IVUS Image Display for Real-Time Lumen Comparison
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) imaging systems often display only a single image during or after a procedure, limiting the ability to visualize and analyze multiple cross-sectional views in real-time, which can hinder effective diagnosis and treatment planning.
Innovation Solution
The system concurrently displays a series of cross-sectional images during the IVUS procedure, including the most recent image and a previously selected image with a maximum or minimum lumen characteristic, allowing for real-time analysis and comparison.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If only a single image is displayed during IVUS procedure, then the display system remains simple and easy to operate, but the diagnostic capability and ability to analyze multiple cross-sectional views is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The display system segments the presentation of multiple images by showing them in separate display regions simultaneously. The most recent image is displayed in a first region while a previously selected image is displayed in a second region, allowing diagnostic information from multiple cross-sectional views to be presented without overwhelming the operator with a single complex display.
Solution Approach 2:
The system transitions from displaying images sequentially in time to displaying them concurrently in space. By utilizing multiple display regions arranged spatially, the system presents multiple cross-sectional images simultaneously, adding a spatial dimension to the display that enables comprehensive diagnostic analysis without increasing temporal complexity.
2Productivity
If multiple cross-sectional images are displayed concurrently, then real-time diagnostic analysis and comparison is enabled, but the device complexity and processing requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by pre-selecting and storing previously acquired images with specific characteristics (such as minimum or maximum lumen area) before the operator needs them. This allows the display system to quickly present relevant comparative images without requiring complex real-time processing during the diagnostic review phase.
Solution Approach 2:
The system automatically identifies and selects images with extreme characteristics (minimum lumen area, maximum lumen area) without requiring manual intervention. This self-service capability reduces the operational complexity for the operator while maintaining high diagnostic efficiency by automatically presenting the most clinically relevant images for comparison.
3Ease of operation
If the system automatically selects images with maximum or minimum lumen characteristics, then the operator workload is reduced and key findings are highlighted, but the selection algorithm complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs automatic image selection based on predefined criteria (minimum lumen area, maximum lumen area) without requiring operator intervention. The processor automatically analyzes stored images, identifies those meeting the selection criteria, and presents them for comparison, thereby reducing operator workload while managing algorithmic complexity through automated processing.
Solution Approach 2:
The system provides feedback to the operator by automatically presenting images with extreme lumen characteristics for review. This feedback mechanism allows the operator to focus on clinically significant findings without manually searching through numerous images, as the system actively identifies and presents the most relevant cases based on quantitative lumen area measurements.
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
Enables real-time visualization and analysis of multiple cross-sectional images, facilitating more accurate diagnosis and treatment planning by providing immediate feedback on lumen characteristics.
Implementation Method 1
The pulse generator in the control module generates electrical pulses that are delivered to the one or more transducers and transformed to acoustic pulses that are transmitted through patient tissue
Implementation Method 2
Reflected pulses of the transmitted acoustic pulses are absorbed by the one or more transducers and transformed to electric pulses
Data Source
AI summary
A method for real-time displaying of cross-sectional images during an intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) imaging procedure includes, during an intravascular ultrasound imaging procedure, receiving electrical signals from at least one transducer in a catheter as the at least one transducer rotates and moves longitudinally along a lumen of a patient blood vessel; during the intravascular ultrasound imaging procedure, processing the received electrical signals to form a series of cross-sectional images that are longitudinally-offset from one another along a length of the lumen; during the intravascular ultrasound imaging procedure, concurrently displaying i) a most recent image and ii) a previous image that is either a) selected by the operator or b) automatically selected as having a maximum or minimum of a selected image characteristic; and, during the intravascular ultrasound imaging procedure, updating the display of the most recent image as a new image from the series of cross-sectional images is processed.