Tumor Purity Calculation Using Noise-Aware Tissue and Cell Classification

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional methods for calculating tumor purity from pathological slide images fail to account for biological and technical noise, leading to inaccurate results due to degraded nucleic acid quality and fragmentation, resulting in high false negative or false positive rates.

Innovation Solution

A method and apparatus that analyze pathological slide images using a computing system to perform classifications on tissues and cells, combining the results to calculate tumor purity while considering noise, thereby providing accurate information on tumor purity and expected cancer signals.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If conventional methods are used to calculate tumor purity from pathological slide images, then the calculation process is simple, but the accuracy is low due to failure to account for biological and technical noise

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetumor purity calculation accuracyVSAvoidclassification system complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies segmentation by dividing the tumor purity calculation into multiple classification stages: first classifying tissues into tumor and non-tumor regions, then classifying cells within those regions into tumor cells and non-tumor cells. This multi-stage segmentation approach enables accurate noise differentiation while maintaining systematic complexity management.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces an intermediary noise classification system that identifies and separates biological noise (non-tumor cells within tumor regions) and technical noise (artifacts and degraded regions) from actual tumor signals. This intermediary classification layer mediates between raw image data and final tumor purity calculation, improving accuracy by filtering out confounding factors.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If noise information is included in tumor purity calculation, then diagnostic accuracy improves, but the complexity of analysis increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvediagnostic reliabilityVSAvoidimage analysis complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments noise into distinct categories (biological noise from non-tumor cells and technical noise from artifacts) and processes each category through dedicated classification pathways. This segmentation allows the system to systematically handle noise complexity while improving diagnostic reliability through comprehensive noise characterization.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the analytical parameters by incorporating noise level assessments and classification confidence scores into the tumor purity calculation framework. By adjusting these parameters and weighting different classification results appropriately, the system achieves improved reliability without overwhelming complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Measurement precision

If multiple classifications are performed on tissues and cells, then tumor purity information becomes more accurate, but processing time increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetumor purity measurement accuracyVSAvoidimage processing time
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent performs preliminary tissue classification before cell classification, establishing regional boundaries and characteristics in advance. This preliminary action allows subsequent cell-level classifications to be more efficient and targeted, reducing overall processing time while maintaining high measurement precision through the multi-stage approach.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies partial action by focusing classification efforts on regions and cells most relevant to tumor purity assessment. Rather than uniformly processing every pixel and cell with equal detail, the system applies varying levels of analysis intensity based on regional importance and noise characteristics, optimizing the balance between accuracy and processing time.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Data Source

PatentEP4207059A1Method and apparatus for tumor purity based on pathological slide image
Publication Date: 2023.07.05 LUNIT
  • EP4207059A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4207059A1 patent drawingFigure 2A
  • EP4207059A1 patent drawingFigure 2B

AI summary

Provided is a computing apparatus including: at least one memory; and at least one processor, wherein the at least one processor is configured to: perform a first classification on a plurality of tissues expressed in a pathological slide image by analyzing the pathological slide image, perform a second classification on a plurality of cells expressed in a pathological slide image by analyzing the pathological slide image, and calculate tumor purity including information on noise included in the pathological slide image by combining a first classification result and a second classification result.