Curved Planar Reconstruction for Tubular Tissue Visualization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current image display methods, such as ray casting and MPR, are inadequate for simultaneously visualizing the inside and inner wall surface of tubular tissues like the colon, making it difficult to detect lesions and understand their position within the intestinal wall.
Innovation Solution
An image display method that combines three-dimensional image processing by slicing the tubular tissue along its center line with two-dimensional image processing to generate a curved planar reconstruction image, allowing for the simultaneous visualization of the inside and inner wall surfaces of tubular tissues.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If ray casting method is used to visualize tubular tissue, then three-dimensional structure can be observed, but the inner wall surface and inside of wall cannot be simultaneously visualized
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the tubular tissue visualization into two distinct segments: a three-dimensional image showing the outer structure and a two-dimensional cross-sectional image showing the inner wall surface and inside of wall. This segmentation allows each view to optimize for its specific purpose without compromise, resolving the contradiction between visualization completeness and processing complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a two-dimensional cross-sectional dimension complementing the three-dimensional outer view. By adding this dimensional perspective through virtual cutting, the system simultaneously provides both external three-dimensional structure and internal two-dimensional details, achieving complete visualization without excessive complexity.
2Measurement precision
If masking process is performed to display only partial volume, then outline of inner wall surface can be displayed, but the inside of wall cannot be observed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the information display by providing a dedicated two-dimensional cross-sectional view that specifically targets the inside of wall and inner wall surface, while the three-dimensional view maintains overall structure context. This segmentation enables precise lesion detection in the cross-section without losing the broader tissue structure information.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a virtual cutting surface as an intermediary mechanism that allows observers to peer into the inside of wall without physically dissecting the tissue. This virtual intermediary provides detailed internal views while preserving the complete three-dimensional structure for contextual reference.
3Loss of information
If arbitrary sectional plane is displayed by MPR, then inside of wall can be observed, but the outline of inner wall surface is hardly recognized
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the visualization into a three-dimensional component that preserves the outline of the inner wall surface and a two-dimensional cross-sectional component that reveals the inside of wall. This segmentation ensures that neither the external shape nor the internal structure is lost, as each is optimized for its specific display purpose.
Data Source
AI summary
A path 22 representing the center line of a curved cylinder 21 is acquired (step S1). The path 22 can be set by a GUI while a volume rendering image displayed on a display device is viewed. Alternatively, the path 22 can be set automatically when the curved cylinder 21 is designated as a subject of observation. Then, a region of the curved cylinder 21 is extracted as a subject pf observation with the path 22 used as the center (step S2). Then, sections 23 and 24 are generated as if the extracted region was cut open along the path 22 (step S3). In this case, the sections 23 and 24 are curved along the curvature of the curved cylinder 21. Accordingly, CPR images are synthesized on the curved sections (step S4).