Medical Support Device Foreign Substance Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
In medical imaging, residual foreign substances can lead to inadequate image quality, misinterpretation, and potential harm to patients, necessitating accurate detection and differentiation between foreign substances that require removal and those that do not.
Innovation Solution
A medical support device equipped with a processor that acquires medical images, correlates them with pre-existing correspondence information to estimate the presence, type, and position of foreign substances, and controls notifications based on this information to support medical staff in making appropriate decisions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If foreign substance detection is performed using conventional image processing, then foreign substance detection capability is provided, but accurate differentiation between removable and non-removable foreign substances cannot be achieved
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces correspondence information as an intermediary element that links medical images with foreign substance type information. This correspondence information acts as a mediator between the image processing system and the diagnostic conclusion, enabling the system to not only detect foreign substances but also identify their types (removable vs. non-removable) by referencing pre-stored characteristic data patterns.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates a virtual copy of the medical image and superimposes it with correspondence information containing foreign substance type data. This copying approach allows the system to analyze the image characteristics against stored patterns of known foreign substances, enabling accurate differentiation without directly manipulating the original image data.
2Measurement precision
If comprehensive foreign substance analysis is performed, then diagnostic accuracy is improved, but processing time and system complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary action by pre-storing correspondence information containing characteristics of various foreign substances before actual image processing. This advance preparation allows the system to quickly match detected foreign substance features against pre-organized reference data during diagnosis, significantly reducing processing time while maintaining high identification accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the foreign substance analysis process into distinct modules: image acquisition, foreign substance detection, correspondence information retrieval, and type determination. This segmentation allows each component to operate independently and optimize its performance, reducing overall processing time while improving comprehensive analysis capability.
3Reliability
If medical staff manually interpret all foreign substance cases, then comprehensive judgment can be made, but work efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs self-service by automatically analyzing medical images, detecting foreign substances, retrieving correspondence information, and determining foreign substance types without requiring manual intervention for routine cases. This automation handles straightforward detections, freeing medical staff to focus on complex cases that require human judgment, thereby improving overall work efficiency while maintaining reliability through automated consistent analysis.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback by providing automatic notifications to medical staff about detected foreign substances and their types. This feedback mechanism allows the system to assist medical professionals by highlighting critical findings and suggesting appropriate actions, improving both the speed and accuracy of diagnostic workflows without replacing human expertise.
Data Source
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AI summary
Provided are a medical support device (10, 100), an operation method of a medical support device, an operation program of a medical support device, and a medical support system that can support an appropriate determination of the presence or absence of a foreign substance image included in a medical image and a type of a foreign substance that forms the foreign substance image. A medical support device (10, 100) includes a processor (CPU, 14), in which the processor (14) acquires a medical image, acquires correspondence information in which the medical image is associated in advance with presence or absence of a foreign substance image included in the medical image, generates foreign substance estimation information obtained by estimating the presence or absence of the foreign substance image included in the medical image based on the medical image and the correspondence information, and controls a notification based on the foreign substance estimation information.