Image processing device and image processing method

• US 20030185426A1
• Filed: 04/24/2003
• Published: 10/02/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Ohishi, Satoru
• Granted Patent: US 6,990,229 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/128
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/055 involving electronic [EMR] or nuclear [NMR] magnetic resonance, e.g. magnetic resonance imaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/032 Transmission computed tomography [CT]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/5235 combining images from the same or different ionising radiation imaging techniques, e.g. PET and CT
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/5247 combining images from an ionising-radiation diagnostic technique and a non-ionising radiation diagnostic technique, e.g. X-ray and ultrasound
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/00 Diagnosis using ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves imaging of objects using sonar G01S15/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/5238 for combining image data of patient, e.g. merging several images from different acquisition modes into one image for image registration algorithms G06T7/30
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/00 Manipulating 3D models or images for computer graphics
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2219/028 Multiple view windows (top-side-front-sagittal-orthogonal)
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2219/2004 Aligning objects, relative positioning of parts
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2219/2016 Rotation, translation, scaling

Abstract

A CT device, an MRI device, an ultrasonic device, or an X-ray device for picturing a 3-D image are connected to a network. A 3-D image is stored in an image database via the network. A first image processing device or a second image processing device obtains a 3-D image from the respective devices via the network. The image processing device can display a plurality of 3-D images concurrently with conditions made uniform with regard to direction of observation, enlargement ratio, scale, etc. Also, the device can display a combined image obtained by combining a plurality of 3-D images. The combined image can be displayed so that overlapping areas and non-overlapping areas are in different colors. In addition, the device can display medical information of use for a diagnosis or an examination together with the plurality of 3-D images displayed with conditions made uniform.

Claims

1. An image processing device, comprising:

an image processing unit for performing image processing so that angles of observation of a plurality of 3-D images are made equal; and

a display device for concurrently displaying said plurality of 3-D images whose angles of observation have been made equal.

2. The image processing device according to claim 1, wherein said image processing unit performs said image processing based on position information defined in a picturing device through which each of said 3-D images is obtained.

3. The image processing device according to claim 1, further comprising:

an interface for inputting a instruction to switch the direction of observation to that of one preferred image among said plurality of displayed 3-D images,

wherein;

said image processing unit performs image processing that makes uniform the angle of observation of said preferred image and the angles of observation of the rest of said plurality of 3-D images when said switching instruction is inputted; and

said display device displays said plurality of 3-D images concurrently after the angles of observation are changed.

4. The image processing device according to claim 3, wherein said image processing unit performs said image processing based on position information of the picturing device through which each of said 3-D images is obtained.

5. The image processing device according to claim 1 or 3, wherein said image processing unit performs said image processing by making a correspondence between coordinates of at least two points specified in each of said 3-D images.

6. The image processing device according to claim 3, wherein said image processing unit performs said image processing based on an instruction inputted manually through said interface.

7. An image processing device, comprising:

an image processing unit for performing image processing so that enlargement ratios of a plurality of 3-D images are made equal; and

a display device for concurrently displaying said plurality of 3-D images whose enlargement ratios have been made equal.

8. The image processing device according to claim 7, wherein said image processing unit performs said image processing based on the conditions of the picturing device through which each of said 3-D images was obtained.

9. The image processing device according to claim 7, further comprising:

an interface for inputting a instruction switching the enlargement ratio to that of one preferred image among said plurality of 3-D images being displayed, wherein;

said image processing unit performs image processing that makes uniform the enlargement ratio of said preferred image and the enlargement ratios of the rest of said plurality of 3-D images when said switching instruction is inputted; and

said display device displays said plurality of 3-D images concurrently after the enlargement ratios are changed.

10. The image processing device according to claim 9, wherein said image processing unit performs said image processing based on the conditions of the picturing device through which each of said 3-D images is obtained.

11. The image processing device according to claim 7 or 9, wherein said image processing unit performs said image processing by making a correspondence of information based on coordinates of at least two points specified in each of said 3-D images.

12. The image processing device according to claim 9, wherein said image processing unit performs said image processing based on an instruction inputted manually through said interface.

13. An image processing device, comprising:

an image processing unit for performing image processing for a plurality of 3-D images under the same conditions; and

a display device for displaying said plurality of 3-D images concurrently.

14. The image processing device according to claim 13, wherein:

said image processing is volume rendering processing; and

said image processing unit performs said image processing so that images are uniform with respect to at least one of the following;

image display method, position of the light source, intensity of the light source, optical converting function, and display color.

15. An image processing device, comprising:

an image processing unit for performing image processing so that a plurality of 3-D images are uniform with respect to at least one of the following;

angle of observation, enlargement ratio, and image processing;

an image combining unit for generating a combined image by combining said plurality of 3-D images to which said image processing has been applied; and

a display device for displaying said combined image.

16. The image processing device according to claim 15, wherein said image combining unit generates said combined image based on a combined optical parameter set calculated from the optical parameters of each of said plurality of 3-D images.

17. The image processing device according to claim 15, wherein said image combining unit generates a combined image in which the colors given to an area where 3-D images are overlapped and the colors given to an area where 3-D images are not overlapped are different.

18. An image processing device, comprising:

an image reconstruction unit for generating a plurality of volume data by applying image reconstruction processing to each of the projection image groups respectively corresponding to a plurality of 3-D images through the use of a space filter under same conditions;

an image processing unit for generating a plurality of 3-D images from each set of said volume data; and

a display device for displaying said plurality of 3-D images concurrently.

21. The image processing device according to any of claims 18 through 20, further comprising:

an interface for inputting an instruction to change at least one of the following;

angle of observation, an enlargement ratio, and image processing, to that of one preferred image among said plurality of 3-D images being displayed, wherein;

said image processing unit performs image processing that makes uniform said preferred image and the rest of said plurality of 3-D images with respect to at least one of the following;

angle of observation, enlargement ratio, and image processing when said change instruction is inputted; and

said display device displays said plurality of 3-D images concurrently after said changing is performed.

19. An image processing device, comprising:

an image processing unit for performing image processing so that a plurality of 3-D images are made uniform with respect to at least one of the following;

angle of observation, enlargement ratio, and image processing;

a database for storing information related to a past diagnosis;

a diagnosis information management unit for reading out diagnosis information related to at least one of said plurality of 3-D images from said database; and

a display device for displaying said plurality of 3-D images to which the image processing has been applied, and at a same time displaying said read-out diagnosis information.

20. An image processing device, comprising:

a display device for displaying a 3-D image or diagnosis information;

a database for storing past 3-D images or other information related to a diagnosis; and

a control device for judging the presence of a variance between said 3-D image or other diagnosis information being displayed and the diagnosis information or 3-D image related to the diagnosis in the past stored in said database,

wherein, in the case where said control device judges the presence of the variance, said display device displays an indication of the presence of the variance or reads out and displays the past information or image from said database.

22. An image processing method, comprising:

displaying a plurality of 3-D images;

performing image processing based on a instruction to change the direction of observation to that of one preferred image among said plurality of 3-D images, so that the angle of observation of said preferred image and the angles of observation of the rest of said plurality of 3-D images are made uniform; and

displaying said plurality of 3-D images concurrently after the angles of observation are changed.

23. The image processing method according to claim 22, wherein said image processing is performed based on position information characteristic of the picturing device through which each of said 3-D images is obtained.

24. The image processing method according to claim 22, wherein said image processing is performed based on a correspondence between coordinates of at least two points specified in each of said 3-D images.

25. An image processing method, comprising:

displaying a plurality of 3-D images;

performing image processing based on an instruction to change the enlargement ratio to that of one preferred image among said plurality of 3-D images, so that the enlargement ratio of said desired one image and the enlargement ratios of the rest of said plurality of 3-D images made uniform; and

displaying said plurality of 3-D images concurrently after the enlargement ratios are changed.

26. The image processing method according to claim 25, wherein said image processing is performed based on position information characteristic of the picturing device through which each of said 3-D images is obtained.

27. The image processing method according to claim 25, wherein said image processing is performed according to a correspondence of information based on coordinates of at least two points specified in each of said 3-D images.

28. An image processing method, comprising:

displaying a plurality of 3-D images;

performing image processing based on an instruction to change the image processing to that of one preferred image among said plurality of 3-D images, so that image processing on said one desired image and image processing on the rest of said plurality of 3-D images are performed uniformly; and

displaying said plurality of 3-D images concurrently after said image processing is performed.

29. The image processing method according to claim 28, wherein:

said image processing is volume rendering processing; and

said change instruction is an instruction to change at least one of the following;

image display method, position of a light source, intensity of the light source, optical converting function, and display color.