Automated Cardiac Imaging Post-Processing for Diagnostic Reproducibility
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current medical imaging systems, such as CT scanners, generate large amounts of high-resolution data that require extensive specialist knowledge and time to analyze, making it difficult to reliably recognize pathological structures in cardiac imaging, leading to lower reproducibility and limited diagnostic reliability, especially when comparing different patients or therapeutic responses.
Innovation Solution
A method and device for post-processing cardiac imaging data that automatically generates parameter maps for myocardial wall thickness, movement, and blood supply, combining them into results maps using fixed rules, allowing for automated and reproducible evaluation of cardiac tissue parameters, including the use of polar maps and color-coding for visualization.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If manual evaluation of cardiac imaging data is performed by specialists, then diagnostic accuracy can be achieved through consideration of multiple parameters, but time expenditure increases and reproducibility decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs self-service by automatically evaluating cardiac imaging data without requiring manual intervention from specialists. The automated evaluation system independently analyzes parameter maps, generates results, and produces diagnostic outputs, eliminating the need for human operators to manually process the data while maintaining consistent diagnostic reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical system of manual human evaluation with an automated computer-based system. The evaluation device automatically processes imaging data, generates parameter maps, and produces diagnostic results without human intervention, thereby reducing time expenditure while maintaining reproducibility through consistent algorithmic application.
2Reliability
If manual evaluation of cardiac imaging data is performed by specialists, then diagnostic accuracy can be achieved, but dependence on the evaluating person increases leading to lower reproducibility
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs self-service by automatically evaluating cardiac imaging data without requiring manual intervention from specialists. The automated evaluation system independently analyzes parameter maps, generates results, and produces diagnostic outputs, eliminating the need for human operators to manually process the data while maintaining consistent diagnostic reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transforms the evaluation process from subjective human judgment to objective parameter-based analysis. By changing the evaluation criteria to quantitative parameters (wall thickness, movement, blood supply values) and using standardized algorithms, the system achieves consistent reproducibility across different evaluations and patients, eliminating dependence on individual operator judgment.
3Reliability
If multiple parameters are considered independently for diagnosing pathological wall-movement disorders, then comprehensive diagnosis is achieved, but evaluation complexity and time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple independent parameter evaluations (wall thickness, wall movement, blood supply) into a unified integrated assessment. The system combines these separate parameter maps into a comprehensive evaluation result that presents all critical information in an integrated format, reducing evaluation complexity while maintaining diagnostic reliability through holistic analysis.
Solution Approach 2:
The evaluation device performs multiple functions within a single integrated system. It automatically processes imaging data, generates multiple parameter maps, evaluates different cardiac parameters, and produces comprehensive diagnostic results all through one unified device and workflow, eliminating the need for separate evaluation procedures and reducing overall complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A method is disclosed for post-processing measured values of a tissue region including at least part of a heart, which measured values were registered by way of an imaging system. In at least one embodiment, the method includes at least: generating an at least three-dimensional data record from the measured values; analyzing the at least three-dimensional data record and generating parameter maps in respect of at least two of the following parameters: thickness and/or change in thickness of a myocardial wall, movement of the myocardial wall, local blood-supply values for defined spatial regions of the heart; automatically generating a results parameter map on the basis of the generated parameter maps according to fixed rules; and outputting the results parameter map. Moreover, at least one embodiment of the invention relates to a correspondingly designed device.