Bone Image Processing for Fracture-Excluded Density Evaluation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing bone density evaluation methods, such as DXA, are inaccurate when regions with fractures or artificial objects are present, leading to incorrect assessment of bone health and fracture risk in osteoporosis patients.
Innovation Solution
An image processing device and method that uses energy subtraction imaging to extract a bone part image, specifies a target bone by excluding fractures and artificial objects, and derives an evaluation result based on the target bone, including bone density and microstructure indicators.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If bone density is evaluated using conventional methods (DXA) including regions with fractures or artificial objects, then the evaluation can be performed on the entire bone region, but the measurement precision deteriorates due to inaccurate bone density calculation in affected regions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the bone region into multiple sub-regions and selectively evaluates only the unaffected regions. The processing apparatus identifies regions with fractures or artificial objects and excludes them from the bone density calculation, thereby maintaining measurement precision while avoiding the complexity of correcting entire bone regions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts and removes affected regions (those with fractures or artificial objects) from the bone part image before performing bone density evaluation. This extraction approach allows the system to maintain high measurement precision by evaluating only the healthy bone tissue, without requiring complex corrections to the entire bone structure.
2Reliability
If the entire bone region is evaluated including affected areas, then the evaluation covers all bone tissue, but the reliability of the evaluation result deteriorates due to incorrect bone density values in fracture or implant regions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the bone region into affected and unaffected areas, then performs evaluation only on the unaffected segments. This approach maintains reliability by excluding regions with fractures or artificial objects from the bone density calculation, while avoiding the time-consuming process of correcting entire bone regions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts and removes regions with fractures or artificial objects from the evaluation process. By taking out these affected regions before evaluation, the system maintains high reliability in the evaluation results without the productivity penalty of attempting to correct or re-evaluate the entire bone structure.
3Measurement precision
If bone density is calculated in regions with artificial objects, then the entire bone region can be evaluated, but the measurement precision deteriorates because artificial objects have higher density than bone tissue
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the bone region and performs density calculation only on unaffected segments. By identifying and excluding regions containing artificial objects, the system maintains measurement precision while reducing the quantity of bone tissue that needs to be evaluated to only the healthy portions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts and removes regions with artificial objects from the bone part image before density calculation. This extraction ensures that only pure bone tissue is evaluated, maintaining high measurement precision without requiring the system to process or correct regions containing artificial materials.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables accurate evaluation of bone health by correcting for the presence of fractures and artificial objects, allowing for precise assessment of osteoporosis risk and drug efficacy.
Implementation Method 1
an imaging device that acquires a radiation image of a subject by irradiating the subject with radiation and detecting the radiation transmitted through the subject
Implementation Method 2
a bone part image in which at least a bone component of a subject is extracted
Data Source
AI summary
A processor, specifies a target bone, which is a target of evaluation, by excluding a fracture and an artificial object in a bone part image in which at least a bone component of a subject is extracted, and derives an evaluation result indicating a state of a bone of the subject based on the target bone.