Information processing apparatus, imaging system, information processing method, and program causing computer to execute information processing

• US 10,657,661 B2
• Filed: 03/23/2012
• Issued: 05/19/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 04/01/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Ishikawa, Ryo, Endo, Takaaki, Satoh, Kiyohide
• Primary Examiner(s): Cook, Christopher L
• Application Number:
  US13/429,153
• Publication Number:
  US 20120253171A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,979 Days
• Field of Search: 600411, 600439, 600407, 600424, 600413, 324306, 324309, 382128
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10081 Computed x-ray tomography [CT]
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10088 Magnetic resonance imaging [MRI]
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/10132 Ultrasound image
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30008 Bone
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/33 using feature-based methods

Abstract

An information processing apparatus includes a first acquisition unit configured to acquire a plurality of positions, in a three-dimensional image of a subject, obtained based on a sternum of the subject, a second acquisition unit configured to acquire a plurality of positions, in the subject, obtained based on the sternum of the subject, and a calculation unit configured to calculate a correspondence relationship in position between the subject and the three-dimensional image based on the plurality of positions acquired by the first acquisition unit and the plurality of positions acquired by the second acquisition unit.

Claims

1. An image processing system for medical images, comprising:

a non-transitory memory that stores executable instructions; and

at least one processor coupled to the non-transitory memory, wherein responsive to executing the instructions, the at least one processor is configured to;

acquire a plurality of first positions in a three-dimensional image of a subject as positions of a sternum in the three-dimensional image of the subject;

acquire a plurality of first body surface positions of the subject as positions of the sternum in the subject;

calculate a first sternum direction vector as a direction of the sternum in the three-dimensional image based on the plurality of first positions;

calculate a second sternum direction vector as a direction of the sternum in the subject based on the plurality of first body surface positions; and

calculate a first correspondence relationship in a position of the sternum between the three-dimensional image and the subject, by (a) matching a first position of the sternum in the three-dimensional image and a first body surface position of the sternum in the body of subject and (b) matching the first sternum direction vector and the second sternum direction vector,

wherein the at least one processor is configured to further acquire a plurality of second positions in the three-dimensional image of the subject as positions of ribs in the three-dimensional image of the subject,

wherein the at least one processor is configured to further acquire a plurality of second body surface positions of the subject as positions of the ribs in the subject,

wherein the at least one processor is configured to further calculate a second correspondence relationship in a direction of rotation with the sternum as an axis between the subject and the three-dimensional image, based on the second positions in the three-dimensional image and the second body surface positions in the subject, and

wherein the at least one processor is configured to generate a tomographic image on the basis of a cross section in the three-dimensional image, the cross section being specified using the first correspondence relationship and the second correspondence relationship.

2. The image processing system according to claim 1, further comprising a position and orientation measuring apparatus,

wherein the at least one processor is configured to acquire the plurality of first and/or second body surface positions of the subject, based on a body surface position of the subject measured by the position and orientation measuring apparatus.

3. The image processing system according to claim 2, further comprising an ultrasonic probe,

wherein the ultrasonic probe includes the position and orientation measuring apparatus, and

wherein the at least one processor is configured to acquire the plurality of first and/or second body surface positions of the subject, based on a position where an imaging surface of the ultrasonic probe whose position and orientation is measured by the position and orientation measuring apparatus contacts the subject.

4. The image processing system according to claim 1, further comprising an ultrasonic probe,

wherein the at least one processor is further configured to generate, from the three-dimensional image and based on the calculated first and second correspondence relationships, a tomographic image that corresponds to an ultrasonic image acquired based on a signal acquired by the ultrasonic probe when an imaging surface of the ultrasonic probe contacts the subject.

5. The image processing system according to claim 4, further comprising a display unit,

wherein the at least one processor is further configured to cause the display unit to display the acquired ultrasonic image and the generated tomographic image.

6. The image processing system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is configured to acquire the plurality of second positions in the three-dimensional image of the subject, based on left and right ribs of the subject.

7. The image processing system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is configured to acquire the plurality of second body surface positions of the subject as the positions of the ribs in the subject based on a right rib and a left rib of the subject,

wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

determine whether at least a pair of one of the second body surface positions acquired based on the right rib and one of the acquired second body surface positions obtained based on the left rib is symmetrical with respect to the acquired position obtained based on the sternum; and

notify a user of a warning if the at least one processor determines that the pair is not symmetrical.

8. The image processing system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

determine whether the at least one processor has acquired the plurality of first body surface positions as the positions of the sternum in the subject based on the sternum, and the plurality of second body surface positions obtained based on a left rib and a right rib of the subject; and

notify a user of a warning if the at least one processor determines that the plurality of first body surface positions and the plurality of second body surface positions have not been acquired.

9. The image processing system according to claim 1, wherein the three-dimensional image is one of a magnetic resonance image, a computed tomography image, and a positron-emission tomography image of the subject.

10. An image processing system for medical images, comprising:

a non-transitory memory that stores executable instructions; and

at least one processor coupled to the non-transitory memory, wherein responsive to executing the instructions, the at least one processor is configured to;

acquire a plurality of first positions in a three-dimensional image of a subject as positions of a sternum in the three-dimensional image of the subject;

acquire a plurality of first body surface positions of the subject as positions of the sternum in the subject;

calculate a first sternum direction vector as a direction of the sternum in the three-dimensional image based on the plurality of first positions;

calculate a second sternum direction vector as a direction of the sternum in the body of the subject based on the plurality of first body surface positions; and

calculate a first correspondence relationship in a position of the sternum between the three-dimensional image and the subject, by (a) matching a first position of the sternum in the three-dimensional image and a first body surface position of the sternum in the body of subject and (b) matching the first sternum direction vector and the second sternum direction vector,

wherein the at least one processor is further configured to acquire at least a second position in the three-dimensional image of the subject as a position of second ribs in the three-dimensional image of the subject,

wherein the at least one processor is further configured to acquire at least a second body surface position of the subject as a position of the second ribs in the body of the subject,

wherein the at least one processor is further configured to calculate a second correspondence relationship between the subject and the three-dimensional image such that the position of the sternum and the first sternum direction vector, in the three-dimensional image of the subject, obtained based on the sternum at the base of the second ribs, acquired by the at least one processor, matches the position of the sternum and the second sternum direction vector, in the subject, obtained based on the base of the second ribs, acquired by the at least one processor,

wherein the at least one processor is configured to further acquire at least a position in the three-dimensional image of the subject, as a position of a lower sternum end in the three-dimensional image of the subject,

wherein the at least one processor is configured to further acquire at least a body surface position of the subject as a position of the lower sternum end in the body of the subject,

wherein the at least one processor is configured to further calculate a third correspondence relationship between the subject and the three-dimensional image such that a direction defined by the position in the three-dimensional image obtained based on the base of the second ribs and the position in the three-dimensional image obtained based on the lower sternum end in the three-dimensional image matches a direction defined by the position of the subject obtained based on the base of the second ribs and the position of the subject obtained based on the lower sternum end of the subject, and

wherein the at least one processor is configured to generate a tomographic image on the basis of a cross section in the three-dimensional image, the cross section being specified using the first correspondence relationship and the second correspondence relationship and the third correspondence relationship.

11. An imaging system for medical images, comprising:

an ultrasonic probe configured to acquire a signal from a position of a subject by contacting the position of the subject;

a non-transitory memory that stores executable instructions; and

at least one processor coupled to the non-transitory memory, wherein responsive to executing the instructions, the at least one processor is configured to;

acquire an ultrasonic image based on the signal acquired by the ultrasonic probe;

acquire a plurality of first positions in a three-dimensional image of the subject as positions of a sternum in the three-dimensional image of the subject;

acquire a plurality of first body surface positions of the subject as positions of the sternum in the subject, based on the position where the ultrasonic probe contacts the subject;

calculate a first sternum direction vector as a direction of the sternum in the three-dimensional image based on the plurality of first positions;

calculate a second sternum direction vector as a direction of the sternum in the subject based on the plurality of first body surface positions;

calculate a first correspondence relationship in a position of the sternum between the three-dimensional image and the subject, by (a) matching a first position of the sternum in the three-dimensional image and a first body surface position of the sternum in the body of the subject and (b) matching the first sternum direction vector and the second sternum direction vector; and

generate a tomographic image corresponding to the generated ultrasonic image from the three-dimensional image based on the calculated first correspondence relationship,

wherein the at least one processor is configured to further acquire a plurality of second positions in the three-dimensional image of the subject as positions of ribs in the three-dimensional image of the subject,

wherein the at least one processor is configured to further acquire a plurality of second body surface positions of the subject as positions of the ribs in the subject, and

wherein the at least one processor is configured to further calculate a second correspondence relationship in a direction of rotation with the sternum as an axis between the subject and the three-dimensional image, based on the second positions in the three-dimensional image and the second body surface positions in the subject.

12. A method of processing medical images with an image processing apparatus, the apparatus including at least one processor coupled to a non-transitory memory that stores executable instructions, wherein responsive to executing the instructions, the at least one processor performs the method comprising:

acquiring a plurality of first positions in a three-dimensional image of a subject as positions of a sternum in the three-dimensional image of the subject, and calculating a first sternum direction vector as a direction of the sternum in the three-dimensional image based on the plurality of first positions;

acquiring a plurality of first body surface positions of the subject as positions of the sternum in the subject, and calculating a second sternum direction vector as a direction of the sternum in the subject based on the plurality of first body surface positions; and

calculating a first correspondence relationship in a position of the sternum between the subject and the three-dimensional image, by (a) matching a first position of the sternum in the three-dimensional image and a first body surface position of the sternum in the body of the subject and (b) matching the first sternum direction vector and the second sternum direction vector,

wherein the at least one processor performs further acquiring a plurality of second positions in the three-dimensional image of the subject as positions of ribs in the three-dimensional image of the subject,

wherein the at least one processor performs further acquiring a plurality of second body surface positions of the subject as positions of the ribs in the subject,

wherein the at least one processor performs further calculating a second correspondence relationship in a direction of rotation with the sternum as an axis between the subject and the three-dimensional image, based on the second positions in the three-dimensional image and the second body surface positions in the subject, and

wherein the at least one processor further performs generating a tomographic image on the basis of a cross section in the three-dimensional image, the cross section being specified using the first correspondence relationship and the second correspondence relationship.