Stent Positioning via Marker-Path Association in Vasculature
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods struggle to accurately determine the position of stents in complex vasculature structures, especially in situations where stents overlap, making it difficult for interventional cardiologists to correctly place stents and assess clinical success.
Innovation Solution
A device and method that associate markers with correct stent positions, allowing for consistent determination of stent positions and checking the consistency of existing determinations, thereby improving stent visibility and positioning in complex scenarios.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If traditional fluoroscopy or exposure run is used to monitor stent placement, then real-time imaging is available, but stent visibility is poor and positioning accuracy deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces markers as intermediary objects that are attached to or near the stent. These markers have high radiopacity and serve as visual mediators that indicate stent position indirectly, solving the problem of poor direct stent visibility under fluoroscopy
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs markers with different radiopacity characteristics (effectively different 'visual properties' in X-ray imaging) to enhance contrast and visibility. The markers appear as distinct high-contrast elements in the fluoroscopic image, enabling clear differentiation from surrounding tissue and other stents
2Reliability
If multiple stents are placed in different vessels of a bifurcated structure, then complete vascular coverage is achieved, but stent overlap occurs and detection becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the monitoring task by associating specific markers with specific stents. Each stent has its own marker or markers, allowing the system to segment the detection problem into individual stent-marker pairs. This enables independent tracking of each stent even when they overlap in the projected image
Solution Approach 2:
Markers serve as unique identifiers and visual mediators for each stent. By attaching distinct markers to each stent, the system can differentiate between overlapping stents through their associated markers, resolving the detection difficulty caused by stent overlap
3Measurement precision
If markers are used to improve stent visibility, then stent position can be determined, but marker-stent association becomes ambiguous in complex situations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a processing unit that continuously monitors marker positions and provides feedback to determine stent positions. The system uses the spatial relationship between markers and detected stent structures to verify and refine associations, creating a closed-loop system that resolves ambiguities through iterative position matching
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes three-dimensional spatial information from the bifurcated vessel structure to resolve two-dimensional image ambiguities. By considering the anatomical geometry and spatial relationships in 3D space, the system can correctly associate markers with stents even when their projections overlap in the 2D fluoroscopic image
Data Source
Figure 1~2d
Figure 2e~5
Figure 6
AI summary
The present invention relates to a device (10) for determining the position of stents (34, 36) in an image of vasculature structure, the device (10) comprising: an input unit (12); a processing unit (14); and an output unit (16); wherein the input unit (12) is configured to receive a sequence of images (24) of a vasculature structure (38) comprising at least one vessel branch (44, 46); wherein the processing unit (14) is configured to: detect positions of at least two markers (26, 28, 30, 32) for identifying a stent position (50, 52) in at least one of the images (24); detect at least one path indicator (64, 66, 74, 76) for the at least one vessel branch (44, 46) in at least one of the images (24) of the vasculature structure (38) at least for vessel regions in which the positions of the markers (26, 28, 30, 32) are detected; associate the at least two markers (26, 28, 30, 32) to the at least one path indicator (64, 66, 74, 76) based on the detected positions of the markers (26, 28, 30, 32) and the location of the at least one path indicator (64, 66, 74, 76); assign markers (26, 28, 30, 32) which are associated to the same path indicator (64, 66, 74, 76) to a marker group to indicate a position (50, 52) of at least one stent (34, 36) in the vasculature structure (38); and wherein the output unit (16) is configured to provide output data indicative of the positions of the markers (26, 28, 30, 32) of the marker group. The invention provides a device and a method that improve the determination of the position of stents in complicated situations.