Patent · US Active

Medical image processing apparatus, and medical image processing method

US7639855B2 · kind B2 · utility

6Cited by
11References
36Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateApr 2, 2004
Grant dateDec 29, 2009
Priority date
Expiry dateJun 24, 2026

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG06T2207/30172
  • WIPO fieldMedical technology
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

An image processing apparatus acquires three-dimensional volume data from a modality, and a start point, end point, etc. of an extraction target vessel. The image processing apparatus specifies cross sectional regions of the vessel sequentially from the designated start point. The image processing apparatus sequentially obtains the area of images appearing in each specified cross sectional region in accordance with changes in threshold. The image processing apparatus clarifies the cross section of the vessel in each region based on rate of change in the obtained area. The image processing apparatus obtains a center position of the clarified cross section of the vessel, and obtains a three-dimensional path representing a center line of the vessel in its longitudinal direction. The image processing apparatus generates plural kinds of images representing the vessel based on the obtained three-dimensional path, and displays them together on a display device.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.