Felix W Wehrli, 83Cynwyd, PA

6775401, Aug 10, 2004

Mar 28, 2001

09/820225

Scott N. Hwang - Chester Springs PA
Felix W. Wehrli - Bala Cynwyd PA

The Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania - Philadelphia PA

G06K 900

382131

The present invention comprises a novel method, system and device for post-processing images, such as trabecular bone images, obtained by MRI, CT, or other image technologies, to provide increasing apparent image resolution and to alleviate the effects of partial volume blurring, which otherwise precludes accurate measurement of structures in the limited-resolution regime in which image voxel size is larger than the typical structural element to be resolved. Since acquiring images at increased resolution often exacts an unacceptable signal-to-noise penalty, methods and systems to alleviate the adverse effects of partial volume blurring are instrumental for the accurate measurement of architectural parameters in applications, such as predicting the mechanical competence of trabecular bone networks. Referred to as âsubvoxel processing,â the invention is applicable to volumes of interest containing material phases of two discrete signal intensities, and it has been shown to be significantly more accurate than trilinear interpolation in decreasing apparent voxel size, especially in the presence of noise.

6975894, Dec 13, 2005

Apr 11, 2002

10/121470

Felix W. Wehrli - Bala Cynwyd PA, US
Punam K. Saha - Philadelphia PA, US
Bryon Roos Gomberg - Philadelphia PA, US

Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania - Philadelphia PA

A61B005/05

600407, 600410, 600411, 600416, 600425, 378 21, 378 23, 378 27, 378 46, 378 47, 378 62, 378 4, 382128, 382131, 382132

The invention provides method, system and device for determining trabecular bone structure and strength by digital topological analysis, and offers, for the first time, a demonstration of superior associations between vertebral deformity and a number of architectural indices measured in the distal radius, thus permitting reliable and noninvasive detection and determination of the pathogenesis of osteoporosis. A preferred embodiment provides imaging in three dimension of a region of trabecular bone, after which the 3D image is converted into a skeletonized surface representation. Digital topological analysis is applied to the converted image, and each image voxel is identified and classified as a curve, a surface, or a junction; and then associated with microarchitectural indices of trabecular bone to quantitatively characterize the trabecular bone network. The invention is applicable in vivo, particularly on human subjects, or ex vivo.

7477770, Jan 13, 2009

Dec 5, 2002

10/497747

Felix W. Wehrli - Bala Cynwyd PA, US
Bryon R. Gomberg - Philadelphia PA, US

The Trustees Of The University Of Pennsylvania - Philadelphia PA

G06K 9/00

382131, 382274, 378 21

The present indention comprises a system and method for analyzing trabecular bone structure. A means for scanning the trabecular bone using a magnetic resonance image (MRI) scanner generates bone image data, which is then processed including correcting, deshadi4 and reducing noise in the image data.

7643664, Jan 5, 2010

Jan 12, 2009

12/352138

Felix W. Wehrli - Bala Cynwyd PA, US
Bryon R Gomberg - San Francisco CA, US

The Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania - Philadelphia PA

G06K 9/00
A61B 6/00

382131, 382275, 378 21

The present invention comprises a system and method for analyzing trabecular bone structure. A means for scanning the trabecular bone using a magnetic resonance image (MRI) scanner generates bone image data, which is then processed including correcting, deshading and reducing noise in the image data.

7769214, Aug 3, 2010

Dec 5, 2003

10/728496

Felix W. Wehrli - Bala Cynwyd PA, US
Punam K. Saha - Coralville IA, US
Bryon Gomberg - San Francisco CA, US

The Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania - Philadelphia PA

G06K 9/00

382128, 382131, 382132

Provided are fuzzy distance transform-based methods, and an algorithm therefor, for analyzing digital images defining a volumetric region of an object from a digital image comprising finding a set of points in the image to generate a fuzzy subset, and calculating the fuzzy distance transform (FDT) of the fuzzy subset. The methods deal with the extraction of object features from digital images acquired at low resolution, specifically, the measurement of structural thickness distribution along an object. Targeted applications comprise, but are not limited to, the measurement of trabecular bone thickness in magnetic resonance or computed tomography images. Also provided are systems and device for utilizing the disclosed methods and algorithm to extract the object features from the digital images.

2006005, Mar 16, 2006

Aug 19, 2005

11/207369

Felix Wehrli - Bala Cynwyd PA, US
Punam Saha - Philadelphia PA, US
Bryan Gomberg - Philadelphia PA, US

The Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania - Philadelphia PA

A61B 5/05

600407000

The invention provides method, system and device for determining trabecular bone structure and strength by digital topological analysis, and offers, for the first time, a demonstration of superior associations between vertebral deformity and a number of architectural indices measured in the distal radius, thus permitting reliable and noninvasive detection and determination of the pathogenesis of osteoporosis. A preferred embodiment provides imaging in three dimension of a region of trabecular bone, after which the D image is converted into a skeletonized surface representation. Digital topological analysis is applied to the converted image, and each image voxel is identified and classified as a curve, a surface, or a junction; and then associated with microarchitectural indices of trabecular bone to quantitatively characterize the trabecular bone network. The invention is applicable in vivo, particularly on human subjects, or ex vivo.

5270651, Dec 14, 1993

May 21, 1991

7/703411

Felix W. Wehrli - Bala Cynwyd PA

The Trustees of The University of Pennsylvania - Philadelphia PA

G01R 3320

324308

A method for noninvasively detecting osteoporosis in human subjects by means of NMR imaging is described. In the preferred embodiment, a series of images are acquired whereby the echo time TE is incremented until a predefined number of images, each differing in echo time, has been acquired. The images are then displayed, a region of interest (ROI) is selected and mean signal amplitudes are computed (block 46). The mean signal amplitude values are then used as inputs for the curve fitting procedure that computes T2* (block 48). The final step of the process compares the computed value of T2* with a normal baseline (block 50), which permits the subject to be classified as either normal or osteoporotic (block 52).

5860921, Jan 19, 1999

Apr 11, 1997

8/843011

Jingfei Ma - Waukesha WI
Felix Wehrli - Bala Cynwyd PA

Trustees of the University of Pennyslvania - Philadelphia PA

A61B 5055

600410

A technique for accurately measuring two different spin configurations of transverse magnetization from which the reversible dephasing rate constant R. sub. 2 ' can be calculated. Such reversible dephasing may be caused by magnetic field inhomogeneity such as arising from intravascular changes in the oxidation state of hemoglobin, from brain iron, or from cancellous bone, which allows these characteristics to be measured. The different spin configurations can be measured in a single scan by deriving a small R. sub. 2 ' through independent and separate measurements of the two magnetization configurations generated by two RF pulses. The two configurations can be recalled independently of each other since they are affected differently by respective gradients flanking the. beta. -pulse which permit one spin configuration to decay with T. sub. 2 while the other decays with T. sub.