Tractography Free Water Correction Slider Interface
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Solution Overview
Problem
Advanced tractography algorithms are confounded by free water, leading to occlusion of anisotropic water tracts during MRI, particularly in cases of different pathologies like glioblastomas and brain metastases, making it difficult to accurately display non-pathological free water areas and differentiate between various pathologies.
Innovation Solution
A system and method for selectively displaying free water in tractography by applying a free water correction algorithm to assign a 'degree of free water' value to each tract geometry, using a slider interface to dynamically adjust the threshold, allowing only tracts with values below the threshold to be displayed, thereby avoiding false positives and improving visibility in non-pathological areas.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a free water correction algorithm is applied to remove free water from MRI signals, then the visibility of anisotropic tracts is improved, but non-pathological free water areas are incorrectly removed along with pathological free water
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different processing treatments to different regions of the MRI image based on their free water characteristics. Non-pathological free water areas (such as ventricles) are identified and preserved with a first processing treatment, while pathological free water areas are identified and processed with a second processing treatment that removes free water to reveal underlying tracts. This local differentiation resolves the contradiction by preventing the loss of non-pathological information while still improving tract visibility in pathological regions.
2Measurement precision
If free water is completely removed from the MRI signal, then tractography accuracy in pathological areas is improved, but the ability to differentiate between different pathologies is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the free water correction process into distinct components: it separates the identification and handling of non-pathological free water from pathological free water. By segmenting the processing based on the nature and location of free water, the system can apply appropriate corrections to improve tractography accuracy in pathological areas while preserving the diagnostic information needed to differentiate between various pathologies.
3Quantity of substance
If advanced tractography algorithms are used to detect all nerve tracts, then the completeness of tract detection is improved, but the reliability of tract identification in the presence of free water is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary free water correction and classification before executing the tractography algorithm. By removing or adjusting the effects of free water prior to tract detection, the subsequent tractography algorithm can reliably identify tracts without being confounded by free water signals. This preliminary action ensures that the high quantity of detected tracts maintains high reliability, as the confounding factor of free water has already been addressed.
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method of tractography labelling in the presence of a brain lesion. According to the disclosure, a composition of free water correction (FWC) tractography and non-FWC tractography sets into a single tractography set with a ‘degree of free water’ value assigned to each tract and/or fragment of tract geometry. A slider graphical user interface is introduced to dynamically adjust the free water threshold value that controls what tracts and/or fragments of tract geometry get shown. For example, only tracts or fragments of tract geometry with a degree of free water below the threshold are shown while the rest are hidden.