Medical Image Subtraction Resolution via Dimensionality Change
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing medical image processing techniques struggle to generate subtraction images with appropriate resolution, particularly when dealing with coarse slice intervals, leading to low visibility of changes over time in lesions.
Innovation Solution
An image processing apparatus that acquires and processes three-dimensional medical images to generate two types of subtraction images: one with a resolution matching the original images for cross-sectional display and another with a fine resolution for projection display, ensuring high visibility of changes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a subtraction image is generated from two three-dimensional images with coarse slice intervals, then the processing speed and data volume are reduced, but the resolution of the subtraction image becomes coarse making it difficult to observe changes over time in lesions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dimensionality change by generating a subtraction image at high resolution in the slice direction through interpolation, then projecting this three-dimensional subtraction image onto a two-dimensional plane. This allows the final projection image to achieve fine resolution without requiring fine slice intervals in the original three-dimensional images, thus resolving the contradiction between processing speed and resolution.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary interpolation to generate a high-resolution subtraction image before projection. By pre-calculating the subtraction at fine resolution in the slice direction through interpolation, the system prepares high-quality data that can be projected without loss of resolution, allowing coarse original images to produce high-resolution projection images.
2Measurement precision
If the slice interval of the subtraction image is made fine to improve resolution, then the visibility of changes over time in lesions is improved, but the data volume and processing time increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the dimensional approach by performing subtraction in three-dimensional space with interpolated fine resolution, then projecting to two dimensions. This allows achieving fine resolution in the projection image without requiring fine slice intervals in the original images, thus avoiding the exponential increase in data volume and processing time that would result from acquiring or interpolating fine-slice original images.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts only the necessary resolution information for the projection direction through interpolation, rather than processing the entire three-dimensional volume at fine resolution. By performing subtraction and then projecting, the system extracts only the relevant high-resolution information needed for observation, avoiding unnecessary processing of all three-dimensional data at fine resolution.
3Device complexity
If projection image is generated from subtraction image with coarse slice interval, then the processing load is reduced, but the resolution of the projection image becomes coarse reducing the ability to detect lesion changes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent resolves this contradiction by performing the subtraction operation in three-dimensional space with interpolated fine resolution along the slice direction, then projecting the result to two dimensions. This dimensional approach allows the projection image to achieve fine resolution without requiring the original images to have fine slice intervals, thus maintaining low processing load while achieving high projection image quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary interpolation to create a high-resolution representation of the subtraction image in the slice direction before projection. This pre-processing step prepares fine-resolution data that can be projected without loss, allowing coarse original images to produce high-resolution projection images without increasing the processing load of the original image acquisition or storage.
Data Source
AI summary
An image processing apparatus includes an acquisition unit configured to acquire a first medical image and a second medical image that are three-dimensional images obtained by imaging a subject, a determination unit configured to determine a first resolution based on a resolution of the first medical image and determine a second resolution based on a predetermined resolution, a first generation unit configured to generate a first subtraction image having the first resolution by performing a first subtraction process between the first and second medical images, and generate a second subtraction image having the second resolution by performing a second subtraction process between the first and second medical images, and a second generation unit configured to generate a projection image using the second subtraction image.