Apparatus and method of processing computed tomography image

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017294016-A1
Application number	US-201715485331-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 12, 2017
Priority date	Apr 12, 2016
Publication date	Oct 12, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

An apparatus for processing a computed tomography (CT) image includes a processor configured to set window widths and window levels of a plurality of setting areas, and a display configured to display a screen view showing a plurality of CT images on the plurality of setting areas, wherein the plurality of setting areas have different window levels. The window widths are portions of a display range of the display, and the window lengths are midpoints of the portions of the display range of the display. The processor generates and converts the CT images according to the window widths and the window levels.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An apparatus for processing a computed tomography (CT) image, the apparatus comprising:
a display configured to display a screen view showing a plurality of CT images respectively corresponding to a plurality of setting areas; and a processor configured to: set window widths that indicate a number of CT numbers included in a CT number range that may change a display grayscale and window levels that are representative values of the CT numbers included in the CT number range, of the plurality of setting areas of the display and
generate and convert the plurality of CT images according to the window widths and the window levels respectively corresponding to the plurality of setting areas,
wherein the window levels of the plurality of setting areas are different, and the plurality of CT images correspond to a same slice of a same data set.

2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of setting areas corresponds to a corresponding viewing area of the display.

3 . The apparatus of claim 2 , further comprising an input device configured to generate a control signal for controlling the screen view,
wherein the processor is further configured to change at least one from among a rendering method, a zooming setting value, and slice sections, for the plurality of setting areas, based on the control signal.

4 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of setting areas correspond to different areas on the display defined in one CT image.

5 . The apparatus of claim 4 , further comprising an input device configured to generate a control signal for setting the plurality of setting areas,
wherein the processor is further configured to perform at least one from among a process of adding an additional setting area, a process of deleting a setting area of the plurality of setting areas or the additional setting area, a process of changing the setting area or the additional setting area, a process of changing a window width of the setting area or the additional setting area, and a process of changing a window level of the setting area or the additional setting area, based on the control signal.

6 . The apparatus of claim 5 , further comprising a storage configured to store information about the plurality of setting areas, the window widths, and the window levels set according to the control signal.

7 . The apparatus of claim 4 , further comprising an input device configured to generate a control signal for setting the plurality of setting areas,
wherein the processor is further configured to generate, on the screen view, an additional setting area displaying CT image data that is same as CT image data displayed on a setting area selected by the control signal, from among the plurality of setting areas.

8 . The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein window widths and window levels of the plurality of setting areas are differently defined according to slice sections of the CT image.

9 . The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein positions and sizes of the plurality of setting areas are differently defined according to slice sections of CT image data.

10 . The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein at least one from among positions, sizes, window widths, and window levels of the plurality of setting areas are differently defined according to segments of an object displayed on CT image data.

11 . A method of processing a computed tomography (CT) image, the method comprising:
setting window widths that indicate a number of CT numbers included in a CT number range that may change a display grayscale and window levels that are representative values of the CT numbers included in the CT number range, for a plurality of setting areas of a display; generating and converting a plurality of CT images according to the window widths and the window levels corresponding to the plurality of setting areas; and displaying a screen view showing the plurality of CT images respectively corresponding to the plurality of setting areas, wherein the plurality of setting areas have different window levels, wherein the plurality of CT images correspond to a same slice of a same data set.

12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein each of the plurality of setting areas corresponds to a corresponding viewing area of the display.

13 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
receiving a control signal for controlling the screen view; and changing at least one from among a rendering method, a zooming setting value, and slice sections of the plurality of setting areas, based on the control signal.

14 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the plurality of setting areas correspond to different areas on the display defined in one CT image.

15 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising:
receiving a control signal for setting the plurality of setting areas; and performing at least one from among a process of adding an additional setting area, a process of deleting a setting area of the plurality of setting areas or the additional setting area, a process of changing the setting area or the additional setting area, a process of changing a window width of the setting area or the additional setting area, and a process of changing a window level of the setting area or the additional setting area.

16 . The method of claim 15 , further comprising storing information about the plurality of setting areas, the window widths, and the window levels set according to the control signal.

17 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising:
receiving a control signal for setting the plurality of setting areas; and generating, on the screen view, an additional setting area displaying CT image data that is same as CT image data displayed on a setting area selected by the control signal, from among the plurality of setting areas.

18 . The method of claim 14 , wherein window widths and window levels of the plurality of setting areas are differently defined according to slice sections of the CT image.

19 . The method of claim 14 , wherein positions and sizes of the plurality of setting areas are differently defined according to slice sections of CT image data.

20 . A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, the computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions for:
setting window widths that indicate a number of CT numbers included in a CT number range that may change a display grayscale and window levels that are representative values of the CT numbers included in the CT number range, for a plurality of setting areas of a display; generating and converting a plurality of computed tomography (CT) images according to the window widths and the window levels corresponding to the plurality of setting areas; and displaying a screen view showing the plurality of CT images respectively corresponding to the plurality of setting areas, wherein the plurality of setting areas have different window levels, wherein the plurality of CT images correspond to a same slice of a same data set.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Lee Yeon-Ju
• Ro Dong-Oan
• YU Yeong-ae

Classifications

• G06T12/10 Primary

  Image preprocessing, e.g. calibration, positioning of sources or scatter correction · CPC title

• G06T2207/10081

  Computed x-ray tomography [CT] · CPC title

• G06T7/0012 Primary

  Biomedical image inspection · CPC title