Method and Apparatus for Segmentation of Blood Vessels

This project aims the internationalization of the protection of Accuracte-BV technology through a European patent application and three direct applications in the USA, Japan and China under the Paris Convention. The Accurate-BV technology is very relevant in the fields of Health and ICT for being able to analyze and characterize images of tubular structures, even in situations of low contrast, producing useful information for decision making. In this way, it adds value by reducing the time required to perform certain procedures and mitigating the occurrence of complications. Accurate-BV was developed as a computer-aided system for breast reconstruction surgeries planning to automatic and accurately characterize the trajectory of key blood vessels. The origin of the work is based on the errors of the manual reports currently used in the clinical routine and subsequent complications and negative impact on the final result of the breast reconstruction. Therefore, Accurate-BV contributes to the reduction of surgical time, mitigates the risk of complications, and improves aesthetic results, with clear gains for hospital management, physicians and patients. On the other hand, Accurate-BV has externalities in other areas because it can process and analyze images from different sources, such as the case of sensors for computer vision. A direct application of Accurate-BV in the field of ICT involves the evaluation of the path of structures such as slits, tunnels and pipes, generating information relevant to planning, monitoring or intervention. A provisional patent application was filed at INPI for Accurate-BV. However, the market analysis has shown that the potential impact of Accurate-BV extends to other territories, supporting the internationalization of this patent application given the possibility of licensing this technology to companies with global activity in the presented domains.Project Datasheet