Image processing apparatus and image processing method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12573040-B2
Application number	US-202318476399-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 28, 2023
Priority date	Sep 28, 2022
Publication date	Mar 10, 2026
Grant date	Mar 10, 2026

Abstract

An image processing apparatus according to an embodiment includes processing circuitry configured: to obtain a medical image to be labeled; to obtain first image data taken by implementing a first imaging method; to specify a feature related to a first organ in the first image data; to receive an imaged range that is in second image data to be taken by implementing a second imaging method and is related to a second organ; to specify a feature related to the imaged range of the second organ corresponding to the imaged range of the second organ in the first image data; and to estimate an imaging parameter that corresponds to the imaged range of the second organ corresponding to the second imaging method, on the basis of the feature related to the first organ and the feature related to the imaged range of the second organ in the first image data.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An image processing apparatus comprising processing circuitry configured:
to obtain first image data taken by implementing a first imaging method; to specify a feature related to a first organ in the first image data; to receive an imaged range that is in second image data to be taken by implementing a second imaging method different from the first imaging method and is related to a second organ different from the first organ; to specify a feature related to the imaged range of the second organ in the first image data; and to estimate an imaging parameter that corresponds to the imaged range of the second organ corresponding to the second imaging method, on a basis of the feature related to the first organ and the feature related to the imaged range of the second organ in the first image data.

2 . The image processing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
storage circuitry having stored therein a template indicating the feature related to the imaged range of the second organ, wherein on a basis of the received imaged range of the second organ, the processing circuitry is configured to specify the feature related to the imaged range of the second organ, from the template stored in the storage circuitry.

3 . The image processing apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the template stored in the storage circuitry includes information indicating a view name corresponding to the second imaging method, information indicating an anatomical feature corresponding to the view name, and information indicating an algorithm sequence for extracting the anatomical feature.

4 . The image processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry is configured to process a brightness value in the first image data so as to convert a brightness value corresponding to the first imaging method into a brightness value corresponding to the second imaging method.

5 . The image processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the processing circuitry is configured to segment the first organ in the first image data, on a basis of the specified feature related to the first organ in the first image data, and on a basis of the segmented first organ, the processing circuitry is configured to generate, in the first image data, a path of a transducer used for imaging the second organ by implementing the second imaging method.

6 . The image processing apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the imaging parameter includes a position of the transducer and a depth and an angle of a sector for specifying the imaged range of the second organ corresponding to the second imaging method.

7 . The image processing apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein
the processing circuitry is configured to generate a first cross-sectional plane corresponding to the imaged range of the second organ, on a basis of the specified feature related to the imaged range of the second organ, the processing circuitry is configured to estimate the position of the transducer on a basis of the specified feature related to the first organ and the generated first cross-sectional plane, and the processing circuitry is configured to estimate the depth and the angle of the sector in the position of the transducer on the first cross-sectional plane, on a basis of the feature related to the imaged range of the second organ.

8 . The image processing apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the processing circuitry is configured to specify, as the feature related to the imaged range of the second organ, an anatomical feature in the first image data, on a basis of an algorithm sequence for extracting the anatomical feature and to further generate the first cross-sectional plane on a basis of the anatomical feature.

9 . The image processing apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein
the feature related to the first organ includes a centerline and an inner contour of the first organ, and the processing circuitry is configured to estimate an intersection point between the centerline of the first organ and the first cross-sectional plane, as the position of the transducer.

10 . The image processing apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein, as the feature related to the imaged range of the second organ, the processing circuitry is configured, on a basis of anatomical features, to estimate the depth and the angle of the sector so that the sector includes all the anatomical features, while an area of the sector is minimized.

11 . The image processing apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the processing circuitry is configured, on a basis of the estimated imaging parameter, to display, in a during-procedure image, an estimated sector being the sector corresponding to the imaging parameter, to also display a current sector on a basis of a current position and a current orientation of the transducer, and to guide an operation performed by the operator in relation to adjusting the current position of the transducer and the imaging parameter, so as to be able to match the current sector with the estimated sector.

12 . The image processing apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the processing circuitry is configured:
to segment the second organ into grid sections on a basis of the first image data; to receive a grid position of a designated one of the grid sections; to input the grid position as an anatomical feature into the template stored in the storage circuitry; and to estimate the imaging parameter on a basis of the input anatomical feature.

13 . The image processing apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein, on a basis of features related a plurality of imaged ranges of the second organ in the template, the processing circuitry is configured to estimate each of corresponding imaging parameters.

14 . An image processing method comprising:
a first image obtaining step of obtaining first image data taken by implementing a first imaging method; a first feature specifying step of specifying a feature related to a first organ in the first image data; a receiving step of receiving an imaged range that is in second image data to be taken by implementing a second imaging method different from the first imaging method and is related to a second organ different from the first organ; a second feature specifying step of specifying a feature related to the imaged range of the second organ in the first image data; and an estimating step of estimating an imaging parameter that corresponds to the imaged range of the second organ corresponding to the second imaging method, on a basis of the feature related to the first organ and the feature related to the imaged range of the second organ in the first image data.

Assignees

• Canon Medical Systems Corp

Inventors

• Li Yufei
• Zhu Qi
• Aoyama Gakuto
• Qu Changsheng

Classifications

• G06T7/74

  involving reference images or patches · CPC title

• G06T2207/30048

  Heart; Cardiac · CPC title

• G06T2207/10132

  Ultrasound image · CPC title

• G06T7/50

  Depth or shape recovery · CPC title

• G06T2207/10081

  Computed x-ray tomography [CT] · CPC title