Endoscope Image Measurement Control for Positional Accuracy
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing medical imaging technologies struggle to accurately measure the size of observation targets within medical images, particularly when the relative positional relationship between the camera and the target region is not as expected, leading to erroneous measurements.
Innovation Solution
A medical support device and method that utilize a processor to perform a measurement output process based on medical images, using appearance information such as positional relationships, luminance differences, frequency component differences, and depth information to accurately measure the size of observation targets within medical images, and control the output process to ensure accurate measurement when the positional relationship is correct.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If measurement is performed based on medical images without considering positional relationship, then measurement output is provided continuously, but measurement accuracy deteriorates when positional relationship is incorrect
Solution Approach 1:
The system checks the positional relationship between the camera and the surface region before performing measurement. When the positional relationship is incorrect, the system provides feedback by not outputting the measurement result, thereby preventing inaccurate measurements from being presented while maintaining continuous operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs a preliminary check of the positional relationship before executing the measurement process. This preliminary action ensures that measurement is only performed when the camera is in the correct position relative to the surface region, preventing inaccurate measurements while maintaining productivity.
2Speed
If measurement is performed regardless of positional relationship, then processing speed is maintained, but reliability of medical assessment deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements feedback control by verifying the positional relationship before measurement. When the positional relationship is incorrect, the system suppresses the measurement output, thereby maintaining processing speed for valid measurements while ensuring reliability by preventing invalid measurements from affecting medical assessments.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary verification of positional relationship before measurement processing. This preliminary check ensures that only measurements with correct positional relationships are processed, maintaining processing speed for valid cases while ensuring reliability by preventing errors from compromising medical assessments.
3Measurement precision
If appearance information is used to control measurement output, then measurement accuracy is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system extracts only the essential appearance information (positional relationship) from the medical image and uses it to control measurement output. By extracting and using only the necessary information rather than processing the entire image, the system improves measurement accuracy while minimizing the increase in device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system applies local quality control by using appearance information specific to the surface region where the observation target is located. This localized approach allows the system to improve measurement accuracy for the specific region of interest without requiring complex processing of the entire medical image, thereby limiting the increase in device complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A medical support device includes a processor. The processor is configured to perform a measurement output process for measuring a size of an observation target region, based on a medical image obtained by imaging an imaging target region including the observation target region with a camera inserted into a body cavity and for outputting the size; and control the measurement output process in accordance with appearance information related to an appearance of a surface region in the medical image, the surface region being a portion of the imaging target region and including the observation target region.