Image diagnosing support method and image diagnosing support apparatus

• US 8,355,775 B2
• Filed: 05/30/2005
• Issued: 01/15/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi Medical Corporation (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi Medical Corporation (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Inventors: Oshiki, Mitsuhiro, Shinomura, Ryuichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Casler, Brian
• Assistant Examiner(s): SANTOS RODRIGUEZ, JOSEPH M
• Application Number:
  US11/628,404
• Publication Number:
  US 20070244393A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,787 Days
• Field of Search: 600/407, 600/425, 382/131, 382/154, 382/294
• US Class Current: 600/425
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02007 Evaluating blood vessel condition, e.g. elasticity, compliance
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1075 for measuring dimensions by non-invasive methods, e.g. for determining thickness of tissue layer A61B8/0858 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/06 Measuring blood flow measuring volume flow in general G01F, e.g. G01F1/66, G01F1/72; measuring speed of fluids in general G01P5/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/0833 involving detecting or locating foreign bodies or organic structures
• 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: G06T 2200/24 involving graphical user interfaces [GUIs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/0012 Biomedical image inspection

Abstract

This is an image diagnosing support method comprising: an acquisition step of acquiring a plurality of images obtained by imaging the same region of the same object with one or more medical imaging apparatuses and having positional information at the time each of the images was picked up; a selecting step of selecting a first image and a second image out of the plurality of images; a displaying step of displaying the first image and the second image; a step of designating one or more of first reference points on the first image; a step of figuring out second reference points, on the second image, each matching one or another of the first reference points; a first step of extracting for each of the first reference points a first region containing that point within it; and a second step of extracting for each of the second reference points a second region containing that point within it, characterized in that either one of the first step and the second step is performed earlier or both are at the same time.

Claims

1. An image diagnosing support method comprising:

acquiring a plurality of images obtained by imaging a same region of a same object with one or more medical imaging apparatuses;

selecting a first image from a first medical imaging apparatus and a second image from another medical imaging apparatus, the first and second images registering a common spatial position of a magnetic sensor, as an alignment reference;

simultaneously displaying said first image and said second image in the same section of the object;

designating one or more of first reference points in an extraction region desired by a user, on said first image;

extracting a first region on said first image on a basis of each of said first reference point and the brightness information on said first image;

automatically designating one or more second reference points on said second image, matching said one or more first reference points, on the basis of the positional information of said first reference points on the first image; and

extracting a second region on said second image on a basis of each of said second reference point and the brightness information on said second image;

wherein the boundary of a region extracted from said first image and the boundary of a region extracted from said second image and said second reference point, are displayed superposed over said second image, and the boundary of a region extracted from said second image and the boundary of a region extracted from said first image and said first reference point, are displayed superposed over said first image, and

automatically adjusting gain and dynamic image parameters so as to match the distribution range of image signal values in the extraction region with maximum gradation range of image displaying to display.

2. The image diagnosing support method according to claim 1, further comprising displaying region information on at least one of said first region and said second region superposed over at least one of said first image and said second image.

3. The image diagnosing support method according to claim 2, wherein:

the extraction of said first region and said second region is accomplished by successively comparing pixel values in the vicinities of said reference points with a prescribed threshold.

4. The image diagnosing support method according to claim 2, wherein:

said region information is information representing at least one of the whole extracted region and the boundary thereof.

5. The image diagnosing support method according to claim 2, further comprising acquiring geometric information that at least either said first region or said second region has.

6. The image diagnosing support method according to claim 5, wherein:

said first image and said second image are images obtained by picking up a same blood vessel of said object and contains a vascular sectional region including a luminal region in which blood flows and a vascular tissue region,

said luminal region and said vascular tissue region are respectively extracted and, the method further comprising;

extracting a plurality of parameters necessary for figuring out the rate of constriction of said blood vessel from at least one of said luminal region and said vascular tissue region, and

deriving the rate of constriction of said blood vessel by using said plurality of parameters.

7. The image diagnosing support method according to claim 6, wherein:

said plurality of parameters include at least either the internal diameter of said luminal region and the external diameter of said vascular tissue region, or the square measure of said luminal region and the square measure of said vascular tissue region.

8. The image diagnosing support method according to claim 1, wherein:

said first image and said second image are images picked up by medical imaging apparatuses of different types.

9. The image diagnosing support method according to claim 8, wherein:

at least one of said first image and said second image is an image picked up by a medical imaging apparatus capable of real-time imaging.

10. The image diagnosing support method according to claim 1, wherein:

said first image and said second image are images picked up by different medical imaging apparatuses of the same type.

11. The image diagnosing support method according to claim 10, wherein:

at least one of said first image and said second image is an image picked up by a medical imaging apparatus capable of real-time imaging.

12. The image diagnosing support method according to claim 1, wherein:

said first image and said second image are images picked up by the same medical imaging apparatus.

13. The image diagnosing support method according to claim 12, wherein:

at least one of said first image and said second image is an image picked up by a medical imaging apparatus capable of real-time imaging.

14. The image diagnosing support method according to claim 1, wherein:

said first image and said second image are images of the same section of the object.

15. The image diagnosing support method according to claim 1, wherein:

said first image and said second image are images of different sections of the same region of said object.

16. The image diagnosing support method according to claim 1, wherein:

said first image and said second image are images picked up at different times.

17. The image diagnosing support method according to claim 1, wherein:

said plurality of images further have time information on the times of being picked up,

said first image is an image representing changes of said region, and

said second image is an image of said region of said first image, at a desired point of time.

18. The image diagnosing support method according to claim 1, wherein said first image is generated by an x-ray CT apparatus or a MRI apparatus, and said second image is generated by an ultrasonic imaging apparatus.

19. An image diagnosing support apparatus comprising:

an acquiring unit configured to acquire a plurality of images obtained by imaging a same region of a same object with one or more medical imaging apparatuses;

a selecting unit configured to effect selecting of two or more images out of said plurality of images, at least two of the images being obtained by different medical imaging apparatuses, the at least two or more images registering a common spatial position of a magnetic sensor, as an alignment reference

a display unit configured to display said selected two or more images in a same section of the object;

a designating unit configured to designate one or more of first reference points in an extraction region desired by a user, on one of said selected two or more images;

a first-region extracting unit configured to extract a first region on said first image, on the basis of each of said first reference point and the brightness information on said first image;

an automatic designating unit configured to automatically designate one or more second reference points on said second image matching said one or more first reference points, on the basis of the positional information of said first reference points on the first image;

a second-region extracting unit configured to extract a second region on said second image, on the basis of each of said second reference point and the brightness information on said second image;

wherein the boundary of a region extracted from said first image and the boundary of a region extracted from said second image and said second reference point, are superposed over said second image, and the boundary of a region extracted from said second image and the boundary of a region extracted from said first image and said first reference point, are displayed superposed over said first image, and

wherein gain and dynamic image parameters are automatically adjusted so as to match the distribution range of image signal values in the extraction region with maximum gradation range of image displaying to display.

20. The image diagnosing support apparatus according to claim 19, further comprising a region-display unit configured to display region information on at least either said first region or said second region superposed over at least either one of said selected two or more images.

21. An image diagnosing support apparatus comprising:

a selecting unit configured to effect selecting of two or more images out of a plurality of images obtained by imaging a same region of a same object fitted with a registration arrangement causing registration of a common spatial position of the object within each of the plurality of images, the two or more images being obtained by different medical imaging apparatuses;

a display unit configured to display the two or more images in the same region of the object;

a designating unit configured to designate one or more of first reference points in an extraction region desired by a user, on one of the two or more images as a first image;

a first-region extracting unit configured to extract a first region on the first image, on a basis of each of the one or more first reference points, and brightness information, of the first image;

an automatic designating unit configured to automatically designate one or more second reference points on a second image of the two or more images, on a basis of the registration of the common spatial position on the first and second images, and the positional information of the first reference points on the first image, the one or more second references points spatially matching the one or more first reference points;

a second-region extracting unit configured to extract a second region on the second image, on a basis of each of the second reference point, and the brightness information, of the second image;

wherein at least one of;

the boundary of a region extracted from the first image is displayed superposed over the second image; and

the boundary of a region extracted from the second image is displayed superposed over the first image, and

wherein gain and dynamic image parameters are automatically adjusted so as to match the distribution range of image signal values in the extraction region with maximum gradation range of image displaying to display.

22. The image diagnosing support apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the registration arrangement is one of:

a magnet and a probe, provided to the object.