Medical Image Viewing System with Resolution Tracking
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current systems lack the ability to automatically track and visually distinguish portions of medical images that have been viewed at full resolution, leading to potential misdiagnosis due to incomplete viewing of high-resolution images, especially in modalities like mammography where critical details may be overlooked if not all pixels are displayed.
Innovation Solution
A method and system for viewing medical images on a computing device that allows concurrent display of a portion of the image at full resolution while tracking and visually indicating which parts of the image have been viewed, using a display device to show the entire image at reduced resolution with distinguishable portions that have been displayed at full resolution, enabling users to verify complete viewing of high-resolution images.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the entire medical image is displayed at full resolution, then the image quality is improved, but the display device cannot accommodate all pixels simultaneously
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the high-resolution medical image into multiple displayable portions or tiles that can be sequentially or selectively displayed on the limited display device. This segmentation allows the complete image to be viewed at full resolution across multiple display regions or time periods, resolving the contradiction between image resolution and display area.
2Ease of operation
If the user manually tracks portions of the image viewed at full resolution, then the viewing process is flexible, but the tracking process becomes cumbersome and error-prone
Solution Approach 1:
The system automatically tracks which portions of the medical image have been displayed at full resolution without requiring manual intervention from the user. The tracking mechanism is integrated into the display system, which self-monitors and records the viewing status of each image portion, eliminating the cumbersome manual tracking process while maintaining viewing flexibility.
3Reliability
If the user manually selects hundreds of portions for sequential viewing, then complete image coverage is possible, but the time required to view all pixels increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The system pre-divides the medical image into manageable portions or tiles with predetermined boundaries and coordinates. This preliminary segmentation allows for systematic and efficient sequential viewing, where each portion can be quickly displayed and tracked without requiring manual selection, thereby reducing the total viewing time while ensuring complete coverage of all image areas.
4Area of stationary object
If the image is displayed at reduced resolution to fit the display device, then the complete image area is visible, but pixel detail is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts the display resolution based on the selected portion. When a specific region is selected for detailed examination, that portion is displayed at full resolution while other areas may be displayed at reduced resolution or omitted. This dynamic resolution adjustment allows the display to optimize between coverage and detail based on current viewing needs, resolving the contradiction between display area and pixel resolution.
Data Source
AI summary
For certain medical images, it is important and/or required that a user view all of a medical image at full resolution so that minute, but important, indicia in the medical image are not missed. A computing systems monitor the portions of the medical image that are displayed on the display device, notates those portions that have been displayed at full resolution (or other user-defined display parameters), and provides the user with information indicating portions that have not been viewed at full resolution and/or provides information indicating for which images of a multiple image examination full pixel display has been accomplished. The process reduces the possibility of missing an abnormality in a medical image due to the viewer not viewing a portion of the image at full resolution or using other user-defined display parameters.