Intravascular Ultrasound Motion Blur Gating for Image Clarity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Intravascular ultrasound imaging systems face challenges in reducing motion-related artifacts due to relative movement between the transducer and patient tissue, which affects image quality and visibility of vascular structures.
Innovation Solution
An image-based gating procedure is implemented, where a motion-blur-intensity estimate is quantified for each image frame, and temporal variations are filtered to select frames with local motion blur minima, reducing artifacts and improving image clarity by aligning frames with periods of reduced relative movement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If continuous imaging is performed during transducer movement, then productivity is improved, but motion-related artifacts increase reducing image quality
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary quantification of motion-blur-intensity estimates for each image frame before final image reconstruction. By calculating motion blur metrics in advance during the imaging process, the system can identify and select frames with minimal motion blur, thereby maintaining high imaging productivity while ensuring reliable image quality through pre-screening of frames
Solution Approach 2:
The system introduces motion-blur-estimation signals as an intermediary between the raw image frames and the final reconstructed image. These estimation signals serve as a mediator to objectively evaluate motion blur levels, enabling automated frame selection that balances imaging speed with image quality without requiring manual intervention
2Productivity
If all image frames are used for reconstruction, then productivity is improved, but motion blur artifacts reduce measurement precision
Solution Approach 1:
The system extracts and removes image frames with high motion blur content from the reconstruction process. By quantifying motion-blur-intensity for each frame and selectively excluding frames above a threshold, the system maintains reconstruction efficiency while improving measurement precision by eliminating degraded frames that would otherwise compromise vascular structure visibility
Solution Approach 2:
The system applies different quality criteria to different frames based on their individual motion blur characteristics. Rather than uniformly processing all frames, the system evaluates each frame's motion blur level and applies selective inclusion/exclusion, thereby optimizing both reconstruction efficiency and measurement precision through localized quality assessment
3Measurement precision
If motion blur filtering is applied to select frames, then measurement precision is improved, but loss of time increases due to additional processing
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs motion blur quantification and frame selection during the image acquisition phase rather than as a post-processing step. By calculating motion-blur-intensity estimates in real-time as frames are captured, the system minimizes additional processing time while maintaining measurement precision through contemporaneous frame evaluation and selection
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
The image-based gating procedure effectively reduces motion-related artifacts, enhancing the visibility of vascular structures and improving the overall quality of intravascular ultrasound images by selecting frames with minimal motion blur, thereby aiding in better diagnosis and treatment planning.
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. 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 imaging a patient using an intravascular ultrasound imaging system includes inserting a catheter into a target imaging region within patient vasculature. The catheter includes at least one transducer coupled to a control module. A plurality of image frames is generated as the at least one transducer is moved within patient vasculature. The image frames are based on data obtained from a plurality of echo signals reflected from patient tissue in response to a plurality of acoustic signals output from the at least one transducer. Each image frame includes a motion-blur component. A motion-blur-intensity estimate is quantified for each image frame to form a motion-blur-estimation signal that varies over time and that includes periodic local motion blur minima. Temporal variations of the motion-blur components are filtered to reduce variation in the motion-blur-intensity estimate arising from vessel structure variation. Image frames are selected that contain local motion blur minima.