Apparatus and a method for processing a medical image

• US 6,381,296 B1
• Filed: 11/20/2000
• Issued: 04/30/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Nishiura, Masahide
• Primary Examiner(s): BRUCE, DAVID VERNON
• Application Number:
  US09/714,964
• Time in Patent Office: 526 Days
• Field of Search: 378/4, 378/8, 378/15, 378/901
• US Class Current: 378/4
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/00 Manipulating 3D models or images for computer graphics
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2219/008 Cut plane or projection plane definition
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2219/028 Multiple view windows (top-side-front-sagittal-orthogonal)
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 378/901 Computer tomography program or processor

Abstract

An apparatus processes a medical image. A three-dimensional data acquisition unit acquires three-dimensional data of a plurality of objects for diagnosis of a living body. A three-dimensional data memory stores the three-dimensional data of each of the plurality of objects for diagnosis. A sectional position memory stores a plurality of sectional positions for each of the plurality of objects for diagnosis. A selector selects one of the plurality of objects for diagnosis. An image generation unit generates a plurality of sectional images using the three-dimensional data corresponding to the one of the plurality of objects for diagnosis. Each image is along a different sectional position in the one of the plurality of objects for diagnosis.

Claims

1. An apparatus for processing a medical image, comprising:

a three-dimensional data acquisition unit configured to acquire three-dimensional data of a plurality of objects for diagnosis of a living body;

a three-dimensional data memory configured to store the three-dimensional data of each of the plurality of objects for diagnosis;

a sectional position memory configured to store a plurality of sectional positions for each of the plurality of objects for diagnosis;

a selector configured to select one of the plurality of objects for diagnosis; and

an image generation unit configured to generate a plurality of sectional images, each image being along a different sectional position, using the three-dimensional data corresponding to the one of the plurality of objects for diagnosis.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1,

further comprising a sectional position set unit configured to preset the plurality of sectional positions for each of the plurality of objects for diagnosis to said sectional position memory.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2,

further comprising a display unit configured to display the plurality of sectional images generated by said image generation unit.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein said three-dimensional data acquisition unit scans the living body by a computer tomography, and inputs a plurality of tomographies for each of the plurality of objects for diagnosis of the living body.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4,

wherein said three-dimensional data memory stores voxel data using the plurality of tomographies as the three-dimensional data of each of the plurality of objects for diagnosis.

6. The apparatus according to claim 3,

wherein said display initially displays each name of the plurality of objects for diagnosis of the living body in order for the user to select one object for diagnosis.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6,

wherein said display unit displays the plurality of sectional images of the one object for diagnosis and a three-dimensional image representing each position of the plurality of sectional images when the one object for diagnosis is selected by said selector.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7,

wherein said sectional position set unit changes each sectional position of the plurality of sectional images of the one object for diagnosis together while the three-dimensional image is displayed.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8,

wherein said sectional position memory updately stores a plurality of changed sectional positions of the one object for diagnosis in response to a change operation of said sectional position set unit.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9,

wherein said display unit changeably displays a plurality of changed sectional images and a three-dimensional image representing each sectional position of the plurality of changed sectional images of the one object for diagnosis.

11. A method for processing a medical image, comprising the steps of:

acquiring three-dimensional data of a plurality of objects for diagnosis of a living body;

storing the three-dimensional data of each of the plurality of objects for diagnosis;

storing a plurality of sectional positions for each of the plurality of objects for diagnosis;

selecting one of the plurality of objects for diagnosis; and

generating a plurality of sectional images, each image being along a different sectional position, using the three-dimensional data corresponding to the one of the plurality of objects for diagnosis.

12. The method according to claim 11,

further comprising the step of:

presenting the plurality of sectional positions for each of the plurality of objects for diagnosis.

13. The method according to claim 12,

further comprising the step of:

displaying the plurality of sectional images generated at the generating step.

14. The method according to claim 11,

wherein the acquiring step includes the steps of:

scanning the living body by a computer tomography; and

inputting a plurality of tomographies for each of the plurality of objects for diagnosis of the living body.

15. The method according to claim 14,

wherein said first storing step includes the step of:

storing voxel data using the plurality of tomographies as the three-dimensional data of each of the plurality of objects for diagnosis.

16. The method according to claim 13,

wherein said displaying step includes the step of:

initially displaying each name of the plurality of objects for diagnosis of the living body in order for the user to select one object for diagnosis.

17. The method according to claim 16,

wherein said displaying step includes the step of:

displaying the plurality of sectional images of the one object for diagnosis and a three-dimensional image representing each position of the plurality of sectional images when the one object for diagnosis is selected at the selecting step.

18. The method according to claim 17,

further comprising the step of:

changing each sectional position of the plurality of sectional images of the one object for diagnosis together while the three-dimensional image is displayed at the displaying step.

19. The method according to claim 18,

wherein said second storing step includes the step of:

storing a plurality of changed sectional positions of the one object for diagnosis in response to a change operation at the changing step.

20. The method according to claim 19,

wherein said displaying step includes the step of:

displaying a plurality of changed sectional images and a three-dimensional image representing each sectional position of the plurality of changed sectional images of the one object for diagnosis.

21. A computer-readable memory containing computer-readable instructions to process a medical image, comprising:

an instruction unit for causing a computer to acquire three-dimensional data of a plurality of objects for diagnosis of a living body;

an instruction unit for causing a computer to store the three-dimensional data of each of the plurality of objects for diagnosis;

an instruction unit for causing a computer to store a plurality of sectional positions for each of the plurality of objects for diagnosis;

an instruction unit for causing a computer to select one of the plurality of objects for diagnosis; and

an instruction unit for causing a computer to generate a plurality of sectional images, each image being along a different sectional position, using the three-dimensional data corresponding to the one of the plurality of objects for diagnosis.