Medical Image Processing Highlighting Cut Surface Contours
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current medical image processing techniques, particularly those using ray-casting methods, struggle to clearly visualize tubular tissues like blood vessels during organ resection and excision, making it difficult to identify the cut surface and distinguish between vessels that need ligation and separation from those that do not.
Innovation Solution
A medical image processing apparatus and method that acquires volume data, sets a cut surface, and performs rendering with ray attenuation to generate an image where the contour line of the cut surface is highlighted, facilitating the visualization of the tissue to be ligated by displaying the contour line of the tissue on the cut surface.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Shape
If volume rendering through ray-casting method is used to generate medical images, then three-dimensional visualization of tissue is achieved, but it becomes difficult to grasp the position of tubular tissue and the location of cut surface
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies color changes by highlighting the cut surface with a distinct color or brightness level different from the surrounding tissue. This visual differentiation allows observers to easily identify the cut surface position and tubular tissue location within the three-dimensional rendered image, resolving the contradiction between achieving 3D visualization and maintaining position identification capability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the cut surface as a distinct visual element from the rest of the tissue volume. By separating the cut surface representation and applying special visualization treatment (highlighting), the system maintains both comprehensive 3D tissue visualization and clear identification of specific anatomical features and surgical landmarks
2Area of stationary object
If standard rendering without highlighting is used, then the complete tissue structure is visualized, but the tissue to be ligated cannot be easily recognized
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses color or brightness changes to highlight the cut surface and tubular tissue structures that require ligation. This visual enhancement is overlaid on the complete tissue structure rendering, allowing simultaneous visualization of both the overall anatomy and the specific surgical targets without compromising either completeness or recognizability
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables easy recognition of the tissue to be ligated by clearly highlighting the cut surface, improving surgical planning and execution by distinguishing between vessels to be cut and those that are not.
Implementation Method 1
performing rendering that causes ray attenuation on the volume data to generate a rendering image
Data Source
AI summary
A medical image processing apparatus for visualizing a tissue includes: a memory; and a processor configured to execute a process. The process includes: acquiring volume data including the tissue; setting a cut surface for cutting the tissue in the volume data; and first performing processing relating to visualization of the tissue. The first performing includes: second performing rendering that causes ray attenuation on the volume data to generate a rendering image including the tissue cut along the cut surface; and displaying on a display unit display information including the rendering image in which a contour line of the tissue on the cut surface is highlighted.