Medical Image Display Apparatus for Automated Abnormal Area Identification
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current medical image display systems face challenges in efficiently identifying and highlighting abnormal anatomical areas in fusion images, requiring experienced skills and time, especially when dealing with three-dimensional images, which hinders early diagnosis and effective patient communication.
Innovation Solution
A medical image display apparatus that integrates an image storage section, anatomical position detection section, image fusion section, abnormal-area specification section, and display section to automatically detect and display anatomical positions, generate fusion images, and specify abnormal areas, facilitating easier identification and explanation of anatomical abnormalities.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If automated CAD techniques and image analysis are used to identify abnormal areas, then productivity and early diagnosis capability improve, but device complexity and difficulty of detecting and measuring increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the complex task of abnormal area identification into distinct functional modules: a position detection section that identifies anatomical landmarks, a region specification section that defines search areas, and an abnormality detection section that analyzes those areas. This segmentation allows each module to specialize in one aspect of the problem, improving overall efficiency while managing complexity through modular design.
Solution Approach 2:
The position detection section serves as an intermediary that bridges the gap between raw medical images and abnormality detection. It automatically identifies anatomical positions and provides this information to the region specification section, which uses it to define appropriate search areas. This intermediary layer simplifies the overall process by handling the complex task of anatomical recognition separately from abnormality detection.
2Measurement precision
If three-dimensional fusion images are used to provide comprehensive anatomical information, then measurement precision and diagnostic accuracy improve, but ease of operation and time required for analysis worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The system extracts and highlights only the relevant abnormal areas from the comprehensive three-dimensional fusion images, rather than requiring physicians to manually search through entire volumetric datasets. The region specification section extracts anatomical regions of interest based on detected positions, and the abnormality detection section then focuses analysis on these extracted regions, significantly easing operational complexity while maintaining diagnostic accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The position detection section performs preliminary action by automatically identifying and marking anatomical positions before the actual abnormality detection takes place. This preliminary step prepares the data structure and highlights relevant areas in advance, so that when physicians review the images, the abnormal areas are already positioned and contextually marked, reducing the time and effort required for analysis.
3Loss of time
If automated detection of anatomical positions is implemented, then loss of time and dependency on expert skills reduce, but measurement precision and reliability may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The system incorporates feedback mechanisms where the detected anatomical positions are used to define regions that are then analyzed for abnormalities, and the results feed back into refining the position detection. The region specification section uses the detected positions to create search areas, and the abnormality detection results can validate or adjust the initial position detection, creating a feedback loop that improves both speed and accuracy over time.
Data Source
AI summary
A medical image display apparatus for displaying at least one medical image acquired from an object, the medical image display apparatus comprises: memory circuitry configured to store at least one functional image representing functional information of a tissue in the object, and at least one morphological image representing morphological information of the object; processing circuitry configured: to specify a region of interest based on the functional image; and to find a position of a characteristic structure of a human body by analyzing the morphological image, the position detection section being further configured to find area information corresponding to the position of the region of interest of the functional image; and a display configured to display the area information.