Patient Position Feedback Indicator for Motion-Stable Medical Imaging
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Solution Overview
Problem
Subjects often struggle to remain still during medical imaging procedures, leading to image degradation and artifacts due to movement, which existing systems fail to adequately address.
Innovation Solution
A camera system captures a base image and subsequent images, applying an image transformation algorithm to calculate positional changes, and a display provides feedback to the subject to regulate their position, using algorithms like optical flow or intensity transformation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If image data is displayed only on a monitor, then the imaging system occupies less space and has simpler structure, but the operator cannot obtain an overall overview of the imaging situation and may miss important position information
Solution Approach 1:
A reflective plate is introduced as an intermediary between the monitor and the operator. The monitor displays image data on one side of the reflective plate, while the operator views both the displayed image data and the actual imaging situation through the transparent reflective plate. This intermediary enables information transfer without direct line-of-sight connection, resolving the contradiction between simplified structure and complete information availability.
2Loss of information
If a transparent reflective plate is used to display image data, then the operator can obtain overall position information, but the reflective plate may cause light reflection and affect image quality
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts the reflective plate's properties based on operational needs. During imaging operations, the reflective plate can be switched to a non-reflective state to ensure high image quality. When overview is needed, it switches to reflective mode. This dynamic adjustment resolves the contradiction between information visibility and image quality by adapting the plate's characteristics to the current operational requirement.
3Area of stationary object
If the monitor is placed close to the imaging device, then the system occupies less space, but the operator cannot simultaneously observe the imaging situation and image data clearly
Solution Approach 1:
The system transitions from a two-dimensional display on a monitor to a three-dimensional spatial arrangement where the reflective plate enables simultaneous viewing of the imaging situation and image data in different spatial planes. The operator can observe the imaging situation directly and the image data reflected on the plate at the same time, effectively utilizing spatial dimensions to resolve the contradiction between compact space and convenient observation.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention provides for a medical instrument (100, 300, 400, 500, 600) comprising a camera system (102, 102', 102'') for imaging a portion (418) of a subject (108) reposing on a subject support (106). The medical instrument further comprises a display system (104) for rendering a position feedback indicator (130, 900). The display system is configured such that the position feedback indicator is visible to the subject when the subject is reposing on the subject support. The execution of the machine executable instructions (120) causes a processor (114) controlling the medical instrument to: acquire (200) a base position image (122) using the camera system; repeatedly (202) acquire a subsequent image (124) using the camera system; repeatedly (204) calculate an image transformation (126) from voxels of at least a portion of the base position image to voxels of the subsequent image by inputting the base position image and the subsequent image into an image transformation algorithm (128); and repeatedly (206) render a position feedback indicator (130, 900) on the display, wherein the position feedback indicator is controlled by the image transformation.