Recent Patents in Signal Processing (October 2013) - Medical Image Processing

For our October 2013 issue, we return to the topic of medical image processing. We had last covered recent patents in the area of medical image processing in October 2011. Below, we consider several recent inventions related to the sensing, processing, and visualization of medical images.

Number:  8,538,107
Title:  Method for visualizing a sequence of tomographic volume data records for medical imaging
Inventors: S. Rottger
Issued: September 17, 2013
Assignee:  Siemens Aktiengesellschaft (Munich, Germany)

Number:  8,512,249
Title:  Detection of the detachment of immobilized contrast agent in medical imaging applications
Inventors: P. Frinking, T. Messager, M. Arditi, N. Rognin
Issued: August 20, 2013
Assignee: Bracco International BV (Amsterdam, The Netherlands)

Number: 8,435,180
Title: Gain optimization of volume images for medical diagnostic ultrasonic imaging
Inventors: C. Simopoulos
Issued: May 7, 2013
Assignee: Siemens Medical Solutions USA, Inc. (Malvern, PA)

Number:  8,433,388
Title: Source affine reconstruction for medical imaging
Inventors: S. D. Blunt, M. Popescu, T. P. Chan
Issued: April 30, 2013
Assignee: University of Kansas (Lawrence, KS)

Number:  8,320,996
Title: Medical hyperspectral imaging for evaluation of tissue and tumor
Inventors: S. Panasyuk, J. Freeman, A. Panasyuk
Issued: November 27, 2012
Assignee: Hypermed Imaging, Inc. (Greenwich, CT)

Number: 8,310,233
Title: Method for image reconstruction from undersampled medical imaging data
Inventors: J. Trzasko, A. Manduca
Issued: November 13, 2012
Assignee: MAYO Foundation for Medical Education and Research (Rochester, MN)

Number: 8,309,933
Title: Count rate adaptive filter for medical imaging systems
Inventors: G. -C. Wang
Issued: November 13, 2012
Assignee: Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation (Otawara-shi, Japan)

Number: 8,131,038
Title: System and method for global-to-local shape matching for automatic liver segmentation in medical imaging
Inventors: K. Saddi, M. Rousson
Issued: March 6, 2012
Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft (Munchen, Germany)

Number: 8,386,013
Title: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) using ultra short echo times and spiral sampling in K-space
Inventors: J. Du, M. Bydder, G. Bydder.
Issued: February 26, 2013
Assignee: The Regents of the University of California (Oakland, CA).

Number: 8,402,829
Title: Interactive ultrasound-based depth measurement for medical applications
Inventors: J. Halevy-Politch, A. Craft
Issued: March 26, 2013
Assignee: Jet-Guide Ltd. (Misgav, Israel).

If you have an interesting patent to share when we next feature patents related to medical imaging, or if you are especially interested in a signal processing research field that you would want to be highlighted in this section, please send email to Shantanu Rane (rane AT merl DOT com).