Image processing device and method

• US 8,457,378 B2
• Filed: 02/15/2011
• Issued: 06/04/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Sato, Makoto
• Primary Examiner(s): Mehta, Bhavesh
• Assistant Examiner(s): ANSARI, TAHMINA N
• Application Number:
  US13/027,302
• Publication Number:
  US 20110135178A1
• Time in Patent Office: 840 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 382/130
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 5/50 using two or more images, e.g. averaging or subtraction
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 30/20 for handling medical images, e.g. DICOM, HL7 or PACS
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 30/40 for processing medical images, e.g. editing
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 70/00 ICT specially adapted for the handling or processing of medical references

Abstract

The present invention provides an image processing device and method for effectively generating a difference image from plural images. The plural images generated by an image generation unit are first associated with radiography date and hour information and stored in a storage unit, at least one reference image and one comparison image are designated by an image designation unit from the stored images, the date and hour information of the designated reference image is compared with that of the designated comparison image by an image comparison unit, a difference process is executed by a difference processing unit based on an operation determined based on the comparison result, and the processed difference image is displayed on a display unit under the control of a display control unit.

Claims

1. An image processing device comprising:

a generation unit configured to generate a difference image by performing both (1) a first difference operation of subtraction of a reference image from a comparison image taken before the reference image and subtraction a comparison image taken after the reference image from the reference image, and (2) a second difference operation of subtraction of a comparison image taken before a reference image from the reference image and subtraction of a comparison image taken after the reference image from the reference image;

an image designation unit configured to designate the reference image and the comparison images from plural images stored in a storage unit;

a determination unit configured to perform either (1) a first determination, of subtracting the reference image from a comparison image taken before the reference image and subtracting a comparison image taken after the reference image from the reference image, or (2) a second determination, of subtracting the comparison image taken before the reference image from the reference image and subtracting the comparison image taken after the reference image from the reference image; and

a display control unit configured to display the difference image generated by said generation unit corresponding to determination by said determination unit.

2. An image processing device according to claim 1, wherein said difference image generation unit deforms each of the comparison image(s) on the basis of the reference image designated by said image designation unit, and generates the difference images from the reference image and the deformed comparison image(s).

3. An image processing device according to claim 1, wherein said image designation unit can display a list of the images stored in the storage unit, and selects the reference image and the comparison image(s) from the displayed list of the images.

4. An image processing device according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined condition is based on radiography time information of each of the reference image and the comparison image(s).

5. An image processing device according to claim 1, wherein said image designation unit can display the images stored in the storage unit in a predetermined order based on radiography time information, and selects the reference image and the comparison image(s) based on an indication input with respect to the displayed images.

8. An image processing device according to claim 1, wherein said determination unit performs either the first determination or the second determination, based on time-dependent changes of image information in the designated reference image and the comparison image(s).

9. An image processing device according to claim 8, wherein said determination unit performs the first determination when a shadow of focus uniformly decreases or increases in the reference image and the comparison image(s), and performs the second determination when both increase and decrease are seen in the shadow of focus in the reference image and the comparison image(s).

6. A computer-implemented image processing method comprising the steps of:

generating a difference image by performing both (1) a first difference operation of subtraction of a reference image from a comparison image taken before the reference image and subtraction a comparison image taken after the reference image from the reference image, and (2) a second difference operation of subtraction of a comparison image taken before a reference image from the reference image and subtraction of a comparison image taken after the reference image from the reference image;

designating the reference image and the comparison images from plural images stored in a storage unit;

performing either (1) a first determination, of subtracting the reference image from a comparison image taken before the reference image and subtracting a comparison image taken after the reference image from the reference image, or (2) a second determination, of subtracting the comparison image taken before the reference image from the reference image and subtracting the comparison image taken after the reference image from the reference image; and

displaying the difference image generated in said generating step corresponding to a determination made in said performing step,

wherein at least some of said steps are performed using a computer.

7. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium which stores a control program for causing a computer to perform a method including:

generating a difference image by performing both (1) a first difference operation of subtraction of a reference image from a comparison image taken before the reference image and subtraction a comparison image taken after the reference image from the reference image, and (2) a second difference operation of subtraction of a comparison image taken before a reference image from the reference image and subtraction of a comparison image taken after the reference image from the reference image;

designating the reference image and the comparison images from plural images stored in a storage unit;

performing either (1) a first determination, of subtracting the reference image from a comparison image taken before the reference image and subtracting a comparison image taken after the reference image from the reference image, or (2) a second determination, of subtracting the comparison image taken before the reference image from the reference image and subtracting the comparison image taken after the reference image from the reference image; and

displaying the difference image generated in said generating step corresponding to a determination made in said performing step.

10. An image processing device comprising:

a generation unit configured to generate a difference image by performing both (1) a first difference operation of subtraction, among a reference image and a comparison image(s), an image of which date and hour of taking is later from an image of which date and hour of taking is earlier, and (2) a second difference operation of subtraction of a comparison image(s) from a reference image;

an image designation unit configured to designate the reference image and the comparison images from plural images stored in a storage unit;

a determination unit configured to perform, based on the reference image and the comparison image(s), either (1) a first determination, of subtracting, among the reference image and the comparison image(s), the image of which date and hour of taking is later from the image of which date and hour of taking is earlier, or (2) a second determination, of subtracting the comparison image(s) from the reference image; and

a display control unit configured to display the difference image generated by said generation unit corresponding to a determination made by said determination unit.

11. An image processing device comprising:

an acquisition unit configured to acquire a reference image, a first comparison image taken before the reference image, and a second comparison image taken after the reference image;

a difference processing unit configured to, in response to an instruction, determine a set of difference images of a particular set by a difference process; and

a display control unit configured to cause a display unit to display the difference images of the determined set,

wherein the particular set is either

the set of the plurality of difference images acquired by respective processes of (reference image−

first comparison image) and (reference image−

second comparison image), or

the set of the plurality of difference images acquired by respective processes of (first comparison image−

reference image) and (second comparison image−

reference image).

12. An image processing device comprising:

a storage unit configured to store a plurality of medical images;

an acquisition unit configured to acquire radiography time information of a reference image and a plurality of comparison images designated from among the plurality of medical images stored in said storage unit;

a comparison unit configured to compare the radiography time information of the reference image and the radiography time information of each of the plurality of comparison images with each other; and

a display control unit configured to display, on a display unit, a plurality of diachronic difference images which are acquired by a difference process between (1) each of (i) the comparison image taken before the reference image and (ii) the comparison image taken after the reference image and (2) the reference image, based on a result of the comparison.

13. The image processing device according to claim 12, further comprising:

a determination unit configured to determine an operation method of subtracting each of the comparison image taken before the reference image and the comparison image taken after the reference image from the reference image; and

a difference image generation unit configured to generate the diachronic difference image from the reference image and the comparison image by using the determined operation method.

14. The image processing device according to claim 12, further comprising:

a generation unit configured to generate the plurality of diachronic difference images by applying the difference process between each of the plurality of comparison images and the reference image; and

a processing unit configured to execute a black/white reversal process for each of the generated diachronic difference images, based on the comparison result of the radiography time information from said comparison unit.

15. The image processing device according to claim 12, wherein said display control unit causes display of an image acquired by executing a black/white reversal process on the diachronic difference image.

16. The image processing device according to claim 12, wherein said display control unit causes display of a pixel value corresponding to a background portion of the diachronic difference image, while associating it with a median of a brightness level capable of being displayed by the display unit.

17. The image processing device according to claim 13, wherein said difference image generation unit causes to deform each of the plurality of comparison images on the basis of the reference image designated by said acquisition unit, and generates the diachronic difference image from the reference image and the deformed comparison image.

18. The image processing device according to claim 12, wherein said acquisition unit displays a list of the images stored in said storage unit, and selects the reference image and the plurality of comparison images from the displayed list.

19. The image processing device according to claim 12, wherein said acquisition unit displays a reduction image which is acquired by reducing the image stored in said storage unit, and selects the reference image and the plurality of comparison images based on an instruction input in response to display of the displayed reduction image.

20. The image processing device according to claim 12, wherein said acquisition unit can display the images stored in said storage unit in a predetermined order based on the radiography time information, and selects the reference image and the comparison image based on an instruction input in response to display of the displayed image.

21. An image processing method comprising:

acquiring radiography time information of a reference image and a plurality of comparison images designated from among a plurality of medical images stored in a storage unit;

comparing the radiography time information of the reference image and the radiography time information of each of the plurality of comparison images with each other; and

displaying, on a display unit, a plurality of diachronic difference images which are acquired by a difference process between (1) each of (i) the comparison image taken before the reference image and (ii) the comparison image taken after the reference image and (2) the reference image, based on a result of the comparison.