Automated Aneurysm Diameter Change Detection in Tubular Tissue
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Solution Overview
Problem
Modern imaging technologies generate high-resolution images of tubular tissue structures, such as blood vessels, but the effort required to diagnose changes in aneurysm diameters is high, and there is a risk of overlooking or incorrectly measuring aneurysms, especially during follow-up examinations.
Innovation Solution
A method involving a calculation unit and data storage medium that determines the midline of tubular tissue structures in initial and follow-up volume data records, segments the inner and outer walls, registers them based on anatomical landmarks, and calculates changes in diameters to visualize and quantify changes in tubular tissue structures over time.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If manual diagnosis and measurement of aneurysm diameters is performed, then diagnostic accuracy can be maintained, but the time and effort required for evaluation increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs automated midline determination, wall segmentation, and diameter measurement without requiring manual intervention. The computer automatically processes volume data records to identify anatomical structures and calculate measurements, enabling the system to serve itself rather than requiring physician intervention for each measurement task.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual mechanical measurement processes with automated computational methods. Instead of physicians manually measuring diameters on images, the system uses algorithmic processing of volume data records to automatically determine midlines, segment walls, and calculate diameters, substituting mechanical human effort with computational automation.
2Measurement precision
If comprehensive evaluation of all aneurysms is performed manually, then measurement accuracy can be maintained, but the risk of overlooking aneurysms increases due to workload
Solution Approach 1:
The automated system consistently applies the same measurement criteria to all detected aneurysms without fatigue or distraction, ensuring uniform evaluation standards are maintained across the entire dataset. This eliminates the variability and potential for error that occurs when physicians manually evaluate multiple aneurysms under workload conditions.
3Productivity
If automated measurement methods are implemented, then diagnostic time and effort are reduced, but measurement precision may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions including midline determination and wall segmentation before final diameter measurement. By establishing the midline and identifying wall boundaries in advance, the system creates a structured framework that guides subsequent measurement operations, ensuring accuracy is built into the measurement process rather than added as a separate verification step.
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates feedback mechanisms where measurement results are used to refine and adjust the automated measurement process. The computer analyzes the segmented wall structures and midline positions to validate measurements, and can adjust parameters to optimize accuracy, creating a feedback loop that maintains precision while preserving automation benefits.
Data Source
AI summary
A method is disclosed for establishing at least one change in a tubular tissue structure in a living being from a first time to a second time, which differs from the first, wherein the midline of the tubular tissue structure is respectively determined in a provided first volume data record, generated at the first time, of the tubular tissue structure in the living being, and in a provided second volume data record, generated at the second time, which differs from the first, of the tubular tissue structure. In at least one embodiment, at least one change in the minimum and/or the maximum diameter of the inner wall of the tubular tissue structure and/or at least one change in the minimum and/or the maximum diameter of the outer wall of the tubular tissue structure is established in order to establish the at least one change in the tubular tissue structure along the tubular tissue structure at mutually corresponding positions of the midlines of the tubular tissue structure in the first volume data record and the tubular tissue structure in the second volume data record. At least one embodiment of the invention also relates to a calculation unit for carrying out the method and to a data storage medium, which has a calculation program implementing the method.