FUNDUS IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS, FUNDUS IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD, AND RECORDING MEDIUM

• US 20140294235A1
• Filed: 03/28/2014
• Published: 10/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: National University Corporation Hokkaido University, Nidek Company Limited
• Original Assignee: National University Corporation Hokkaido University, Nidek Company Limited
• Inventors: Kobayashi, Masahiko, Ishida, Susumu, Noda, Kousuke, Saito, Michiyuki, Hoshikawa, Yasuhiro
• Granted Patent: US 9,098,743 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/103
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/0025 characterised by electronic signal processing, e.g. eye models
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/193 Preprocessing; Feature extraction

Abstract

A fundus image processing apparatus that processes a fundus image of an examinee'"'"'s eye, the fundus image processing apparatus includes: a processor; and a memory storing computer readable instructions, when executed by the processor, causing the fundus image processing apparatus to: identify the optic disc included in the fundus image; identify a blood vessel included in the fundus image; calculate an upper diameter ratio which is a diameter ratio of those of the identified blood vessels that are positioned in a region above a height of the optic disc; calculate a lower diameter ratio which is a diameter ratio of those of the identified blood vessels that are positioned in a region under the height of the optic disc; and calculate an arteriovenous diameter ratio in the fundus of the examinee'"'"'s eye based on the upper diameter ratio and the lower diameter ratio.

Claims

1. A fundus image processing apparatus that processes a fundus image of an examinee'"'"'s eye, the fundus image processing apparatus comprising:

a processor; and

a memory storing computer readable instructions, when executed by the processor, causing the fundus image processing apparatus to;

identify the optic disc included in the fundus image;

identify a blood vessel included in the fundus image;

calculate an upper diameter ratio which is a diameter ratio of those of the identified blood vessels that are positioned in a region above a height of the optic disc;

calculate a lower diameter ratio which is a diameter ratio of those of the identified blood vessels that are positioned in a region under the height of the optic disc; and

calculate an arteriovenous diameter ratio in the fundus of the examinee'"'"'s eye based on the upper diameter ratio and the lower diameter ratio.

2. The fundus image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the computer readable instructions when executed by the processor causes the fundus image processing apparatus to:

divide the identified blood vessel into a plurality of segments with reference to a branching portion and an intersecting portion of the blood vessel as end points;

determine a pair of two of the plurality of segments; and

calculate the upper diameter ratio and the lower diameter ratio by calculating a diameter ratio of the two segments of the pair.

3. The fundus image processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the computer readable instructions when executed by the processor causes the fundus image processing apparatus to:

determine a plurality of groups of the pair from each of a plurality of segments in the upper region and each of a plurality of segments in the lower region; and

preferentially calculate the upper diameter ratio and the lower diameter ratio of the pair with a shorter interval between the segments.

4. The fundus image processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the computer readable instructions when executed by the processor causes the fundus image processing apparatus to:

eliminate the pair of which a difference between the upper diameter ratio and the lower diameter ratio is equal to or greater than a first threshold value from an object for calculation of the upper diameter ratio and the lower diameter ratio; and

calculate the upper diameter ratio and the lower diameter ratio of the pair of one or a plurality of groups with a short segment interval.

5. The fundus image processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the computer readable instructions when executed by the processor causes the fundus image processing apparatus to determine the pair from the segments having a length equal to or greater that a second threshold value.

6. The fundus image processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the computer readable instructions when executed by the processor causes the fundus image processing apparatus to determine the pair from the segments having a width equal to or greater than a third threshold value.

7. The fundus image processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the computer readable instructions when executed b the processor causes the fundus image processing apparatus to determine the pair from the segments having a distance from the optic disc equal to or less than a fourth threshold value.

8. The fundus image processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the computer readable instructions when executed by the processor causes the fundus image processing apparatus to calculate the upper diameter ratio or the lower diameter ratio by using a pair having an angular difference of the two segments equal to or less than a fifth threshold value.

9. The fundus image processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the computer readable instructions when executed by the processor causes the fundus image processing apparatus to calculate the arteriovenous diameter ratio by using one of the pairs that has a calculation result of the upper diameter ratio and the lower diameter ratio which falls within an allowable range.

10. The fundus image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the computer readable instructions when executed by the processor causes the fundus image processing apparatus to calculate an average value of the calculated upper diameter ratio and the lower diameter ratio as the arteriovenous diameter ratio.

11. A non-transitory computer readable recording medium storing computer readable instructions, when executed by the processor, causing an image processing apparatus to:

identify the optic disc included in the fundus image;

identify a blood vessel included in the fundus image;

calculate an upper diameter ratio which is a diameter ratio of those of identified the blood vessels that are positioned in a region above a height of the optic disc;

calculate a lower diameter ratio which is a diameter ratio of those of the identified blood vessels that are positioned in a region under the height of the optic disc; and

calculate an arteriovenous diameter ratio in the fundus of the examinee'"'"'s eye based on the upper diameter ratio and the lower diameter ratio.

12. A fundus image processing method for processing a fundus image of an examinee'"'"'s eye, the fundus image processing method comprising:

identifying the optic disc included in the fundus image;

identifying a blood vessel included in the fundus image;

calculating an upper diameter ratio which is a diameter ratio of those of the identified blood vessels that are positioned in a region above a height of the optic disc;

calculate a lower diameter ratio which is a diameter ratio of those of the identified blood vessels that are positioned in a region under the height of the optic disc; and

calculating an arteriovenous diameter ratio in the fundus of the examinee'"'"'s eye based on the upper diameter ratio and the lower diameter ratio.

13. A non-transitory computer readable recording medium having recorded therein a fundus image processing program for causing a computer to execute the fundus image processing method according to claim 12.