Medical Image Processing Apparatus for Collateral Circulation Quantification
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current medical image processing techniques struggle to quantitatively evaluate collateral circulation, which is crucial for treatment decisions and prognosis in infarction cases, due to insufficient time resolution and difficulty in accurately measuring blood flow and identifying predominant vessels in vascular territories.
Innovation Solution
A medical image processing apparatus that acquires and processes multiple time-phase medical images to generate vascular territory images, sets regions of interest, and calculates volume ratios between vascular territories and ischemia areas, providing a quantitative indicator of collateral circulation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If conventional medical image processing is used, then image acquisition is simple, but quantitative evaluation of collateral circulation is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The brain is divided into multiple vascular territories (e.g., left MCA territory, right MCA territory, left ACA territory, right ACA territory) based on contrast agent arrival times. Each territory is independently analyzed to determine predominant blood vessels and calculate volume ratios, enabling precise quantitative evaluation of collateral circulation while maintaining systematic processing
Solution Approach 2:
The analysis transitions from spatial dimension only to include temporal dimension by acquiring medical images at multiple time phases. Contrast agent arrival times are measured across different time points to determine vascular territories and predominant vessels, adding time as a critical dimension for quantitative assessment
2Measurement precision
If multiple time-phase images are acquired, then time resolution improves, but processing time increases
Solution Approach 1:
Vascular territory images are generated in advance by dividing the brain into multiple vascular territories based on contrast agent arrival times from multiple time-phase images. This preliminary segmentation allows subsequent analysis to focus only on calculating volume ratios and determining predominant vessels within predefined territories, reducing overall processing time
Solution Approach 2:
Only the essential information (contrast agent arrival times and vascular territory boundaries) is extracted from multiple time-phase images during the preliminary processing stage. This extracted information is then used for quantitative evaluation without requiring continuous processing of all raw image data, minimizing time loss
3Measurement precision
If vascular territory division is performed, then predominant vessel identification improves, but measurement complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Each vascular territory is analyzed independently with its own specific characteristics. The predominant vessel determination is performed locally within each territory (e.g., left MCA territory analyzed separately from right MCA territory) based on contrast agent arrival times specific to that region, improving identification accuracy while managing complexity through localized analysis
Data Source
AI summary
A medical image processing apparatus according to an embodiment includes processing circuitry. The processing circuitry acquires medical images of multiple time phases. The processing circuitry generates a vascular territory image showing plural vascular territories included in the subject tissue. The processing circuitry sets a region of interest in the subject tissue. The processing circuitry sets at least two regions out of the vascular territories and an ischemia area in the region of interest based on the vascular territory image. The processing circuitry calculates a ratio of each of the at least two regions to the region of interest. The processing circuitry outputs information about the ratio.