Spectral Transmittance Imaging for Core Tissue Quantification
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Solution Overview
Problem
Intraoperative rapid cytological diagnosis by endoscopic needle biopsy faces challenges in identifying and quantifying core tissue due to specimens often being buried under blood and entangled with other tissues, making macroscopic evaluation inefficient.
Innovation Solution
An image processing system that acquires and processes first and second wavelength images of a biopsy specimen to calculate spectral transmittance images, allowing for the extraction and quantification of core tissue areas based on designated reference areas, using multiband illumination and image processing techniques to enhance contrast and accuracy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If manual disentanglement and separation of core tissue is performed using tweezers, then the core tissue can be identified and measured, but the process becomes time-consuming and labor-intensive
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical manual disentanglement process with an optical imaging and image processing system. The system captures images of the biopsy specimen, automatically processes them to identify and separate core tissue from surrounding tissues and blood, and calculates the core tissue amount without requiring manual manipulation with tweezers.
Solution Approach 2:
The image processing system performs automatic identification and measurement of core tissue without human intervention. The system independently completes the tasks of disentangling, identifying, and quantifying core tissue based on image analysis algorithms, making the evaluation process autonomous and efficient.
2Measurement precision
If multiband illumination and spectral transmittance imaging are used, then core tissue identification accuracy is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the imaging process into multiple wavelength bands, capturing images at different spectral ranges. By segmenting the spectral information, the system can differentiate core tissue from surrounding tissues and blood more effectively, as different materials have distinct spectral transmittance characteristics across various wavelength bands.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the illumination wavelength parameter to capture spectral transmittance information. By varying the wavelength of light used for imaging, the system obtains multiple images with different contrast characteristics, enabling more accurate identification of core tissue through spectral analysis.
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
Enables accurate and efficient identification and quantification of core tissue, reducing the need for manual disentanglement and improving diagnostic accuracy by displaying the amount of core tissue relative to a threshold, thus aiding in determining if additional specimens are required.
Implementation Method 1
a first wavelength image is generated by irradiating a stage configured to transmit light with illumination light in a predetermined wavelength band and by capturing light that has passed through the stage
Implementation Method 2
calculate a spectral transmittance image based on the first wavelength image and the second wavelength image
Data Source
AI summary
An image processing apparatus includes a processor including hardware. The processor is configured to: acquire a first wavelength image and a second wavelength image, the first wavelength image being generated by irradiating a stage and by capturing light that has passed through the stage, the second wavelength image being generated by irradiating a specimen and by capturing light that has passed through the stage and the specimen, the specimen including a core tissue; calculate a spectral transmittance image; cause a display to display at least one of the spectral transmittance image and the second wavelength image as a display image; extract an area of the spectral transmittance image having spectral transmittance similar to spectral transmittance of a reference area in the display image as a core tissue area of the core tissue; and calculate an amount of the core tissue area.