3D Image Registration for Quantitative Tissue Change Analysis
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing three-dimensional image analysis methods for medical and dental applications lack precise and quantitative comparison capabilities, leading to inaccurate diagnosis of bone resorption and changes in periodontal tissues due to difficulties in aligning images captured at different times.
Innovation Solution
A three-dimensional image processing device and method that performs rigid transformation alignment between images captured at different times, involving first and second registration processing to reduce differences, utilizing mask data to enhance accuracy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If visual and qualitative comparison methods are used for three-dimensional images captured at different times, then the examination process is simple and quick, but the diagnostic accuracy and quantitative precision are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces visual and qualitative comparison methods with automated computer-based image processing and analysis systems. The system performs quantitative analysis by automatically calculating bone volume, density, and morphological parameters from three-dimensional images, substituting manual visual inspection with computational algorithms that provide precise measurements and objective diagnostic criteria.
2Measurement precision
If precise alignment and quantitative comparison of three-dimensional images are performed, then diagnostic accuracy is improved, but the processing complexity and computational requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements self-service through automated feature detection and alignment algorithms that automatically identify anatomical landmarks, compute transformation parameters, and register images without requiring manual intervention. The system performs self-calibration by detecting natural anatomical features and using them as reference points for precise alignment, eliminating the need for complex manual positioning procedures.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs parameter changes by adjusting transformation parameters (translation, rotation, scaling) to optimize image alignment. The system iteratively modifies these parameters to maximize the overlap of anatomical structures between images captured at different times, achieving precise registration through systematic parameter optimization rather than complex procedural steps.
3Loss of information
If morphological changes in tooth and periodontal tissues are analyzed over time, then the diagnostic information is more comprehensive, but the difficulty of precise alignment increases due to larger changes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing the periodontal tissue into distinct anatomical regions (bone, cementum, periodontal ligament) and analyzing each region separately. This allows the system to track morphological changes in each tissue type independently while using stable reference structures (such as the tooth root or implant) as alignment anchors, thereby maintaining alignment precision even when soft tissues undergo significant changes.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements preliminary action by performing preliminary alignment using stable anatomical landmarks before conducting detailed morphological analysis. The system first registers images based on invariant structures (tooth roots, implant positions) that do not change over time, establishing a reliable coordinate framework that enables subsequent quantitative analysis of changing tissues without alignment errors.
Data Source
AI summary
A three-dimensional image processing device for generating image data of a three-dimensional image used for an analysis of a diagnosis target, the three-dimensional image processing device including: an image processing unit configured to execute alignment between a three-dimensional image showing an analysis target captured at a first timing and a three-dimensional image showing the analysis target captured at a second timing different from the first timing, in which each of the three-dimensional images includes an image of an object in a preset space including the analysis target, the diagnosis target is present in the space, the analysis target is a support unit, and the alignment includes: first registration processing of performing a rigid transformation on one three-dimensional image of the two three-dimensional images to reduce a difference between the one three-dimensional image and the other three-dimensional image of the two three-dimensional images; and second registration processing of performing the rigid transformation on the one three-dimensional image to reduce a difference between an image of the analysis target shown in the other three-dimensional image and the image of the analysis target shown in the one three-dimensional image after execution of the first registration processing.