Radiation Image Assist Line Positioning via Body Thickness
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing radiation image capture systems face challenges in displaying assist lines at suitable positions for observing sites of interest, particularly due to the weight and installation difficulties of physical assist line plates and the predetermined positioning of software-generated lines, which can interfere with the site of interest and hinder diagnosis.
Innovation Solution
An image-processing device and method that acquires radiation images and body thickness information to add assist lines as if a predetermined member were disposed inside or between the imaging subject and the radiation image capture device, allowing for dynamic positioning of assist lines based on body thickness and imaging conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If an actual plate for adding assist lines is employed in imaging, then assist lines can be added to the radiation image, but the plate has a comparatively heavy weight and cannot be easily installed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a virtual plate (image data representing a plate) instead of a physical plate. The virtual plate is processed through image processing to generate assist lines, eliminating the need for heavy physical materials while achieving the same functional effect of adding assist lines to the radiation image
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical system of physical plates with an information processing system. Instead of physically installing plates with metal lattice patterns, the system uses digital image processing to generate and overlay assist lines, substituting mechanical installation with computational processing
2Reliability
If an actual plate for adding assist lines is employed in imaging, then assist lines can be added to the radiation image, but it is not easy to install the plate in a position where the assist lines are imprinted in a suitable position
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a virtual plate that can be freely positioned and adjusted in the digital domain. The operator can specify the position of the virtual plate without physical installation constraints, allowing easy adjustment to achieve suitable assist line positioning on the radiation image
Solution Approach 2:
The patent makes the plate position dynamic and adjustable through software control. The virtual plate position can be changed by the operator based on the imaging subject and desired assist line location, providing flexibility that fixed physical plates cannot offer
3Ease of operation
If assist lines are generated by executing software processing, then installation burden is reduced, but the position of the assist lines is predetermined regardless of the site of interest and might interfere with the site of interest
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the assist line position dynamic and adjustable through software control. The virtual plate position can be changed by the operator based on the imaging subject and desired assist line location, providing flexibility that fixed software-generated lines cannot offer
Solution Approach 2:
The patent allows the operator to change the position parameter of the virtual plate to adapt to different imaging scenarios. By adjusting the plate position parameter, the system can generate assist lines at suitable locations without interfering with sites of interest, providing adaptability while maintaining software-based operation
Data Source
AI summary
An overall controller of a console acquires a radiation image of an imaging subject captured by a radiation image capture device for radiographic imaging. The overall controller also acquires body thickness information indicating a body thickness of the imaging subject in a direction in which radiation passes through. The overall controller also adds to the radiation image an assist line image that have would be expected to be obtained if a predetermined member had been disposed and captured at a position inside the imaging subject determined based on the acquired body thickness information, or at a position between the imaging subject and the radiation image capture device.