.L.C., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 072808/0442 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 21, 2022
From: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
To: MERATIVE US L.P.
Reel/Frame 061496/0752 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 28, 2022
From: WEI, WEN; PALMA, GIOVANNI JOHN JACQUES; KATOUZIAN, AMIN
To: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 058805/0532 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20230186463A1 · Jun 15, 2023
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