Medical Imaging System Scan Orientation Reorientation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Patient positioning in medical imaging systems, such as MRI, is often time-consuming and challenging due to the need for precise alignment of patient anatomy with the imaging device frame of reference, which can lead to misleading directional information if not properly adjusted, especially in surgical scenarios where optimal positioning is limited.
Innovation Solution
A medical imaging system comprising a computing device with a processor, communication interface, display device, and input device that acquires scout scans (sagittal, axial, and coronal) based on an initial frame of reference, allows for reorientation of these scans through user input, transforming the frame of reference to enable accurate acquisition of further images aligned with the patient's anatomy for clinically relevant orientations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If patient is positioned in most comfortable position to minimize movement, then patient comfort and stability are improved, but alignment with imaging device frame of reference deteriorates leading to misleading directional information
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary scout scan acquisitions in the initial frame of reference before the main imaging procedure. These preliminary scans capture the patient's actual positioning, allowing the system to pre-determine the transformation parameters needed to correct directional information without requiring patient repositioning.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates a virtual copy of the patient's anatomy through scout scans and applies frame of reference transformation to this digital representation. This allows correction of directional information in the digital domain without physically moving the patient, preserving both comfort and accuracy.
2Measurement precision
If multiple scout scans are acquired and processed to enable reorientation, then scan orientation accuracy is improved, but setup time and processing complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The imaging process is segmented into distinct phases: preliminary scout scan acquisition in the initial frame of reference, frame of reference transformation computation, and main image acquisition in the reoriented frame. This segmentation allows parallel processing and optimization of each stage independently.
Solution Approach 2:
Scout scans are acquired preliminarily before the main imaging procedure to establish the transformation parameters. This preliminary action enables the system to pre-compute the frame of reference transformation, so that when the actual imaging occurs, the orientation is already determined and ready for efficient acquisition.
3Reliability
If frame of reference transformation is applied to reorient scout scans, then clinical relevance of image output is improved, but computational complexity and processing requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system introduces a frame of reference transformation as an intermediary computational layer between the raw scout scan data and the final clinical images. This intermediary transformation matrix serves as a mediator that systematically converts coordinates from the initial frame to the reoriented frame, simplifying the overall processing architecture.
Data Source
AI summary
A medical imaging system for determining a scan orientation is provided. The system comprises: a computing device; a display device; an input device; and, an imaging device, the computing device configured to: instruct the imaging device to acquire at least a sagittal scout scan, an axial scout scan and a coronal scout scan, based on an initial frame of reference; render, at the display device: a two-dimensional representation of each of the scout scans and initial respective selections of a portion of each of the scout scans, oriented according to the initial frame of reference; receive, from the input device, a respective reorientation of one or more of the initial respective selections; transform the initial frame of reference using the respective to produce a reoriented frame of reference; and, instruct the imaging device to acquire further images based on the reoriented frame of reference.