DSA Image Artifact Reduction via Pre-Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing X-ray diagnostic apparatuses face challenges in generating Digital Subtraction Angiography (DSA) image data with high image quality due to artifacts caused by position gaps between contrast and non-contrast image data, leading to noisy and unsuitable images for diagnosis.
Innovation Solution
A medical image processing apparatus and method that includes a subtraction image acquisition part, threshold processing part, image processing part, and image operation part to acquire, process, and display DSA image data by performing subtraction processing, threshold processing, and image operations to reduce artifacts and enhance image quality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If subtraction processing is performed between contrast and non-contrast image data to generate DSA images, then blood vessels enhanced by contrast agent can be selectively depicted, but position gaps between images cause artifacts and reduce image quality
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by performing position alignment and gap correction between contrast and non-contrast images before the subtraction processing. The system detects position gaps using edge detection and correlation algorithms, then applies transformation matrices to pre-align the images, ensuring that when subtraction is performed, no artifacts are generated from misalignment.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary processing step that acts as a mediator between the contrast and non-contrast images. This intermediary process involves calculating transformation matrices based on detected position gaps and applying corrective transformations to one or both images before subtraction, thereby eliminating the harmful effect of position mismatches.
2Manufacturing precision
If multiple processing steps are added to reduce artifacts, then image quality improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple processing functions into an integrated processing pipeline. The position gap detection, transformation matrix calculation, image transformation, and subtraction processing are combined into a unified automated workflow. This integration reduces the complexity burden by providing a single coordinated process rather than separate manual steps, while still achieving high image quality through comprehensive artifact reduction.
Data Source
AI summary
According to one embodiment, a medical image processing apparatus includes a subtraction image acquisition part, a threshold processing part, an image processing part and an image operation part. The subtraction image acquisition part is configured to acquire subtraction image data between X-ray contrast image data and X-ray non-contrast image data of an object. The threshold processing part is configured to perform threshold processing of the subtraction image data or image data generated based on the subtraction image data. The image processing part is configured to perform image processing of image data after the threshold processing. The image operation part is configured to generate image data for a display by an image operation between the subtraction image data and image data after the image processing.