Image processing apparatus and reconstruction condition setting method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10019798-B2
Application number	US-201515309911-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 20, 2015
Priority date	Jun 5, 2014
Publication date	Jul 10, 2018
Grant date	Jul 10, 2018

Abstract

An image processing apparatus includes a control unit that reconstructs images by using raw data, a storage unit that stores the raw data, the images, and reconstruction conditions used when the images are reconstructed, in correlation with each other, a display unit; and an input unit that inputs selection of an image on which post-reconstruction will be performed among the images stored in the storage unit and post-reconstruction conditions, by referring to the image displayed on the display unit, in which the control unit receives selection of the image which is input via the input unit, reads selected image reconstruction conditions based on the received selection of the image from the storage unit, calculates comparison information of image quality on the basis of the read reconstruction conditions and post-reconstruction conditions input via the input unit, and displays the calculated comparison information on the display unit.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An image processing apparatus comprising:
a control unit that reconstructs images by using raw data measured by a medical imaging apparatus;
a storage unit that stores the raw data, the images, and reconstruction conditions used when the images are reconstructed, in correlation with each other;
a display unit that displays an image read from the storage unit; and
an input unit that inputs selection of an image on which a post-reconstruction process will be performed among the images stored in the storage unit and post-reconstruction conditions, by referring to the image displayed on the display unit,
wherein the control unit receives selection of the image which is input via the input unit, reads the selected image reconstruction conditions from the storage unit, calculates comparison information of image quality obtained in a case where an image is reconstructed with each condition on the basis of the read reconstruction conditions and post-reconstruction conditions input via the input unit, and displays the calculated comparison information on the display unit.

2. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the control unit applies the post-reconstruction conditions to a representative image among selected images so as to perform the post-reconstruction process and to generate a preview image, and displays the preview image on the display unit along with the comparison information.

3. The image processing apparatus according to claim 2 ,
wherein the control unit uses, as the representative image, an image at a body axis direction position corresponding to the center of a part or an image at a body axis direction position including a feature point where a structure changes.

4. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the control unit calculates the comparison information on the basis of a value of at least one of a modulation transfer function of a reconstruction filter function and each parameter included in the reconstruction conditions or the post-reconstruction conditions.

5. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the control unit completes calculation of the comparison information before performing the post-reconstruction process on all sliced images included in the selected images.

6. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the control unit applies the post-reconstruction conditions to a representative image among selected images so as to perform the post-reconstruction process and to generate a preview image based on the representative image subjected to the post-reconstruction process, and performs the post-reconstruction process on sliced images other than the representative image in parallel to calculation and display of the comparison information after generating the preview image.

7. The image processing apparatus according to claim 6 ,
wherein, in a case where post-reconstruction conditions which are different from the post-reconstruction conditions are input or an instruction for stopping the post-reconstruction process on sliced images other than the representative image is input via the input unit, the control unit regards the input as an instruction for stopping the currently performed post-reconstruction process, and, in a case where the different post-reconstruction conditions are input, the control unit calculates comparison information between the received different post-reconstruction conditions and the reconstruction conditions.

8. An image processing apparatus comprising:
a control unit that reconstructs images by using raw data measured by a medical imaging apparatus;
a storage unit that stores the raw data, the images, and reconstruction conditions used when the images are reconstructed, in correlation with each other;
a display unit that displays an image read from the storage unit; and
an input unit that inputs selection of an image on which a post-reconstruction process will be performed among the images stored in the storage unit and post-reconstruction conditions, by referring to the image displayed on the display unit,
wherein the control unit receives selection via the input unit of an original image which was constructed using the raw data and reconstruction conditions, reads the selected original image reconstruction conditions from the storage unit, calculates comparison information of image quality between the original image and an output scheduled image reconstructed using a same said raw data and a changing of the reconstruction conditions to the post-reconstruction conditions input via the input unit, and displays the calculated comparison information on the display unit.

9. A reconstruction condition setting method comprising:
reconstructing images by using raw data measured by a medical imaging apparatus;
storing the raw data, the images, and reconstruction conditions used when the images are reconstructed, in correlation with each other in the storage unit;
selecting an image on which a post-reconstruction process will be performed among the images stored in the storage unit;
inputting post-reconstruction conditions;
acquiring selected image reconstruction conditions from the storage unit;
calculating comparison information of image quality obtained in a case where an image is reconstructed with each condition on the basis of the acquired reconstruction conditions and the input post-reconstruction conditions; and
displaying the calculated comparison information.

Assignees

• Hitachi Ltd

Inventors

• Ninomiya Hiroaki

Classifications

• G06T12/00

  Tomographic reconstruction from projections · CPC title

• A61B6/5205

  involving processing of raw data to produce diagnostic data · CPC title

• G06T2207/10081

  Computed x-ray tomography [CT] · CPC title

• A61B6/032

  Transmission computed tomography [CT] · CPC title

• G06T7/0012 Primary

  Biomedical image inspection · CPC title