Selective Anatomical Structure Labeling for Diagnostic Image Clarity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing image display techniques for diagnostic images, such as MRI images of spinal columns, suffer from reduced visibility due to the overlap of numerous identifying information elements, which hinders effective diagnosis.
Innovation Solution
An image display apparatus and method that allows users to selectively display specific anatomical structure identifying information at precise positions within the image, maintaining visibility while enabling easy recognition of anatomical structures by correlating structure information with pixel positions in a two-dimensional display.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If all vertebral disk identifying information is displayed to overlap the diagnostic images, then the positional relationships among diseased portions and vertebral disks becomes easy to understand, but the visibility of the image portions deteriorates and acts as a barrier to diagnosis
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the anatomical structure identification information by displaying only representative vertebral disks (entry/exit points) rather than all vertebral disks. This segmentation reduces the number of labels overlaid on the image, improving visibility while preserving essential positional relationship information for diagnosis.
2Ease of operation
If structure identifying information is displayed along with the diagnostic image, then anatomical structures can be easily identified, but the image visibility deteriorates due to numerous overlapping information elements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the essential identifying information (representative vertebral disks at entry and exit points) from the complete set of anatomical structure labels. This extraction maintains ease of anatomical structure recognition while removing redundant information that causes visual clutter and deteriorates image visibility.
Data Source
AI summary
Specification is received regarding which structure identifying information, each corresponding to an anatomical structure, is specified as display target structure identifying information to be displayed with a display target image when displaying the display target image, in which the positions of each pixel correspond to positions within an original image. The position of the anatomical structure identified by the structure identifying information is specified, based on structure information, in which structure identifying information that identifies anatomical structures and structure position information that represents the positions of the anatomical structures within the original image are correlated, and the correspondence of positions between the original image and the display target image. The display target structure identifying information is displayed with the display target image such that a user can recognize that the anatomical structure identified by the display target structure identifying information is displayed at the specified position.