Bidirectional Virtual Endoscope Image Generation for Blind Spot Elimination
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing virtualized endoscope system for imaging tubular structures, such as the large intestine, faces challenges in visualizing lesions due to blind spots created by protrusions like haustra, making it difficult to easily locate lesions.
Innovation Solution
An image display apparatus that generates and displays images of tubular structures from both directions, using first and second image generators to create images from start and end points, respectively, and a display controller to show these images on a monitor, preventing blind spots by allowing observation from both sides.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the viewpoint moves in one direction from one end to the other end of the tubular structure, then the image generation process is simplified and faster, but blind spots are created by protrusions making lesion detection difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the single-direction observation into multiple directional segments. Specifically, it generates images by moving the viewpoint from the start point to the end point (first direction) and separately from the end point to the start point (second direction). This segmentation allows comprehensive coverage of the tubular structure interior, eliminating blind spots caused by protrusions while maintaining efficient image generation through automated processing of each segment.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent adds a directional dimension to the observation process. Instead of single-directional viewing, it implements bidirectional observation by generating images from both forward and reverse viewpoint movements. This dimensional expansion ensures that protrusions do not create permanent blind spots, as the same region is observed from opposite directions, thereby improving lesion detection reliability.
2Device complexity
If only one direction observation is performed, then the device complexity is reduced, but blind spots prevent certain identification of lesion sites
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary action by pre-generating images from both directions and storing them in memory before clinical use. The system pre-processes the volume data to create complete bidirectional image sets, so that during actual diagnosis, physicians can immediately access comprehensive images without waiting for real-time processing. This preliminary computation ensures complete lesion detection coverage while keeping the operational system relatively simple.
Data Source
AI summary
An image display apparatus has: a first image generator that defines each position between a predetermined start point and end point of a tubular structure as a first viewpoint and generates a first image obtained by observing an image of the inside of the tubular structure from each first viewpoint toward the end point; a second image generator that defines each position between the start point and the end point as a second viewpoint and generates a second image obtained by observing an image of the inside of the tubular structure from each second viewpoint toward the start point; and a user interface that is provided with an operation part, a monitor and a display controller and is configured so that, in response to an instruction from the operation part, the display controller makes the monitor display the first image and the second image.