Cine-loop adjustment for medical imaging stitching artifacts

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Solution Overview

Problem

Diagnostic medical imaging systems face challenges in generating cine-loops without stitching artifacts, particularly when capturing fast-moving objects like a fetal heart, where the end frame does not coincide with the end of the object's period, leading to image jumping issues.

Innovation Solution

A method and system that adjust the length of a cine-loop while it is playing to identify and substantially remove stitching artifacts, allowing for precise capture of a single heartbeat cycle without excess data, using a processing device with an adjustment module that generates and modifies the cine-loop based on user input or automatic analysis.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If the cine-loop length is fixed based on average period, then the generation process is simple, but stitching artifacts occur when the end frame does not coincide with the end of the object's period

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestitching accuracyVSAvoidcine-loop adjustment complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The cine-loop length is made dynamically adjustable during playback rather than being fixed. The system allows real-time modification of the loop length parameter while the cine-loop is playing, enabling the end frame to be precisely positioned at the end of the object's period to eliminate stitching artifacts.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system provides visual feedback during playback to help the operator identify when the end frame coincides with the end of the object's period. By observing the playback and adjusting the loop length accordingly, the operator can eliminate stitching artifacts through iterative refinement based on visual feedback.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

2Manufacturing precision

If the cine-loop length is extended to capture complete heartbeat cycles, then stitching artifacts are reduced, but excess data is captured including multiple heartbeats

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveheartbeat cycle capture accuracyVSAvoiddata volume

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The system allows precise adjustment of the cine-loop length parameter to match the actual period of the heartbeat being captured. By changing the loop length parameter during playback, the operator can optimize the capture to include exactly one complete heartbeat cycle without capturing excess data from multiple cycles.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Manufacturing precision

If manual adjustment of cine-loop length is performed, then stitching artifacts can be removed, but the operation becomes time-consuming

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestitching artifact eliminationVSAvoidadjustment time

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system enables the operator to perform self-adjustment of the cine-loop length during playback without requiring complex external tools or procedures. The straightforward manual adjustment mechanism allows quick optimization of the loop length to eliminate stitching artifacts, reducing the time investment required.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentUS9345454B2Cine-loop adjustment

Publication Date: 2016.05.24 GE PRECISION HEALTHCARE LLC

AI summary

Techniques for imaging adjusting a cine-loop are described herein. A cine-loop may be generated, and it may be identified whether the cine-loop has a stitching artifact. The cine-loop may be played, and the length of the cine-loop may be adjusted while the cine-loop is playing until the stitching artifact is substantially removed.