Medical image processing apparatus with a function of measurement on a medical image

• US 20030215122A1
• Filed: 04/03/2003
• Published: 11/20/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Tanaka, Toyoaki
• Granted Patent: US 7,231,073 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/128
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1075 for measuring dimensions by non-invasive methods, e.g. for determining thickness of tissue layer A61B8/0858 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4504 Bones A61B5/4547 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4561 Evaluating static posture, e.g. undesirable back curvature A61B5/1116 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/4225 using image intensifiers
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/505 for diagnosis of bone
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30012 Spine; Backbone
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/0012 Biomedical image inspection
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/60 Analysis of geometric attributes

Abstract

A medical image processing apparatus processes a medical image resulting from a medical image equipment. The apparatus comprises an interface, a processor, and a calculator. The interface is configured to obtain the medical image. The processor is configured to determine a smooth line along an embowed part of a specimen in the medical image obtained by the interface. The calculator is configured to calculate a bow scale of the embowed part based on the smooth line determined by the processor.

Claims

1. A medical image processing apparatus which processes a medical image resulting from a medical image equipment, the apparatus comprising:

an interface configured to obtain the medical image;

a processor configured to determine a smooth line along an embowed part of a specimen in the medical image obtained by the interface; and

a calculator configured to calculate a bow scale of the embowed part based on the smooth line determined by the processor.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the embowed part represents a spine of the specimen.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the smooth line is a line centered about the spine.

4. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the processor is further configured to extract a profile of each vertebra of the spine by a pattern recognition processing, obtain a center of the each vertebra based on the profile, and obtain the smooth line through the center of the each vertebra.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising an input device coupled to the processor, the input device being configured to designate a range of the spine for the pattern recognition processing, and wherein the processor extracts the profile of each vertebra of the spine in the range designated by the input device.

6. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the processor comprises:

pattern recognition means for pattern recognizing each vertebra of the spine;

line segment means for drawing a plurality of line segments, wherein each of the line segments is between centers of two of the vertebrae recognized by the pattern recognition means; and

smoothing means for smoothing the line segments drawn by the line segment means so as to determine the smooth line.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the two of the vertebrae are next to each other.

8. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the pattern recognition means is further configured to binarize the medical image obtained by the interface, differentiate the binarized medical image, and extract a profile of the vertebra.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the embowed part represents a leg of the specimen.

10. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the medical image equipment is an X-ray diagnosis apparatus.

11. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus is incorporated in the medical image equipment.

12. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the bow scale represents a Cobb angle.

13. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the bow scale represents a Vertical-alignment distance.

14. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a display configured to display the medical image with the smooth line and the bow scale.

15. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a display configured to display the medical image; and

a drawing member configured to draw a manual line along the embowed part based on the medical image displayed in the display; and

wherein the processor further comprises smoothing means for smoothing the manual line drawn by the drawing member so as to determine the smooth line.

16. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the calculator is further configured to obtain tangent lines at predetermined points on the smooth line;

obtain gradients, against a horizontal line, of perpendicular lines perpendicular to the tangent lines; and

calculate a greatest angle, as the bow scale, between a first of the perpendicular lines with a positive gradient sign and a second of the perpendiculars line with a negative gradient sign based on the gradients.

17. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the calculator calculates the bow scale by performing steps of:

obtaining tangent lines at predetermined points on the smooth line;

obtaining angles between a horizontal line and perpendicular lines perpendicular to the tangent lines;

finding a first point of the predetermined points where an angle of the angles is substantially zero degrees;

finding a second point of the predetermined points where a first absolute angle of the angles is greatest;

finding a third point of the predetermined points where a second absolute angle of the angles is greatest, wherein the first point is between the second point and the third point along the smooth line;

adding the first absolute angle and the second absolute angle to determine an added angle; and

outputting the added angle as the bow scale.

18. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the calculator is further configured to draw a median line for the smooth line, calculate distances between the median line and the smooth line at predetermined points on the smooth line, and output a longest distance of the calculated distances as the bow scale.

19. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the calculator calculates the bow scale by performing steps of:

drawing a median line for the smooth line;

calculating distances between the median line and the smooth line at predetermined points on the smooth line;

finding a first point of the smooth line where a first distance of the distances is zero;

finding a second point of the smooth line where a second distance of the distances is zero;

finding a third point of the smooth line between the first point and the second point where a third distance of the distances is longest; and

outputting the third distance as the bow scale.

20. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a display configured to display side by side a first image radiographed from a first direction of the specimen and a second image radiographed from a second-direction of the specimen.

21. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a display configured to independently display one of a first image radiographed from a first direction of the specimen and a second image radiographed from a second direction of the specimen, the first image and the second image being portions of the medical image.

22. A method of measuring a predetermined part in a medical image resulting from a medical image equipment, the method comprising steps of:

determining a smooth line along a embowed part of a specimen in the medical image; and

automatically calculating a bow scale of the embowed part based on the smooth line.

23. A computer program product on which is stored a computer program for measuring a predetermined part in a medical image resulting from a medical image equipment, the computer program having instructions, which when executed, perform steps comprising:

determining a smooth line along a embowed part of a specimen in the medical image; and

automatically calculating a bow scale of the embowed part based on the smooth line.

24. A medical image processing apparatus which processes a medical image resulting from a medical image equipment, the apparatus comprising:

an interface configured to obtain the medical image;

a first processor configured to extract a profile of each vertebra of a spine in the medical image by a pattern recognition processing and obtain a gradient, against a horizontal line, of each of the vertebrae of the spine based on the extracted profile of each of the vertebrae; and

a second processor configured to calculate a greatest angle, as a bow scale, between a first of the vertebrae of the spine with a positive gradient sign and a second of the vertebrae of the spine with a negative gradient sign based on the gradient of each of the vertebrae obtained by the first processor.

25. The apparatus according to claim 24, wherein, when the profile is generally in a shape of a four-sided polygon, the first processor obtains angles between a horizontal line and elongations each of which is in parallel with a same side of the profile of the each vertebra;

and wherein the second processor finds a first of the elongations having a greatest of the angles in one direction and a second of the elongations having a greatest of the angles in an opposite direction, adds the angle of the first elongation and the angle of the second elongation; and

outputs an added angle as the bow scale.

26. A method of measuring a predetermined part in a medical image resulting from a medical image equipment, the method comprising steps of:

extracting a profile of each vertebra of a spine in the medical image by a pattern recognition processing;

obtaining a gradient, against a horizontal line, of each of the vertebrae of the spine based on the extracted profile of each of the vertebrae; and

calculating a greatest angle, as a bow scale, between a first of the vertebrae of the spine with a positive gradient sign and a second of the vertebrae of the spine with a negative gradient sign based on the gradient of each of the vertebrae obtained by the first processor.

27. An X-ray diagnosis apparatus, comprising:

a generator configured to generate an X-ray;

a detector configured to detect a transmission X-ray transmitted from a specimen resulting from exposure of the X-ray to the specimen;

a mechanism configured to move the generator and the detector so as to obtain a plurality of images of an embowed part of the specimen based on the detected transmission X-ray;

a synthesizer configured to synthesize the plurality of images and output a synthesized image as an embowed part image;

a processor configured to determine a smooth line along the embowed part in the embowed part image; and

a calculator configured to calculate a bow scale of the embowed part based on the smooth line.

28. A method of measuring a predetermined part in an X-ray image resulting from an X-ray diagnosis apparatus, the method comprising steps of:

generating an X-ray by a generator;

detecting, by a detector, a transmission X-ray transmitted from a specimen resulting from exposure of the X-ray to the specimen;

moving the generator and the detector so as to obtain a plurality of images of an embowed part of the specimen based on the detected transmission X-ray;

synthesizing the plurality of images;

outputting a synthesized image as an embowed part image;

determining a smooth line along the embowed part in the embowed part image; and

calculating a bow scale of the embowed part based on the smooth line.