Joint 3D Visualization of Patient Surface and Internal Scan

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Medical imaging technologies typically lack integration of patient surface information, relying on verbal or written descriptions, which can be incomplete and lack the realism provided by visual data.

Innovation Solution

Incorporating cameras into medical imaging systems to capture photographs of the patient's surface simultaneously with internal scans, processing these images to create a joint visualization with the internal scan data, allowing for a comprehensive and photorealistic representation of the patient.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of information

If only internal scan data is used, then internal condition assessment is achieved, but surface condition information is lost

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesurface condition informationVSAvoidimaging system complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges external photograph data with internal scan data by registering two 3D representations (surface model from photographs and internal volume model from scan) into a single coordinated framework. This allows simultaneous visualization of both surface and internal conditions, resolving the information loss while managing complexity through integrated processing

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

2Loss of information

If verbal or written descriptions are used, then documentation is simplified, but diagnostic completeness deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvediagnostic information completenessVSAvoiddocumentation complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent creates a digital 3D copy of the patient's surface appearance from photographs, preserving visual diagnostic information that would otherwise be lost in verbal or written descriptions. This digital representation maintains the richness of visual data while enabling systematic storage and analysis

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

3Measurement precision

If photographs are taken separately from scanning, then imaging quality is maintained, but temporal and spatial alignment is lost

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveimage registration accuracyVSAvoidsurface condition visualization

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The patent performs preliminary registration of the photograph-based surface model with the scan-based volume model before final visualization. This pre-alignment process ensures that surface and internal structures are accurately correlated, enabling precise diagnostic assessment while maintaining image quality

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS10092191B2Joint visualization of 3D reconstructed photograph and internal medical scan

Publication Date: 2018.10.09 SIEMENS HEALTHINEERS AG

AI summary

Interior scan and exterior photos are jointly visualized in medical imaging. One or more cameras are mounted to the internal medical scanner, allowing a photograph to be taken while or in temporal proximity to when the internal region of the patient is scanned. An image associating the exterior photographs with the interior region of the patient is presented to assist in diagnosis. Due to the spatial and temporal proximity, the image may be a visualization formed by combining the photograph and interior scan data.