Medical Image Processing Apparatus for Disease Progression Tracking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Medical imaging technologies face challenges in effectively tracking and monitoring changes in patient conditions over time, particularly in diagnosing diseases like metastatic bone cancer, where visual comparison of sequential images can be cumbersome and inaccurate.
Innovation Solution
A medical image processing apparatus and method that acquires and processes multiple medical images of a target over different time points, registering and analyzing these images to generate a diagnostic image that quantifies changes in pixel intensity, allowing for classification of disease progression into distinct stages using colors, shapes, and lines, facilitating accurate monitoring and diagnosis.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If multiple medical images are acquired at different time points for disease monitoring, then the ability to track disease progression is improved, but the complexity of image analysis and comparison increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the disease progression analysis into distinct stages by classifying pixel intensity changes into predefined ranges (e.g., first stage, second stage, third stage). This segmentation transforms the complex task of comparing multiple medical images into a structured process where changes are categorized into discrete progression stages, making the analysis more manageable and interpretable.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary processing step that generates a diagnostic image representing the degree of change between multiple medical images. This intermediary representation simplifies the comparison task by converting raw image data into a standardized format that highlights progression patterns, reducing the complexity of direct image-to-image comparison.
2Ease of manufacture
If visual comparison of sequential medical images is performed manually, then the process is simple to implement, but the accuracy and efficiency of disease monitoring deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs self-service by automatically processing and comparing multiple medical images to generate diagnostic information about disease progression. The apparatus autonomously calculates degree of change, classifies progression stages, and generates diagnostic images without requiring manual intervention, thereby maintaining implementation simplicity while dramatically improving monitoring efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical process of manual visual comparison with an automated image processing system. The mechanical action of a doctor visually examining sequential images is substituted with computational algorithms that automatically detect, measure, and classify disease progression, significantly enhancing efficiency while keeping the system relatively simple to implement.
3Measurement precision
If detailed analysis of pixel intensity changes is performed to quantify disease progression, then the diagnostic accuracy is improved, but the complexity of image processing increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by transforming pixel intensity values into standardized degree of change metrics. The system processes detailed pixel-level information but converts it into a simplified parameter representation (progression stages) that maintains diagnostic accuracy while reducing processing complexity. This parameter transformation allows quantitative analysis without requiring complex algorithms.
Data Source
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AI summary
Provided is a medical image processing apparatus including: a data acquisition unit configured to respectively acquire a plurality of medical images representing an object including at least one target at a plurality of different time points; and an image processor configured to generate, based on the acquired plurality of medical images, a diagnostic image showing a degree of change that has occurred in the at least one target over the plurality of different time points.