WALTER IRVING GARMS
Pilots at Hillcrest Rd, Berkeley, CA

8260020, Sep 4, 2012

May 30, 2008

12/130269

Walter Garms - Berkeley CA, US

Morpho Detection, Inc. - Newark CA

G06K 9/00

382131, 382128, 382195

Methods, apparatuses, and computer-readable media are provided for image based CT Number and volume corrections for thin objects in computed tomography systems. For example, in one embodiment a method is provide which computes an average computed tomography (“CT”) value and volume of voxels that are part of an object. Thereafter, a surface area and a surface CT Number, a boundary area and a boundary CT Number, and a corrected CT Number and a corrected volume for the object are computed. Embodiments of the invention also include other methods, computer-readable mediums, apparatuses, and systems that contain features similar to the features in the above described method.

7839971, Nov 23, 2010

Dec 31, 2007

12/006119

Joseph Bendahan - San Jose CA, US
Walter Irving Garms - Berkeley CA, US
Mengqian Gu - Newark CA, US

Morpho Detection, Inc. - Newark CA

G01N 23/04

378 57, 378 4, 378 5

A method for automatically inspecting a container for a target material using a computed tomography (CT) scanning system includes performing an initial radiographic scan of the container. Based at least partially on projection data generated during the initial radiographic scan, at least one location within the container is identified that requires CT inspection. A dual energy CT scan of the at least one identified location within the container is performed based on a single energy algorithm or a dual energy algorithm. The dual energy CT scan includes a low energy scan of the at least one identified location and a high energy scan of the at least one identified location. Based on dual energy scan information generated during the dual energy CT scan, a determination is made to confirm or clear an alarm corresponding to the at least one identified location within the container.

7515675, Apr 7, 2009

Dec 7, 2005

11/295952

Walter Garms - Berkeley CA, US
Ugo Di Girolamo - Fremont CA, US
Matthew Merzbacher - Oakland CA, US

GE Security, Inc. - Bradenton FL

A61B 6/00

378 4, 378 57

An apparatus and method for providing a projection image directly from data acquired by a CT scanner, the method comprising: acquiring an amount of data corresponding to an object that is scanned by the CT scanner, wherein the amount of data is generated by an x-ray source that projects a fan beam of x-rays toward a detector array on an opposite side of a gantry of the CT scanner as the object is passed through an opening in the gantry, the acquired amount of data comprising a reconstruction volume; selecting a viewing direction of the object; selecting a portion of a surface intersecting the reconstruction volume, wherein the selected portion comprises an imaging surface inside the reconstruction volume and corresponding to the viewing direction of the object; dividing the imaging surface into a plurality of rows and columns, thus creating a grid of points corresponding to the imaging surface; determining, for each point in the grid, a data point in the acquired amount of data corresponding to an x-ray source position wherein a ray from the x-ray source to the grid point is closest an orientation parallel to the view direction, and a detector position where the ray intersects the detector array; and presenting a projection image corresponding to the selected imaging surface, wherein the projection image comprises a plurality of projection points and each projection point in the projection image is a converted value of the data points of the acquired data.

7492860, Feb 17, 2009

Apr 4, 2006

11/397792

Walter Garms - Berkeley CA, US
Pierfrancesco Landolfi - Newark CA, US

GE Security, Inc. - Bradenton FL

G01N 23/04, G01N 23/00

378 57, 378 4

An apparatus and method for scanning an object with a helical CT scanner, the method comprising: acquiring an amount of data corresponding to the object that is scanned by the CT scanner, wherein the amount of data is generated by an x-ray source that projects a fan beam of x-rays toward a detector array on an opposite side of a gantry of the CT scanner, the fan beam being generated at multiple x-ray source positions as the x-ray source is rotated about the object as the object passes through an opening in the gantry disposed about a conveyor for moving the object through the opening; monitoring a position of the conveyor as the object passes through the opening in the gantry; determining if the conveyor has been stationary for more than one rotation of the gantry and discarding redundant data after one rotation, optionally turning off the x-ray tube if the conveyor has been stationary for more than one gantry rotation, and if so preventing the conveyor from moving again until the tube is turned on and is stable, inputting the position of the conveyor at each x-ray source position into a reconstruction algorithm; and presenting an image of the object.

7492856, Feb 17, 2009

Dec 7, 2005

11/295954

Walter I. Garms - Berkeley CA, US
Ugo Di Girolamo - Fremont CA, US
Matthew Merzbacher - Oakland CA, US

GE Security, Inc. - Bradenton FL

A61B 6/03

378 15, 378 4, 378901, 378 19

An apparatus and method for providing a projection image directly from data acquired by a CT scanner, the method comprising: acquiring an amount of data corresponding to an entire object that is scanned by the CT scanner, wherein the amount of data is generated by an x-ray source that projects a fan beam of x-rays toward a detector array on an opposite side of a gantry of the CT scanner as the object is passed through an opening in the gantry; selecting an imaging plane, the imaging plane corresponding to a view of the object; dividing the imaging plane into a plurality of rows and columns, thus creating a grid of points corresponding to the imaging plane; determining, for each point in the grid, a data point from the acquired data corresponding to an x-ray source position wherein a ray from the x-ray source to the grid point is closest to a perpendicular orientation with respect to the imaging plane, and a detector position where the ray intersects the detector array; and presenting a projection image corresponding to the selected imaging plane, wherein the projection image comprises a plurality of projection points and each projection point in the projection image is a converted value of the data points of the data points of the acquired data.

2009014, Jun 11, 2009

Dec 10, 2007

11/953666

Walter GARMS - Berkeley CA, US

A61B 6/00

378 4

Methods, computer-readable mediums, apparatuses, and systems are provided. In one embodiment, the method acquires gain data for a view. The gain data is stored for subsequent use. Thereafter, the method acquires raw data for the view. For detectors in the view, the method compares the raw data to the gain data to determine if the result exceeds a threshold. Generally, information that exceeds the threshold is valid data. The method transmits only the valid data. Embodiments of the invention also include other methods, computer-readable mediums, apparatuses, and systems that contain features similar to the features in the above described method.

8090150, Jan 3, 2012

Oct 10, 2008

12/249057

Walter Irving Garms - Berkeley CA, US

Morpho Detection, Inc. - Newark CA

G06K 9/00, G01N 23/04

382103, 382224, 378 57

A method and system for identifying an object in an acquired image. The method includes detecting an object within the acquired image, and determining whether the detected object is a containment vessel. If the object is not a containment vessel, the method includes applying a first set of rules for classifying the object. If the object is a containment vessel, the method includes applying a second set of rules for classifying the object.

2009016, Jul 2, 2009

Dec 31, 2007

11/967507

Walter GARMS - Berkeley CA, US

G06K 9/00

382131

Image-based density and volume corrections for thin objects in computed tomography systems are provided. For example, in one embodiment a method is provide which computes an average computed tomography (“CT”) value and volume of voxels that are part of an object. Thereafter, a surface area and a surface density, a boundary area and a boundary density, and a corrected density and a corrected volume for the object are computed. Embodiments of the invention also include other methods, computer-readable mediums, apparatuses, and systems that contain features similar to the features in the above described method.

7298812, Nov 20, 2007

Mar 31, 2006

11/278287

J. Eric Tkaczyk - Delanson NY, US
William Macomber Leue - Albany NY, US
Walter Irving Garms - Berkeley CA, US
Joseph Bendahan - San Jose CA, US
Deborah Walter - Burnt Hills NY, US
Xiaoye Wu - Rexford NY, US
Peter Michael Edic - Albany NY, US
Pierfrancesco Landolfi - Newark CA, US

General Electric Company - Niskayuna NY

G01N 23/00

378 5, 378 4

A CT scanner acquires CT images at different energy levels and registers those images to provide a composite image that is substantially free of beam hardening artifacts and conspicuously provides atomic information of that imaged.