X-ray Imaging Apparatus 3D Roadmap Surgical Tool Marking
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current X-ray imaging systems lack the capability to accurately display the location of surgical tools like catheters or guide wires within 3D volumes during angiography, making it difficult for operators to perform precise surgeries.
Innovation Solution
The X-ray imaging apparatus includes an overlapping unit to combine 2D blood vessel images with fluoroscopy images, a detector to identify the surgical tool's location, and a UI processor to mark it on a 3D roadmap image, allowing for real-time tracking and navigation of surgical tools within 3D blood vessel structures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If 2D fluoroscopy images are used to display surgical tool locations, then real-time visualization is achieved, but the ability to accurately identify the specific blood vessel is insufficient due to lack of 3D spatial context
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines 2D fluoroscopy images with 3D blood vessel images through an overlapping unit to create a composite display. The 2D fluoroscopy image showing the surgical tool is superimposed on the 3D blood vessel image, allowing operators to simultaneously view the tool location and the three-dimensional vascular structure. This merging resolves the contradiction by providing both real-time visualization and accurate spatial identification without requiring separate complex systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a 3D blood vessel image as an intermediary layer between the 2D fluoroscopy image and the surgical tool location. This intermediary provides the necessary 3D spatial context that bridges the gap between simple 2D visualization and precise vessel identification, enabling accurate mapping of tool positions to specific blood vessels.
2Ease of operation
If 3D blood vessel images are displayed without surgical tool markers, then complete vascular structure visualization is achieved, but surgical tool location identification becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the 2D fluoroscopy image containing surgical tool information with the 3D blood vessel image through the overlapping unit. This combination allows the surgical tool location to be clearly identified through the 2D image while the 3D image provides complete vascular structure context, preventing any loss of anatomical information.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from 2D fluoroscopy to 3D blood vessel visualization, adding the third dimension of depth. This dimensional change enables operators to perceive the spatial relationship between surgical tools and blood vessels in three-dimensional space, improving tool location identification while maintaining complete vascular structure information through the 3D rendering.
3Measurement precision
If multiple 2D images are overlapped to create 3D roadmap, then spatial relationship understanding is improved, but image processing time and computational load increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary processing by pre-rendering the 3D blood vessel image and pre-positioning it for overlay with the 2D fluoroscopy image. This preliminary preparation allows the overlapping unit to quickly combine the images without requiring complex real-time computation, reducing processing time while maintaining accurate spatial relationship visualization.
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
This solution enables operators to perform delicate surgeries by providing clear, real-time visualization of surgical tools within 3D blood vessel structures, improving surgical precision and safety.
Implementation Method 1
An X-ray imaging apparatus irradiates X-rays toward a subject (e.g., a human body or an object) and receives X-rays transmitted (or not transmitted) through the subject
Implementation Method 2
the X-ray imaging apparatus converts the received X-rays into electrical signals
Data Source
AI summary
An X-ray imaging apparatus is provided. The X-ray imaging apparatus includes an overlapping unit configured to overlap a 2-Dimensional (2D) blood vessel image with a 2D fluoroscopy image to acquire a 2D roadmap image corresponding to a first position, a detector configured to detect a location of a surgical tool from the 2D roadmap image corresponding to the first position, and detect a blood vessel corresponding to the location of the surgical tool from a 3-Dimensional (3D) blood vessel image, and a User Interface (UI) processor configured to mark the 2D roadmap image with the location of the surgical tool with an identifier in the detected blood vessel.