Graphical Radiation Timeline for Cross-Modality Dose Analysis
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current radiation dose management software lacks the ability to provide a unified visual representation of radiation data across different imaging modalities, making it difficult to monitor and analyze cumulative radiation exposure effectively, especially in combined examinations like PET-CT imaging.
Innovation Solution
A graphical timeline interface is developed to display radiation data chronologically, incorporating examination phases and radiation doses, with alert elements for potential issues, and including isotope activity data, allowing for comprehensive visualization and analysis.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If radiation dose management software uses separate data repositories for different imaging modalities, then data can be stored and managed independently, but it becomes difficult to provide a unified visual representation of cumulative radiation exposure across modalities
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines data from multiple separate imaging modality repositories into a single unified graphical timeline interface. The timeline integrates radiation dose data, examination phases, and isotope activity information from different modalities (CT, PET, MRI, etc.) into one cohesive visual display, allowing clinicians to view cumulative radiation exposure across all modalities simultaneously without navigating multiple separate systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The graphical timeline serves as a universal interface that handles diverse data types from multiple imaging modalities. It can display radiation dose data, examination phase information, isotope activity levels, and alert conditions in a single standardized format that works across all modality types, eliminating the need for modality-specific viewing interfaces.
2Reliability
If radiation dose data is collected from multiple imaging modalities and phases, then comprehensive radiation monitoring is achieved, but the complexity of analyzing and visualizing the data increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments comprehensive radiation dose data into distinct, manageable components displayed along a chronological timeline. Each examination phase is divided into discrete segments showing radiation dose contributions, isotope activity levels, and associated metadata. This segmentation allows clinicians to analyze complex multi-modality data by examining individual phase contributions while maintaining the overall cumulative context.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transforms complex multi-dimensional radiation dose data into a one-dimensional chronological timeline display. By mapping radiation dose, isotope activity, and examination phase information onto a time-based axis, the system simplifies the visualization of complex data relationships while preserving all essential information dimensions through layered graphical representations.
3Measurement precision
If detailed radiation data including isotope activity and examination phases is displayed, then accurate radiation exposure analysis is enabled, but the interface becomes more complex and harder to interpret
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses color-coded graphical elements to represent different radiation dose levels, isotope activity states, and alert conditions within the timeline. Different colors indicate varying radiation intensities and phases, allowing clinicians to quickly interpret detailed radiation data at a glance without being overwhelmed by numerical complexity. Color provides an intuitive visual language for understanding precise radiation measurements.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates simplified graphical representations (copies) of complex radiation dose data that preserve essential information while reducing visual complexity. Instead of displaying raw numerical data for each parameter, the system generates visual icons and graphical elements that represent radiation dose magnitude, isotope activity levels, and phase information in an easily interpretable format while maintaining measurement accuracy.
4Reliability
If the system monitors radiation dose in real-time across multiple phases, then compliance with ALARA principles can be ensured, but the computational and processing requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary calculations and aggregations of radiation dose data during data collection and storage phases, before final visualization is needed. By pre-processing radiation dose information, examination phase data, and isotope activity levels into organized structures with computed cumulative totals, the system reduces the computational burden during real-time monitoring and display operations, enabling efficient ALARA compliance checking.
Data Source
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AI summary
Systems and methods are herein provided for radiation dose management. In one example, a computing device comprising a display screen displays on the display screen a menu listing one or more data repositories of one or more patients, and additionally displays on the display screen a radiation timeline within a graphical user interface (GUI) accessible from the menu, wherein the radiation timeline displays, patient data including one or more examination phases and radiation data thereof of a selected imaging examination, the radiation data and one or more examination phases obtained from the one or more data repositories, wherein each examination phase is plotted in chronological order and a component is plotted according to a timestamp and a scan range of a corresponding examination phase, and wherein the GUI is displayed while the one or more data repositories are in an un-launched state.