Pressure Ulcer Image Analysis with Dynamic Region Highlighting

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Current technologies for assessing pressure ulcers, such as the 'DESIGN-R' scale, struggle to visually identify and differentiate affected regions in images, particularly when different evaluation criteria are needed for each patient, and cannot handle cases where the evaluated regions cannot be visually checked.

Innovation Solution

A system that includes an extracting unit to segment affected regions for various evaluation indexes from an image, a selecting unit to choose relevant regions based on evaluation results, and a display control unit to highlight these regions differently, allowing for customizable evaluation criteria and visual differentiation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of information

If the DESIGN-R scale is used to evaluate pressure ulcers, then the evaluation comprehensiveness is improved, but the visual identification and differentiation of affected regions becomes difficult

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveevaluation comprehensivenessVSAvoidvisual identification of affected regions

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSDifficulty of detecting and measuring

Solution Approach 1:

The image processing apparatus segments the pressure ulcer image into multiple affected regions corresponding to different evaluation indexes (Depth, Size, Inflammation/Infection, Granulation, Necrotic tissue). Each segmented region is then highlighted with different display modes, enabling visual differentiation while maintaining comprehensive evaluation coverage.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Reliability

If standardized evaluation criteria are applied to all patients, then the evaluation consistency is improved, but the adaptability to individual patient needs deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveevaluation consistencyVSAvoidcustomizable evaluation criteria

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The system allows dynamic selection of evaluation indexes and adjustable display modes for different patients. The image processing apparatus can adaptively highlight only the selected evaluation indexes relevant to each patient's condition, while maintaining the standardized DESIGN-R evaluation framework for consistency.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

3Ease of operation

If all affected regions are displayed in the same mode, then the display simplicity is improved, but the differentiation of evaluation indexes deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedisplay simplicityVSAvoiddifferentiation of evaluation indexes

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

Different display modes (highlighting techniques) are applied to different affected regions corresponding to different evaluation indexes. This allows the system to maintain overall display simplicity while providing local differentiation through selective highlighting of specific regions based on their evaluation index.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentUS11373312B2Processing system, processing apparatus, terminal apparatus, processing method, and program

Publication Date: 2022.06.28 CANON KK

AI summary

An image capturing apparatus sets reference values for a plurality of evaluation indexes and captures images of affected regions for the evaluation indexes, based on user's operation. An image processing apparatus analyzes the captured images and determines the affected region(s) for the evaluation index(es) exceeding the associated reference value(s) set by the user. The image capturing apparatus causes a display unit to highlight the affected region(s) for the evaluation index(es) exceeding the associated reference value(s) and superposes (displays) the affected region(s) on the image of an affected region.