Medical Image Processing Device for Radiation Positioning Accuracy
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current patient positioning methods in radiation treatment are inefficient, requiring manual verification and being prone to errors due to changes in patient posture and tissue composition between treatment planning and execution stages, which can lead to increased patient burden and reduced accuracy.
Innovation Solution
A medical image processing device that includes a region-of-interest acquirer, a treatment plan acquirer, a degree-of-influence calculator, and a display controller to visualize the degree of influence of radiation on the patient's body, superimposing this information onto a fluoroscopic image to facilitate accurate alignment and reduce manual verification time.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If manual verification of patient positioning is performed by comparing fluoroscopic image with DRR image, then positioning accuracy can be confirmed, but the time required for patient positioning work increases and patient burden increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an automated image processing system that acts as an intermediary between the fluoroscopic image and DRR image comparison. The system automatically detects anatomical landmarks, calculates position deviations, and generates alignment recommendations, reducing the time required for manual verification while maintaining positioning accuracy through computational analysis.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the manual mechanical process of visual image comparison with an automated computational system. The system uses image processing algorithms to automatically detect anatomical structures, calculate deviations, and guide positioning, thereby reducing the time burden on patients and operators while maintaining or improving positioning precision.
2Adaptability or versatility
If patient positioning work is performed manually with visual comparison, then flexibility in handling different cases is maintained, but the accuracy of positioning deteriorates when patient condition changes between planning and treatment stages
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a dynamic positioning system that adapts to changes in patient condition between treatment planning and execution stages. The system uses real-time image processing to detect anatomical variations and automatically adjusts positioning recommendations, maintaining both adaptability to different cases and high positioning accuracy even when patient conditions change.
3Ease of manufacture
If bone portion deviation is used to indicate patient position deviation, then visualization is improved, but positioning accuracy is reduced when bone portions are not in the same state between stages or when target lesion is not near bone
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a universal positioning system that can handle multiple types of anatomical landmarks beyond just bone portions. The system detects and utilizes various anatomical structures including soft tissue landmarks, organ contours, and lesion boundaries, making the positioning method universally applicable regardless of whether bone portions are in the same state or whether the target lesion is near bone.
Data Source
AI summary
A medical image processing device includes a region-of-interest acquirer, a treatment plan acquirer, a degree-of-influence calculator, and a display controller. The region-of-interest acquirer is configured to acquire a partial region within a body of a patient as a region of interest. The treatment plan acquirer is configured to acquire treatment plan information determined in a planning stage of radiation treatment to be performed on the patient. The degree-of-influence calculator is configured to calculate a degree of influence representing an influence on the region of interest up to a range until radiation with which the patient is irradiated reaches a target portion to be treated within the body of the patient. The display controller is configured to generate a display image in which information regarding the degree of influence is superimposed on a current fluoroscopic image of the patient and causes a display to display the display image.