X-ray Image Stabilization for Intravascular Device Positioning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Intravascular intervention treatments, especially in pulsing organs like the heart, face challenges in accurately positioning devices due to the movement of X-ray impermeable metal markers, leading to complex and error-prone procedures.
Innovation Solution
An X-ray diagnostic apparatus with processing circuitry that extracts fixed objects from chronologically collected images, detects target objects by excluding fixed objects, and generates corrected images to stabilize the appearance of markers, allowing for improved visibility and accurate positioning of devices during treatments.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If markers are attached to the device for positioning, then the device position can be referenced on X-ray images, but the markers move with organ pulsation making positioning complex and error-prone
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes the moving organ background from the X-ray images, isolating only the stationary markers and device components. This extraction process eliminates the interference of organ pulsation, allowing clear visualization and accurate tracking of device position without the complexity of moving background elements.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of tracking the moving markers on the moving organ, the patent inverts the approach by making the background (organ) stationary and the markers appear to move. The image processing transforms the sequence of images so that the organ returns to its initial position in each frame while the device markers maintain their relative positions, effectively inverting the motion reference frame.
2Ease of operation
If image transformation is performed to stabilize marker position, then device positioning becomes easier, but processing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary actions by pre-calculating and storing the positional relationships between markers and anatomical landmarks from initial frames. These pre-computed reference data are then used to guide subsequent image transformations, reducing the real-time processing complexity while maintaining accurate device positioning.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces intermediate processing steps including marker detection, organ boundary extraction, and transformation parameter calculation as mediators between the raw X-ray images and the final stabilized output. These intermediary processes break down the complex transformation into manageable stages, each handling a specific aspect of the image processing.
3Illumination intensity
If multiple frames are averaged to highlight the device, then device visibility improves, but processing time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality enhancement by performing arithmetic mean operations only on specific regions containing the device and markers, rather than processing the entire image. This localized processing approach maintains device visibility enhancement while significantly reducing the overall processing time by excluding irrelevant background areas from computation.
Data Source
AI summary
An image processing apparatus according to an embodiment includes processing circuitry. The processing circuitry extracts a fixed object included in chronologically collected X-ray images and having a substantially fixed position. The processing circuitry detects a target object included in each of the X-ray images, on the basis of extraction results of the fixed object. The processing circuitry generates a plurality of corrected images by a correction process to substantially match, with a reference position, the detected position of the target object in an X-ray image other than a reference X-ray image, the reference position being the detected position of the target object in the reference X-ray image.