Tomosynthesis Image Interpretation Support Apparatus Region-Based Processing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current image interpretation methods for tomosynthesis imaging in mammography are inefficient as they require processing and storing information for all tomographic planes, leading to unnecessary processing and increased workload for radiologists.
Innovation Solution
An image interpretation support apparatus that acquires a two-dimensional standard image and multiple tomographic images, accepts a selection instruction, and specifies the corresponding tomographic plane based on the selected location, reducing unnecessary processing by focusing on the region around the selected pixel for accurate image display.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the system processes and stores information for all tomographic planes, then the completeness of image interpretation is improved, but the processing time and storage burden increase unnecessarily
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the breast image into multiple regions (e.g., upper, lower, inner, outer quadrants) and processes each region independently. This segmentation allows the system to focus computational resources only on regions where lesions are detected, rather than processing all tomographic planes uniformly, thus reducing unnecessary processing time while maintaining interpretation completeness.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different processing strategies to different regions based on their characteristics. Regions with detected lesions receive enhanced processing and storage, while regions without lesions use minimal processing. This local quality approach ensures that processing resources are allocated efficiently according to actual needs rather than treating all regions equally.
2Reliability
If the system processes and stores information for all tomographic planes, then the completeness of image interpretation is improved, but the storage burden increases unnecessarily
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the breast into multiple regions and processes each independently. By detecting lesions in specific regions and only storing detailed information for those regions, the system reduces overall storage requirements while maintaining the ability to interpret the complete breast image structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts and stores only the essential information related to detected lesions and their corresponding tomographic planes, rather than storing all tomographic plane data. This extraction approach retains the necessary diagnostic information while significantly reducing the storage burden.
3Reliability
If the system displays all tomographic images, then the comprehensiveness of image interpretation is improved, but the ease of operation decreases due to increased workload
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the display into region-specific views, showing only the tomographic images corresponding to regions where lesions are detected. This segmentation of the display content reduces the amount of information the radiologist must review while maintaining the ability to access comprehensive image data when needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary processing to detect lesions and automatically identifies which tomographic planes are most relevant. This preliminary action creates a prioritized list of images for review, reducing the radiologist's workload by pre-organizing the information rather than presenting all images in a random or unorganized manner.
Data Source
AI summary
An image interpretation support apparatus includes an acquisition unit, an acceptance unit, and a specifying unit. The acquisition unit acquires a two-dimensional standard image having information on a breast, and a plurality of tomographic images in a plurality of tomographic planes of the breast which are obtained by tomosynthesis imaging of the breast. The acceptance unit accepts a selection instruction of a location on the two-dimensional standard image. In a case where the selection instruction is accepted in the acceptance unit, the specifying unit specifies a corresponding tomographic plane corresponding to a selected location which is the location of which the selection instruction is accepted in the acceptance unit, from among the plurality of tomographic planes on the basis of the plurality of tomographic images.