Device and method for processing tomographic data

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9384549-B2
Application number	US-201514748638-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 24, 2015
Priority date	Jun 25, 2014
Publication date	Jul 5, 2016
Grant date	Jul 5, 2016

Abstract

A device and a method ( 100 ) for the processing of data ( 501 ), which were obtained by an imaging method, make possible an improvement in a location-specific visualization of the perfusion of the lung. With a reference to a comparison variable, a location-specific variable ( 503 ), characteristic of a period of observation, regarding the perfusion of the lung and heart region, is determined and provided as an output signal.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for processing and visualizing data obtained with a medical device, suitable for generating data for imaging, regarding a perfusion of at least one region of the lung or of at least one region of each of the lung and of the heart, the method comprising the steps of:
providing a quantity of data based on cardiac- and perfusion-related signals (CPRS) via a signal pattern, of at least one location, within a period of observation;
determining and providing phase information from the CPRS in relation to at least one comparison variable;
processing the quantity of data based on CPRS, regarding perfusion of regions of the lung or regions of the lung and of the heart of a patient, taking into account the phase information determined for a determination and providing of a quantity of data, of the at least one location, and a perfusion-specific variable characteristic of the period of observation; and
generating and providing an output signal for a location-specific visualization of the quantity of data, of the at least one location, and a perfusion-specific variable characteristic of the period of observation.

2. A method in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the data obtained with the medical device suitable for imaging comprises data of an electroimpedance tomography (EIT) device.

3. A method in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the data obtained with the medical device suitable for imaging are represented as at least one of:
data of a medical device which provides imaging based on computer tomography (CT);
data of a medical device which provides imaging based on X-ray;
data of a medical device which provides imaging based on magnetic resonance tomography (MRT) or nuclear spin tomography; and
data of a medical device which provides imaging based on sonography (ultrasound).

4. A method in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the comparison variable is represented by signals of another location, different from the at least one location, from the quantity of data based on CPRS.

5. A method in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the comparison variable is represented by a phase position of the heart from the quantity of data based on CPRS.

6. A method in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the comparison variable is represented by signals of at least one location of greatest phase difference from the quantity of data based on CPRS in comparison to the phase positions of the overall quantity of the locations of the quantity of data based on CPRS.

7. A method in accordance with claim 1 , further comprising the step of determining a quantity of data based on synchronized cardiac- and perfusion-related signals (sCPRS) from the quantity of data based on CPRS and providing the determined quantity of sCPRS as the at least one characteristic perfusion-specific variable, the sCPRS being determined taking into account the phase information determined, the phase positions of the signals of individual locations relative to each other are matched to each other over time or are synchronized with each other in the period of observation.

8. A method in accordance with claim 1 , further comprising the step of providing a quantity of data based on ventilation-related signals (VRS) via a course over time of at least one location regarding ventilation of regions of the lung over a period of observation.

9. A method in accordance with claim 8 , further comprising the step of providing a combination of the quantity of data based on CPRS and the quantity of data based on VRS.

10. A method in accordance with claim 9 , further comprising distinguishing, in the combination, the quantity of data based on CPRS from the quantity of data based on VRS.

11. A method in accordance with claim 10 , further comprising the steps of:
determining phase information of the VRS in relation to at least one comparison signal; and
in a step subsequent thereto, determining and providing a quantity of data of at least one location- and ventilation-specific variable characteristic of the period of observation from the quantity of data based on VRS, taking into account the phase information determined.

12. A method in accordance with claim 11 , further comprising the step of determining and providing a synchronized quantity of data based on ventilation-related signals (sVRS) from the quantity of data based on VRS, in which the phase positions of the signals of individual locations to each other are matched to each other in the period of observation or are synchronized with each other, taking into account the phase information determined.

13. A method in accordance with claim 8 , further comprising the steps of:
determining and providing a quantity of data based on synchronized ventilation-specific signals (sVRS) from the quantity of data based on VRS, in which the phase positions of the signals of individual locations to each other are matched to each other in the period of observation or are synchronized with each other, taking into account the phase information determined;
determining a quantity of data based on synchronized cardiac- and perfusion-related signals (sCPRS) from the quantity of data based on CPRS and providing the determined quantity of, the sCPRS being determined taking into account the phase information determined, the phase positions of the signals of individual locations relative to each other are matched to each other over time or are synchronized with each other in the period of observation; and
matching the quantity of data based on sVRS over time to the quantity of data based on sCPRS and providing a synchronized ventilation-specific quantity of data (sVRS′), synchronized with the perfusion, in the period of observation.

14. A method in accordance with claim 1 , further comprising the step of determining special regions of interest in at least one region of the lung on the basis of the phase information determined.

15. A method in accordance with claim 1 , further comprising the step of distinguishing the quantity of data based on CPRS from a combination of data of phase information determined and/or defined special regions of interest between a quantity of data based on perfusion-related signals (sPRS) of the lung and a quantity of data based on perfusion-related signals (sCRS) of the heart, and providing the sPRS and sCRS quantities.

16. A method in accordance with claim 15 , further comprising the step of determining and providing a variable corresponding to at least one of:
a pumping capacity of the heart from the quantity of data based on CPRS or on synchronized cardiac- and perfusion-related signals (sCPRS);
defined special regions of interest;
a quantity of data based on sPRS of the lung; and
a quantity of data based on sCRS of the heart.

17. A method in accordance with claim 15 , further comprising the steps of:
providing a quantity of data based on ventilation-related signals (VRS) via a course over time of at least one location regarding ventilation of regions of the lung over a period of observation;
determining and providing a quantity of data based on synchronized ventilation-specific signals (sVRS) from the quantity of data based on VRS, in which the phase positions of the signals of individual locations to each other are matched to each other in the period of observation or are synchronized with each other, taking into account the phase information determined;
determining a quantity of data based on synchronized cardiac- and perfusion-related signals (sCPRS) from the quantity of data based on CPRS and providing the determined quantity of, the sCPRS being dete

Assignees

• Dräger Medical GmbH
• Draegerwerk Ag & Co Kgaa

Inventors

• Leonhardt Steffen
• Baier-Löwenstein Tim
• Mersmann Stefan
• Pikkemaat Robert
• Teschner Eckhard

Classifications

• G06T2207/30048

  Heart; Cardiac · CPC title

• G06T2207/30061

  Lung · CPC title

• G06T2207/10072

  Tomographic images · CPC title

• G06T2207/10132

  Ultrasound image · CPC title

• G06T2207/10116

  X-ray image · CPC title