Medical Image Contrast Super-Imposition for Less Cluttered Lumen Views
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Solution Overview
Problem
Three-dimensional medical images present challenges for medical viewers due to non-visible portions when viewed on a two-dimensional display, especially for complex structures like lumens, which require extended viewing sessions and high information density, complicating comprehension.
Innovation Solution
Super-impose contrast image data onto two-dimensional reformation data generated from three-dimensional medical images by straightening the centerline of lumens and unfolding the volume onto a single plane, using registration techniques to align and project contrast information onto the reformation data.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If three-dimensional medical images are displayed on a two-dimensional display, then the viewing area is limited, but portions of the image become non-visible
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transforms three-dimensional medical images into two-dimensional curved planar reformation images by unfolding the 3D volume along the centerline of lumens. This dimensional transformation allows the complex 3D structure to be displayed on a 2D screen while maintaining visibility of all portions through the curved planar layout that follows the anatomical path.
2Ease of operation
If curved planar reformation is used to unfold 3D image data into a 2D plane, then the entire lumen path is visible in a single frame, but the image becomes complex and busy
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges contrast image data with curved planar reformation data by super-imposing the contrast information onto the unfolded 2D image. This combination provides the complete lumen path visibility while the contrast enhancement highlights key features, making the complex image more interpretable rather than less so.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies contrast enhancement that modifies the visual properties of the image, particularly through colorization or intensity adjustment of specific regions. This makes important anatomical features stand out against the complex background, reducing the perceived busyness and improving comprehension.
3Loss of information
If additional information is added to 2D reformation data to enhance comprehension, then the viewer can understand the image better, but the visual clutter increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies contrast enhancement locally to specific regions of interest within the 2D reformation image. Rather than uniformly adding information throughout, the contrast data is super-imposed to highlight only the most important anatomical structures along the lumen path, providing enhanced comprehension without uniformly increasing visual clutter.
Data Source
AI summary
A system for generating contrast reformation data includes image processing circuitry configured to generate two-dimensional reformation data for three-dimensional image data by straightening a centerline of the lumen of an imaged patient and unfolding the three-dimensional medical image data about the straightened centerline. Points in the three-dimensional image data are registered to points in two-dimensional contrast image data. The unfolding is used to translate the registration for the three-dimensional image data to the two-dimensional reformation data. Contrast information from the two-dimensional contrast image data is super-imposed onto the two-dimensional reformation data to generate the contrast reformation data.