Medical Image Viewing Pipeline Segmentation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Web-based medical image viewers face challenges in handling large volumes of data, maintaining high-quality image rendering, and ensuring patient data security, often resulting in latency and reduced image quality due to inadequate processing power and storage capacity, as well as the introduction of visual artifacts from compression techniques.

Innovation Solution

A robust image viewing pipeline is implemented, where medical images are cached on client devices and served through dedicated central image viewing infrastructure, using parallel processing techniques and staged deployments to ensure uninterrupted performance and security, with separate servers for image viewing components to isolate and update critical functionalities independently.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Speed

If image compression techniques are used to reduce file size and improve transmission speed, then network latency is reduced and image transmission is faster, but image quality deteriorates and visual artifacts are introduced

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveimage transmission speedVSAvoidimage quality

Core Design Contradiction:

SpeedVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the image delivery process into multiple quality levels (thumbnail, preview, and full-resolution versions). Different compression techniques are applied to different segments: aggressive compression for thumbnails, moderate compression for previews, and minimal or no compression for full-resolution images. This allows the system to optimize transmission speed for each segment while preserving image quality where needed.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system dynamically changes compression parameters based on the specific image characteristics, desired quality level, and network conditions. For example, it adjusts compression ratio, block size, and encoding parameters to achieve the optimal balance between file size and visual quality for each transmission scenario.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Reliability

If robust security measures are implemented to protect patient data, then patient privacy is protected, but processing power and storage capacity requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepatient data securityVSAvoidprocessing power and storage capacity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSPower

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces dedicated security infrastructure components (security servers, encryption modules, and authentication services) that act as intermediaries between the image viewing system and patient data. These specialized components handle security-intensive operations such as encryption, decryption, and access control, allowing the main image processing system to focus on its core functions without bearing the full security processing burden.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Ease of operation

If large image files are transmitted across networks to enable web-based access, then accessibility is improved, but network latency increases and image quality is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveweb-based accessibilityVSAvoidnetwork latency

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by pre-processing images into multiple resolution versions and pre-caching them on edge servers or content delivery networks before actual user requests. When users access images through the web platform, the system can immediately deliver the appropriate pre-processed version without requiring real-time compression or transformation, significantly reducing network latency.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

4Adaptability or versatility

If existing web-based viewers are used to handle medical images, then basic viewing functionality is provided, but they cannot handle large volumes of data or provide efficient image processing and analysis

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveimage viewing capabilityVSAvoiddata handling efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges multiple previously separate functions into an integrated system: image storage, image processing, security management, and clinical analysis tools are combined into a unified web-based platform. This integration allows for optimized data flow between components, reduced redundancy, and enhanced productivity through coordinated operations that leverage the strengths of each component.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentUS20240331859A1Image viewing pipeline for medical image viewer

Publication Date: 2024.10.03 TEMPUS AI INC

AI summary

An image viewing pipeline is provided as an independently releasable component of an image viewing application. Images are provided for viewing in the application using dedicated infrastructure for the image viewing pipeline that is separate from infrastructure used to provide other functionality of the image viewing application. The image viewing pipeline receives images from a DICOM image service and provides the images to a client application. The client application is operative to request images, process images, and cache images. The client application is further operative to satisfy individual image requests and may prefetch stacks of images using the image viewing pipeline.