Investing in research, making a difference...
For UW Inventors
WARF Therapeutics
Submit an Invention
Inventor Profiles
Monthly Tech Updates
WARF Ventures
New Patents
Grants & Support
For inventors, entrepreneurs and researchers
For K-12 students, educators and families
Discovery Building
Directions to WARF
+ Agriculture (121)
Animal biotech (9)
Mechanization (3)
Pesticides & inoculants (5)
Plant biotech (18)
Plant varieties (58)
+ Analytical Instrumentation (178)
Biodefense (5)
Liquid crystals (16)
Mass spectrometry (25)
Microscopy (15)
Spectroscopy (19)
+ Clean Technology (171)
Bio-based & renewable chemicals (23)
Biofuels & renewable fuels (59)
Energy & resource efficiencies (28)
Energy delivery (1)
Environmental monitoring (12)
Remediation & waste reduction (12)
Solar technologies (13)
Water purification (5)
Wind technologies (2)
+ Diagnostic Assays (36)
Immune status (4)
Other assays (13)
+ Drug Discovery (152)
Disease models (24)
Drug production & design (28)
Preclinical testing (18)
+ Education & Training (20)
Digital courses (2)
+ Engineering (18)
+ Engines & Power Electronics (71)
Energy storage & regeneration (8)
Testing & monitoring (9)
Utility & microgrid (6)
+ Food & Supplements (47)
Functional foods (7)
Nutraceuticals (8)
Safety & quality (12)
+ Information Technology (243)
Computing methods (60)
Network technologies (24)
+ Materials & Chemicals (158)
Absorbents (4)
Biochemicals (18)
Ceramics & glasses (6)
Nanocomposites (19)
Synthesis (43)
+ Medical Devices (99)
Adaptive design (19)
Device coatings (10)
Neurological devices (20)
Surgical devices (12)
- Medical Imaging (201)
MRI (92)
Other diagnostic imaging (34)
Ultrasound (28)
X-ray (10)
+ Micro & Nanotech (78)
MEMS & NEMS (18)
Microarrays (6)
Micromachining (7)
Nanowires (5)
+ Miscellaneous (3)
+ Pharmaceuticals & Vitamin D (213)
Antibacterials (20)
Antifungals (4)
Immunity & auto-immune (10)
Musculoskeletal (8)
Neurological & mental health (17)
Ocular (3)
Oncology & hematology (43)
Organ & tissue transplants (4)
Orphan diseases (1)
Pulmonary (1)
Reproduction & infertility (1)
Skin & connective tissue (10)
Vitamin D (27)
+ Plasma Processing (13)
Materials processing (12)
+ Pluripotent Cells (40)
Differentiation (20)
+ Radiation Therapy (56)
Ablation (13)
Brachytherapy (4)
Calibration & verification (3)
External beam therapy (19)
Treatment planning (17)
+ Research Tools (320)
Animal models (31)
Antibodies (27)
Arrays (15)
Cell lines (25)
Detection (50)
DNA & RNA tools (37)
Gene expression (18)
Genomics & proteomics (38)
Novel microbes (14)
Protein interactions & function (31)
Synthesis & purification (21)
+ Semiconductors & Integrated Circuits (98)
Components & materials (21)
Design & fabrication (44)
Lithography (26)
+ Veterinary (16)
Companion animals (11)
WARF: P06479US
View U.S. Patent No. 7,647,088 in PDF format.
Image Reconstruction Method for Computed Tomography and Magnetic Resonance Cardiac Imaging
INVENTORS -
Charles Mistretta, Julia Velikina, Oliver Wieben
The Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF) is seeking commercial partners interested in developing a new method for reconstructing highly undersampled images at specific cardiac phases for both X-ray computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
OVERVIEWMagnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a medical imaging technique that takes measurements, or "views," of a subject's nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) to form images of internal structures. Computed tomography (CT) is another medical imaging technique that measures the attenuation of an X-ray beam's signal to form images. Images are reconstructed from the projection views by backprojecting the processed data to the signal receivers to reconstruct the image. High quality images require a long scan time, while a short scan time results in low quality images.
When imaging a beating heart, electrocardiography (ECG) is used to detect when the heart is at a certain point in the cardiac cycle. This allows a still image to be created at that cardiac cycle point. Twenty years ago a method for creating good quality images of moving tissue with far less data was proposed, but never developed because a scanner system was not yet commercially available. By combining image data from the stationary tissue surrounding the heart and image data from the moving heart tissue, distortions in the final image due to the stationary tissue could be removed completely.
THE INVENTIONA UW–Madison researcher has developed a new method for reconstructing highly undersampled images at specific cardiac phases for both X-ray computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The method uses a highly constrained backprojection method and requires a composite image that is enhanced using the previously proposed method.
The highly constrained backprojection reconstruction method weights image pixels to increase the image quality at areas in which the composite image pixels intersect structures in the subject, instead of simply assuming the pixels should be weighted evenly like previous techniques. Increasing the quality of this composite image directly increases the reconstructed image quality. The composite image can be enhanced further by subtracting the stationary tissue that surrounds the heart.
MRI and X-ray CT images of a beating heart
Increases image resolution
Decreases scan time
Increases signal-to-noise ratio
Removes distortions due to stationary tissue image
For More Information About the Inventors
Charles Mistretta
Julia Velikina
Tech Fields
Medical Imaging : MRI
Medical Imaging : CT
For current licensing status, please contact Jeanine Burmania at jeanine@warf.org or 608-960-9846.
The WARF Advantage
Since its founding in 1925 as the patenting and licensing organization for the University of Wisconsin-Madison, WARF has been working with business and industry to transform university research into products that benefit society. WARF intellectual property managers and licensing staff members are leaders in the field of university-based technology transfer. They are familiar with the intricacies of patenting, have worked with researchers in relevant disciplines, understand industries and markets, and have negotiated innovative licensing strategies to meet the individual needs of business clients.
Copyright © 2020 WARF. All rights reserved.
Disclose an Invention
Discovery Portal
UW–Madison
Morgridge Institute for Research
WiCell
WiSys
WARF helps steward the cycle of research, discovery, commercialization and investment for the University of Wisconsin. Copyright © 2020 WARF. All rights reserved.