Novius, cancer center and hospital file patent for real-time 2D-to-3D IVR imaging

Novius, the National Cancer Center Japan and Asahi Central Hospital have filed a joint patent application for a system that turns 2D surgical images into real-time 3D spatial information. The technology aims to improve intraoperative decision-making in interventional radiology and other image-guided procedures, where current 3D reconstruction can take tens of seconds.

Why it matters: - The patent targets a core bottleneck in image-guided surgery: real-time 3D visualization from 2D images acquired during procedures. - Faster spatial understanding could improve diagnostic and therapeutic accuracy in interventional radiology, angiography and surgical navigation. - The technology is designed to reduce the burden on medical staff by helping operators interpret complex anatomy during procedures.

What happened: - Novius Co., Ltd., the National Cancer Center Japan and Asahi Central National Health Insurance General Hospital filed a joint patent application for a medical image display system. - The invention is commonly described as real-time 2D-3D intraoperative decision support technology. - The patent is based on collaborative research and is intended for use in clinical settings. - Inventors are Yukihiro Yoshida and Koji Okawa. - Novius said the joint research project began in September 2024.

The details: - The system generates and displays three-dimensional spatial information in real time from two-dimensional image data acquired during surgery. - The technology is aimed at radiological diagnostic imaging and interventional radiology. - Conventional 3D-DSA and CBCT workflows can take time to acquire, reconstruct and register 3D images with intraoperative images. - Current methods can take several tens of seconds to build and display a 3D image from images acquired during surgery. - The technology is meant to integrate with clinical workflows. - In endovascular procedures, operators often need to understand branching vessels and overlapping anatomy from 2D images alone. - Patient movement, breathing-related organ displacement and overlapping blood vessel paths can make lesion and device positioning hard to judge intuitively.

Between the lines: - The patent positions Novius and its medical partners in a race to make intraoperative imaging faster and more usable at the point of care. - The emphasis on workflow integration suggests the commercial value is not only in image quality, but in speed and clinical practicality. - The planned expansion to multiple procedures indicates the technology could serve as a platform rather than a single-use tool.

What's next: - Novius said it will continue evaluating performance and verifying clinical utility. - The company plans to pursue research and development, technical implementation, manufacturer partnerships and licensing. - Future applications are expected to extend beyond IVR to angiography, surgical navigation, endoscopic ultrasound and endobronchial ultrasound. - Novius said it wants to advance societal implementation through domestic and international collaboration with medical device manufacturers.

The bottom line: - The patent is a bid to bring real-time 3D guidance into procedures where seconds matter and anatomy is difficult to read from 2D images alone.