Imaging Control Device Common Region Derivation
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Solution Overview
Problem
In mammography tomosynthesis imaging, the varying ranges of breast images in projection images due to radiation source movement lead to inconsistent image quality, making it difficult to detect lesions, especially when the common region's width in the movement direction is less than a threshold, increasing the risk of erroneous diagnosis.
Innovation Solution
An imaging control device and method that derive a common region across multiple projection images, ensuring the width of this region meets a predetermined threshold, and then acquires and reconstructs images to highlight effective regions, thereby improving image quality and reducing the likelihood of missing lesions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the radiation source is moved to capture images from multiple positions, then the ability to separate overlapping structures in the depth direction is improved, but the image quality becomes inconsistent across different regions due to varying common region widths
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the imaging area into a common region (present in all projection images) and non-common regions (present in only some projection images). By selectively processing and displaying only the common region, the system ensures consistent image quality throughout the displayed area, eliminating the inconsistency caused by varying common region widths across different projection positions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by displaying different regions with different quality characteristics. The common region, which has consistent quality across all projections, is displayed with high reliability. The system acknowledges that non-common regions have variable quality and handles them differently, ensuring that the displayed information maintains consistent quality standards.
2Measurement precision
If the number of projection images used for reconstruction is increased, then the image quality in the common region is improved, but the complexity of the imaging process and data processing increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and isolates only the common region from the set of multiple projection images for reconstruction and display. By taking out and processing only the common region that is present in all projection images, the system reduces the complexity of data processing while maintaining high image quality in the displayed area. This extraction approach avoids the need to process and manage all projection images throughout the entire imaging workflow.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary identification of the common region before the actual reconstruction process. By determining which region is common to all projection images in advance, the system can prepare and process only the necessary data, reducing the overall complexity of the imaging process while ensuring high-quality reconstruction in the common region.
3Quantity of substance
If the radiation source moves at an angle to the perpendicular line of the detection surface, then more projection images can be acquired, but the edge image of the compression plate is extended, requiring exclusion of larger regions
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of trying to exclude the edge image regions from each projection, the patent inverts the approach by identifying and retaining only the common region that is present in all projections. This inversion strategy automatically handles the edge image exclusion problem, as the common region definition inherently excludes areas affected by the extended edge images at angled positions.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach enhances image quality by focusing on regions with higher commonality among projection images, reducing the risk of erroneous diagnoses and improving lesion detection in tomographic and composite two-dimensional images.
Implementation Method 1
irradiates the breast with radiation from a plurality of radiation source positions
Implementation Method 2
the projection images are reconstructed using a back projection method, such as a simple back projection method or a filtered back projection method, to generate tomographic images
Data Source
AI summary
A common region derivation unit derives a common region common to at least some of a plurality of projection images which correspond to a plurality of radiation source positions, respectively, and are acquired by directing an imaging apparatus to perform tomosynthesis imaging. In a case in which a width of the common region in a movement direction of a radiation source is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value, an image acquisition unit directs the imaging apparatus to perform the tomosynthesis imaging to acquire the plurality of projection images.