Combined Image Generator for Cardiac Diagnosis
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional techniques require doctors to separately observe and interpret two distinct images to understand the positional relationship between cardiac muscle dysfunction and coronary artery constriction, which is inefficient and prone to errors.
Innovation Solution
An image processing apparatus that combines three-dimensional heart function information from ultrasound data with three-dimensional coronary artery shapes from CT data onto a single polar map, allowing for simultaneous visualization and analysis.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If doctors separately observe rendering images and polar maps to understand positional relationships between cardiac muscle dysfunction and coronary artery constriction, then diagnostic information can be obtained, but diagnostic efficiency is reduced and interpretation time is increased
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the rendering image showing coronary artery three-dimensional shape and the polar map showing cardiac muscle functional information into a single integrated display. The coronary artery rendering and polar map are superimposed or displayed adjacently with spatial correspondence, allowing doctors to observe both anatomical structure and functional information simultaneously without switching between separate images, thereby reducing interpretation time while maintaining diagnostic precision
2Loss of information
If doctors separately observe rendering images and polar maps to understand positional relationships, then complete diagnostic information is available, but operational complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates multiple diagnostic information types (coronary artery anatomy from rendering and cardiac muscle function from polar map) into a single unified visual display. This integration maintains complete diagnostic information while simplifying the observation process by eliminating the need to mentally correlate between separate images, thereby improving ease of operation
3Productivity
If three-dimensional data from multiple imaging modalities are integrated into a single combined image, then diagnostic efficiency is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs an image processing apparatus capable of handling multiple imaging modalities (ultrasound, CT, MRI) and performing various processing functions (rendering, polar map generation, spatial registration, and integrated display) through a unified system. This multi-functional approach integrates three-dimensional data from different sources into a single combined image, improving diagnostic efficiency while managing system complexity through standardized processing pipelines
Data Source
AI summary
An image processing apparatus of an embodiment includes a combined image generator and a controller. The combined image generator projects, on three-dimensional data indicating three-dimensional heart function information obtained from a first volume data group obtained by imaging the heart of a subject, a three-dimensional shape of blood vessels nourishing a cardiac muscle included in second volume data obtained by imaging the heart, thereby producing three-dimensional combined data, and produces combined image data in which the three-dimensional combined data is developed on a surface. The controller causes a display unit to display the combined image data.