Medical image diagnostic apparatus

• US 6,283,918 B1
• Filed: 09/30/1998
• Issued: 09/04/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Iinuma, Kazuhiro, Hashimoto, Shinichi, Kanda, Ryoichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Lateef, Marvin M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): SHAW, SHAWNA JEANNINE
• Application Number:
  US09/163,976
• Time in Patent Office: 1,070 Days
• Field of Search: 600/425, 600/440, 600/441, 600/443, 600/410, 600/419, 600/454, 128/916, 128/920, 382/128
• US Class Current: 600/441
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/13 Tomography A61B8/10, A61B8/12 take precedence; tomography for radiation diagnosis A61B6/02
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/463 characterised by displaying multiple images or images and diagnostic data on one display composite display in devices for short-range imaging with acoustic waves G01S7/52074
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/916 Ultrasound 3-D imaging

Abstract

A parenchymatous tissue image and a blood vessel image are synthesized as follows. First, a tomographic image of a specific cross section of the parenchymatous tissue image is synthesized with the blood vessel image closer to the viewpoint along the Z-axis than the tomographic image. Then, the resulting image is displayed. Thereafter, the operator inputs specific data from operation unit including a mouse and a keyboard, thereby changing the position of a displayed tomographic image along the Z-axis. This enables the operator to sequentially display two-dimensional tomographic images (B-mode images) constituting a three-dimensional parenchymatous tissue image as if to turn over the pages of a book.

Claims

1. A medical image diagnostic apparatus comprising:

acquisition means for acquiring first three-dimensional image data in a first-imaging mode and further acquiring second three-dimensional image data in a second imaging mode in such a manner that the positional coordinates of said second three-dimensional image data correspond to those of said first three-dimensional image data;

tomographic image generation means for generating an ultrasonic tomographic image from said first three-dimensional image data acquired by said acquisition means;

three-dimensional image generation means for generating a three-dimensional image from said second three-dimensional image data acquired by said acquisition means;

position changing means for changing a position of the ultrasonic tomographic image generated by said tomographic image generation means;

synthesizing means for synthesizing the ultrasonic tomographic image generated by said tomographic image generation means with the three-dimensional image generated by said three-dimensional image generation means in such a manner that the position of the ultrasonic tomographic image is caused to match with the three-dimensional image; and

display means for displaying the synthesized image from said synthesizing means.

2. A medical image diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said first and second three-dimensional image data is ultrasonic image data.

3. A medical image diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said first imaging mode is a B-mode of an ultrasound diagnostic apparatus and the tomographic image generated by said tomographic image generation means is a B-mode image.

4. A medical image diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said second imaging mode is a Doppler mode of an ultrasound diagnostic apparatus and the three-dimensional image generated by said three-dimensional image generation means is a Doppler-mode image.

5. A medical image diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the tomographic image generated by said tomographic image generation means is a tissue image representing the parenchyma of internal organs of a subject.

6. A medical image diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the three-dimensional image generated by said three-dimensional image generation means is a structure image representing a bloodstream in a subject.

7. A medical image diagnostic apparatus comprising:

acquisition means for acquiring first three-dimensional image data in a first imaging mode and further acquiring second three-dimensional image data in a second imaging mode in such a manner that the positional coordinates of said second three-dimensional image data correspond to those of said first three-dimensional image data;

tomographic image generation means for generating an ultrasonic tomographic image from said first three-dimensional image data acquired by said acquisition means;

three-dimensional image generation means for generating a three-dimensional image from said second three-dimensional image data acquired by said acquisition means;

position changing means for changing a position of the ultrasonic tomographic image generated by said tomographic image generation means;

region setting means for setting a specific region in the three-dimensional image generated by said three-dimensional image generation means on the basis of the ultrasonic tomographic image generated by said tomographic generation means; and

calculation means for calculating living organism information on a subject on the basis of data on the specific region set by said region setting means of the three-dimensional image data acquired in said second imaging mode.

8. A medical image diagnostic apparatus according to claim 7, wherein at least one of said first and second three-dimensional image data is ultrasonic image data.

9. A medical image diagnostic apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said first imaging mode is a B-mode of an ultrasound diagnostic apparatus and the tomographic image generated by said tomographic image generation means is a B-mode image.

10. A medical image diagnostic apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said second imaging mode is a Doppler mode of an ultrasound diagnostic apparatus and the three-dimensional image generated by said three-dimensional image generation means is a Doppler-mode image.

11. A medical image diagnostic apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the tomographic image generated by said tomographic image generation means is a tissue image representing the parenchyma of internal organs of a subject.

12. A medical image diagnostic apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the three-dimensional image generated by said three-dimensional image generation means is a structure image representing a bloodstream in a subject.

13. A medical image diagnostic apparatus comprising:

acquisition means for acquiring first three-dimensional image data in a first imaging mode and further acquiring second three-dimensional image data in a second imaging mode in such a manner that the positional coordinates of said second three-dimensional image data correspond to those of said first three-dimensional image data;

generation means for generating ultrasonic image data on a three-dimensional region from said first three-dimensional image data acquired by said acquisition means;

three-dimensional image generation means for generating a three-dimensional image from said second three-dimensional image data acquired by said acquisition means;

position changing means for changing a position of the three-dimensional image generated by said generation means;

synthesizing means for synthesizing the first three-dimensional image with the second three-dimensional image in such a manner that the position of the first three-dimensional image is caused to match with that of the second three-dimensional image; and

display means for displaying the composite image from said synthesizing means.

14. A medical image diagnostic apparatus according to claim 13, wherein at least one of said first and second three-dimensional image data is ultrasonic image data.

15. A medical image diagnostic apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said first imaging mode is a B-mode of an ultrasound diagnostic apparatus and said first generation means generates a B-mode three-dimensional image.

16. A medical image diagnostic apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said second imaging mode is a Doppler mode of an ultrasound diagnostic apparatus and said second generation means generates a Doppler-mode three-dimensional image.

17. A medical image diagnostic apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the first three-dimensional image generated by said first generation means is a tissue image representing the parenchyma of internal organs of a subject.

18. A medical image diagnostic apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the second three-dimensional image generated by said second generation means is a structure image representing a bloodstream in a subject.

19. A medical image diagnostic apparatus comprising:

a first memory for storing three-dimensional image data acquired in a first imaging mode;

a second memory for storing three-dimensional image data acquired in a second imaging mode, which is different from the first imaging mode;

extracting means for extracting data on a partial region from the three-dimensional image data stored in the first memory;

image processing means for producing a display image by synthesizing extracted image data acquired in the first imaging mode, with the three-dimensional image data acquired in the second imaging mode, such that the extracted image data and the three-dimensional image data are matched in position;

means for displaying the display image; and

means for changing a position where data are extracted by the extracting means.

20. A medical image diagnostic apparatus comprising:

a first memory for storing three-dimensional image data acquired in a first imaging mode;

second memory for storing three-dimensional image data acquired in a second imaging mode which is different from the first imaging mode;

data processing means for extracting data on a cross section from the three-dimensional image data stored in the first memory;

region setting means for setting a region for quantification on the basis of image data on said cross section obtained by the data processing means;

display means for displaying the image data on the cross section together with lines indicating the region for quantification; and

calculation means for calculating information on a living body on the basis of data which is extracted from the three-dimensional image data acquired in the second imaging mode and which corresponds to the region for quantification.

21. A medical image processing method comprising the steps of:

acquiring ultrasonic data in a first imaging mode, so as to obtain ultrasonic image data regarding a cross section;

acquiring ultrasonic data in a second imaging mode different from the first imaging mode, so as to obtain ultrasonic image data regarding a three-dimensional region;

synthesizing the ultrasonic image data acquired in the first imaging mode and pertaining to the cross section with the ultrasonic image data acquired in the second imaging mode and pertaining to the three-dimensional region, such that data synthesis is executed in a position-matched state, thereby obtaining a display image;

displaying the display image; and

changing a position of the cross section.

22. A medical image processing method comprising the steps of:

acquiring three-dimensional image data in a first imaging mode and a second imaging mode, which are different from each other;

producing an ultrasonic image of a partial three-dimensional region from the three-dimensional image data acquired in the first imaging mode;

changing a position of the three-dimensional region produced in the producing step such that a first three-dimensional image obtained in the first imaging mode is changed related to a second three-dimensional image obtained in the second imaging mode;

synthesizing the first three-dimensional image and the second three-dimensional image together in a position-matched state; and

displaying an image obtained in the synthesizing step.

23. A medical image processing method comprising the steps of:

acquiring ultrasonic data in a first imaging mode so as to obtain ultrasonic image data on a cross section;

acquiring ultrasonic data in a second imaging mode different from the first imaging mode, so as to obtain ultrasonic image data regarding a three-dimensional region;

determining a region for quantification on the basis of the image data on the cross section;

displaying the image data on the cross section together with lines indicating the region for quantification; and

calculating information on a living body on the basis of data which is extracted from the three-dimensional image data acquired in the second imaging mode and which corresponds to the region for quantification.