X-ray Image Stabilization for Endovascular Device Tracking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Endovascular intervention treatments in pulsating or moving organs, such as the heart, pose challenges in accurately positioning medical devices due to the constant movement of markers in X-ray images, requiring high skill from medical professionals and often resulting in decreased image visibility.
Innovation Solution
An image processing apparatus and X-ray diagnosis apparatus that detect the position of medical devices in X-ray images, generate corrected images to stabilize the appearance of markers, and adjust display conditions to enhance visibility, using techniques like cross-correlation and recursive filtering to create a stable image of the device's position.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If conventional X-ray imaging is used to track device position in pulsating organs, then real-time positioning information is obtained, but the device position constantly moves making accurate determination extremely difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a reference object (anatomical landmark or implanted marker) as an intermediary to establish a stable coordinate system. By tracking the device position relative to this reference object rather than in absolute coordinates, the system compensates for organ movement and pulsation, maintaining measurement precision despite physiological motion.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a virtual copy or model of the anatomical structure and device position that is updated in real-time. This virtual representation allows for continuous tracking and prediction of device position while compensating for motion artifacts, enabling accurate determination even when the actual X-ray images show constant movement.
2Measurement precision
If image correction techniques are applied to stabilize device appearance, then positioning accuracy improves, but image processing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary registration and coordinate transformation setup before the actual measurement process. By pre-establishing the relationship between the reference object and the target device, and pre-calculating transformation matrices, the system reduces real-time processing complexity while maintaining high measurement precision during the intervention procedure.
3Illumination intensity
If multiple X-ray images are processed to enhance device visibility, then image quality improves, but processing time and computational load increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements continuous real-time image processing that operates on incoming X-ray frames without interruption. By using efficient algorithms that process each frame independently with pre-computed transformation parameters, the system maintains continuous visibility enhancement without accumulating processing delays, ensuring real-time guidance during the medical procedure.
Data Source
AI summary
An image processing apparatus according to an embodiment includes processing circuitry. The processing circuitry detects the position of an object included in each of sequentially generated X-ray images. The processing circuitry generate corrected images by a correction process to substantially match, with a reference position, the detected position of the object in a X-ray image generated after a reference X-ray image, the reference position being the detected position in the reference X-ray image. The processing circuitry determines an addition condition of each region of a sequentially generated corrected image. The processing circuitry causes a display to display an added image to which a corrected image is added in accordance with the determined addition condition.