3D Lesion Contour Generation for Precise Multi-Slice Imaging
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Solution Overview
Problem
Manual drawing of contours around lesions in medical imaging scans is time-consuming and imprecise, with poor repeatability.
Innovation Solution
A system and method for generating and displaying contours using three-dimensional scan data arrays, including the use of contrast agents to alter tissue density, and employing threshold-based algorithms to identify lesion boundaries, which are then displayed in multiple slices.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If manual drawing of contours is performed by a radiologist, then the contour can be drawn with human judgment and flexibility, but the process is time-consuming and imprecise with poor repeatability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the manual mechanical drawing process with an automated computer-based system that uses image processing algorithms to generate contours automatically. The system processes medical images through computational methods to identify lesion boundaries and generate contour lines without manual intervention, thereby eliminating time consumption while maintaining or improving precision through consistent algorithmic application.
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables the medical image processing to be self-service by automatically generating contours without requiring radiologist intervention for the actual drawing. The computer algorithm independently analyzes the image data, identifies tissue boundaries based on density variations, and produces contours autonomously, freeing the radiologist from time-consuming manual tasks while ensuring consistent precision.
2Reliability
If manual contour drawing is performed, then human expertise can be applied to complex cases, but the repeatability of the method is poor
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the variable human manual drawing process with a standardized computer-based algorithmic system. This substitution ensures that the same processing rules are applied consistently across different images and different users, dramatically improving repeatability. The system complexity is managed through software implementation that encapsulates the processing logic, making the complexity invisible to the user while ensuring consistent results.
3Measurement precision
If threshold-based algorithms are used to identify lesion boundaries, then automated and precise contour generation is achieved, but the complexity of the processing system increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs threshold-based algorithms that analyze image pixel intensity values to automatically identify lesion boundaries. By changing the parameter threshold values, the system can distinguish between different tissue types and accurately delineate lesion contours. This approach achieves high measurement precision through quantitative analysis while managing system complexity through established image processing techniques that can be implemented in standard software environments.
Data Source
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AI summary
A system and method for generating and displaying contours. In some embodiments, the method includes: generating a respective first axial contour, of a plurality of first axial contours, for each of a first plurality of axial slices, the first axial contours defining a surface of a first volume, a first axial slice of the first plurality of axial slices including a first target point; generating a first sagittal contour in a first sagittal slice through the first target point; generating a respective second axial contour, of a plurality of second axial contours, for each of a second plurality of axial slices including the first axial slice, the second axial contours defining a surface of a second volume, a first slice of the first plurality of axial slices including a second target point; and generating a second sagittal contour in the first sagittal slice.