Method for Providing Feedback Data in a Medical Imaging System - Patent application

Abstract

A method for providing feedback data in a medical imaging system for a medical imaging process, comprising the steps of providing (S10) a simulation model trained to predict the appearance of a medical image acquired by using the medical imaging system 22 from a relationship between subject positioning data related to an acquired positioning of a subject 27, medical device positioning data related to an acquired positioning of at least one medical care and / or monitoring device 28, 30 placed in or at the subject 27 in the medical imaging system 22, and medical image data related to the subject positioning data and the medical device positioning data, by the computation means; The method includes the steps of: acquiring (S20) data and current medical device positioning data of at least one medical care and / or monitoring device 28, 30 positioned relative to a subject 27 in a medical imaging system; determining (S30) feedback data by a calculation unit by supplying the acquired current subject positioning data and the acquired current medical device positioning data to a simulation model that outputs feedback data, the feedback data including at least simulated medical image data predicted by the simulation model from the acquired current subject positioning data and the current medical device positioning data; and providing (S40) the feedback data by a providing unit.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for providing feedback data in a medical imaging system for a medical imaging process, an apparatus or system for providing feedback data in a medical imaging system for a medical imaging process, the use of an optical measurement unit and / or a pressure-based measurement unit in such an apparatus, and a computer program. [Background technology]

[0002] Medical imaging is an important subject in medical diagnosis. There are several medical imaging systems available in the market such as X-ray, MRT, CT etc. These medical imaging systems are state of the art and hence known. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0003] The quality of the medical images obtained by such medical imaging systems depends, among other things, on the quality of the preparation of the medical imaging process. If the quality of the medical images is insufficient, the medical imaging must be repeated or, even worse, an erroneous medical diagnosis may be derived from the medical images. In short, this may lead to increased costs for medical imaging, erroneous medical diagnoses, and reduced image quality.

[0004] Therefore, in medical imaging, there may be a need to provide feedback, particularly during the preparation phase of medical imaging. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The object of the present invention is solved by the subject matter of the independent claims, further embodiments are incorporated in the dependent claims.

[0006] According to a first aspect, there is provided a method for providing feedback data in a medical imaging system for a medical imaging process, comprising the steps of: providing, by a computing unit, a simulation model trained to describe a relationship between positioning data of a subject, positioning data of at least one medical device placed relative to the subject in the medical imaging system, and simulated image data derived from said positioning data, obtaining, by the computing unit, from at least one measurement means, positioning data of the subject, and positioning data of at least one medical device placed relative to the subject in the medical imaging system, determining, by the computing unit, feedback data by utilizing the simulation model and the obtained positioning data provided to the simulation model, said feedback data comprising at least simulated image data derived from the obtained positioning data, and providing, by a providing unit, said feedback data.

[0007] In other words, the method includes the steps of providing, by the calculation unit, a simulation model trained to predict the appearance of a medical image acquired by using the medical imaging system from a relationship between subject positioning data related to an acquired positioning of the subject, medical device positioning data related to an acquired positioning of at least one medical care and / or monitoring device placed in or at the subject in the medical imaging system, and optionally simulated medical image data related to the subject positioning data and the medical device positioning data; and providing, by the calculation unit, a simulation model trained to predict the appearance of a medical image acquired by using the medical imaging system from a relationship between current subject positioning data of the subject and medical device positioning data related to an acquired positioning of at least one medical care and / or monitoring device placed in or at the subject in the medical imaging system. and current medical device positioning data of at least one medical care and / or monitoring device positioned at the position from the at least one measuring means; determining feedback data by a computing unit by supplying the acquired current subject positioning data and the acquired current medical device positioning data to a simulation model for processing, the feedback data comprising simulated medical image data predicted by the simulation model from at least the acquired current subject positioning data and the current medical device positioning data; and providing the feedback data by a providing unit.

[0008] The term feedback data as used herein should be understood broadly and relates to any information configured to describe a medical imaging process. The feedback data can take into account any phase of the medical imaging process, such as, for example, a preparation phase, during which the subject is prepared before the actual image acquisition phase, an execution or acquisition phase, and a follow-up phase. The feedback data can include quality measures related to the medical imaging process that reveal whether the medical imaging process is under actual settings (i.e., positioning data, exposure data, etc.) that result in sufficient quality, in particular sufficient image quality, or under actual settings (i.e., positioning data, exposure data, etc.) that result in medical images with insufficient quality. The feedback data can include processing parameters that describe the medical imaging process (e.g., positioning data, medical imaging system settings). In at least some embodiments, the feedback data can include predictions of images, in particular medical images such as X-ray images, MR image data, CT image data, etc., that would be acquired by actual imaging conditions (e.g., medical imaging system settings, positioning data, and type or class of medical care and / or monitoring equipment). The feedback data can also include simulated image data.

[0009] The term medical imaging system as used herein should be understood broadly and relates to any medical imaging system configured to acquire medical images of a subject. The medical imaging system may be an X-ray system, an MRT system or a CT system. The medical imaging system may comprise a medical imaging unit, a control unit, a support structure configured to position the subject to be imaged (e.g. a bed), a display configured to display information (e.g. feedback data) and / or a measuring means.

[0010] The term computing unit as used herein should be understood broadly and relates to a system configured to execute a simulation model. A computing unit may be a hardware unit (e.g., a CPU, a workstation, etc.) or a virtual unit (e.g., a virtual machine, software, etc.).

[0011] The term simulation model as used herein should be understood broadly and relates to any computational model that is configured to be trained, for example by corresponding training data, to at least describe the relationship, in particular the relation, between subject positioning data of a subject of a medical care and / or monitoring device and corresponding medical image data, optionally simulated medical image data. The simulation model can be based on a neural network, a deep learning algorithm, or more generally a machine learning algorithm. The simulation model can be trained by providing measured positioning data as input and providing corresponding real simultaneously acquired images of the subject, in particular medical images, as output. The training data can optionally be annotated, labeled, etc. The simulation model can be continuously trained or retrained. The simulation model can be used to predict the appearance of images, in particular medical images such as X-ray images, MR images, etc., acquired under given imaging conditions. The simulation model can be an entity that processes one or more inputs to generate one or more outputs, usually by means of an internal processing chain having a set of free parameters. The internal processing chain can be organized in interconnected layers that are successively traversed in performing processing from input to output. The inputs can be, in this example, subject positioning data, medical care and / or monitoring equipment, medical imaging systems, and exposure data, and the outputs can be simulated medical images. The simulation model can be trained using records of training data. The records of training data include training input data and corresponding training output data. The training output data of a record of training data are the results that are expected to be produced by the simulation model when the training input data of the same record of training data are given as input. The deviation between this expected result and the actual result produced by the simulation model is observed and evaluated by a "loss function".This loss function is used as feedback to adjust the parameters of the module's internal processing chain. For example, the parameters can be adjusted with an optimization objective of minimizing the value of the loss function that results when all training input data are fed to the module and the results are compared with the corresponding training output data. The result of this training is that, given a relatively small number of records of training data as "ground truth", the simulation model is able to perform its job to provide feedback data, in particular simulated medical images.

[0012] The term positioning data in this example refers to spatial data of one or more center points (i.e. skeletal joint centers or key points) of the subject and / or medical care and / or monitoring device, as well as spatial data of one or more contour points of the subject and / or medical care and / or monitoring device. The positioning data may preferably be related to the coordinate system of the medical imaging system.

[0013] The term subject, as used herein, should be understood broadly and relates to any part of a human or animal. A subject may include bones (e.g., knee), tissues and / or organs (e.g., heart, brain).

[0014] The term "medical care and / or monitoring equipment" as used herein should be understood broadly and relates to equipment configured to provide medical assistance to a subject (e.g. tubes, lines, etc.) or any equipment used for medical imaging (e.g. support structures for positioning parts of a subject: medical weights or medical dilation devices). For example, the medical care and / or monitoring equipment can be configured to be directly integrated into the subject, e.g. to contact the subject or to be at least partially inserted into the subject. The medical care and / or monitoring equipment can be used to provide medical assistance to the subject, such as medication, infusion, oxygen, etc., and / or to monitor the subject's vital parameters, such as heart rate measurement, oximetry, etc. The medical care and / or monitoring equipment, due to its material and / or its position relative to the subject and / or medical imaging system, may interfere with the beam path during image acquisition.

[0015] The term measurement means as used herein should be understood broadly and relates to any means configured to determine positioning data of a subject and / or a medical care and / or monitoring device. The term measurement means can include optical measurement units, tactile measurement units, pressure-based measurement units, imaging system internal measurement units (e.g. encoders of a drive of a medical imaging system).

[0016] The term simulated image data, as used herein, refers to a simulation of an image that would be acquired using a medical imaging system under a measured imaging setting. The simulated image may be essentially the same as a real image acquired without the specific characteristics of the subject (e.g., unknown tumor, deviation of normal bone structure, etc.). It should be noted that the simulated image data does not replace the actually acquired medical image of the subject, instead, the simulated image should assist the technician in recognizing whether the imaging setting is suitable for actually acquiring a reasonable medical image of the subject.

[0017] The present invention is based on the finding that the quality of medical images is important for follow-up diagnosis of medical images. For example, in X-ray imaging positioning, the subject or medical care and / or monitoring equipment poses serious challenges for optimal diagnostic value of the resulting images. For example, bedside chest X-ray (CXR) is an essential diagnostic tool for monitoring critically ill patients in intensive care units (ICUs). CXR often reveals abnormalities that may not be able to be detected clinically. Furthermore, bedside CXR is an irreplaceable tool for detecting malpositioning of tubes and lines and identifying associated complications. Another example is chest X-ray screening, where again it is often difficult to assess the position and spatial extent of the lungs. Another example is breast imaging, where it is often difficult to achieve a complete view extending to the chest wall.

[0018] There are many factors that affect the quality of medical images, such as the positioning data of the subject and / or medical care and / or monitoring equipment and medical imaging system, in particular the alignment of the subject, medical care and / or monitoring equipment and medical imaging system with respect to each other. For example, the position of essential medical care and / or monitoring equipment (e.g. breathing tube, infusion tube, etc.) may negatively affect the quality of the medical image due to its material and / or its position with respect to the subject and / or medical imaging system (e.g. the medical care and / or monitoring equipment hides organs or what part of the medical image belongs to the subject and what belongs to the medical care and / or monitoring equipment is unclear in the resulting image) and should therefore be adjusted. When the subject is in a bed in an intensive care unit (ICU), the medical care and / or monitoring equipment may be essential. For diagnosis, it is important to know whether the medical care and / or monitoring equipment is inside or outside the subject. Therefore, the technician who prepares the medical imaging process of the subject has a great influence on the quality of the medical image by adjusting the positioning data of the medical imaging system. In order to evaluate the influence of the positioning data, it is important to provide feedback data to the technician, in particular the provision of simulated images obtained from the positioning data. Based on the feedback data in the form of simulated images, the technician can see and directly evaluate whether the image quality may be sufficient with respect to the current positioning data and / or whether adjustment of the current positioning data may be necessary. This can advantageously increase the image quality and the efficiency of the medical imaging process, since fewer repetitions are required to avoid images with insufficient image quality. Furthermore, in the case of X-ray imaging, the subject may advantageously receive only a small X-ray dose, since no repetition of medical imaging is required.

[0019] In other words, the method described herein proposes to provide the technician with feedback, especially visual feedback, regarding the current subject and / or equipment positioning. This is done, for example, by simulating a medical image, such as an X-ray image, that would result if the medical image were taken under the current circumstances. Thereby, the method can be performed without radiation, i.e. without using a real medical imaging system. From the simulated medical image, the technician can infer whether the subject, especially the anatomical structure of interest, is optimally imaged by the medical imaging system, i.e. whether it is completely, optimally positioned, and accurately exposed, for example without overlapping X-ray shadows from the medical care and / or monitoring equipment. The simulated medical image can be generated by a software processor that uses input measuring means, such as a video camera, pressure sensors for the subject's position and / or the medical care and / or monitoring equipment's position, input from the medical imaging system regarding the exposure settings (e.g., source position, detector, etc.), as well as catalogued knowledge of the medical imaging characteristics of the medical care and / or monitoring equipment. The cataloged knowledge may, for example, show how an x-ray image would look if medical care and / or monitoring equipment, such as an intravenous line, had a particular position and size. Confusion regarding the medical care and / or monitoring equipment inside / outside the patient is alleviated by the method because the medical care and / or monitoring equipment outside the patient can be picked up by the camera sensor and labeled as such on the simulated x-ray image. Radiology readers can then simply compare the labeled simulated image to the actual x-ray imaging they are reading.

[0020] According to an embodiment, the medical care and / or monitoring equipment may have one or more medical care means configured to provide medical care to the subject. Medical care as used herein means the supply of a substance (e.g. saline, oxygen) or the observation of a health function (e.g. measuring electrodes). The medical care and / or monitoring equipment may be important for the subject and therefore cannot be removed from the subject. It may therefore be advantageous to use the simulated image data to predict the impact of the medical care and / or monitoring equipment, taking into account the positioning data of the medical care and / or monitoring equipment. Furthermore, it may be advantageous to label the identified medical care and / or monitoring equipment in the simulated image, providing information for a later diagnosis using the actually obtained medical image.

[0021] According to one embodiment, the medical care and / or monitoring equipment may include one or more of an intravenous line, a chest tube, a tracheal tube, a nasogastric tube, an intra-aortic balloon pump, and a catheter.

[0022] According to an embodiment, the at least one measuring means may include an optical measuring unit. The optical measuring unit may be a range camera, an optical camera, a laser, an optical sensor. The optical measuring unit may be located adjacent to or within the medical imaging system. The optical measuring unit may be part of the medical imaging system. The optical measuring unit may be a wired (e.g. Ethernet, Profibus, etc.) and / or wireless (e.g. WIFI) connecting computing unit. Optical measurement of positioning data may advantageously be efficient to reliably determine positioning data of the visible area of ​​the subject and / or medical care and / or monitoring equipment. Optical measuring means may advantageously be used in combination with other measuring means (e.g. pressure-based measuring means) to cross-check the obtained positioning data.

[0023] According to an embodiment, the at least one measuring means may include a pressure-based measuring unit, which is arranged below the subject. The pressure-based measuring unit may be a capacitive pressure sensor, an inductive pressure sensor, a Hall effect-based pressure sensor, or a piezoelectric pressure sensor. The pressure-based measuring unit is in a wired (e.g. Ethernet, Profibus, etc.) and / or wireless (e.g. WIFI) connection with the computing unit. The pressure-based measuring unit may be mounted below the subject on a surface of a support structure (e.g. a bed), the subject lying on the support structure. If the subject lies on a medical care and / or monitoring device (e.g. an intravenous line, a tube, etc.), this is invisible but increases the pressure below the medical care and / or monitoring device, which is measured by the measuring unit mounted on the support structure. It is therefore advantageously possible to identify positioning data of invisible medical care and / or monitoring devices.

[0024] According to an embodiment, the simulation model can further take into account exposure data from a medical imaging system. As used herein, the term exposure data should be understood broadly and relates to the setting data of the medical imaging system. The term exposure data can include collimator aperture width, voltage values ​​of the imaging source, positioning data of the imaging source, and the imaging detector. Preferably, the exposure data can include voltage values ​​of the X-ray source. This can be advantageous to accurately simulate the resulting medical image.

[0025] According to one embodiment, the simulated image data may include one or more simulated X-ray images of the subject and at least one medical care and / or monitoring device, the at least one medical care and / or monitoring device being located inside and / or outside the subject. This may be advantageous to evaluate whether the medical care and / or monitoring device adversely affects the quality of the medical image due to its positioning data. This may further be advantageous to distinguish whether the medical care and / or monitoring device is inside the subject and / or outside the subject.

[0026] According to an embodiment, the simulation model may further be based on a parametric anatomical model, which describes the relationship between one or more properties of the subject and the corresponding morphology of the subject's body, the properties including geometrical properties and biological properties. The parametric anatomical model may be a general anatomical model including at least a geometrical model of the human body surface and the corresponding location of the lungs. The parametric anatomical model may be parameterized by properties such as the patient's size, the patient's weight, the patient's BMI, lung volume, age, and / or sex. The properties may be measured for each subject or simply input into the parametric anatomical model to allow accurate modeling of the subjects' individual properties. This may be advantageous to provide accurate feedback information, in particular accurate simulation images.

[0027] According to one embodiment, the feedback data may further include guidance data configured to guide personnel to adapt the positioning data and / or the exposure data. The method may determine a target quality and an actual quality of the simulated image. Based on the difference between the target quality and the actual quality, the method may determine guidance data used to adapt the positioning data and / or the exposure data. The guidance data may be presented to the technician on a display. The simulation model may be trained to recognize the target quality by human input and / or a software evaluator. The guidance data may be continuously updated as new simulated images are determined. For example, if the lower part of the lung is clipped, the guidance data may include a graphic or textual indication that the detector should be lowered. This may be done equivalently for all other malpositioning directions. This may be advantageous in terms of efficiency and quality.

[0028] According to an embodiment, the method may be performed in a preparatory phase before the actual medical imaging process, in which case feedback data is provided during the preparatory phase and the simulated image is continuously updated based on the acquired positioning data. This may be advantageous, since medical images with insufficient quality are not taken, and thus the radiation dose and / or unnecessary work may be reduced. In other words, the simulation model allows to verify the quality of the acquired medical images in the preparatory phase without using a medical imaging device, i.e. without using radiation. The continuously updated simulated images may allow the technician to continuously check whether the positioning data and / or the exposure data are sufficient or need to be adapted. This may increase efficiency. When the technician adapts the subject's position or the position of the detector, e.g. an X-ray detector, the simulated image is updated accordingly. The technician can correct the subject's position until the simulated image meets the expected quality criteria (e.g. organs are included in the field of view, organs at risk are excluded, and external foreign objects do not obstruct the field of view). Once this is achieved, the medical image, e.g. an X-ray image, is acquired.

[0029] According to one embodiment, the medical system is an X-ray system and the positioning data includes the position of the subject, the X-ray detector, the X-ray source, and the medical care and / or monitoring equipment.

[0030] A further aspect relates to an apparatus for providing feedback data in a medical imaging system for a medical imaging process, comprising: a providing unit configured to provide a simulation model trained to describe a relationship between positioning data of a subject, positioning data of at least one medical care and / or monitoring device arranged with respect to the subject in the medical imaging system, and simulated image data obtained from said positioning data, an acquiring unit configured to acquire from at least one measurement means the positioning data of the subject and the positioning data of at least one medical care and / or monitoring device arranged with respect to the subject in the medical imaging system, a determining unit configured to determine feedback data utilizing the simulation model and the acquired positioning data provided to the simulation model, the feedback data comprising at least simulated image data obtained from the acquired positioning data, and a providing unit for providing said feedback data. The first providing unit, the second providing unit, the acquiring unit and the determining unit may each be separate hardware units or may be implemented in one hardware unit. The hardware unit may be a CPU, a PLC, an FPGA, a microcontroller, a workstation, etc. Also, the first providing unit, the second providing unit, the obtaining unit, and the determining unit may be virtual units running on a CPU, a cloud server, etc. In general, the first providing unit, the second providing unit, the obtaining unit, and the determining unit relate to a computing unit.

[0031] A further aspect relates to a system comprising an apparatus as described above and a medical imaging system, which may be an X-ray system, an MRT system or a CT system.

[0032] Further aspects relate to the use of an optical measurement unit and / or a pressure-based measurement unit in the above mentioned apparatus for acquiring positioning data of the subject and of at least one medical care and / or monitoring device placed relative to the subject. The optical measurement unit can be a range camera, an optical camera, a laser, an optical sensor. The pressure-based measurement unit can be a capacitive pressure sensor, an inductive pressure sensor, a Hall effect based pressure sensor, or a piezoelectric pressure sensor.

[0033] A final aspect relates to a computer program element configured to execute the steps of the above-mentioned method when executed by a processor. The processor may be part of a medical imaging system or may be provided separately in another computing device. The computer program element may be stored in a computing unit that may be part of this embodiment. This computing unit may be configured to execute or cause the execution of the steps of the above-mentioned method. It may further be configured to operate the components of the above-mentioned device. The computing unit may be configured to operate automatically and / or to execute the instructions of a user. The computer program may be loaded into a working memory of a data processor. The data processor may thus be configured to execute a method according to one of the above-mentioned embodiments. This exemplary embodiment of the invention encompasses both a computer program that uses the invention from the beginning and a computer program that changes an existing program into a program that uses the invention by updating. Furthermore, the computer program element may provide all the steps necessary to perform the procedures of the exemplary embodiments of the above-mentioned method. According to a further exemplary embodiment of the invention, a computer readable medium such as a CD-ROM, a USB stick, etc. is presented, the computer readable medium having a computer program element stored thereon, which computer program element is described by the previous section. The computer program may be stored and / or distributed on a suitable medium, such as an optical storage medium or a solid-state medium supplied together with or as part of other hardware, but may also be distributed in other forms, such as via the Internet or other wired or wireless telecommunications systems. However, the computer program may also be presented over a network, such as the World Wide Web, and may be downloaded from such a network into the working memory of a data processor.According to a further exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a medium is provided for making a computer program element available for downloading, the computer program element being configured to perform a method according to one of the preceding embodiments of the present invention.

[0034] It should be noted that the above embodiments may be combined with each other regardless of the aspect involved. Thus, the methods may be combined with structural features of devices and / or systems of other aspects, and similarly, devices and systems may be combined with features of each other and with features discussed above with respect to the methods.

[0035] These and other aspects of the invention will be apparent from and elucidated with reference to the embodiments described hereinafter.

[0036] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0037] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram of an apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. [Diagram 2] 5 is a flow chart of an apparatus according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. [Diagram 3] 1 is a schematic diagram of an apparatus according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0038] 1 shows a schematic diagram of an apparatus 10 according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. The apparatus 10 is configured to provide feedback data in a medical imaging system for a medical imaging process.

[0039] The apparatus 10 comprises a first providing unit 11 configured to provide a simulation model trained to describe a relationship between positioning data of the subject, positioning data of at least one medical care and / or monitoring device arranged relative to the subject in a medical imaging system, and (optionally simulated) medical image data related to and / or derived from said positioning data. The simulation model can be based on a deep learning algorithm. The simulation model is trained by providing measured positioning data and machine setting data as input and corresponding real simultaneously acquired X-ray images of the subject as output. The apparatus 10 further comprises an acquisition unit 12 configured to acquire the positioning data of the subject and the positioning data of at least one medical care and / or monitoring device arranged relative to the subject in a medical imaging system from at least one measurement means. The measurement means comprises an optical measurement unit and a pressure-based measurement unit. In this example, the optical measurement unit is a range camera and the pressure-based measurement unit is a piezoelectric pressure sensor. The range camera is arranged adjacent to the medical imaging system and the piezoelectric pressure sensor is arranged in a support bed on which the subject lies. The medical imaging system is in this case an X-ray imaging system. The range camera and the piezoelectric pressure sensor are wired connected to an acquisition unit 12. The wired connection is an Ethernet-based connection. The apparatus 10 comprises a determination unit 13 configured to determine feedback data by utilizing a simulation model and the acquired positioning data that is fed to the simulation model, the feedback data comprising at least simulated image data derived from the acquired positioning data. The apparatus 10 further comprises a second providing unit 14 configured to provide the feedback data. The feedback data is further transmitted to a display and displayed to a technician preparing the subject for medical imaging.The first and second providing units 11, 14, the obtaining unit 12 and the determining unit 13 are implemented on separate hardware units, i.e. the CPU, of the workstation.

[0040] 2 shows a flowchart of a method according to a further embodiment of the present disclosure. The method for providing feedback in a medical imaging system for a medical imaging process comprises several steps, which are not necessarily performed in the following order:

[0041] In a first step S10, a simulation model is provided, which is trained to predict the appearance of a medical image obtained by using a medical imaging system from a relationship between positioning data of the subject, positioning data of at least one medical care and / or monitoring device placed in the medical imaging system relative to the subject, and optionally simulated medical image data related to and / or derived from the positioning data. The simulation model is trained by providing measured positioning data, optionally machine setting data, and corresponding real simultaneously acquired X-ray images of the subject. These training data can be annotated, labeled, etc. The simulation model can further be based on a parametric anatomical model, which describes the relationship between one or more characteristics of the subject and the corresponding morphology of the subject's body, the characteristics including geometrical and biological characteristics. The parametric anatomical model may be a general anatomical model including at least a geometrical model of the human body surface and the corresponding positions of the lungs. The parametric anatomical model can be parameterized by characteristics such as patient size, patient weight, patient BMI, lung volume, age, and / or gender. The characteristics can be measured for each subject or simply input in the parametric anatomical model to allow accurate modeling of the subject's individual characteristics. The simulation model can be trained to recognize target qualities by human input and / or software evaluators.

[0042] In step S20, positioning data of the subject, i.e. subject positioning data and medical device positioning data of at least one medical care and / or monitoring device arranged relative to the subject in the medical imaging system, are obtained from at least one measurement means, in this example the optical measurement unit is an optical camera, a range camera, etc. and the pressure-based measurement unit is a piezoelectric pressure sensor.

[0043] In step S30, feedback data is acquired by utilizing the simulation model and the acquired positioning data supplied to the simulation model, the feedback data comprising at least simulated medical image data derived from the acquired positioning data, i.e., current or actual subject positioning data and current or actual medical device positioning data.

[0044] In step S40, feedback data is provided. The feedback data may comprise simulated image data. The feedback may be displayed to the technician on a display. The feedback data may further include guidance data configured to guide the technician to adapt the positioning data and / or the exposure data. The method may determine a target quality and an actual quality of the simulated image. Based on a difference between the target quality and the actual quality, the method may determine guidance data for adapting the positioning data and / or the exposure data. The guidance data may be displayed to the technician on a display. The guidance data may be continuously updated when a new simulated image is determined. For example, if the lower part of the lung is clipped, the guidance data may include a graphic or textual indication that the detector should be lowered. The method may be performed in a preparation phase before an actual medical imaging process, in which case the feedback data is provided during the preparation phase and the simulated X-ray image is continuously updated based on the acquired positioning data.

[0045] Fig. 3 shows a schematic diagram of a system 20 for a medical imaging process. The system 20 comprises an apparatus 21, i.e. the apparatus 10, as described above with reference to Fig. 1, and a medical imaging system 22, in this example an X-ray imaging system. The X-ray imaging system 22 comprises an X-ray source 23 and an X-ray detector 24. The X-ray imaging system may be fixed (for example in an intensive care unit) or mobile. A subject 27 is provided with a medical care and / or monitoring device 28, in this example a tracheal tube. As can be seen, the medical care and / or monitoring device 27 is in the field of view 29 of the medical imaging system 22. The medical care and / or monitoring device may therefore affect the quality of the medical image, since it may hide organs or may interfere with the beam path during image acquisition due to its material and / or its position relative to the subject 27 and / or the medical imaging system 22. The system 20 further comprises measuring means, in this example a range camera 26 arranged to measure the position and size of the subject 27 and the medical care and / or monitoring device 28. The range camera is also able to detect the position of the X-ray source 23 and the X-ray detector 24. Furthermore, the system comprises other measuring means, which in this example is a piezoelectric-based pressure sensor 25 arranged under a support structure 29 (i.e. a medical bed) on which the subject 27 lies. The piezoelectric-based pressure sensor measures the pressure distribution. Based on the pressure distribution, the device 20 determines positioning data of the subject 27 and / or positioning data of other medical care and / or monitoring equipment 30, which in this example is a hip guide that assists the position of the subject 27. While the range camera can only determine positioning data in the visible area, the piezoelectric-based pressure sensor can determine that the subject 27 is partially lying on the hip guide 30. The measuring means 25 and 26 are in a wired connection with the device 21. The system 20 further comprises a display 29 that displays feedback data in the form of a simulated image of the X-ray image that would be acquired under the current imaging situation.The system continuously provides feedback and guidance data to a technician (not shown) to assist the technician in adapting the positioning and / or exposure data.

[0046] In another exemplary embodiment, a computer program or a computer program element is provided that is configured to perform the method steps of a method according to one of the previous embodiments on a suitable device or system.

[0047] Thus, a data processing program element can be stored in a computer unit that can be part of the present embodiment. This data processing unit can be configured to execute or cause the execution of the steps of the above-mentioned method. Furthermore, the computing unit can be configured to operate the above-mentioned elements and / or components of the system. The computing unit can be configured to operate automatically and / or to execute user instructions. The computer program can be loaded into the working memory of the data processor. The data processor can thus be configured to execute a method according to one of the above-mentioned embodiments.

[0048] Moreover, a computer program element may provide all the steps required to perform the procedures of the exemplary embodiments of the methods described above.

[0049] According to a further exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a computer readable medium such as a CD-ROM, a USB stick or the like is presented, the computer readable medium having stored thereon a computer program element, the computer program element being as described by the preceding sections.

[0050] The computer program may be stored and / or distributed on a suitable medium, such as an optical storage medium or a solid-state medium supplied together with or as part of other hardware, but may also be distributed in other forms or via the Internet or other wired or wireless telecommunications systems, etc.

[0051] However, the computer program can also be presented over a network such as the World Wide Web and downloaded into the working memory of a data processor from such a network. According to a further exemplary embodiment of the invention, a medium for making a computer program element available for downloading is provided, the computer program element being configured to perform a method according to one of the aforementioned embodiments of the invention.

[0052] The embodiments of the present invention are described in relation to different subject matters. In particular, some embodiments are described with reference to method type claims, and other embodiments are described with reference to device type claims. However, those skilled in the art will understand from the above and following description that, unless otherwise stated, any combination of features belonging to one type of subject matter, as well as any combination between features relating to different subject matters, is disclosed in the present application. However, all features can be combined to provide a synergistic effect that is higher than the simple sum of the features.

[0053] While the invention has been illustrated and described in detail in the drawings and the foregoing description, such illustration and description are to be considered exemplary or explanatory and not restrictive. The invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments. Other variations to the disclosed embodiments can be understood and effected by those skilled in the art in practicing the claimed invention, from a study of the drawings, the disclosure and the dependent claims.

[0054] In the claims, the word "comprising" does not exclude other elements or steps, and the indefinite article "a" or "an" does not exclude a plurality. A single processor or other unit may fulfill the functions of several items recited in the claims. The mere fact that certain measures are recited in mutually different dependent claims does not indicate that a combination of these measures cannot be used to advantage. Any reference signs in the claims should not be interpreted as limiting their scope. [Explanation of symbols]

[0055] 10,21 equipment 11 Units offered 12 Acquired Units 13 Decision Unit 14 Units Offered 20 Systems 22 Medical Imaging Systems 23 X-ray source 24 X-ray detector 25 Pressure Sensor 26 Range Camera 27 Subject 28,30 Medical devices, such as medical care and / or monitoring devices 29 viewing angle 31 Display Provision of S10 simulation model S20 Positioning Data Acquisition S30 Feedback Data Determination S40 Providing feedback data

Claims

1. 1. A method of providing feedback data in a medical imaging system for a medical imaging process, comprising: providing, by a computing unit, a simulation model trained to predict an appearance of a medical image acquired by using a medical imaging system from a relationship between subject positioning data related to an acquired positioning of a subject, medical device positioning data related to an acquired positioning of at least one medical care and / or monitoring device contacting said subject or at least partially inserted into said subject in a medical imaging system, and medical image data related to said subject positioning data and said medical device positioning data; - obtaining, by said computing unit, current subject positioning data of the subject and current medical device positioning data of at least one medical care and / or monitoring device which is in contact with said subject or at least partially inserted into said subject in said medical imaging system from at least one measuring means, said at least one measuring means having an optical measuring unit configured to obtain one or more images of said subject and / or said medical care and / or monitoring device; determining, by the computing unit, feedback data by feeding the acquired current subject positioning data and the acquired current equipment positioning data to a simulation model, the feedback data comprising at least simulated medical image data predicted by the simulation model from the acquired current subject positioning data and the current medical equipment positioning data, the simulated medical image data comprising one or more simulated X-ray images of the subject and the at least one medical care and / or monitoring equipment, the feedback data further comprising guidance data configured to guide a person to adapt the position of the subject, the position of the medical care and / or monitoring equipment, and / or exposure data; providing the feedback data by a providing unit; having - the method being performed during a preparatory phase prior to an actual medical imaging process, and the feedback data being provided to the medical care and / or monitoring equipment during the preparatory phase, The method, wherein the medical imaging system is an X-ray system and the simulation model takes into account positions of the subject, an X-ray detector, an X-ray source, and the medical care and / or monitoring equipment.

2. 10. The method of claim 1, wherein the medical care and / or monitoring equipment comprises one or more of an intravenous line, a chest tube, a tracheal tube, and a nasogastric tube.

3. 3. The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein the at least one measuring means comprises a pressure-based measuring unit, the pressure-based unit being positioned below the subject to acquire the subject positioning data.

4. The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein the simulation model further takes into account exposure data from the medical imaging system.

5. 3. The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein the simulation model is further based on a parametric anatomical model, the parametric anatomical model describing a relationship between one or more properties of the subject and a corresponding morphology of the subject's body, the properties including geometric properties and biological properties.

6. The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein the simulated medical image is continuously updated based on the acquired current subject positioning data and the acquired current medical device positioning data.

7. 1. An apparatus for providing feedback data in a medical imaging system for a medical imaging process, comprising: a first providing unit configured to provide a simulation model, the simulation model being trained to predict an appearance of a medical image acquired by using the medical imaging system from a relationship between subject positioning data related to an acquired positioning of a subject, medical device positioning data related to an acquired positioning of at least one medical care and / or monitoring device contacting the subject or at least partially inserted into the subject in a medical imaging system, and medical image data related to the subject positioning data and the medical device positioning data; an acquisition unit configured to acquire current subject positioning data of said subject and current medical device positioning data of at least one medical care and / or monitoring device that is in contact with said subject or at least partially inserted into said subject in said medical imaging system from at least one measurement means having an optical measurement unit configured to acquire one or more images of said subject and / or said medical care and / or monitoring device; a determining unit configured to determine feedback data by providing the acquired current subject positioning data and the acquired current medical device positioning data to the simulation model, the feedback data comprising at least simulated medical image data predicted by the simulation model from the acquired current subject positioning data and the acquired current medical device positioning data, the simulated medical image data comprising one or more simulated X-ray images of the subject and the at least one medical care and / or monitoring device, the feedback data further comprising guidance data configured to guide a person to adapt the position of the subject, the position of the medical care and / or monitoring device, and / or exposure data, the feedback data being provided during the preparation phase prior to an actual medical imaging process; the second providing unit configured to provide the feedback data; having The apparatus, wherein the medical imaging system is an X-ray system and the simulation model takes into account positions of the subject, an X-ray detector, an X-ray source, and the medical care and / or monitoring equipment.

8. An apparatus according to claim 7; A medical imaging system; A system having

9. Use of an optical measuring unit and / or a pressure-based measuring unit in an apparatus according to claim 7 for obtaining positioning data of a subject and of at least one medical care and / or monitoring instrument placed relative to said subject.

10. A computer program which, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to carry out the steps of the method according to claim 1 or 2.

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