Metal Artifact Correction in CT Imaging via Image Registration

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Solution Overview

Problem

Metal implants in the body cause significant artifacts in CT images due to high X-ray absorption, leading to inaccurate delineation of target regions and organs, and deviations in dosage calculation.

Innovation Solution

A method and system for correcting metal artifacts in CT images by registering a first image with weak metal artifacts and a second CT image, determining a template image, generating a metal artifact image, and correcting the second image based on the metal artifact image.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If metal implants are present in the body for medical treatment, then therapeutic benefit is achieved, but severe metal artifacts are generated in CT images

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetherapeutic benefitVSAvoidmetal artifacts

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts and removes the metal artifact components from the CT image through a multi-step process: identifying metal regions, generating metal artifact images, and subtracting these artifacts from the original image to produce a corrected image free of metal interference

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent converts the harmful metal artifacts into useful information by generating a metal artifact image that captures the artifact characteristics, which is then used as a correction template to remove artifacts from the original image, transforming the problem into a solution

Inventive Principle:

Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

2Productivity

If conventional CT imaging is used with metal implants, then imaging speed is maintained, but image quality deteriorates due to streak artifacts

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveimaging speedVSAvoidimage quality

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent performs preliminary image correction by generating a corrected image before clinical use through artifact identification, metal artifact image generation, and subtraction operations, ensuring high image quality is achieved in advance without compromising imaging speed during clinical practice

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Device complexity

If metal artifacts are present in CT images, then imaging process is simplified, but accuracy of target region delineation and dosage calculation deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveimaging processVSAvoidtarget region delineation accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a metal artifact image as an intermediary element that mediates between the original CT image and the corrected image, enabling accurate target region delineation and dosage calculation by serving as a correction template that preserves anatomical structures while removing artifacts

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS20250166251A1Methods and systems for correcting metal artifacts

Publication Date: 2025.05.22 SHANGHAI UNITED IMAGING HEALTHCARE

AI summary

A method of correcting a metal artifact is provided. The method includes obtaining a first image acquired by a first imaging device and a second image acquired by a second imaging device, the second imaging device including a computed tomography (CT) device; registering the first image and the second image; determining a template image based on the registered first image and second image; determining a metal artifact image based on the template image; and generating a corrected image by correcting, based on the metal artifact image, the second image.