Radiographic Dynamic Image Processing for Structural Artifact Removal
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Solution Overview
Problem
In radiographic dynamic imaging, unexpected structural objects such as imaging supports or imaging assistants' hands can hinder image reading due to their unpredictable movement, leading to flickering and the need for re-imaging, which increases subject dosage.
Innovation Solution
An image processing apparatus and method that reduces unexpected images of structural objects in dynamic images by analyzing frame-by-frame pixel data to correct and remove such objects, ensuring the subject's position remains consistent across frames.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If an imaging support or imaging assistant is used to prevent the subject from moving during dynamic imaging, then the subject's position stability is improved, but unexpected images of structural objects appear in the dynamic image
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes the unexpected images of structural objects (imaging support or assistant's hand) from the dynamic image by comparing each frame with a reference image and identifying pixels that differ, thereby eliminating the harmful visual interference while preserving the subject image
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a reference image as an intermediary element to mediate between the captured frames and the final output. By comparing each frame against this reference, the system can identify and remove structural objects without affecting the subject
2Ease of operation
If the dynamic image is reproduced as obtained, then the imaging process is simple, but the captured hand flickers and hinders image reading
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the flickering hand images from the dynamic sequence by comparing each frame with the reference image and removing pixels that represent the structural object, thereby eliminating the flicker effect while maintaining the rest of the image sequence
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary processing by creating a reference image before reproducing the dynamic image sequence. This reference image is used to pre-identify and mark the locations of structural objects in all frames, allowing their removal during reproduction
Data Source
AI summary
An image processing apparatus processes a dynamic image including a plurality of frames obtained from a radiographic imaging apparatus performing radiographic dynamic imaging, and includes a hardware processor that performs a process of reducing an unexpected image of a structural object other than a subject, when the structural object is unexpectedly captured in the dynamic image including the plurality of frames obtained by the dynamic imaging.