Image Series Navigation via Representative Subsets
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current image viewing systems in the medical field are inefficient and prone to error when reviewing large series of planar images, as medical professionals must individually view or skip images, potentially missing conditions due to the time-consuming and labor-intensive nature of this process.
Innovation Solution
A method for navigating image series by generating representative image series, which can be either selective or merged, allowing users to view a reduced number of images while ensuring adequate detail, thereby reducing the time and effort required for image review.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If each image in the image series is viewed individually, then complete review of all image data is achieved, but the time and effort required increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the large image series into multiple subsets or groups, allowing the medical professional to systematically review images in manageable portions rather than individually. This segmentation maintains thoroughness while reducing the cognitive and temporal burden of reviewing each image separately.
Solution Approach 2:
The system allows the medical professional to review a representative subset of images that provides sufficient information for diagnosis, rather than requiring examination of every single image. This partial action approach maintains diagnostic reliability while significantly reducing review time.
2Productivity
If certain images are skipped during review, then the review process becomes faster, but the risk of overlooking medical conditions increases
Solution Approach 1:
By organizing images into structured subsets with defined selection criteria, the system enables selective skipping of images in a controlled manner. This ensures that skipped images do not contain critical diagnostic information while maintaining review speed.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary processing to identify and flag images that contain significant findings or require attention. This preliminary action allows the medical professional to prioritize review of important images while safely skipping less critical ones, maintaining both speed and accuracy.
3Productivity
If a systematic approach to image skipping is implemented, then review efficiency improves, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The navigation system implements segmentation of the image series into subsets based on simple, intuitive criteria such as anatomical regions, image sequences, or pre-defined groups. This segmentation provides systematic skipping capability without requiring complex algorithms or user training.
Solution Approach 2:
The system provides a universal navigation interface that can handle different image series and subset configurations through a single, consistent mechanism. This multi-functionality allows efficient review across various imaging modalities and datasets without increasing operational complexity.
Data Source
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AI summary
A system and method for navigating an image series, the image series containing a number of substantially aligned planar images. First, the images of the image the image series are grouped into a number of subseries, the number of subseries being less than the number of substantially aligned planar images in the image series. A representative image series is generated by generating an image from each subseries. The representative image series is displayed. It is determined whether an image from the representative image series has been selected. If an image from the representative image series has been selected, then the subseries associated with the selected image is displayed.