Alternative Border Detection in Medical Imaging Systems
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional medical imaging systems require manual tracing or modification of vessel borders by physicians, which can be time-consuming and inefficient, especially when multiple images need assessment.
Innovation Solution
A medical imaging system that identifies alternative borders for anatomical features like blood vessels using an anatomical border detection algorithm, allowing physicians to select the best candidate border and propagate the selected criterion across multiple images, reducing the need for manual selection and modification in each image.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the medical imaging system uses automated border detection, then productivity is improved, but measurement precision deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The automated border detection process is segmented into multiple stages: initial automated detection generates candidate borders, then the system presents multiple alternative borders to the physician, who selects the most accurate one. This segmentation allows the system to combine automated efficiency with human expertise for precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback by allowing physicians to review and select from multiple alternative borders generated by the automated detection algorithm. The physician's selection serves as feedback that validates or corrects the automated detection, ensuring measurement precision while maintaining productivity benefits.
2Measurement precision
If the physician manually traces each border in every image, then measurement precision is improved, but loss of time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary automated border detection to generate candidate borders before presenting them to the physician. This preliminary action reduces the physician's workload from complete manual tracing to selective verification, significantly reducing time loss while maintaining precision through physician review.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates multiple alternative border copies from the automated detection algorithm and presents them to the physician. The physician selects the most accurate copy rather than creating a new border manually, saving time while ensuring measurement precision through expert selection.
3Ease of operation
If the system presents multiple alternative borders, then ease of operation is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The border detection algorithm is designed to generate multiple alternative borders using the same detection logic but with different parameters or starting points. This multi-functionality allows the system to present various options to the physician without requiring multiple separate detection algorithms, managing complexity while improving ease of operation.
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure relates generally to the imaging of blood vessels, and in particular, to the detection of one or more borders of a blood vessel. In some embodiments, a medical imaging system is configured to detect a primary border of a blood vessel and one or more alternative borders of the blood vessel. For example, in some embodiments, a medical imaging system includes an imaging device configured to obtain an image of a blood vessel, a processing unit, and a user display. The processing unit can be configured to receive the image of the blood vessel and perform an analysis of the image to identify a primary candidate border and an alternative candidate border of the blood vessel. The primary candidate border and alternative candidate border can represent candidates for a single boundary of the blood vessel.