Apparatus, method, and program for processing medical image, and radiotherapy apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016136458-A1
Application number	US-201514944672-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 18, 2015
Priority date	Nov 19, 2014
Publication date	May 19, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

According to one embodiment, a medical image processing apparatus, includes: a first acquisition unit; a second acquisition unit; and a part-removed image generation unit, wherein the first acquisition unit is adapted to acquire a first radiograph that is a virtual radiograph generated to have a specified part or a predetermined part, among parts included in volume data indicative of a three-dimensional structure of an inside of a body of a patient, being emphasized, the second acquisition unit is adapted to acquire a second radiograph of the inside of the body of the patient, and the part-removed image generation unit is adapted to generate a part-removed image by removing the specified or predetermined part or parts other than the specified or predetermined part from the second radiograph with reference to the first radiograph.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A medical image processing apparatus, comprising:
a first acquisition unit; a second acquisition unit; and a part-removed image generation unit, wherein the first acquisition unit is adapted to acquire a first radiograph that is a virtual radiograph generated to have a specified part or a predetermined part, among parts included in volume data indicative of a three-dimensional structure of an inside of a body of a patient, being emphasized, the second acquisition unit is adapted to acquire a second radiograph of the inside of the body of the patient, and the part-removed image generation unit is adapted to generate a part-removed image by removing the specified or predetermined part or parts other than the specified or predetermined part from the second radiograph with reference to the first radiograph.

2 . The medical image processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the second acquisition unit consecutively acquires the second radiograph, the medical image processing apparatus further comprising
an external output unit adapted to consecutively output the part-removed image.

3 . The medical image processing apparatus according to claim 1 , comprising:
a volume data acquisition unit adapted to acquire the volume data; and a first radiograph generation unit adapted to generate the first radiograph, wherein the volume data acquisition unit and the first radiograph generation unit are provided on an upstream side of the first acquisition unit.

4 . The medical image processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the part-removed image generation unit has a smoothing unit adapted to apply a smoothing filter formed with reference to the first radiograph to the second radiograph.

5 . A radiotherapy apparatus, comprising:
a radiograph imaging unit; a movement amount calculation unit; a treatment table moving unit; an identification unit; and a beam emission unit, wherein the radiograph imaging unit is adapted to image the second radiograph acquired by the second acquisition unit of the medical image processing apparatus according to claim 2 , the movement amount calculation unit is adapted to calculate a movement amount of a treatment table with the patient being mounted thereon, based on the imaged second radiograph, the treatment table moving unit is adapted to move the treatment table in accordance with the movement amount, the identification unit is adapted to identify a tracking target based on the part-removed image consecutively output from the external output unit of the medical image processing apparatus, and the beam emission unit is adapted to emit a beam that is medical radiation such as an X-ray and a heavy particle beam to an affected part of the patient at timing when the tracking target changing in the consecutive part-removed images in plural matches with an irradiation point of the beam, or the beam emission unit is adapted to emit the beam to the tracking target while tracking the tracking target.

6 . A method for processing a medical image, comprising:
a first acquisition step; a second acquisition step; and a generation step, wherein the first acquisition step is to acquire a first radiograph that is a virtual radiograph generated to have a specified part or a predetermined part, among parts included in volume data indicative of a three-dimensional structure of an inside of a body of a patient, being emphasized, the second acquisition step is to acquire a second radiograph of the inside of the body of the patient, and the generation step is to generate a part-removed image by removing the specified or predetermined part or parts other than the specified or predetermined part from the second radiograph with reference to the first radiograph.

7 . A medical image processing program for causing a computer to execute the steps comprising:
a first acquisition step; a second acquisition step; and a generation step, wherein the first acquisition step is to acquire a first radiograph that is a virtual radiograph generated to have a specified part or a predetermined part, among parts included in volume data indicative of a three-dimensional structure of an inside of a body of a patient, being emphasized, the second acquisition step is to acquire a second radiograph of the inside of the body of the patient, and the generation step is to generate a part-removed image by removing the specified or predetermined part or parts other than the specified or predetermined part from the second radiograph with reference to the first radiograph.

Assignees

• Toshiba Kk
• Nat Inst Radiolog

Inventors

• Taguchi Yasunori
• Sakata Yukinobu
• Hirai Ryusuke
• Sugiura Kyoka
• Takeguchi Tomoyuki
• Mori Shinichiro
• Maruyama Fumi

Classifications

• G06T12/30

  Image post-processing, e.g. metal artefact correction · CPC title

• G06T2207/10016

  Video; Image sequence · CPC title

• G06T7/0012

  Biomedical image inspection · CPC title

• G06T2207/30008

  Bone · CPC title

• A61N2005/1085

  characterised by the type of particles applied to the patient · CPC title