Muscle Effective Volume Quantification via Fat Infiltration Thresholds
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for assessing muscle-related conditions, such as sarcopenia, face challenges due to variations in normal physiology and the difficulty in reliably identifying low muscle quantity, especially with adjustments for body size.
Innovation Solution
A method involving the acquisition of a three-dimensional water and fat-separated image of the muscle, followed by determining the muscle fat infiltration level and calculating an effective volume representation by multiplying the volume of a first volume region with a weighting function based on the muscle fat fraction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If body size adjustments are applied to measured muscle quantity (e.g., dividing ASM with height, weight, or BMI), then the assessment attempts to account for normal physiological variation, but the reliability of the assessment deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the parameter used for assessment from simple muscle quantity (ASM) to effective muscle volume that incorporates fat infiltration levels. Instead of dividing muscle mass by body size parameters, the invention uses a threshold-based approach where only muscle tissue with fat infiltration below a predetermined threshold contributes to the effective volume, thereby maintaining reliability across different body sizes
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a more accurate representation (copy) of functional muscle tissue by excluding fat-infiltrated regions. The effective volume is a refined copy of the total muscle volume that better reflects actual functional capacity, eliminating the need for body size adjustments to achieve reliable comparisons
2Ease of operation
If traditional muscle quantity measurement methods are used, then the assessment is simple to perform, but the precision of muscle condition identification deteriorates due to wide variation in normal physiology
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the muscle volume into two distinct parts: effective muscle volume (where fat infiltration is below the threshold) and non-effective volume (where fat infiltration exceeds the threshold). This segmentation allows for precise identification of functional muscle tissue while maintaining a relatively simple calculation approach based on predetermined thresholds
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different quality criteria to different regions within the muscle by using fat infiltration thresholds. Rather than treating all muscle tissue uniformly, the invention identifies and weights regions based on their local fat content, thereby improving measurement precision while keeping the methodology straightforward
3Device complexity
If muscle fat infiltration is not considered, then the measurement process remains simple, but the precision of muscle function representation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces fat infiltration level as a critical parameter in the measurement process. By incorporating this parameter with predetermined thresholds, the method achieves precise representation of functional muscle tissue without requiring complex computational models, maintaining relative simplicity while significantly improving precision
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention relates to a method (100) of quantifying an effective volume (VE) of a muscle (20) of a subject, the method comprising the steps of acquiring (102) a three-dimensional water and fat separated image of the muscle, said image comprising volume elements each having water and fat level values, determining (104) a muscle fat infiltration level in the muscle, determining (106) a first volume region (30) of the muscle in said image in which the muscle fat fraction, MFF1, is below a predetermined threshold level, T1, and calculating (108) an effective volume (VE) of the muscle by multiplying the volume of the first volume region with WF(MFF1), wherein WF(MFF1) is a weighting function of the muscle fat fraction, MFF1, in said first volume region.