Processor for analyzing tubular structure such as blood vessels

• US 7,369,691 B2
• Filed: 03/19/2004
• Issued: 05/06/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/20/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation (Canon Inc.), Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Sugiyama, Atsuko, Calderon, Arturo, Kondo, Yasuhira, Yamagata, Hitoshi, Kawasaki, Tomohiro, Ohyu, Shigeharu
• Primary Examiner(s): Bella; Matthew C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): WANG, CLAIRE X
• Application Number:
  US10/803,930
• Publication Number:
  US 20040249270A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,509 Days
• Field of Search: 345/419, 345/424, 382/131, 382/128, 600/407, 600/425
• US Class Current: 382/128
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 15/08 Volume rendering
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30172 Centreline of tubular or elongated structure
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2215/06 Curved planar reformation of 3D line structures
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/12 Edge-based segmentation

Abstract

Using medical three-dimensional image data, at least one of a volume-rendering image, a flat reformatted image on an arbitrary section, a curved reformatted image, and an MIP (maximum value projection) image is prepared as a reference image. Vessel center lines are extracted from this reference image, and at least one of a vessel stretched image based on the center line and a perpendicular sectional image substantially perpendicular to the center line is prepared. The shape of vessels is analyzed on the basis of the prepared image, and the prepared stretched image and/or the perpendicular sectional image is compared with the reference image, and the result is displayed together with the images. Display of the reference image with the stretched image or the perpendicular sectional image is made conjunctive. Correction of the center line by the operator and automatic correction of the image resulting from the correction are also possible.

Claims

1. An analyzer analyzing a tubular structure of an object to be examined, comprising:

a preparing unit configured to prepare three-dimensional image data of the same object examined;

an image data producing unit configured to produce, from the three-dimensional image data, data of at least one of a volume rendering image of the object, a maximum intensity projection (MIP) image of the three-dimensional image data, a flat reformatted image at an arbitrary section in the three-dimensional image data;

a curved reformatted image producing unit configured to produce data of a curved reformatted image from the three-dimensional image data;

a center line producing unit configured to produce three-dimensional position data of a center line of the tubular structure by using the three-dimensional image data;

a reference image displaying unit configured to display the center line by overlaying the position data of the center line on data of a reference image consisting of one of the volume rendering image, the maximum intensity protection (MIP) image, the flat reformatted image, and the curved reformatted image;

a curved reformatted image displaying unit configured to display the center line by overlaying the position data of the center line on the data of the curved reformatted image;

a center line correcting unit configured to be used for correcting a shape of the center line overlaid on the reference image displayed by the reference image displaying unit;

a curved reformatted image updating unit configured to reproduce, from the three-dimensional image data, the data of the curved reformatted image data displayed by the curved reformatted image displaying unit, in response to a correction of the shape of the center line on the reference image through the center line correcting unit, and to update the overlaying display of the center line on the reference image, updating the curved reformatted image responding substantially in real time to correcting the shape of the center line;

an analysis unit configured to analyze a morphological feature of the tubular structure;

a reception unit configured to receive a signal indicating whether or not the position of the center line displayed on both the reference image and the curved reformatted image is acceptable; and

an analysis permitting unit configured to permit the analysis unit to analyze the morphological feature of the tubular structure only when the signal received by the reception unit indicates that the position of the center line is acceptable.

2. An analyzer analyzing a tubular structure of an object to be examined comprising:

a preparing unit configured to prepare three-dimensional image data of the same object examined;

an image data producing unit configured to produce, from the three-dimensional image data, data of at least one of a volume rendering image of the object, a maximum intensity projection (MIP) image of the three-dimensional image data, a flat reformatted image at an arbitrary section in the three-dimensional image data;

a curved reformatted image producing unit configured to produce data of a curved reformatted image from the three-dimensional image data;

a center line producing unit configured to produce three-dimensional position data of a center line of the tubular structure by using the three-dimensional image data;

a reference image displaying unit configured to display the center line by overlaying the position data of the center line on data of a reference image consisting of one of the volume rendering image, the maximum intensity projection (MIP) image, the flat reformatted image, and the curved reformatted image;

a curved reformatted image displaying unit configured to display the center line by overlaying the position data of the center line on the data of the curved reformatted image;

a center line correcting unit configured to be used for correcting a shape of the center line overlaid on the reference image displayed by the reference image displaying unit;

a curved reformatted image updating unit configured to reproduce from the three-dimensional image data, the data of the curved reformatted image data displayed by the curved reformatted image displaying unit, in response to a correction of the shape of the center line on the reference image through the center line correcting unit, and to update the overlaying display of the center line on the reference image, updating the curved reformatted image responding substantially in real time to correcting the shape of the center line;

a specifying unit configured to allow a plurality of markers to be specified on the tubular structure in the reference image, the plurality of markers indicating desired both end positions on the tubular structure and desired zero or more passage positions located between both the desired end positions;

a unit configured to divide the plurality of markers into a plurality of pairs of markers so that the plurality of pairs of markers are sequentially ordered according to a specifying order along which the plurality of markers are specified through the specifying unit;

a unit configured to display on the reference image segments mutually connecting the plurality of pairs of markers;

a unit configured to allow one or more additionally markers to be specified on the reference image, the additional markers indicating additional passage positions;

a unit configured to re-decide the order of the plurality of pairs of markers by deciding that the additional markers should be located between which two pairs of the plurality of pairs of markers when the additional markers are specified; and

a unit configured to reproduce the data of the center line based on the plurality of pairs of markers re-decided.

3. The analyzer according to claim 2, comprising:

a unit used for moving the additionally specified markers on the reference image;

a unit configured to update the data of the curved reformatted image using the three-dimensional image data and to re-display the updated data of the curved reformatted image, in response to a move of the additionally specified markers, updating the curved reformatted image responding substantially in real time to the move of the additional markers.

4. An analyzer analyzing a tubular structure of an object to be examined, comprising:

a preparing unit configured to prepare three-dimensional image data of the same object examined;

an image data producing unit configured to produce, from the three-dimensional image data, as data of a reference image, data of at least one of a volume rendering image of the object, a maximum intensity projection (MIP) image of the three-dimensional image data, a flat reformatted image at an arbitrary section in the three-dimensional image data;

a unit configured to produce data of a center line indicating three-dimensional positional information of the tubular structure, from the three-dimensional image data;

a unit configured to produce data of either a stretched image or a perpendicular sectional image of the tubular structure on the basis of the data of the center line;

a unit configured to use the data of the reference image, the either stretched image or the perpendicular sectional image, and the center line so that the reverence image with the center line overlaid thereon and either the stretched image or the perpendicular sectional image with the center line overlaid thereon are displayed side by side;

a unit configured to be used for specifying a position-changeable marker indicative of both view information and interested-point information toward the tubular structure on the center line in each of the reference image and the stretched image;

a unit configured to respond to a position change of the marker on the stretched image so that the reference image into which the positioned change is reflected is re-depicted;

a unit for displaying, on the perpendicular sectional image, a view information marker being changeable in a direction thereof and indicating the view information; and

a unit configured to re-depict the reference image to respond to a directional change of the view information marker when the direction of the view information marker is changed.

5. The analyzer according to claim 4, comprising a unit configured to display an indicator on the reference image, the indicator indicating a direction of a section of the stretched image.

6. The analyzer according to claim 5, wherein the indicator includes two markers individually placed at arbitrary positions on both wall portions of the tubular structure in the stretched image and two markers individually placed at both wall portions of the tubular structure in the reference image, the two markers on the stretched image positionally corresponding, for each wall of the tubular structure, to the two markers on the reference image.

7. The analyzer according to claim 6, wherein the indicator includes a further marker not only being superimposed on the reference image through the two markers on the reference image but also indicating a contour shape of the tubular structure.

8. The analyzer according to claim 5, wherein the indicator includes a cursor bar placed at an arbitrary poison on the stretched image and two markers individually placed on both wall portions of the tubular structure in the reference image, both side wall portions at which the two markers are individually placed being positionally corresponding to the cursor bar.