Medical Image Processing Apparatus for Marker Tracking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current radiation therapy systems face challenges in accurately irradiating moving lesions due to patient movement, requiring time-consuming and labor-intensive setup processes for tracking markers, which increases CPU processing load and exposure dose.
Innovation Solution
A medical image processing apparatus that generates specific setting information using three-dimensional volume images and geometry information to automate the tracking of markers, reducing the need for manual setup and minimizing exposure dose by focusing image processing on a specific range where the marker is likely to be present.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the entire range of the fluoroscopic image is processed on a real-time basis to track the marker position, then the tracking accuracy is improved, but the CPU processing load increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the fluoroscopic image into multiple regions of interest (ROIs) based on the three-dimensional volume image data. Instead of processing the entire image, only the segmented ROI containing the marker is processed in real-time, reducing CPU load while maintaining tracking accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary processing by generating a three-dimensional volume image and determining the ROI before real-time tracking. This preliminary action prepares the data structure and identifies the search area in advance, enabling efficient real-time processing with reduced computational requirements.
2Measurement precision
If a user manually sets the template and imaging range while referring to fluoroscopic images, then the tracking precision is improved, but the setup time and effort increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system automatically determines the region of interest and generates setting information for image processing without requiring manual user input. The computer automatically identifies the marker position in the three-dimensional volume image and calculates the appropriate imaging range, eliminating the need for manual template setting by the user.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses the three-dimensional volume image as a reference model to automatically create the two-dimensional imaging settings. By copying spatial information from the 3D volume image to determine the 2D ROI boundaries, the system automates the setup process while maintaining the precision that would otherwise require manual adjustment.
3Productivity
If the imaging range is reduced to a specific region to lower CPU processing load, then the processing efficiency is improved, but the risk of missing the marker increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary analysis by generating a three-dimensional volume image that provides comprehensive spatial information about the marker's location. This preliminary action enables the subsequent real-time processing to focus on a precisely defined ROI that is guaranteed to contain the marker, maintaining detection reliability while improving processing efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The system applies different processing qualities to different regions: high-quality comprehensive processing is applied to the three-dimensional volume image for accurate ROI determination, while efficient real-time processing is applied only to the specific two-dimensional ROI for marker tracking. This local quality differentiation ensures reliability in the critical tracking phase while maximizing efficiency.
Data Source
AI summary
A medical image processing apparatus comprising: a first input interface configured to acquire a three-dimensional volume image of an object which is provided with at least one marker, the three-dimensional volume image being generated by imaging the object using a medical examination apparatus; a second input interface configured to acquire geometry information of an imaging apparatus which is used for imaging the object to generate a fluoroscopic image of the object; and a specific-setting-information generator configured to generate specific setting information based on the three-dimensional volume image and the geometry information, the specific setting information being used for setting of imaging for generating an image depicting the at least one marker or setting of image processing of the image depicting the at least one marker.