In-Bore Visual Feedback for Patient Motion Suppression in Imaging
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Solution Overview
Problem
Patient motion during medical imaging leads to significant artefacts, particularly in head scans, which existing motion correction methods fail to adequately address, especially for image resolutions below 1mm.
Innovation Solution
A computer-implemented method for medical imaging that adapts the displayed image in response to real-time patient head and eye movements, using projection or head-mounted displays to guide the patient back to the original position through image relocation and distortion correction, with amplification factors to enhance motion suppression.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If real-time image adaptation is implemented to suppress patient motion, then image quality and resolution are improved, but device complexity and computational requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system continuously monitors patient head and eye position using sensors (cameras, optical trackers, or MRI-based tracking) and dynamically adjusts the displayed image position in real-time to compensate for detected motion. This closed-loop feedback mechanism maintains image quality by constantly adapting to patient movement during the scan.
Solution Approach 2:
The display system transitions from a static image presentation to a dynamic one where the image position is continuously adjusted based on real-time patient motion detection. The image is relocated on the display surface in response to detected head and eye movements, creating an adaptive system that maintains optimal viewing conditions throughout the scan.
2Reliability
If real-time motion detection and image relocation are performed, then patient motion suppression is improved, but processing time and computational resources increase
Solution Approach 1:
The motion suppression system operates continuously throughout the medical imaging scan without interruption. Real-time detection and image relocation are performed continuously to maintain effective motion suppression, ensuring that even small movements are compensated for immediately as they occur during the scanning process.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs periodic updates of image position based on detected motion, adjusting the display location at regular intervals or in response to detected movement thresholds. This periodic adaptation maintains motion suppression effectiveness while managing computational load through targeted updates rather than continuous heavy processing.
3Ease of operation
If display device is positioned within the bore for direct patient viewing, then motion guidance effectiveness is improved, but the bore space and device configuration constraints increase
Solution Approach 1:
The display device is designed to serve multiple functions: it presents the medical imaging data to the patient while simultaneously providing motion guidance through dynamic position adjustment. This multi-functionality allows a single device to fulfill both the primary imaging display role and the additional motion suppression guidance role without requiring separate systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The display device acts as an intermediary between the motion detection system and the patient. It receives motion information from sensors and translates it into visual feedback through dynamic image relocation, creating a mediating mechanism that guides patient behavior without direct physical intervention or complex mechanical guidance systems.
Data Source
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AI summary
Patient motion is the most common cause of artefacts in medical imaging. There is therefore provided a computer-implemented method for performing motion suppression in a medical imaging apparatus. The method comprises: obtaining image data defining an image to be displayed to a patient within a bore of the medical imaging apparatus; controlling a display device to display the image to the patient in the bore; obtaining data indicating a real-time position of an anatomical region of interest comprising the head and/or eyes of the patient during a medical imaging scan; detecting movement of the anatomical region of interest using the data indicating the real-time position; and in response to detecting the movement, adapting the displayed image to perform patient motion suppression by relocating the displayed image to a location relative to the bore which urges the patient to return their head and/or eyes to their original position. According to the invention, the projected image is adapted to intuitively guide the patient to limit their own head motion and eye motion and to return to an original position after any motion.