Photoacoustic Volume Data Compression via Threshold-Based Voxel Filtering
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Solution Overview
Problem
Medical image data generated by photoacoustic imaging apparatuses have large data sizes, leading to significant storage and processing loads, especially when converting to video formats, as existing compression methods often lose important negative value information, resulting in reduced artifact inhibition in synthetic volume data.
Innovation Solution
An image processing apparatus that compresses volume data by selectively reducing voxel values with absolute values below a threshold, while preserving and utilizing voxel data with high absolute values to generate compressed volume data, which includes both positive and negative values, thereby reducing data size and inhibiting artifacts in synthetic volume data.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If existing compression methods are used on photoacoustic volume data, then data size is reduced, but negative value information is lost resulting in reduced artifact inhibition
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different processing treatments to different regions of the volume data based on their characteristics. Voxel data with absolute values below the threshold is compressed or removed, while voxel data with absolute values at or above the threshold is preserved with high fidelity. This local differentiation allows aggressive compression in less critical regions while maintaining essential information in critical regions, resolving the contradiction between data size reduction and information preservation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a threshold parameter to control the compression process. By adjusting this threshold, the system can dynamically balance between compression ratio and information preservation. The threshold acts as a controllable parameter that determines which voxel data to compress and which to preserve, enabling flexible adaptation to different storage and processing requirements while maintaining artifact inhibition capability.
2Loss of information
If all voxel data is preserved without compression, then information completeness is maintained, but storage and processing loads increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies quality-based differentiation to voxel data, treating each voxel according to its absolute value characteristics. This allows the system to maintain high information quality where needed (voxels with absolute values ≥ threshold) while reducing storage and processing requirements for less critical data (voxels with absolute values < threshold), thus resolving the contradiction between information completeness and processing efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of preserving all voxel data uniformly, the patent applies partial compression action selectively. It compresses or removes voxel data below the threshold while maintaining full fidelity for voxel data at or above the threshold. This partial action approach achieves significant storage and processing load reduction while preserving the essential information needed for accurate image reconstruction and artifact inhibition.
3Quantity of substance
If voxel data with low absolute values is compressed, then data size is reduced, but image quality may deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements quality-aware compression by evaluating the absolute value of each voxel and applying different compression strategies accordingly. Voxel data with absolute values below the threshold is identified as less critical for image quality and is compressed or removed. This local quality assessment ensures that compression is applied only where it has minimal impact on overall image quality, while critical voxel data is preserved with high fidelity.
Solution Approach 2:
The threshold parameter serves as a control mechanism to balance compression ratio and image quality. By carefully selecting and adjusting this parameter, the system can optimize the trade-off between data size reduction and image quality maintenance. The threshold acts as a quality gate that prevents excessive compression of voxels that would significantly degrade image reconstruction accuracy.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The proposed solution effectively reduces the data size of medical image data while maintaining essential information, thereby reducing storage and processing loads and inhibiting artifacts in synthetic volume data, allowing for efficient video generation and display.
Implementation Method 1
a photoacoustic wave that is produced by irradiating the subject with light
Data Source
AI summary
An image processing apparatus acquires volume data including a negative voxel value and derived from a photoacoustic wave produced by irradiating a subject with light, generates compressed volume data by compressing the volume data to selectively reduce a data amount of voxel data having a voxel value whose absolute value is less than a threshold, and saves the compressed volume data.