Medical Image Processing Apparatus for Organ Motion Visualization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional methods for analyzing organ kinetics using medical images, such as X-ray CT and MRI, struggle to effectively display and grasp the motion of each part, as color maps and 3D images lose time information and are difficult to interpret.
Innovation Solution
An image processing apparatus that calculates spatial motion vectors between multiple phases of volume data, generates images representing local motion using these vectors, and displays them in a way that assigns colors to motion directions and magnitudes, allowing for easier visualization of organ motion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If color maps or 3D images are used to display organ kinetics, then the overall motion information can be visualized, but the time information is lost and it becomes difficult to grasp the motion of each part
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the motion visualization into multiple time-phase images, where each image represents a specific phase of motion. This allows the viewer to see the motion at different time points separately, preserving time information while making it easier to understand the motion of each part through sequential comparison of the segmented phases.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent adds a temporal dimension to the spatial visualization by displaying multiple images corresponding to different time phases. This transforms the traditional 2D/3D spatial representation into a 4D representation (3D space + time), allowing simultaneous visualization of spatial motion patterns and temporal evolution without losing either dimension of information.
2Ease of operation
If conventional image processing methods are used, then the overall organ motion can be observed, but the motion of each specific part cannot be easily grasped
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by analyzing and visualizing motion characteristics at different spatial locations separately. Each region or part of the organ is processed to extract its specific motion parameters, allowing the viewer to understand the motion patterns of each local area while maintaining the overall context of the organ's movement.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the organ into multiple regions or parts and processes each region independently to extract local motion information. This segmentation allows detailed analysis of motion at each specific location while preserving the ability to view the overall organ motion by combining the regional results.
Data Source
AI summary
According to one embodiment, an image processing apparatus comprises a storage unit configured to store a plurality of volume data acquired by imaging a predetermined part of an object, the plurality of volume data corresponding to a plurality of phases, a calculation unit configured to calculate a spatial motion vector of each voxel included in each volume data by performing registration between the plurality of volume data, an image generation unit configured to generate an image representing a local motion of the diagnosis part using the motion vector of each voxel, and a display unit configured to display the image representing the local motion of the diagnosis part.