Medical Image Annotation Embedding for Bone-Suppressed TS Images
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing medical image processing methods, such as temporal subtraction (TS) and bone suppression (BS), often result in artifacts and misdiagnosis due to invisible or overlapping annotations, especially when bone suppression processing is performed before temporal subtraction, leading to unclear differentiation between images.
Innovation Solution
A medical image processing apparatus and method that visibly embeds information indicating bone suppression processing has been performed in the BSTS image, ensuring correct display and recognition of processing history.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If bone suppression processing is performed before temporal subtraction processing, then artifacts are reduced and bone structures are attenuated for better lung-field visualization, but annotations indicating BS processing become invisible or overlap in the BSTS image, leading to misdiagnosis
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by embedding the annotation indicating bone suppression processing into the first medical image before performing temporal subtraction processing. This ensures the annotation is present in the baseline image and will remain visible in the final BSTS image, preventing information loss while still achieving artifact reduction through BS processing.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses the first medical image as an intermediary carrier for the annotation. Instead of embedding the annotation directly in the BSTS image where it may become invisible, the annotation is embedded in the first medical image which serves as a stable reference throughout the processing chain, ensuring the annotation information is preserved and visible.
2Reliability
If annotations are embedded in BS images for indicating processing history, then processing information is preserved, but the embedded parts may overlap and disappear or blur due to position deviation in TS processing
Solution Approach 1:
The annotation is embedded in the first medical image before temporal subtraction processing is applied. This preliminary embedding ensures the annotation is fixed in a stable reference frame and will not be subject to position deviations caused by image alignment and warping operations performed during TS processing.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by placing the annotation in a specific region of the first medical image that is less susceptible to deformation during alignment. The annotation is embedded in a location that maintains its positional integrity through the processing chain, ensuring it remains visible and accurate in the final BSTS image.
3Stability of the object's composition
If supplementary information is saved separately from the image, then image data integrity is maintained, but the supplementary information cannot be read when storage and display are in different systems
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the annotation information directly into the image data by embedding it in the first medical image. This combination ensures that the annotation travels with the image data through storage and transmission, making it accessible regardless of whether storage and display are in different systems, while maintaining image data integrity through proper embedding techniques.
Solution Approach 2:
The embedded annotation serves multiple functions: it provides processing history information, maintains system compatibility across different platforms, and preserves image data integrity. The annotation is embedded in a format that can be read and displayed by various systems, achieving universality without compromising image quality.
Data Source
AI summary
A medical image processing apparatus includes a hardware processor that performs temporal subtraction (TS) processing, based on medical images on which bone suppression (BS) processing has been performed to obtain a BSTS image. In the BSTS image, information indicating that the BS processing has been performed is visibly embedded.