Medical Image Display Thin-Out Processing for Frame Rate Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Medical imaging technologies generate a large number of frames per second, exceeding human perception limits, making it impractical to display and interpret ultrafast medical images efficiently, as existing methods require extensive time to display thousands of frames at lower frame rates.
Innovation Solution
A medical image display apparatus that employs thin-out processing to reduce the frame rate of medical images by selectively extracting or averaging frames, allowing for adjustable thin-out ratios along a time axis, enabling real-time display of critical periods and high-speed reproduction of less critical periods, thereby optimizing interpretation efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If medical images are displayed at the maximum human perception frame rate (30 frames/sec), then the images can be perceived by the human eye, but it requires extremely long time (30-300 minutes) to display all 60,000 frames acquired during a 20-second ultrafast imaging session
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the continuous stream of ultrafast medical images by dividing them into multiple groups or subsets. Instead of displaying all 60,000 frames sequentially, the system selectively displays representative frames from each segment, reducing the total display time from 30-300 minutes to a manageable duration while maintaining diagnostic quality through strategic frame selection
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts key diagnostic information by selecting specific representative frames from the ultrafast image sequence. The system identifies and extracts critical moments or characteristic frames that capture essential diagnostic features, displaying only these extracted frames rather than the complete 60,000-frame sequence, thereby dramatically reducing display time while preserving diagnostic accuracy
2Loss of information
If all 60,000 frames from ultrafast imaging are displayed sequentially at 30 frames/sec, then complete image data is presented, but the interpretation time extends to 30-300 minutes which is clinically impractical
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates representative copies or surrogate images from the ultrafast sequence that capture the essential diagnostic information. Instead of displaying all original frames, the system generates condensed representative frames or composite images that copy the critical diagnostic features, enabling rapid review while maintaining information completeness for clinical decision-making
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies partial action by displaying only the necessary subset of frames required for accurate diagnosis rather than all 60,000 frames. The system identifies and displays the minimum sufficient number of frames that contain all critical diagnostic information, achieving complete diagnostic coverage with significantly reduced display time and improved clinical workflow efficiency
3Loss of time
If the frame rate is reduced for display purposes, then display time is reduced, but displaying only selected frames may lose temporal dynamics information
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary analysis of the ultrafast image sequence to identify critical temporal events, motion patterns, and diagnostic moments before frame selection. By pre-processing the data to detect important temporal dynamics and characteristic frames, the system ensures that reduced frame display rates still capture essential temporal information, preventing loss of diagnostic temporal dynamics while achieving faster display times
Data Source
AI summary
According to one embodiment, a medical image display apparatus includes a thin-out processing unit configured to execute thin-out processing for a series of original medical images, a display unit configured to display the series of medical images generated by the thin-out processing as a moving image and a control unit. The control unit controls the thin-out processing unit to change thin-out ratios on a time axis in the thin-out processing.