ITK/Patent Bazaar

The Insight Toolkit provides a very open licensing mechanism that allows the use of the software for research, education and comercial applications. This very open license enters in conflict with methods that have been patented. In short, patented methods have inherit restrictions that make them non-suitable to be distributed under the ITK license. In plain words:

   Patented algorithms can not be distributed with ITK

A surprisingly large number of image processing algorithms and methods are covered in full or in part a patents. What makes this even more dificult is the fact that in order to figure out if a particular method is patented you have to search on your own. This page is intended as an open space to welcome any notifications regarding methods that have been patented. In this way, users of the toolkit will be able to make informed decisions regarding whether they use or not such methods. The responsibility for seeking permision from patent holders remains in the users.

Where to search for Patents

The following are the official databases where you can search for issued patents.

United States Patent and Trademark Office

       http://www.uspto.gov/

Common algorithms that are known to be patented

Correlation Ration Metric for Registration

• United States Patent 6,539,127
• Roche , et al. March 25, 2003

Electronic device for automatic registration of images

Abstract

An electronic data processing device receives first and second data sets representing first and second comparable digital images. It comprises registration means comprising a first module which calculates a main function representative of the correlation ratios between the data of the first and second sets, and a second module which determines a registration transformation between one of the images and the other from the main function.

• Inventors: Roche; Alexis (Antibes, FR); Ayache; Nicholas (Nice, FR); Malandain; Gregoire (Antibes, FR); Pennec; Xavier (Antibes, FR)
• Assignee: Inria Institut National de Recherche (Le Chesnay Cedex, FR)
• Appl. No.: 361313
• Filed: July 27, 1999

Image Guided Tracking of Medical Instruments

• United States Patent 6,782,287
• Grzeszczuk , et al. August 24, 2004

Method and apparatus for tracking a medical instrument based on image registration

Abstract

An apparatus, method and system for tracking a medical instrument, as it is moved in an operating space to a patient target site in the space, by constructing a composite, 3-D rendition of at least a part of the operating space based on an algorithm that registers pre-operative 3-D diagnostic scans of the operating space with real-time, stereo x-ray or radiograph images of the operating space. The invention has particular utility in tracking a flexible medical instrument and/or a medical instrument that moves inside the patient's body and is not visible to the surgeon.

• Inventors: Grzeszczuk; Robert (San Francisco, CA); Shahidi; Ramin (San Francisco, CA)
• Assignee: The Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University (Stanford, CA); General Electric Company (Schenectady, NY)
• Appl. No.: 892402
• Filed: June 26, 2001

Vessel Tracking

• United States Patent 6,728,566
• Subramanyan , et al. April 27, 2004

Vessel tracking and tree extraction method and apparatus

Abstract

Computed tomography (CT) data (28) is collected for a plurality of slices by a CT scanner (10). At least a portion of the CT data is reconstructed (32) to form a volume image (34) defined by a plurality of two-dimensional image slices. At least one starting point is identified (72) within a blood vessel imaged in the three-dimensional image volume (34). The blood vessel is recursively tracked (70) to form a blood vessel representation (92).

• Inventors: Subramanyan; Krishna (Solon, OH); Chandra; Shalabh (Twinsburg, OH)
• Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics, N.V. (Eindhoven, NL)
• Appl. No.: 990521
• Filed: November 21, 2001

Computer Aided Diagnosis of Thoracic Images

• United States Patent 6,795,521
• Hsu , et al. September 21, 2004
• Computer-aided diagnosis system for thoracic computer tomography images

Abstract

A method of detecting and analyzing abnormalities, like lung nodules, in thoracic computer tomography (CT) images uses digital image processing techniques and adaptive computing methods. The techniques include an automatic detection process to detect candidate abnormalities, an image matching process to match CT slices from two different CT scans, and a measurement process that determines parameters of the candidate abnormalities. Final results and processed CT images are displayed on a user interface.

• Inventors: Hsu; Li-Yueh (Vienna, VA); Lure; Fleming Y.-M. (Potomac, MD); Li; Ruiping (Rockville, MD); Xu; Xin-Wei (Gaithersburg, MD); Lin; Jyh-Shyan (North Potomac, MD); Martello; Edward A. (Glenwood, MD); Yeh; H.-Y. Michael (Potomac, MD)
• Assignee: Deus Technologies LLC (Rockville, MD)
• Appl. No.: 214464
• Filed: August 8, 2002

Image Segmentation using Flood Fill and Multi-Scale

• United States Patent 6,778,698
• Prakash , et al. August 17, 2004

Method and apparatus for digital image segmentation

Abstract

An image segmenter uses one or more techniques to accurately segment an image, including the use of a progressive flood fill to fill incompletely bounded segments, the use of a plurality of scaled transformations and guiding segmentation at one scale with segmentation results from another scale, detecting edges using a composite image that is a composite of multiple color planes, generating edge chains using multiple classes of edge pixels, generating edge chains using the plurality of scaled transformations, and/or filtering spurious edges at one scale based on edges detected at another scale.

• Inventors: Prakash; Adityo (Redwood Shores, CA); Ratner; Edward R. (Sunnyvale, CA); Chen; John S. (San Jose, CA); Cook; David L. (Playa Del Rey, CA)
• Assignee: PTS Corporation (San Jose, CA)
• Appl. No.: 591438
• Filed: June 9, 2000