1. A method to derive information regarding one or more bone parameters from an image comprising:
(a) obtaining image data of bone from a subject;
(b) defining a region of interest from the image data;
(c) defining within the region of interest at least first and second windows, wherein the first and second windows overlap;
(d) analyzing information in the first window to determine at least a first value for a parameter, the parameter selected from the group consisting of bone microarchitecture, bone macroanatomy, biomechanical parameters and combinations thereof;
(e) analyzing information in the second window to determine at least a second value for the parameter; and
(f) generating a set of data at least in part from the first and second values.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the information in the first window is further analyzed to determine a third value of a second parameter; wherein the information in the second window is further analyzed to determine a fourth value of the second parameter, and wherein the set of data is generated based at least in part on the first, second, third and fourth values.
3. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating a field of sampling points of the image, the sampling points being distributed at regular intervals in the image, and the first window being located at a first sampling point of the field of sampling points, and the second window being located at a second sampling point of the field of sampling points.
4. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating a field of sampling points of the image, the sampling points being distributed at irregular intervals in the image, and the first window being located at a first sampling point of the field of sampling points, and the second window being located at a second sampling point of the field of sampling points.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein the parameter is bone micro-architecture.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein the parameter is bone macro-anatomy.
7. The method of claim 1, wherein the image is two-dimensional.
8. The method of claim 7, wherein image is an x-ray image.
9. The method of claim 1, wherein the image is three-dimensional.
10. The method of claim 1, wherein the image is an electronic image.
11. The method of claim 1, wherein the subject is an osteoporosis subject.
12. The method of claim 1, further comprising
creating a parameter map based at least in part on the values associated with the parameter.
13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:
(a) generating multiple parameter maps;
(b) generating a composite parameter map from the multiple parameters maps of step (a); and
(c) analyzing the composite parameter map.
14. The method of claim 12, further comprising:
analyzing the parameter map, wherein the analysis is watershed segmentation analysis or Markov random field analysis.
15. The method of claim 12, further comprising:
(a) generating a finite element model from the parameter map; and
(b) applying simulated force vectors to the finite element model.
16. The method of claim 13, further comprising:
(a) predicting a fracture path using the composite parameter map; and
(b) evaluating one or more selected bone parameters along the predicted fracture path.
17. The method of claim 14, further comprising:
(a) predicting a fracture path using the analyzed parameter map; and
(b) evaluating one or more selected bone parameters along the predicted fracture path.
18. The method of claim 1, further comprising
diagnosing a bone disease based on the generated set of data and
selecting and administering a suitable treatment to said subject based on said diagnosis.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
What is claimed is:
1. An apparatus, comprising:
an array of photoreceptor pixels, each pixel of the array including a photoreceptor part and control part which selects some aspect of an associated photoreceptor pixel for readout; and
a control element, which selects only specified ones of the photoreceptor pixels in a specific row for integration at any given readout time such that at least each two adjacent pixels integrate at different times.
2. An apparatus as in claim 1, wherein said only specified ones include only alternate ones of the photoreceptor pixels, to provide two separate image fields respectively from said array.
3. An apparatus as in claim 1, wherein said only specified ones include one pixel out of every N pixels in said array, to provide N separate image fields respectively.
4. An apparatus as in claim 1, further comprising an image processor, separating said specified groups of photoreceptor pixels into separate image fields, and providing respective outputs indicative of said separate image fields.
5. An apparatus as in claim 2, further comprising an image processor, receiving a pixel stream including two interleaved images and operating to separate said two image fields.
6. An apparatus as in claim 2, further comprising a readout system, reading out a first image field at a first time to produce a first image, and a second image field at a second time to produce a second image.
7. An apparatus as in claim 3, further comprising a readout system, reading out pixels from each row in a specified order in which at least one pixel in each row is skipped between each two read pixels, to read out pixels in the order 0, N, 2N . . . to provide a first image, and 1, N1, 2N1 to provide a next image and so one to provide the N images.
8. A method, comprising:
integrating light indicative of a scene being imaged in a plurality of pixels forming an array, said integrating comprising integrating each of said pixels in said array beginning and ending at substantially the same time but in at least two different groups; and
forming at least two different image fields from the at least two different groups.
9. A method as in claim 8, wherein said integrating comprises integrating only certain pixels at any time, with at least one non-integrated pixel being between each integrated pixel at any integration time.
10. A method as in claim 9, wherein said forming comprises reading alternate pixels to provide two separate image fields.
11. A method as in claim 9, wherein said forming comprises reading one of every N pixels to provide N separate image fields.
12. A method as in claim 9, wherein said reading reads all pixels, including multiple interleaved images, and further comprising separating said multiple interleaved images.
13. A method as in claim 9, wherein said forming reads a single interleaved image at any time.
14. An apparatus, comprising:
an array of active pixel sensors, each including a photoreceptor portion, and a control portion, said control portion enabling activation of said photoreceptors between an integrating state and into a non integrating state, and also enabling transfer of charge from said photoreceptor to an output; and
a controller, controlling said photoreceptors to integrate in a plurality of different periods, such that at least a first group of photoreceptors integrates during a different time than a second group of said photoreceptors.
15. An apparatus as in claim 14, wherein said plurality is two.
16. An apparatus as in claim 14, wherein said control portion includes a follower buffer transistor, and a selector.
17. An apparatus as in claim 14, wherein said controller controls said photoreceptors to produce said charge from each individual group at a time.
18. An apparatus as in claim 14, wherein said controller controls said photoreceptors to produce their respective charge in order, and further comprising an image processor which separates a first image field within said photodetectors from a second image field within said photodetectors.