Medical image processing device, medical image diagnosis device, and medical image processing method

Abstract

To provide a device and the like useful for automatically determining the outline of a blood vessel in a vascular tree structure at or near a branch point. A blood vessel model generation unit is provided for at least including a branch point, an upper segment located upstream of the branch point in the blood flow, a first lower segment located downstream of the branch point in the blood flow, and an opposite segment. This bifurcation point is located on the downstream side of the blood flow and is different from the blood vessels of the subject including the second lower segment than the first lower segment, and at least a first blood vessel model and a second blood vessel model are generated, the The first blood vessel model includes the upper segment, the bifurcation point, and the first lower segment, and the second blood vessel model includes the upper segment, the bifurcation point, and the second lower segment. a lower segment; and a contour branch point determination unit that determines a contour branch point of the blood vessel using at least the first blood vessel model and the second blood vessel model.

Description

technical field [0001] In general, the embodiments described in this specification relate to methods and devices for modeling branch structures in medical image applications, for example. Embodiments apply in particular to the contours of vessels for automatically determining the structure of the vessel tree, especially at or near bifurcation points. Background technique [0002] It is well known to use three-dimensional medical imaging technology to obtain image data representing the internal structure of a patient's body or other objects. [0003] For example, it is known to use computed tomography (CT) scanners to obtain three-dimensional image data representing blood vessels or other structures. Usually, a contrast medium is injected into a subject's blood vessel so as to pass through the caring vessel. If a contrast agent is present, the image data representing blood vessels obtained by CT scanning has relatively high brightness and is easily distinguished from surrou...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

If in a situation where the operator has to manually adjust the contour for a segment or part of a certain vessel, for that same segment or part of the segment the contour has been manually adjusted in consideration of another vessel, for the operation would become a particularly time consuming

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