Ultrasound Image Processing Combining Volume Rendering and Ray Tracing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional ultrasound image processing methods struggle to clearly distinguish the open-close state of a heart valve, especially when regurgitation is small, due to similar coloration with the background, leading to difficulty in visual recognition.
Innovation Solution
An ultrasound image processing apparatus that combines volume rendering and ray tracing techniques to enhance the visibility of the heart valve's open-close state by creating a composite image, where volume rendering is used for structural visualization and ray tracing highlights the motion of the heart valve, allowing for better differentiation between valve and background colors.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If volume rendering method is used to ensure real-time response, then processing time is reduced and real-time display is achieved, but the heart valve contours are displayed in dark color similar to background, making visual recognition difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines volume rendering method and ray tracing method to create a composite image. The volume rendering provides real-time performance while the ray tracing enhances the visibility of heart valve contours by simulating light reflection, thereby resolving the contradiction between real-time response and visual recognition difficulty
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different rendering techniques to different regions of the image. Ray tracing is specifically applied to enhance the heart valve region where visual recognition is critical, while volume rendering handles the overall real-time display, optimizing local quality where needed
2Difficulty of detecting and measuring
If ray tracing method is used to enhance visual recognition of heart valve, then contours are clearly expressed with natural shades, but processing time increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges volume rendering and ray tracing methods, using volume rendering as the base for real-time display and overlaying ray tracing results specifically for heart valve enhancement, thereby achieving clear visual recognition without the full processing overhead of pure ray tracing
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies ray tracing selectively and partially - only to enhance the heart valve contours in the composite image, rather than applying it to the entire image processing pipeline, thus reducing the overall processing time while still achieving the desired visual enhancement
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The composite image effectively improves the visibility of the heart valve's open-close state by rendering the valve's motion as leaked light, facilitating clearer diagnosis while maintaining real-time response and reducing processing load.
Implementation Method 1
an ultrasound probe 1, which transmits ultrasound waves to a subject and receives a signal of a reflected wave
Implementation Method 2
A two-dimensional image of a projective plane in which three-dimensional information is reflected is then created by summing brightness values of reflected light that is light emitted from a virtual light source
Implementation Method 3
performing multiplication computing of opacity and shading values from a view point continuously in a projecting direction after calculating opacity and a shading value based on each voxel value by considering a state of attenuation and shading of light
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3A~3B
Figure 4A~4B
AI summary
As an ROI for display and an ROI for valve observation as well as a projecting direction are input, a volume-rendering processing unit (123a) creates a first image in the ROI for display through volume rendering processing, and the ray-tracing processing unit (123b) creates a second image in the ROI for valve observation through ray tracing processing. An image compositing unit (13) then creates a composite image by compositing the first image and the second image, and the composite image created by the image compositing unit (13) is displayed on a monitor.