Gopal B Avinash

US Patent:

6343111, Jan 29, 2002

Filed:

Sep 7, 2000

Appl. No.:

09/657033

Inventors:

Gopal B. Avinash - New Berlin WI
Jianguo Zhao - Watervliet NY
Francois Serge Nicolas - Wauwatosa WI
Kenneth Scott Kump - Waukesha WI

Assignee:

General Electric Company - Schenectady NY

International Classification:

H05G 108

US Classification:

378 9811, 378 989, 378 5

Abstract:

A method for determining a suggested value for a cancellation parameter for a dual energy decomposition includes obtaining a first energy level image of internal structure, obtaining a second, lower, energy level image of the internal structure, and iteratively processing the images to determine a provisional value for the cancellation parameter. The iteration includes varying a cancellation parameter in a cancellation equation, obtaining a structure cancelled image from the first and second energy level images according to the cancellation equation, and evaluating a cancellation metric from the structure cancelled image. The provisional cancellation parameter may then be chosen (e. g. , as the value that approximately minimizes a variance cancellation metric). Further iterations may be performed around the provisional cancellation parameter to refine the provisional cancellation parameter into a final cancellation parameter.

US Patent:

6556720, Apr 29, 2003

Filed:

May 24, 1999

Appl. No.:

09/317416

Inventors:

Gopal B. Avinash - New Berlin WI

Assignee:

GE Medical Systems Global Technology Company LLC - Wauskeha WI

International Classification:

G06K 940

US Classification:

382260, 382263, 382275, 382128

Abstract:

A digital image processing method includes the steps of acquiring ( ) pixel data which defines a digital image ( ), identifying ( ) structural regions ( ) within the digital image, resulting in a structure mask showing the structural regions and non-structural regions ( ), enhancement filtering ( ) the digital image using the structure mask, and correcting ( ) for intensity non-uniformities in the digital image, resulting in an enhanced, corrected digital image. An apparatus for carrying out the method includes a signal processing circuit configured to receive signals representing the internal features and to perform the steps ( ) of the method.

US Patent:

6574304, Jun 3, 2003

Filed:

Sep 13, 2002

Appl. No.:

10/242975

Inventors:

Jiang Hsieh - Brookfield WI
Gopal B. Avinash - New Berlin WI
Cherik Bulkes - Sussex WI
John M. Sabol - Sussex WI

Assignee:

GE Medical Systems Global Technology Company, LLC - Waukesha WI

International Classification:

A61B 600

US Classification:

378 62, 378 8, 378901, 382131

Abstract:

The invention provides a technique for acquiring subsequent image data in a medical diagnostic context based upon analysis of initial image data. The initial image data is processed via a computer aided diagnosis algorithm to determine whether additional image data acquisition is appropriate. Subsequent acquisition processes may be performed on the same imaging system from which the initial image data originated, or a different imaging system. The imaging systems may also be of different modalities. The subsequent acquisition of image data may be performed automatically without operator intervention, or the prescribed subsequent acquisition sequence may be outputted by the system for execution upon command of an operator.

US Patent:

6579239, Jun 17, 2003

Filed:

Apr 5, 2002

Appl. No.:

10/063275

Inventors:

Gopal B. Avinash - New Berlin WI
Pinaki Ghosh - Bangalore, IN
Kunnampally Gopalakrishnan Ramesh - Bangalore, IN
Amit Saxena - Bangalore, IN

Assignee:

GE Medical Systems Global Technology Company, LLC - Waukesha WI

International Classification:

A61B 800

US Classification:

600443, 600458

Abstract:

A system and a method for adjusting contrast and brightness in an image, e. g. , an ultrasound image. The contrast and brightness are adjusted by processing global pixel intensity data to form a set of data representing a histogram. An algorithm is then employed to filter the pixel intensity values as a function of certain characteristics of the histogram data. The algorithm is designed to enhance contrast and brightness without affecting the near-field region in the ultrasound image. The filtering operations may be performed by a dedicated processor or by a fast general-purpose computer.

US Patent:

6580779, Jun 17, 2003

Filed:

Nov 20, 2001

Appl. No.:

09/989044

Inventors:

Gopal B. Avinash - New Berlin WI
John M. Sabol - Sussex WI

Assignee:

GE Medical Systems Global Technology Company, LLC - Waukesha WI

International Classification:

H05G 164

US Classification:

378 989, 378 53, 378 9811, 382132

Abstract:

An X-ray system uses a display ( ) to display pictures ( ) generated in response to an X-ray first range of energy levels and an X-ray second range of energy levels different from the first range of energy levels. Pictures resulting from a substantially single range of X-ray energy levels also are displayed. A source ( ) of X-rays transmits X-rays at the first range of energy levels through an object ( ) to create in an image sensor ( ) a first image and transmits X-rays at the second range of energy levels through an object to create a second image in the image sensor. A processor ( ) calculates a first decomposed image from the first and second images according to a first decomposition algorithm, calculates a second decomposed image from the first and second images according to a second decomposition algorithm and calculates a contrast adjusted image in response to the first and second decomposed images. The first picture is displayed in response to the contrast adjusted image and the second picture is displayed in response to the first image.

US Patent:

6592523, Jul 15, 2003

Filed:

Jul 17, 2002

Appl. No.:

10/064469

Inventors:

Gopal B. Avinash - New Berlin WI
Pinaki Ghosh - Bangalore, IN

Assignee:

GE Medical Systems Global Technology Company, LLC - Waukesha WI

International Classification:

A61B 800

US Classification:

600443, 382 6, 382 56

Abstract:

In ultrasound imaging, acquired images are corrupted by slowly varying multiplicative non-uniformity. When the image is corrected for non-uniformity alone, noise in the dark regions of the original image becomes multiplicatively enhanced, thereby providing an unnatural look to the image. A pre-filtering technique is used to reduce noise in ultrasound pixel images by shrinking initial image data and processing the shrunken image with known segmentation-based filtering techniques that identify and differentially process structures within the image. The segmentation is based on both gradient threshold and the distance from the near field of the ultrasound image. This modification selectively suppresses near-field artifacts. After processing, the shrunken image is enlarged to the dimensions of the initial data and then blended with the initial image to form the final image. During blending, a small predetermined fraction of intensity-dependent, uniform random noise is added to the non-structure region pixels whose intensities are above a pre-specified intensity threshold, to mitigate ultrasound speckles while leaving non-echogenic regions undisturbed.

US Patent:

6614874, Sep 2, 2003

Filed:

Jan 28, 2002

Appl. No.:

10/058615

Inventors:

Gopal B. Avinash - New Berlin WI

Assignee:

GE Medical Systems Global Technology Company, LLC - Waukesha WI

International Classification:

G01N 23087

US Classification:

378 62, 378 9811, 378 94

Abstract:

The present technique provides a variety of processing schemes for decomposing soft tissue and bone images more accurately from low and high-energy images acquired from an imaging system, such as a dual-energy digital radiography system using flat-panel technology. In particular, a modified decomposition process is provided to mitigate noise and to reduce contrast artifacts, such as blooming, while decomposing soft tissue and bone images from low and high-energy images.

US Patent:

6661873, Dec 9, 2003

Filed:

Jan 28, 2002

Appl. No.:

10/058616

Inventors:

Kadri N. Jabri - Waukesha WI
Gopal B. Avinash - New Berlin WI

Assignee:

GE Medical Systems Global Technology Company, LLC - Waukesha WI

International Classification:

H05G 100

US Classification:

378 9811, 378 5, 378 62

Abstract:

The present technique provides a variety of processing schemes for decomposing soft tissue and bone images more accurately from low and high-energy images acquired from an imaging system, such as a dual-energy digital radiography system using flat-panel technology. In particular, a pre-decomposition process is provided for spatially matching, or registering, low and high-energy images using warping registration prior to dual energy image decomposition, which creates the soft tissue and bone images. Accordingly, the pre-decomposition process reduces motion artifacts between the low and high-energy images, thereby improving image clarity of the decomposed soft tissue and bone images.