Endoscope Image Processing for Ductal Structure Visibility
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current endoscope systems face challenges in clearly displaying ductal structures without making blood vessels conspicuous, especially in narrowband light observation, which hinders accurate interpretation during medical diagnoses.
Innovation Solution
An image processing device and method that includes an image input section and a suppression and reversal section, performing suppression and tone reversal processes on images to enhance the display of ductal structures while suppressing the visibility of blood vessels, by adjusting RGB image data to make the ductal structure appear closer to the color of a bluish dye like indigo, without making blood vessels conspicuous.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If blue narrowband light is used to enhance ductal structure visibility, then the ductal structure is displayed in white color with improved contrast, but the capillary vessels are also displayed in indigo colors making them conspicuous and difficult to distinguish from the ductal structure
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different processing treatments to different structures within the image. The tone reversal process specifically targets the ductal structure to display it in dark colors, while the suppression process selectively reduces the visibility of capillary vessels. This local differentiation allows the ductal structure to be clearly distinguished from the capillary vessels, resolving the contradiction between enhancing ductal visibility and reducing vessel conspicuousness
Solution Approach 2:
The patent divides the image processing into distinct functional segments: a suppression section that processes capillary vessel visibility and a tone reversal section that processes ductal structure display. By segmenting the processing tasks, each structure can be optimized independently - the suppression section reduces vessel prominence while the tone reversal section enhances ductal contrast, thereby resolving the interference between the two structures
2Measurement precision
If tone reversal process is applied to enhance ductal structure contrast, then the ductal structure becomes conspicuous, but the vascular structure tone is also reversed making blood vessels conspicuous and impairing visual recognition of the ductal structure
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the suppression process before the tone reversal process to preemptively reduce the visibility of capillary vessels. By performing this preliminary anti-action, the harmful effect of vessel conspicuousness is counteracted before the tone reversal enhances ductal structure contrast, preventing the vessels from becoming overly prominent and interfering with ductal structure recognition
3Measurement precision
If dye is sprayed to improve ductal structure contrast, then the ductal structure becomes conspicuous and easy to interpret, but washing of the dye is necessary which increases the burden on the doctor
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical/chemical process of dye spraying and washing with an electronic image processing system. The suppression and tone reversal processes digitally enhance ductal structure visibility without requiring physical dye application or subsequent washing steps. This substitution eliminates the additional operational burden on doctors while achieving the same diagnostic enhancement goal
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3A~3B
AI summary
A vessel suppression process is performed on RGB image data. A display of capillary vessels is suppressed by the vessel suppression process. After the vessel suppression process, tone of the RGB image data is reversed. Thereby, a suppressed-and-reversed image is produced. Even after the tone reversal, the capillary vessels do not interfere with observation of a ductal structure in the suppressed-and-reversed image, because the display of the capillary vessels is suppressed. In the suppressed-and-reversed image, the ductal structure is darker than a mucous membrane due to the tone reversal, so that the color of the ductal structure is close to that of an indigo.