524 results about "Image Artifact" patented technology

An implantable battery powered leadless pacemaker or biostimulator is provided that may include any of a number of features. One feature of the biostimulator is that it safely operates under a wide range of MRI conditions. One feature of the biostimulator is that it has a total volume small enough to avoid excessive image artifacts during a MRI procedure. Another feature of the biostimulator is that it has reduced path lengths between electrodes to minimize tissue heating at the site of the biostimulator. Yet another feature of the biostimulator is that a current loop area within the biostimulator is small enough to reduce an induced current and voltage in the biostimulator during MRI procedures. Methods associated with use of the biostimulator are also covered.

Techniques for creating a High Dynamic Range (HDR) image within a consumer grade digital camera from a series of images of a scene captured at different exposure levels, and displaying the HDR image on the camera's built-in display are provided. The approach employs mixing images of the series to incorporate both scene shadow and highlight details, and the removing of “ghost” image artifacts appearing in the mixed HDR image resulting from movement in the scene over the time the series images are captured. The low computational resource utilization of the image mixing and ghost removal processing operations, along with the ability to commence image mixing and ghost removal prior to the acquisition of all series images, can significantly reduce the time required to generate and display a tone mapped HDR image.

Techniques for creating a High Dynamic Range (HDR) image within a consumer grade digital camera from a series of images of a scene captured at different exposure levels, and displaying the HDR image on the camera's built-in display, are provided. The approach employs mixing images of the series to incorporate both scene shadow and highlight details, and the removing of “ghost” image artifacts appearing in the mixed HDR image resulting from movement in the scene over the time the series images are captured. The low computational resource utilization of the present invention's image mixing and ghost removal processing operations, along with the present invention's ability to commence image mixing and ghost removal prior to the acquisition of all series images, can significantly reduce the time required to generate and display a tone mapped HDR image.

A system for integrating radiolucent tracking sensors in a medical table, table mat, or surgical drape of a surgical navigation system, allowing the surgical navigation system to be less obtrusive in a surgery environment. A plurality of radiolucent magnetoresistance sensors are integrated into a table, table mat, or surgical draping of a surgical navigation system for improving surgical navigation workflow and eliminating image artifacts from intraoperative images. The plurality of radiolucent magnetoresistance sensors may be located within a table or adjacent to a table surface.

Techniques for creating a High Dynamic Range (HDR) image within a consumer grade digital camera from a series of images of a scene captured at different exposure levels, and displaying the HDR image on the camera's built-in display are provided. The approach employs mixing images of the series to incorporate both scene shadow and highlight details, and the removing of “ghost” image artifacts appearing in the mixed HDR image resulting from movement in the scene over the time the series images are captured. The low computational resource utilization of the image mixing and ghost removal processing operations, along with the ability to commence image mixing and ghost removal prior to the acquisition of all series images, can significantly reduce the time required to generate and display a tone mapped HDR image.

An implantable battery powered leadless pacemaker or biostimulator is provided that may include any of a number of features. One feature of the biostimulator is that it safely operates under a wide range of MRI conditions. One feature of the biostimulator is that it has a total volume small enough to avoid excessive image artifacts during a MRI procedure. Another feature of the biostimulator is that it has reduced path lengths between electrodes to minimize tissue heating at the site of the biostimulator. Yet another feature of the biostimulator is that a current loop area within the biostimulator is small enough to reduce an induced current and voltage in the biostimulator during MRI procedures. Methods associated with use of the biostimulator are also covered.

A method is provided for reducing image artifacts in printers that employ two or more printhead nozzle banks that must be aligned and registered with respect to each other either through adjustment of orientation and / or position of one nozzle bank relative to another or through selective control of actuation. In the method, discrete dots are printed by the nozzle banks upon a target receiver medium. Examination of the receiver medium or a reproduction thereof is made by a scanner and information regarding location of the dots is generated. From information regarding location of the dots a determination is made of error placement of the dots from ideal locations. Alignment of the nozzle banks are made in accordance with any errors determined in placement.

The invention relates to a method and apparatus for reducing imaging artifacts in physiological images, such as magnetic resonance imaging images. A model of a physical cause for the image artifact is modelled and the effects of perturbing this model on a focus criterion of the image analyzed so as to optimize the focus criterion. For an optimized focus criterion, the model should reflect the actual physical cause of the image artifact. A focus criterion is a measure of entropy of the image, with an optimized image having reduced entropy.

The present invention is related to methods and systems for detecting defective imaging array pixels and providing correction, thereby reducing or eliminating visible image artifacts. One embodiment of the present invention provides an on-line bad pixel detection and correction process that compares a first pixel readout value with a first value related to the readout values of other pixels in first pixel's local neighborhood. When the first pixel readout value varies by more than a first amount as compared with the first value, a second value related to the readout values of the neighboring pixels is used in place of the first pixel readout value.

A liquid crystal display (LCD) and method of adjusting brightness for the LCD are provided. The LCD includes a light emitter including a plurality of luminescent bodies which are divided into a predetermined number of partial areas, a backlight driver connected to the light emitter to control the brightness of each of the partial areas of the light emitter, and a controller for calculating a representative value for adjusting the brightness of each of the partial areas of the light emitter in accordance with an input image signal and outputting the representative value as a brightness adjustment signal for adjusting the brightness of each of the partial areas to the backlight driver. Thus, the brightness of each of partial areas of a backlight can be adjusted in accordance with the input image signal to improve a contrast ratio. Also, a representative value to be used for adjusting the brightness of each of the partial areas can be lowered by a predetermined ratio to effectively reduce power needed for lighting the backlight. Also, light loss and light gain occurring between neighboring partial areas can be compensated to improve the contrast ratio, and image artifacts can be reduced.

The invention provides a system and method for automatic real-time monitoring for the presence of a pathogen in water using coherent anti-stokes Raman scattering (CARS) microscopy. Water sample trapped in a trapping medium is provided to a CARS imager. CARS images are provided to a processor for automatic analyzing for the presence of image artifacts having pre-determined features characteristic to the pathogen. If a match is found, a CARS spectrum is taken and compared to a stored library of reference pathogen-specific spectra for pathogen identification. The system enables automatic pathogen detection in flowing water in real time.

A low cost, all weather, high definition RF radar system for an autonomous vehicle is described. The high definition RF radar system generates true target object data suitable for imaging, scene understanding, and all weather navigation of the autonomous vehicle. The high definition RF radar system includes a pair of independent orthogonal linear arrays. Data from both linear arrays is fed to a processor that performs data association to form true target detections and target positions. A Boolean association method for determining true target detections and target positions reduces many of the ghosts or incorrect detections that can produce image artifacts. The high definition RF radar system provides near optimal imaging in any dense scene for autonomous vehicle navigation, including during visually obscured weather conditions such as fog.

A digital frame transfer imager having an image sensor and frame memory in the same chip. The image sensor has an integrated memory controller for controlling transfers of data between the sensor and the memory array. The imager utilizes a rolling shutter and multiple groups of analog-to-digital processing circuitry to readout data from the sensor and to output digital images substantially free from image smear, kT / C noise and other unwanted image artifacts.

A method is provided for reducing image artifacts in printers that employ two or more printhead nozzle banks that must be aligned and registered with respect to each other either through adjustment of orientation and / or position of one nozzle bank relative to another or through selective control of actuation. In the method, discrete dots are printed by the nozzle banks upon a target receiver medium. Examination of the receiver medium or a reproduction thereof is made by a scanner and information regarding location of the dots is generated. From information regarding location of the dots a determination is made of error placement of the dots from ideal locations. Alignment of the nozzle banks are made in accordance with any errors determined in placement.

A catheter for use in a patient's body lumen, having a shaft section configured to minimize ultrasonic image artifacts and the direct ultrasonic image brightness of the shaft surface and its internal components, and to produce its image at a wide range of imaging angles, preferably with an intensity not substantially different than surrounding tissue of the body lumen under ultrasound visualization. The shaft section is operative for the desired use of the catheter, yet is also configured to facilitate accurately imaging the shape and location of the shaft section, and easily differentiate it from the surrounding anatomy without unduly obscuring the images of the adjacent anatomy using an ultrasound imaging system.

A transmit sequence for contrast agent imaging that improves sensitivity and minimizes image artifacts. The number of pulses and the interleaving of spatially distinct pulses between spatially co-linear pulses are selected such that a substantially similar pulse sequence for substantially each line in a scanned region is generated. A collateral pulse from a different scan line is interleaved between at least two imaging pulses along a scan line of interest. Such pulse sequences provide sensitive contrast agent imaging with minimized spatial variation. In another aspect, responsive signals representing the first and second scan lines are obtained. Intensities associated with the signals are determined. The intensities associated with the first scan line are compared to a value. The signals associated with the first scan line are replaced by the signals associated with the second scan line, signals associated with the first and second scan lines, or neighboring signals in time or space as a function of the comparison. Thus, signals associated with an image artifact may be replaced by signals along other scan lines so good spatial resolution is maintained.

Method and apparatus for removing image artifacts from an image of a scene illuminated by a periodically varying light source such as a fluorescent light source. The image is represented by image data, and the method has the steps of determining a flicker function and processing the image data using the flicker function to remove the image artifacts from the image. The method and apparatus operate on data of a single image, do not require any additional input other than values of the flicker and frame periods, and do not require that the flicker be independently monitored. The method and apparatus is suitable for removing image artifacts from an image represented by image data collected by a CMOS image sensor utilizing a rolling shutter.

Three-dimensional imaging of a breast tissue is achieved by acquiring a series of X-ray projection images from various angles. A three-dimensional image constructed from the projection images by a computer provides information to the operator to select a coordinate point within the breast from which to obtain a biopsy sample. Acquisition of projection images and construction of three-dimensional images is continued during the insertion of the needle into the breast, during positioning the needle towards the coordinate point, during the sampling and after the sampling. The advantages of utilizing tomosynthesis for breast tissue imaging over stereo imaging include better image quality, easier coordinate measurements within a tissue, ease of use of the equipment by the medical personnel, and fewer image artifact problems.

Described are methods and systems for providing improved defect detection and analysis using infrared thermography. Test vectors heat features of a device under test to produce thermal characteristics useful in identifying defects. The test vectors are timed to enhance the thermal contrast between defects and the surrounding features, enabling IR imaging equipment to acquire improved thermographic images. In some embodiments, a combination of AC and DC test vectors maximize power transfer to expedite heating, and therefore testing. Mathematical transformations applied to the improved images further enhance defect detection and analysis. Some defects produce image artifacts, or “defect artifacts,” that obscure the defects, rendering difficult the task of defect location. Some embodiments employ defect-location algorithms that analyze defect artifacts to precisely locate corresponding defects.

A low cost, all weather, high definition imaging system for an autonomous vehicle is described. The imaging system generates true target object data suitable for imaging, scene understanding, and all weather navigation of the autonomous vehicle. Data from multiple arrays is fed to a processor that performs data association to form true target detections and target positions. A Boolean associator uses an association method for determining true target detections and target positions to reduce many of the ghosts or incorrect detections that can produce image artifacts. The imaging system provides near optimal imaging in any dense scene for autonomous vehicle navigation, including during visually obscured weather conditions such as fog. The system and method can be applied to variety of imaging technologies, including an RF system, a Lidar system, a sonar system, an ultrasound system, and / or an optical system.

Systems and methods which provide active optimized spatio-temporal sampling (AOSTS) for image generation are shown. Embodiments actively select one or more regions of interest (ROIs) in a multi-beam ultrasound sampling mode, to minimize temporal image artifacts in the ROIs and thereby provide AOSTS. Such selection of ROIs according to embodiments results in various multi-beam sampling parameters, such as the number of rays that are used, the spacing between the rays that are used, the width of the rays that are used, the sequence of the rays that are used, the angle of the rays that are used, etc., being selected to provide optimized spatio-temporal sampling with respect to the selected ROIs. Selection of ROIs according to embodiments may include selecting parameters such as position, size, shape, orientation, direction, rate of change, etc.

One or more techniques are provided for gating the acquisition or selection of image data based upon the respiration of a patient. The technique provides for the acquisition of respiratory motion data from the image system or from one or more sensor-based motion determination systems. Various attributes of respiratory motion may be derived from the respiratory motion data and motion thresholds determined from the attributes. Based upon the respiratory motion of the patient and the determined thresholds, image data may be acquired or selected which corresponds to one or more breath-holds by the patient or low respiratory motion quiet periods within the breath-holds. The technique may be implemented in a fully automated or operator assisted or supervised manner.

Methods and apparatuses for correcting image artifacts in a high dynamic range image formed by combining a plurality of exposures taken at different integration periods. A determination is made as to whether there is motion between the exposures. If motion is detected, pixel signal values chosen are replaced with pixel signal values from another exposure.

Techniques for creating a High Dynamic Range (HDR) image within a consumer grade digital camera from a series of images of a scene captured at different exposure levels, and displaying the HDR image on the camera's built-in display are provided. The approach employs mixing images of the series to incorporate both scene shadow and highlight details, and the removing of 'ghost' image artifacts appearing in the mixed HDR image resulting from movement in the scene over the time the series images are captured. The low computational resource utilization of the image mixing and ghost removal processing operations, along with the ability to commence image mixing and ghost removal prior to the acquisition of all series images, can significantly reduce the time required to generate and display a tone mapped HDR image.

A liquid crystal display (LCD) and method of adjusting brightness for the LCD are provided. The LCD includes a light emitter including a plurality of luminescent bodies which are divided into a predetermined number of partial areas, a backlight driver connected to the light emitter to control the brightness of each of the partial areas of the light emitter, and a controller for calculating a representative value for adjusting the brightness of each of the partial areas of the light emitter in accordance with an input image signal and outputting the representative value as a brightness adjustment signal for adjusting the brightness of each of the partial areas to the backlight driver. Thus, the brightness of each of partial areas of a backlight can be adjusted in accordance with the input image signal to improve a contrast ratio. Also, a representative value to be used for adjusting the brightness of each of the partial areas can be lowered by a predetermined ratio to effectively reduce power needed for lighting the backlight. Also, light loss and light gain occurring between neighboring partial areas can be compensated to improve the contrast ratio, and image artifacts can be reduced.

The invention relates to a method for “truncation correction” in an x-ray system, i.e. a correction method during the reconstruction of projection images of an object recorded from different projection angles, if parts of the object do not lie in the field of view of each projection image. The surface of the object is thereby optically detected and used during the reconstruction of projection images to supplement the missing image data.

An anti-spoofing system operative for repulsing spoofing attacks in which an impostor presents a spoofed image of a registered end user, the system comprising a plurality of spoof artifact identifiers including a processor configured for identifying a respective plurality of spoofed image artifacts in each of a stream of incoming images and a decision maker including a processor configured to determine an individual image in the stream is authentic only if a function of artifacts identified therein is less than a threshold criterion.

A system for integrating radiolucent tracking sensors in a medical table, table mat, or surgical drape of a surgical navigation system, allowing the surgical navigation system to be less obtrusive in a surgery environment. A plurality of radiolucent magnetoresistance sensors are integrated into a table, table mat, or surgical draping of a surgical navigation system for improving surgical navigation workflow and eliminating image artifacts from intraoperative images. The plurality of radiolucent magnetoresistance sensors may be located within a table or adjacent to a table surface.

The invention relates to a universal road and lane detection system and method. The method comprises: S300, interference elimination and image artifact and irrelevant image part removing are carried out on an input image to obtain a relevant image; S302, lane edge feature or road edge feature is extracted from the relevant image; S304, according to the lane edge feature or road edge feature, fitting is carried out to obtain a synthesized path expression model; S306, the path expression model is tracked to carry out time sequence consistency integration or position consistency integration; and S308, the path expression model corresponds to a global coordinate system. On the basis of the module design, pretreatment is carried out on the image inputted by the camera, the interested relevant image is selected; lane detection or road detection is carried out by combining input information of the laser radar; model fitting is carried out to estimate a road path and the accuracy of path estimation is improved by using the time sequence integration module; and then the image corresponds to the global coordinate system in real time by using a coordinate system correspondence module to improving path estimation accuracy. Therefore, a problem that the existing road estimation model has imperfect functions can be solved.