Myocardial Perfusion Imaging via Myocardial Thickness Segmentation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional myocardial perfusion imaging methods using MRI lack precise information on blood flow perfusion along the myocardial thickness direction, making it difficult to evaluate subendocardial ischemia effectively.
Innovation Solution
An image processing apparatus and method that acquires slice image data of the heart, calculates blood flow perfusion information in the myocardial thickness direction, and generates development data in a desired format for displaying this information, allowing for the display of blood flow perfusion along both the thickness and circumferential directions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If conventional radial division method is used for creating development images, then the imaging process is simple, but the blood flow perfusion information in the myocardial thickness direction is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The myocardium is divided into multiple thickness directions to create multiple development images, each representing different layers of the myocardial wall. This segmentation allows preservation of thickness direction information while maintaining manageable processing complexity through systematic division of the imaging space.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from conventional two-dimensional radial division to three-dimensional division by adding the thickness direction as a new dimension. This creates a multi-layered development image structure that captures blood flow perfusion information throughout the myocardial thickness, transforming the display from a single plane to multiple stacked planes.
2Measurement precision
If multi-slice dynamic longitudinal relaxation weighted imaging is performed, then myocardial perfusion can be evaluated, but precise information on subendocardial ischemia cannot be obtained
Solution Approach 1:
By dividing the myocardium into multiple thickness directions, the patent enables precise evaluation of subendocardial ischemia by examining blood flow perfusion in specific myocardial layers. The segmentation allows clinicians to identify ischemia localized to the subendocardial region without being obscured by averaged data from the entire myocardial thickness.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different analysis focuses to different regions by creating separate development images for each thickness direction. This allows local quality assessment of blood flow perfusion in the subendocardial region specifically, enabling precise measurement and evaluation tailored to the clinical need for detecting subendocardial ischemia.
Data Source
AI summary
An image processing apparatus includes an image data acquisition unit, a development generating unit and a display unit. The image data acquisition unit acquires slice image data with regard to a heart of an object. The development generating unit obtains blood flow perfusion information with regard to a myocardial thickness direction based on the slice image data and generates development data according to a desired development format for displaying the blood flow perfusion information. The display unit displays the development data.