Light Map Capture for Medical Data Visualization

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Solution Overview

Problem

Accurately lighting patient data for photo-realistic rendering in medical procedures is challenging due to the need for capturing changing lighting conditions in the environment where the procedure is performed.

Innovation Solution

Capturing actual lighting conditions using specialized cameras, such as spherical panorama cameras, to create a light map that is then applied to patient scan data for realistic visualization, which can be enhanced through augmented reality techniques, allowing for a natural and immersive representation of internal anatomy.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Illumination intensity

If artificial lighting effects are used for visualization, then depth and shape perception is improved, but the visualization lacks photorealism and natural appearance

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvelighting effect qualityVSAvoidphotorealism accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

Illumination intensityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent captures actual lighting conditions from the operating room environment using cameras and creates light maps that copy the real-world lighting. These light maps are then applied to patient anatomy visualizations, replacing artificial lighting effects with authentic copies of the actual lighting environment, thereby achieving photorealism while maintaining proper depth and shape perception

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs preliminary capture of lighting environment data before the surgical procedure begins. Light maps are pre-rendered and stored based on the actual operating room lighting conditions. During surgery, these pre-computed light maps are applied to visualizations, eliminating the need for real-time lighting calculations and ensuring consistent photorealistic appearance throughout the procedure

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Reliability

If real-time lighting capture is implemented, then photorealistic visualization is achieved, but system complexity and computational requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvephotorealism accuracyVSAvoidlighting capture system complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Lighting environment data is captured and light maps are pre-rendered before the surgical procedure. This preliminary action allows complex lighting calculations to be performed in advance rather than in real-time during surgery, reducing computational requirements and system complexity during the actual procedure while maintaining photorealistic visualization quality

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system uses standard imaging equipment (cameras, scanners) that serve multiple functions - capturing both patient anatomy data and lighting environment data. This multi-functionality reduces the need for specialized dedicated hardware, thereby lowering overall system complexity while achieving photorealistic visualization through the integration of these universal devices

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Measurement precision

If light map capture is performed over time, then accurate lighting representation is achieved, but data processing time increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvelighting condition accuracyVSAvoiddata processing time

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

Light maps are pre-rendered and stored based on lighting conditions captured before the surgical procedure. This preliminary computation of lighting data allows the system to use these pre-computed light maps during surgery without requiring real-time processing, thereby reducing data processing time during critical procedures while maintaining accurate lighting representation

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system continuously captures lighting environment data over time to account for changing lighting conditions in the operating room. By continuously updating and storing light maps for different time points, the system ensures accurate lighting representation is available whenever needed during the procedure, balancing temporal accuracy with efficient retrieval from pre-computed data

Inventive Principle:

Principle #20Continuity of useful action

Data Source

PatentUS9911225B2Live capturing of light map image sequences for image-based lighting of medical data

Publication Date: 2018.03.06 SIEMENS HEALTHINEERS AG

AI summary

Methods, apparatuses, and systems are provided for live capturing of light map image sequences for image-based lighting of medical data. Patient volume scan data for a target area is received over time by a processor. Lighting environment data for the target area is captured over time by a camera. The camera transmits the lighting environment data to the processor over time. The processor lights the patient volume scan data with the lighting environment data into lighted volume data over time. The processor renders an image of the lighted volume data over time.