Medical Image Distortion Correction via Reference Alignment

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Solution Overview

Problem

Rotational medical imaging systems, such as OCT and IVUS, often produce distorted images due to misalignment and helical motion, leading to intra- and inter-observer variability and incorrect diagnoses.

Innovation Solution

The system corrects for translational and angular distortions by aligning image frames to a reference position, such as the center of the lumen, and interpolating data points to a consistent plane, using geometric shapes and image processing techniques to improve frame-to-frame consistency and accuracy.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If rotational imaging systems acquire images during device movement through the lumen, then three-dimensional images can be constructed, but image distortions occur due to misalignment and helical motion

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveimage acquisition efficiencyVSAvoidimage accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary identification of reference points (such as the lumen center) in each image frame before constructing the three-dimensional image. By pre-establishing accurate reference positions and correcting for helical motion effects in advance, the system enables efficient image acquisition while maintaining high image accuracy and reducing distortions in the final reconstructed image.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Ease of operation

If the imaging device does not precisely follow the contours of the vessel, then image distortions arise, but correcting these distortions requires complex image processing

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedevice operation simplicityVSAvoidimage processing complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system introduces an intermediary correction model that mathematically relates the device position to image distortions. By using reference points and helical motion parameters as intermediaries, the system can correct distortions caused by imprecise device tracking without requiring complex real-time processing, thus maintaining ease of operation while reducing image processing complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Reliability

If image frames are aligned to a reference position, then frame-to-frame consistency improves, but processing time increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveimage consistencyVSAvoidprocessing time

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary identification and alignment of reference points (such as lumen centers) in each image frame before final image construction. By pre-aligning these reference positions and correcting for helical motion effects in advance, the system achieves high frame-to-frame consistency and reliable three-dimensional image reconstruction without requiring excessive processing time during subsequent analysis.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS9286673B2Systems for correcting distortions in a medical image and methods of use thereof

Publication Date: 2016.03.15 PHILIPS IMAGE GUIDED THERAPY CORP

AI summary

The invention relates generally systems for correcting distortion in a medical image and methods of use thereof. Methods and systems for displaying a medical image of a lumen of a biological structure, generally comprise obtaining image data of a lumen of a biological structure from an imaging device, correcting the image data for translational distortions, in which correcting is accomplished without reference to another data set, and displaying a corrected image.