2D Projection of 3D Pulmonary Vessel Trees
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Solution Overview
Problem
The complex geometric structure of pulmonary blood vessel trees in CT scans makes visual assessment difficult and time-consuming, requiring specialized skills and leading to high user variability and challenges in automating the detection process, with existing methods only reporting positive findings without clarity on negative results.
Innovation Solution
An apparatus and method that process 3D image data to provide a 2D representation of anatomical lumen tree structures, allowing multiple branches to be displayed as lines where the appearance varies based on anatomical properties, enabling automated analysis and detection of abnormalities, and linking 2D data to corresponding 3D images for easier inspection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If 3D image data of pulmonary blood vessel tree is displayed using traditional CT slice visualization, then complete anatomical information is preserved, but inspection becomes very difficult and time consuming due to geometric complexity and large number of slices
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transforms 3D volumetric CT data into a 2D projected representation that maps the pulmonary blood vessel tree onto a two-dimensional plane. This dimensional reduction allows the entire vessel tree to be visualized in a single view rather than requiring navigation through 100-400 individual CT slices, dramatically reducing inspection time while preserving anatomical relationships through clever projection techniques.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a simplified 2D copy or projection of the complex 3D pulmonary vessel tree structure. This copied representation maintains the essential anatomical information and spatial relationships while being much easier to interpret visually, allowing radiologists to assess the entire vessel tree at once without manually scrolling through numerous 3D slices.
2Measurement precision
If manual visual assessment of individual CT slices is performed, then detailed inspection is possible, but highly specialized skills are required and user variability is high
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a simplified 2D copy or projection of the complex 3D pulmonary vessel tree structure. This copied representation maintains the essential anatomical information and spatial relationships while being much easier to interpret visually, allowing radiologists to assess the entire vessel tree at once without manually scrolling through numerous 3D slices.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transforms the data representation from 3D spatial coordinates to a 2D projected coordinate system with modified scaling and positioning parameters. This parameter transformation simplifies the visual interpretation while preserving the diagnostic information, reducing the need for highly specialized interpretation skills.
3Reliability
If only positive findings are reported in existing computer aided detection, then clear positive results are provided, but user cannot determine whether negative findings result from healthy situation or detection failure
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a comprehensive visualization system that provides feedback on both positive and negative detection results. By displaying the complete projected vessel tree with all segments visible, the system allows users to verify negative findings by visually confirming the presence or absence of vessel segments, thereby increasing confidence in negative results and reducing uncertainty about detection failures.
Data Source
AI summary
A CT imaging apparatus (2) for providing a 2D representation of 3D image data representing a pulmonary vessel tree of a patient is disclosed. The apparatus comprises X-ray sources (6) and detectors (8) arranged in pairs for generating 3D image data representing a plurality of positions along lumen branches of the vessel tree and for receiving 3D image data representing at least one anatomical property at each of the locations. A processor (20) processes the 3D image data to provide 2D image data displayed on a display device (24) such that each lumen branch is represented by a line, and the color of each portion of a line representing one of the positions varies in dependence upon the anatomical property being measured.