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Abstract

An automated method for evaluating image data taken over a sequence of image frames to determine a contour of a left ventricle (LV). The sequence of image frames are converted to digital data that identify a gray scale value for each pixel in each image frame. An initial LV region is estimated based upon training data parameters derived from processing manually drawn contours of the LV in the hearts of other individuals, corresponding to the sequence of image frames being analyzed. Prior to producing the initial estimate, the location of the aortic valve in the sequence of image frames for the patient is determined to serve as a reference. The data derived frown the contours of the LVs for the other hearts are rotated and translated relative to this reference to insure that the training data information corresponds to the position and orientation of the LV being analyzed. In addition, the effects of tissue mass comprising a diaphragm adjacent to the inferior portion of the LV are compensated by masking out the diaphragm. Uncertainty of the contour of the LV in this portion due to the presence of the diaphragm is thereby minimized. The resulting automatically determined contours of each image frame can be displayed to enable a physician to more readily diagnose physiological defects of the heart.

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First Claim