X-ray Imaging Apparatus Dynamic Output Region Extraction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing X-ray imaging systems face inefficiencies when outputting images to multiple devices with different sizes, leading to potential misdiagnoses due to limited image size adjustments and complications in operations.
Innovation Solution
An X-ray imaging apparatus and method that acquires X-ray images and outputs them to various devices by extracting partial images to fit the display and printer sizes, ensuring complete image representation without size limitations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If the entire observation region is reduced to fit onto a film, then the image fits the output device, but the reduction ratios differ depending on the sizes of observation regions making diagnosis difficult and potentially leading to misdiagnoses
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the image output process into two distinct parts: a first partial image for storage containing the entire observation region, and a second partial image for printing containing only the necessary extracted region. This segmentation allows the storage to preserve the complete image at its original size for accurate diagnosis, while the printer receives a appropriately sized extracted portion, eliminating the need to reduce the entire image and thus preserving diagnostic accuracy.
2Area of stationary object
If a necessary region is extracted from the observation region and output to printer and storage, then the image fits the output device, but the size of image to be output to storage is limited to output size of printer and entire observation region cannot be obtained
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the output destinations into two separate channels: storage receives the first partial image which contains the entire observation region at full size, while the printer receives the second partial image which is an extracted necessary region. This segmentation ensures that no information is lost in storage, while the printer gets an appropriately sized image for physical output.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates two copies of the image data with different processing: a complete copy for storage and an extracted copy for printing. This allows the storage to maintain the full observation region for future reference and re-extraction, while the printer receives a optimized copy suitable for physical output.
3Loss of information
If operator calls up image after output to printer, changes size of image, and outputs to storage again, then complete observation region can be obtained, but imaging operation becomes complicated and operation efficiency worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary action by automatically outputting the first partial image containing the entire observation region to storage during the initial imaging process. This eliminates the need for operators to later call up the image, change its size, and re-output it to storage. The complete image is already in storage from the beginning, and operators can simply extract and print the necessary region when needed.
4Ease of operation
If life-size output or fixed reduction ratio output is used, then output process is simple, but image may not fit on film and necessary regions may be lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces dynamic adaptability to the output process by automatically extracting and outputting only the necessary region to the printer based on the output device's capabilities, while maintaining life-size output to storage. This dynamic approach combines the simplicity of automated processing with the flexibility to adapt to different output requirements, ensuring that necessary diagnostic regions are never lost while maintaining ease of operation.
Data Source
AI summary
An X-ray imaging apparatus, which acquires an X-ray photographic image of an subject and outputs the X-ray photographic image to a plurality of output apparatuses, determines, as an output region to a first output apparatus, either an extracted irradiated region from an X-ray photographic image or a partial region selected from the X-ray photographic image by an user. When the size of the output region to the first output apparatus is not larger than an image size to be output to a second output apparatus, the output region to the first output apparatus is determined as an output region to the second output apparatus. When the output region to the first output apparatus is larger than the image size, a region corresponding to the image size is extracted from the output region to the first output apparatus as an output region to the second output apparatus.