Tomographic Scan Planning via 3D Camera Registration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for planning tomographic scans are suboptimal due to patient movement between the acquisition of a surview image and the actual scan, leading to inefficiencies, increased radiation exposure, and potential loss of anatomical information.
Innovation Solution
A system and method that utilize a pre-scan image and 3D camera data to determine image transformations, allowing for automatic or interactive planning of tomographic image acquisition, enabling accurate scan parameter determination and compensation for patient movement without the need for reacquiring a surview image.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a surview image is acquired to plan the tomographic scan, then the scan parameters can be determined, but the patient may move between the surview image acquisition and the actual scan, leading to suboptimal scanning
Solution Approach 1:
The system captures images of anatomical landmarks with a camera before the tomographic scan, performs image registration between these camera images and the surview image to determine patient movement, and uses this information to adjust scan parameters. This preliminary action of capturing and analyzing landmark images allows the system to compensate for patient movement that occurs between the surview scan and the actual diagnostic scan, ensuring accurate scan planning without requiring immediate re-acquisition of the surview image.
Solution Approach 2:
The system establishes a feedback loop by continuously monitoring patient position through camera images of anatomical landmarks, registering these images with the surview image, detecting movement, and adjusting the scan plan accordingly. This feedback mechanism allows real-time correction of scan parameters based on actual patient position, resolving the contradiction between maintaining accurate scan parameters and accounting for time-delayed patient movement.
2Measurement precision
If another surview image is acquired to replace the earlier captured image due to patient movement, then accurate scan planning can be maintained, but this results in loss of time, increased operating costs, and additional radiation dose
Solution Approach 1:
The system introduces camera images of anatomical landmarks as an intermediary element between the surview image and the actual scan planning. Instead of directly re-acquiring a surview image when patient movement is detected, the system uses these non-ionizing camera images to detect movement and adjust the scan plan. This intermediary approach maintains scan planning accuracy while avoiding the harmful effects of additional radiation exposure from repeated surview scans.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates a virtual model of patient position by registering camera images with the surview image to generate a transformed representation of patient anatomy. This copied virtual model allows accurate scan planning to be performed without requiring physical re-acquisition of the surview image, thereby eliminating the need for additional radiation exposure while maintaining planning accuracy.
3Adaptability or versatility
If manual evaluation of surview image is used to define scan region, then flexibility is maintained, but the process is time-consuming and operator-dependent
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs multiple functions using the same image registration framework: it detects patient movement, defines scan regions, determines scan parameters, and verifies anatomical coverage. This multi-functional approach maintains the flexibility of manual planning while dramatically improving efficiency, as the system can automatically perform all these tasks based on the registered camera images and surview image without requiring separate manual operations for each function.
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables automated scan planning by having the image registration algorithm automatically define scan regions and determine parameters based on detected anatomical landmarks and patient position. This self-service capability eliminates the need for operator intervention in routine planning tasks while maintaining adaptability, as the system automatically adjusts to different patients and scan requirements without manual input.
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention relates to a system (10) and related method for planning a tomographic image acquisition of an object to be imaged by a tomographic imaging scanner (20).The system comprises an input (12) for receiving a 3D pre-scan image of the object and a camera system (14) for capturing 3D image information of the object. The system comprises a processor (16) for determining corresponding image features in the camera image and the pre-scan image. The processor determines an image transformation that relates the corresponding image features to each other, such that the object as represented by the pre-scan image can be transformed to the orientation, position and/or deformation of the object represented in the camera image. The processor plans the image acquisition, in which the pre-scan image is used to determine parameters including scan range. An output (18) outputs a signal representative of the determined plan.