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Image processing method and image processing device

a technology of image processing which is applied in the field of image processing method and image processing device, can solve the problems of obstructing region information completely lost, difficult to exclude exactly only the obstructing region, and difficult to render bloodstream correctly. , to achieve the effect of accurate display

Inactive Publication Date: 2009-10-08
ZIOSOFT
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  • Summary
  • Abstract
  • Description
  • Claims
  • Application Information

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

This approach enables accurate and objective rendering of medical images by preserving the outline of obstructing regions and their surroundings, improving diagnostic reliability and reducing image distortion, while allowing for dynamic adjustment of calcified region removal based on user input.

Problems solved by technology

However, sometimes it becomes difficult to render an organ having no characteristic in the voxel values.
Hence the information of the obstructing regions themselves is completely lost.
Moreover, it is difficult to exclude exactly only the obstructing region and to render the bloodstream correctly.
Furthermore, since an extracted region is designated in voxel units, aliases may arise at the boundary of the region, which results in deterioration of the image.
In addition, retention of mask information and second volume data may cause an unnecessary load to the memory, and when the volume data is modified, the comparison with the original date becomes difficult.
Additionally, the extraction of individual obstructing regions takes much time and largely depends on subjective factors of a user.
In particular, since the extraction depends on the subjective factors of the user, reproducibility by each user is low, which results in lack of universality as objective diagnostic information.
Therefore, there is a problem that it is difficult to use the methods at actual diagnosis and hence actually, they are not so widely employed.
Moreover, in the method of the related art, the calcified region 61 is not displayed at all, and hence it becomes difficult to determine a diseased part.
Also a necessary region is removed frequently, and hence reliability decreases.

Method used

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Experimental program
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first embodiment

[0090](MIP Processing—Gradient is Used without Flip-Over)

[0091]FIG. 3 is an explanatory drawing of the case when gradient is used in the MIP processing (without flip-over) in the image processing of the present embodiment. In the present embodiment, two threshold values are prepared, and voxel values are separated into three groups by the threshold values in order to perform calculation for exclusion of an obstructing region. That is, the voxel values are separated into three groups: a group to be completely excluded (a portion having sufficiently high voxel values is regarded as a calcified region and removed); a group to be possibly excluded (a region where voxel values do not give sufficient clues for determining whether the region should be removed or not); and a group not to be excluded (normal tissue). Then only the region in the group to be possibly excluded is separated again based on the gradient.

[0092]In the present embodiment, both of the calcified region itself and the t...

second embodiment

[0103](MIP Processing—Gradient is Used with Flip-Over)

[0104]FIGS. 7A, 7B and 7C are explanatory drawings of the case when gradient and flip-over are used for the MIP processing in the image processing method of the present embodiment. In the image processing method of the present embodiment, a first profile pattern is modified using “flip-over” and “gradient factor”. Thereby, the position of the maximum value changes, and hence the changed maximum value is utilized. That is, a second profile pattern can be generated by replacing the data on the first profile pattern. By conducting such processing, as compared with the case when the exclusion is performed just by determining a range with thresholds for removing an obstacle on the virtual ray, smoother change can be applied to the image. Thus, in rendering, it can be prevented that the boundary of the excluded region appears as alias. Furthermore, more flexibility can be enhanced in the image processing.

[0105]In the present embodiment...

third embodiment

[0112](MIP Processing—with Flip-Over)

[0113]In the image processing method of the present embodiment, a processing is performed in which a magnitude of a local slope of the profile pattern is calculated for determining whether the calcified region is to be excluded. Furthermore, in order to elicit the magnitude of the local slope, a second profile pattern is generated. FIG. 12 shows a procedure 1 of the present embodiment, wherein the second profile pattern is obtained by replacing the original profile pattern of the virtual ray having equal to or larger than a threshold value, with flip-over. In procedure 1, for example, the second profile pattern is generated, which is a replacing data, by flipping over the profile pattern having voxel values equal to or larger than a threshold value (threshold value T: to be precisely described in FIG. 22). This procedure prevent rendering of a calcified region having high voxel values, and is conducted for excluding the portion where change in th...

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PUM

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Abstract

A threshold value T which is a little larger than voxel values of a target tissue such as bloodstream is determined. Next, a virtual ray is projected, and voxel values on the virtual ray are obtained as an array A1 (original array). Then, an array A2 (replaced array) is generated by the voxel values of the array A1 which are equal to or larger than the threshold value T are flipped-over at the threshold value T. Then, a part of the data on the array A2, e.g., flipped-over data corresponding to the center part of the calcified region is excluded. Next, a maximum value M2 on the array A2 is obtained, and a value M1 on the array A1 corresponding to the value M2 is obtained. Then, the value M1 is employed as a pixel value for the virtual ray.

Description

[0001]This application is a division of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11 / 346,058 filed Feb. 2, 2006, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.[0002]This application claims foreign priority based on Japanese Patent application No. 2005-054863, filed Feb. 28, 2005, the contents of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0003]1. Field of the Invention[0004]The present invention relates to an image processing method and image processing device by volume rendering.[0005]2. Description of the Related Art[0006]Hitherto, a projected image has been acquired by projecting virtual ray into a three-dimensional image obtained with a computed tomography (CT) apparatus, a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) apparatus, or the like. As a processing for obtaining such a projected image, volume rendering has been widely employed. As the volume rendering, there are known, for example, MIP (Maximum Intensity Projection) processing wherein ma...

Claims

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Application Information

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Patent Type & Authority Applications(United States)
IPC IPC(8): G06T17/00G06T15/50A61B5/00A61B5/055A61B6/03G06T15/08
CPCG06T15/06A61B6/507G06T15/08G06T11/003G06T17/00G06T15/00
Inventor MATSUMOTO, KAZUHIKO
Owner ZIOSOFT