METHOD FOR ESTIMATING ELASTIC PROPERTIES OF HOLLOW ORGAN WALLS Russian patent published in 2003 - IPC

FIELD: medicine. SUBSTANCE: method involves examining the hollow organ using radiation beams. Time-expanded organ cross-section set spanned over a functioning period is built. Computer approximation of the produced hollow organ cross-section shapes is carried out next to it. Spatial images of external and internal surfaces of the hollow organ are produced at the beginning and at the end of the said organ functioning period. Method involves determining changes of hollow organ thickness within the organ functioning period in each point of the hollow organ wall surfaces marked on picture of one of hollow organ wall surfaces built. The rate of organ wall thickness changes in each of the said points is mapped on the hollow organ wall surface image by giving corresponding color tint to a vicinity of each of the points representing wall thickness change degree in the corresponding point. Approximation and building spatial images of the hollow organ wall surfaces are carried out during its filling phase. The set of the points is marked on the internal surface image of the hollow organ at the beginning of filling phase. Several images of the internal surface image of the hollow organ following each other in time during the filling phase between the moments of the beginning and the end of the organ filling phase. Each marked point position is to be found on each in the series of succeeding internal hollow organ surface images by matching each point of the preceding internal hollow organ surface image the next internal hollow organ surface image point sought for. The mentioned mapping is defined by determining the sought point as a point of the following surface belonging to the normal to the tangent so that the normal and tangent lines are drawn over the earlier determined point belonging to the previous internal hollow organ surface. Hollow organ wall thickness is determined in each given point as distance along normal between the internal and external hollow organ surface images built at the same time moment. Change in hollow organ wall thickness in each given point is determined difference of organ wall thickness values at the beginning and at the end of its filling phase. EFFECT: complete data set revealing wall areas movement; high accuracy of wall areas localization; wide range of applications for diagnosis purposes. 5 cl, 10 dwg