Apparatus, program and method for motion analysis in internal body

• US 7,907,764 B2
• Filed: 08/05/2005
• Issued: 03/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hirochika Matsuoka
• Original Assignee: Hirochika Matsuoka
• Inventors: Matsuoka, Hirochika
• Primary Examiner(s): Tucker; Wesley
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bitar; Nancy
• Application Number:
  US11/197,590
• Publication Number:
  US 20060029269A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,048 Days
• Field of Search: 382/107, 382/131, 382/278, 382/103, 382/236, 382/128, 382/130, 600/425, 600/443, 348/169
• US Class Current: 382/131
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 11/008 Specific post-processing after tomographic reconstruction, e.g. voxelisation, metal artifact correction
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2211/412 Dynamic
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/20 Analysis of motion motion estimation for coding, decoding, compressing or decompressing digital video signals H04N19/43, H04N19/51

Abstract

When a motion in an internal body is analyzed by employing a tomographic image, a relative motion in an internal body is analyzed by moving a viewing point to an arbitrary place. The present invention is composed of: a tomographic image acquisition device 1 for acquiring a tomographic image of a subject targeted for observation; a motion analysis device 2 to which the tomographic image acquisition device 1 is connected, the analysis device performing a motion analysis from the tomographic image obtained by the tomographic image acquisition device 1; and a display device 3 connected to the motion analysis device 2, the display device displaying data outputted by the motion analysis device 2. The motion analysis device 2 includes image processing means 4 for processing the tomographic image obtained by the tomographic image acquisition device 1, point specification means 5 for specifying a plurality of arbitrary points on the tomographic image after image processing by the image processing means 4, viewing point conversion means 6 for converting a motion of a point serving as an observation point to a motion obtained by defining a point other than the observation point as a viewing point from among the plurality of points specified by the point specification means 5, and data output means 7 for outputting data obtained by the viewing point conversion means 6.

Claims

1. An apparatus for motion analysis in an internal body, the apparatus comprising:

tomographic image acquisition means for acquiring a tomographic image of a subject;

point specification means for specifying a plurality of arbitrary points on the tomographic image of the subject obtained by the tomographic image acquisition means;

viewing point conversion means for (i) selecting at least one of the plurality of arbitrary points specified by the point specification means as an observation point, and (ii) converting a motion of the observation point to a motion obtained by using one of the plurality of arbitrary points other than the observation point as a viewing point; and

data output means for outputting data obtained by the viewing point conversion means,

wherein the observation point is one of a plurality of observation points, and

wherein the data output means forms a multi-node link by connecting the plurality of observation points after conversion to each other by line segments, and outputs data on a motion of the multi-node link.

2. The apparatus for motion analysis in an internal body according to claim 1, wherein the data output means outputs data on a trajectory of the motion of the observation point after conversion.

3. The apparatus for motion analysis in an internal body according to claim 1, wherein the data output means outputs the motion of the multi-node link as data on a motion obtained by using one multi-node link as a reference.

6. The apparatus for motion analysis in an internal body according to claim 1, wherein the viewing point conversion means fixes a motion of the viewing point, and calculates a relative motion of the observation point with respect to the viewing point.

4. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having a program stored thereon for motion analysis in an internal body, the program causing a computer to which tomographic image acquisition means for acquiring a tomographic image of a subject is connected, to function as:

point specification means for specifying a plurality of arbitrary points on the tomographic image of the subject obtained by the tomographic image acquisition means;

viewing point conversion means for (i) selecting at least one of the plurality of arbitrary points specified by the point specification means as an observation point, and (ii) converting a motion of the observation point to a motion obtained by using one of the plurality of arbitrary points other than the observation point as a viewing point; and

data output means for outputting data obtained by the viewing point conversion means,

wherein the observation point is one of a plurality of observation points, and

wherein the data output means forms a multi-node link by connecting the plurality of observation points after conversion to each other by line segments, and outputs data on a motion of the multi-node link.

7. The computer-readable medium according to claim 4, wherein the viewing point conversion means fixes a motion of the viewing point, and calculates a relative motion of the observation point with respect to the viewing point.

5. A method for motion analysis in an internal body, the method comprising:

acquiring, using a tomographic image acquisition device, a tomographic image of a subject;

specifying a plurality of arbitrary points on the acquired tomographic image of the subject;

selecting at least one of the specified plurality of arbitrary points as an observation point;

converting a motion of the observation point to a motion obtained by using one of the specified plurality of arbitrary points other than the observation point as a viewing point to obtain data; and

outputting the obtained data,

wherein the observation point is one of a plurality of observation points, and

wherein said outputting comprises forming a multi-node link by connecting the plurality of observation points after conversion to each other by line segments, and outputting data on a motion of the multi-node link.

8. The method for motion analysis in an internal body according to claim 5, wherein said converting comprises fixing a motion of the viewing point, and calculating a relative motion of the observation point with respect to the viewing point.