Aligning apparatus, aligning method, and the program

• US 20070036410A1
• Filed: 07/26/2006
• Published: 02/15/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fuji Photo Film Co Limited (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Moriya, Yoshiyuki, Ida, Noriaki
• Granted Patent: US 8,194,946 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/128
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30004 Biomedical image processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/30 Determination of transform parameters for the alignment of images, i.e. image registration

Abstract

An aligning method and apparatus for aligning images having different imaged regions with improved alignment accuracy. Aligning the imaged region of each of a plurality of partial images with an overall reference image. Then, two images having an overlapping area are aligned with each other based on the amount of shift when one of the two images is aligned with the overall reference image, and the amount of shift when the other of the two images is aligned with the overall reference image.

Claims

1. An aligning apparatus comprising:

a partial medical image storing means for storing a plurality of partial medical images, each obtained by imaging a predetermined region of a subject;

a reference image storing means for storing an overall reference image representing a normal anatomy of the anatomical structures of the entire subject;

a first aligning means for aligning an anatomical structure in the imaged region of each of the plurality of partial medical images with the corresponding anatomical structure in the overall reference image; and

a second aligning means for aligning two partial medical images of the plurality of partial medical images having an overlapping area in the imaged region such that an anatomical structure in the overlapping area of one of the two partial medical images is aligned with the corresponding anatomical structure in the overlapping area of the other of the two partial medical images after;

the anatomical structure in the overlapping area of one of the two partial medical images is aligned with the corresponding anatomical structure in the overall reference image by the first aligning means; and

the anatomical structure in the overlapping area of the other of the two partial medical images is aligned with the corresponding anatomical structure in the overall reference image by the first aligning means.

2. The aligning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second aligning means is a means for aligning the anatomical structure in the overlapping area of one of the two partial medical images with the corresponding anatomical structure in the overlapping area of the other of the two partial medical images by obtaining the amount of shift required for aligning the anatomical structures of the two partial medical images based on:

the amount of shift when the anatomical structure in the overlapping area of one of the two partial medical images is aligned with the corresponding anatomical structure in the overall reference image by the first aligning means, and

the amount of shift when the anatomical structure in the overlapping area of the other of the two partial medical images is aligned with the corresponding anatomical structure in the overall reference image by the first aligning means.

3. The aligning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

each of the plurality of partial medical images is a tomographic image obtained by tomography; and

the overall reference image is a gray image in which anatomical structures obtained from multitudes of tomographic images obtained by tomography are represented in normal densities.

4. The aligning apparatus according to claim 2, wherein:

each of the plurality of partial medical images is a tomographic image obtained by tomography; and

the overall reference image is a gray image in which anatomical structures obtained from multitudes of tomographic images obtained by tomography are represented in normal densities.

5. The aligning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of partial medical images is an image obtained at a different time.

6. The aligning apparatus according to claim 2, wherein each of the plurality of partial medical images is an image obtained at a different time.

7. The aligning apparatus according to claim 3, wherein each of the plurality of partial medical images is an image obtained at a different time.

8. The aligning apparatus according to claim 4, wherein each of the plurality of partial medical images is an image obtained at a different time.

9. An aligning apparatus comprising:

a first model image storing means for storing a first normal density distribution model image obtained by a first imaging apparatus, the first normal density distribution model image representing a plurality of anatomical structures in normal density values normally appearing on the images obtained by the first imaging apparatus;

a second model image storing means for storing a second normal density distribution model image obtained by a second imaging apparatus, the second normal density distribution model image representing a plurality of anatomical structures in normal density values normally appearing on the images obtained by the second imaging apparatus;

a first image storing means for storing a first image that includes an anatomical structure obtained by imaging a predetermined subject using the first imaging apparatus;

a second image storing means for storing a second image that includes an anatomical structure obtained by imaging the predetermined subject using the second imaging apparatus;

a first aligning means for aligning a corresponding anatomical structure between the first normal density distribution model image and the first image to obtain a first corresponding position;

a second aligning means for aligning a corresponding anatomical structure between the second normal density distribution model image and the second image to obtain a second corresponding position; and

a corresponding position obtaining means for obtaining a corresponding position of the anatomical structure between the first and second images from a corresponding position of a corresponding anatomical structure between the first normal density distribution model image and the second normal density distribution model image, the first corresponding position, and the second corresponding position.

10. The aligning apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the first or second imaging apparatus is any of a CT scanner, a PET scanner, and a MRI machine.

11. An aligning method comprising:

a partial medical image readout step for reading out a plurality of partial medical images, each obtained by imaging a predetermined region of a subject, and stored in a partial medical image storing means;

an overall reference image readout step for reading out an overall reference image representing a normal anatomy of the anatomical structures of the entire subject stored in a reference image storing means;

a first aligning step for aligning an anatomical structure in the imaged region of each of the plurality of partial medical images with the corresponding anatomical structure in the overall reference image; and

a second aligning step for aligning two partial medical images of the plurality of partial medical images having an overlapping area in the imaged region such that an anatomical structure in the overlapping area of one of the two partial medical images is aligned with the corresponding anatomical structure in the overlapping area of the other of the two partial medical images after;

the anatomical structure in the overlapping area of one of the two partial medical images is aligned with the corresponding anatomical structure in the overall reference image by the first aligning step; and

the anatomical structure in the overlapping area of the other of the two partial medical images is aligned with the corresponding anatomical structure in the overall reference image by the first aligning step.

12. An aligning method for use with an aligning apparatus that includes:

a first model image storing means for storing a first normal density distribution model image obtained by a first imaging apparatus, the first normal density distribution model image representing a plurality of anatomical structures in normal density values normally appearing on the images obtained by the first imaging apparatus;

a second model image storing means for storing a second normal density distribution model image obtained by a second imaging apparatus, the second normal density distribution model image representing a plurality of anatomical structures in normal density values normally appearing on the images obtained by the second imaging apparatus;

a first image storing means for storing a first image that includes an anatomical structure obtained by imaging a predetermined subject using the first imaging apparatus; and

a second image storing means for storing a second image that includes an anatomical structure obtained by imaging the predetermined subject using the second imaging apparatus, the method comprising;

a first aligning step for aligning a corresponding anatomical structure between the first normal density distribution model image and the first image to obtain a first corresponding position;

a second aligning step for aligning a corresponding anatomical structure between the second normal density distribution model image and the second image to obtain a second corresponding position; and

a corresponding position obtaining step for obtaining a corresponding position of the anatomical structure between the first and second images from a corresponding position of a corresponding anatomical structure between the first normal density distribution model image and the second normal density distribution model image, the first corresponding position, and the second corresponding position.

13. A program for causing a computer to function as:

a partial medical image readout means for reading out a plurality of partial medical images, each obtained by imaging a predetermined region of a subject, and stored in a partial medical image storing means;

an overall reference image readout means for reading out an overall reference image representing a normal anatomy of the anatomical structures of the entire subject stored in a reference image storing means;

a first aligning means for aligning an anatomical structure in the imaged region of each of the plurality of partial medical images with the corresponding anatomical structure in the overall reference image; and

a second aligning means for aligning two partial medical images of the plurality of partial medical images having an overlapping area in the imaged region such that an anatomical structure in the overlapping area of one of the two partial medical images is aligned with the corresponding anatomical structure in the overlapping area of the other of the two partial medical images after;

the anatomical structure in the overlapping area of one of the two partial medical images is aligned with the corresponding anatomical structure in the overall reference image by the first aligning means; and

the anatomical structure in the overlapping area of the other of the two partial medical images is aligned with the corresponding anatomical structure in the overall reference image by the first aligning means.

14. A program for causing a computer to function as:

a first model image readout means for reading out a first normal density distribution model image obtained by a first imaging apparatus, the first normal density distribution model image representing a plurality of anatomical structures in normal density values normally appearing on the images obtained by the first imaging apparatus;

a second model image readout means for reading out a second normal density distribution model image obtained by a second imaging apparatus, the second normal density distribution model image representing a plurality of anatomical structures in normal density values normally appearing on the images obtained by the second imaging apparatus;

a first image readout means for reading out a first image that includes an anatomical structure obtained by imaging a predetermined subject using the first imaging apparatus, and stored in a first image storing means; and

a second image readout means for reading out a second image that includes an anatomical structure obtained by imaging the predetermined subject using the second imaging apparatus, and stored in a second image storing means;

a first aligning means for aligning a corresponding anatomical structure between the first normal density distribution model image and the first image to obtain a first corresponding position; and

a second aligning means for aligning a corresponding anatomical structure between the second normal density distribution model image and the second image to obtain a second corresponding position; and

a corresponding position obtaining means for obtaining a corresponding position of the anatomical structure between the first and second images from a corresponding position of a corresponding anatomical structure between the first normal density distribution model image and the second normal density distribution model image, the first corresponding position, and the second corresponding position.