Cross-Referencing Medical Imaging Measurements
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Solution Overview
Problem
In diagnostic medical imaging, different modalities and channels provide varying measurements, leading to confusion and inconsistencies that hinder accurate decision-making due to differences in measurement results across different imaging modes.
Innovation Solution
A system and method for cross-referencing measurements by aligning and displaying measurements from multiple imaging modalities, such as ultrasound and MRI, allowing for the reflection of measurements from one type of data onto another, and calculating differences between them to provide diagnostically useful information.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If measurements are obtained separately from different imaging modalities, then each modality provides its own measurement information, but confusion and inconsistencies arise due to differences in measurement results across modes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges measurements from multiple imaging modalities by displaying them on a common reference image. The system overlays measurement indicators from different modalities (e.g., ultrasound, MRI) onto a single reference display, allowing direct visual comparison and eliminating confusion from separate measurements while maintaining the complementary information from each modality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses a reference image as an intermediary medium to harmonize measurements from different modalities. The reference image serves as a common coordinate system that receives and displays measurement data from multiple sources, translating modality-specific measurements into a unified visual representation that resolves inconsistencies.
2Reliability
If multiple imaging modalities are used to obtain complementary information, then diagnostic decision-making is enhanced, but confusion arises due to differences in measurement results across modes
Solution Approach 1:
The system combines measurements from multiple modalities on a single reference display, maintaining the reliability benefits of multi-modality data while simplifying interpretation. By overlaying measurement indicators from different sources on one image, the system preserves complementary information while eliminating the confusion of comparing separate measurements.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses different visual indicators (such as color-coded markers or distinct symbol types) to represent measurements from different modalities on the reference image. This visual differentiation allows users to easily distinguish and interpret measurements from various sources while seeing their spatial relationships, enhancing ease of operation without sacrificing diagnostic reliability.
Data Source
AI summary
Measurements in diagnostic medical imaging are cross-referenced. A measurement made for one type of data is reflected in an image for another type of data. For example, a length is measured from ultrasound data. A line associated with the length is displayed on the ultrasound image. In a magnetic resonance image (MRI), the same line is displayed at a corresponding location. The same measurement may also be made with the MRI data and reflected in the ultrasound image. Each image shows both measurements in this example. The difference in the same measurements from different types of data may be useful for diagnosis. In the above example, the length is measured from ultrasound and from MRI. The difference between the two measured lengths may provide diagnostically useful information.