Interactive 3D Medical Image Volume Navigation
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Solution Overview
Problem
During complex surgical procedures like brain surgery, accessing and processing large volumes of medical images, such as MRI scans, can be time-consuming and require extensive preparation, often limiting their availability during the procedure.
Innovation Solution
A computing device with a processor, memory, and display that acquires and renders three-dimensional anatomical images, allowing for interactive manipulation of image volumes using moveable control elements to selectively render and update the displayed portions of the image based on user input, enabling efficient visualization and navigation of anatomical structures during surgery.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If extensive preparation of different image views is performed prior to the procedure, then complete image information is available, but significant time is consumed and operators are required
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by pre-processing the entire 3D medical image volume and organizing it into a hierarchical structure with multiple levels of detail before the surgical procedure begins. This allows the system to quickly retrieve and display relevant image portions during surgery without requiring extensive real-time preparation or multiple operators.
Solution Approach 2:
The 3D medical image volume is segmented into multiple hierarchical levels, where each level represents a different scale or detail level of the anatomical structure. This segmentation allows the system to efficiently manage and display only the relevant portions of the image at any given time, reducing the need to process and display the entire volume simultaneously.
2Reliability
If multiple operators and computational efforts are deployed to produce images during the procedure, then comprehensive image processing is achieved, but time-consuming programming and computational efforts are required
Solution Approach 1:
Complex computational tasks such as 3D reconstruction, segmentation, and hierarchical organization of medical images are performed in advance before the surgical procedure. This preliminary computation ensures that all necessary image processing is completed beforehand, allowing the system to simply retrieve and display pre-processed image data during surgery without requiring complex real-time computation or multiple operators.
3Loss of information
If the entire three-dimensional image volume is rendered, then complete anatomical information is displayed, but the ability to focus on specific regions of interest is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The 3D image volume is segmented into a hierarchical structure with multiple levels, where each level represents a different scale or region of the anatomy. This allows users to easily navigate from a broad overview to specific regions of interest by simply selecting different hierarchical levels, maintaining both complete anatomical information availability and ease of region selection.
Solution Approach 2:
The system adds a hierarchical dimension to the traditional 3D medical image display, creating a multi-level navigation structure. This additional dimension allows users to explore the anatomy at different scales and focus on specific regions of interest while maintaining access to the complete anatomical context, improving ease of operation without sacrificing information completeness.
Data Source
AI summary
Mechanisms for image processing are provided. A computing device comprises a memory, an input device, a display, and a processor. The processor is configured to: acquire a three-dimensional image of an anatomical structure and store it in the memory. The processor renders on the display (i) an initial volume of the three-dimensional image corresponding to an initial portion of the anatomical structure, and (ii) a moveable control element. The initial volume has an outer surface defined by a position of the control element. The processor receives input data updating the position of the control element relative to the initial volume; and renders on the display, in place of the initial volume, a further volume of the three-dimensional image, corresponding to a further portion of the anatomical structure and having a further outer surface defined by the updated position of the control element.