Dynamic Image Processing Apparatus for Lung Field Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing dynamic image processing techniques fail to accurately align chest dynamic images due to the movement of structures like ribs, which interferes with the extraction of respiratory density changes in the lung field, leading to inaccurate correspondence of pixels indicating the same biological position.
Innovation Solution
A dynamic image processing apparatus that extracts the lung-field region, sets feature points reflecting lung movement, and searches for corresponding points in other frames to estimate pixel correspondence based on positional relationships, thereby avoiding alignment issues caused by structures moving differently than the lung field.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If feature points are set in both the lung field and the ribs for alignment, then alignment processing can be performed, but contradiction occurs in the direction of movement causing alignment failure to accurately correspond pixels in the same biological position
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the chest image into distinct regions of interest: the lung field region and the rib region. By separating these regions, the alignment process can independently handle each region's movement characteristics. The lung field region is aligned based on respiratory movement, while the rib region is handled separately, avoiding the contradiction that arises when trying to align both regions simultaneously using the same feature points.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different alignment strategies to different regions of the image. The lung field region uses feature points that move with respiratory motion, while the rib region uses feature points that account for rib movement. This local differentiation allows each region to be aligned according to its specific movement pattern, resolving the contradiction between using unified alignment features and achieving accurate pixel correspondence.
2Adaptability or versatility
If global matching is used to obtain corresponding positions, then alignment can be performed across the entire image, but local movement differences between lung field and ribs cause inaccurate correspondence
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the alignment task into separate segments: one for the lung field region and another for the rib region. This segmentation allows global matching to be applied to each region independently with appropriate feature points, maintaining broad coverage while achieving local accuracy. The lung field and rib regions are processed separately, preventing the propagation of misalignment errors between regions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements local quality by using region-specific feature points and alignment parameters. The lung field region uses feature points that track respiratory movement, while the rib region uses feature points that account for rib motion. This localized approach ensures that each region is aligned according to its specific movement characteristics, improving density change extraction accuracy while maintaining overall alignment coverage.
Data Source
AI summary
A dynamic image processing apparatus includes: a hardware processor that: extracts a lung-field region from at least one of a plurality of frame images of a chest dynamic image obtained by radiographing a dynamic state of a chest of an examinee; sets a feature point in a position that moves according to a movement of a lung field due to respiration in the lung-field region extracted by the hardware processor; searches a frame image other than a frame image in which the feature point has been set for a corresponding point that corresponds to the feature point set by the hardware processor, and estimates a correspondence relationship of each pixel in the lung-field region among the plurality of frame images in accordance with a positional relationship between the feature point set by the hardware processor and the corresponding point searched for by the hardware processor.