Medical Image Contrast State Estimation for Stable ROI Analysis
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing medical image analysis methods face challenges in accurately determining the contrast time phase due to variations in subject physique and missing metadata, leading to deteriorated performance in property analysis.
Innovation Solution
A medical image processing device that estimates the contrast state of medical images using image analysis and performs property analysis on regions of interest, stabilizing performance by accounting for variations in contrast time phase and selecting suitable images for analysis.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If contrast time phase is determined using injection start time metadata, then property analysis can be performed, but performance deteriorates due to variations in contrast time phase caused by subject physique and condition
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the parameter used for contrast time phase determination from injection start time (which varies with subject physique) to a standardized time point based on contrast agent injection completion. This parameter change eliminates the variation caused by different subject conditions while maintaining the ability to perform property analysis.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a standardized reference model of contrast time phase progression that can be applied across different subjects. Instead of relying on subject-specific injection start times, the system uses a universal reference framework that copies the same time phase definitions across all patients, ensuring consistent property analysis performance.
2Reliability
If metadata does not include injection start time information, then property analysis cannot be performed accurately, but adding such metadata increases system complexity and data requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the essential timing information needed for property analysis by focusing only on the contrast agent injection completion time point, rather than requiring complete injection start time metadata. This extraction approach obtains the necessary reference point without demanding full metadata completeness, reducing system complexity while maintaining analysis capability.
3Productivity
If images with varying contrast states are analyzed together, then processing efficiency is maintained, but analysis accuracy deteriorates due to contrast time phase variations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by determining contrast time phase separately for each image based on its specific characteristics rather than applying a uniform reference. Each image is analyzed with its own contrast state determination, allowing accurate local assessment while maintaining overall processing efficiency through automated per-image evaluation.
Data Source
AI summary
Provided are a medical image processing device, a method for operating a medical image processing device, and a program that achieve stable performance in property analysis on a medical image using a contrast state.A medical image generated by performing contrast imaging is acquired, a contrast state of the medical image is estimated on the basis of analysis on the medical image, and a property analysis is performed on a region of interest included in the medical image on the basis of features of the region of interest, using contrast state information indicating the contrast state of the medical image.