Method for correcting inhomogeneities in an image, and an imaging apparatus ...

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(12) United States Patent

Jellus

(io) Patent No.: (45) Date of Patent:

US 7,672,498 B2 Mar. 2, 2010

(54) METHOD FOR CORRECTING

INHOMOGENEITIES IN AN IMAGE, AND AN
IMAGING APPARATUS THEREFOR

(75) Inventor: Vladimir Jellus, Erlangen (DE)

(73) Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft, Munich

(DE)

( * ) Notice: Subject to any disclaimer, the term of this patent is extended or adjusted under 35 U.S.C. 154(b) by 1106 days.

(21) Appl.No.: 11/311,364

(22) Filed: Dec. 20, 2005

(65) Prior Publication Data

US 2006/0182363 Al Aug. 17, 2006

(30) Foreign Application Priority Data

Dec. 21,2004 (DE) 10 2004 061 507

(51) Int. CI.

G06K 9/34 (2006.01)
G06K 9/38 (2006.01)
G06K 9/40 (2006.01)
G06K 9/36 (2006.01)
G06K 9/20 (2006.01)

(52) U.S. CI 382/131; 382/172; 382/173;

382/257; 382/263; 382/272; 382/274; 382/280;

382/282

(58) Field of Classification Search 382/131,

382/132, 168, 169, 171-173, 257, 260-264, 382/266, 272, 274, 280, 282, 283, 308 See application file for complete search history.

(56) References Cited

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A method is for correcting inhomogeneities in an image that is recorded from an examination object. The method includes recording an image to be corrected, calculating a correction image from the image to be corrected and correcting the recorded image with the aid of the correction image in order to produce a normalized image by multiplying the correction image by the image to be corrected. When calculating the correction images, the pixels in the vicinity of the imaged examination object are identified with the aid of a signal intensity that is lower than a limiting value. Further, these pixels are allocated signal intensities that in each case are a function of the signal intensity of the pixels in the respective neighborhood.

20 Claims, 10 Drawing Sheets

U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS

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OTHER PUBLICATIONS

Cohen, M.; DuBois, R.; Zeineh, M.; "Rapid and Effective Correction of RF Inhomogeneity for High Field Magnetic Resonace Imaging," 2000, Wiley-Liss, Human Brain Mapping 10, pp. 204-211.*

* cited by examiner