Image processing apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017296049-A1
Application number	US-201715481196-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 6, 2017
Priority date	Apr 15, 2016
Publication date	Oct 19, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

An image processing apparatus includes a determination unit configured to determine, as a partial region of a multi-channel fundus image including an optic disk area and a macular area of a subject's eye, one of a region of the multi-channel fundus image which includes the macular area and a region of the multi-channel fundus image which includes the optic disk area, and a generation unit configured to generate an image in which a difference in color of the partial region is enhanced, by applying to the partial region image processing based on a decorrelation stretching method.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An image processing apparatus comprising:
an acquisition unit configured to acquire a multi-channel fundus image including an optic disk area and a macular area of a subject's eye; a determination unit configured to determine, as a partial region of the multi-channel fundus image, one of a region of the multi-channel fundus image which includes the macular area and a region of the multi-channel fundus image which includes the optic disk area; and a generation unit configured to generate an image in which a difference in color of the partial region is enhanced, by applying image processing based on a decorrelation stretching method to the partial region.

2 . The image processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the determination unit determines the partial region based on designation of at least one point on the multi-channel fundus image according to a user operation.

3 . The image processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the determination unit determines the partial region according to a mode relating to a diagnostic purpose selected by a user.

4 . The image processing apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein in a case where a mode relating to glaucoma is selected, the determination unit determines as the partial region the region of the fundus image which includes the optic disk area, and in a case where a mode relating to age-related macular degeneration is selected, the determination unit determines as the partial region the region of the fundus image which includes the macular area.

5 . The image processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the determination unit determines the partial region according to a site selected by a user.

6 . The image processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the determination unit determines the partial region according to a position of light incident on the subject's eye from a fixation lamp.

7 . The image processing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a display control unit configured to display the generated image on a display unit.

8 . The image processing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a display control unit configured to display the generated image on a display unit in such a manner that the generated image is placed over the partial region of the multi-channel fundus image.

9 . The image processing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
an analysis unit configured to analyze the generated image to extract a predetermined region of the generated image; and a display control unit configured to display the extracted predetermined region on a display unit in such a manner that the extracted predetermined region is placed over a position on the multi-channel fundus image which corresponds to the extracted predetermined region.

10 . The image processing apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the generation unit generates as a different image from the enhanced image an image in which a difference in color of the partial region is enhanced, by applying to the partial region different image processing from the image processing based on the decorrelation stretching method, and
wherein the display control unit displays the enhanced image and the different image next to each other on the display unit.

11 . The image processing apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the generation unit generates as the enhanced image a first image and a second image by applying to the partial region image processing based on a first value of a parameter used in the decorrelation stretching method and image processing based on a second value which is different from the first value, and
wherein the display control unit displays the first image and the second image next to each other on the display unit.

12 . The image processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the acquisition unit acquires a plurality of the multi-channel fundus images obtained by capturing images of the subject's eye on different dates,
wherein the determination unit determines a reference fundus image from the plurality of the multi-channel fundus images, and wherein the generation unit applies image processing based on the decorrelation stretching method to another fundus image among the plurality of the multi-channel fundus images which is different from the reference fundus image, using a value of a parameter used in the decorrelation stretching method applied to the partial region of the reference fundus image.

13 . The image processing apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the parameter includes at least a parameter relating to a plurality of axial directions of principal components in a case where pixel values of the partial region are distributed in a predetermined color space.

14 . The image processing apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein in a case where pixel values of the partial region are distributed in a predetermined color space, the generation unit substantially equalizes amounts of dispersion of color on a plurality of axes of principal components, and
wherein the parameter is a parameter relating to a target amount in enhancing the substantially equalized amounts of dispersion.

15 . The image processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the image processing based on the decorrelation stretching method which is applied to the partial region is processing of substantially equalizing amounts of dispersion of color on a plurality of axes of principal components and enhancing the substantially equalized amounts of dispersion in a case where colors of the partial region are distributed in a predetermined color space.

16 . The image processing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a selection unit configured to select one of a plurality of modes including a cataract mode; and a sharpening unit configured to sharpen the multi-channel fundus image or the partial region in a case where the cataract mode is selected.

17 . The image processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the determination unit determines, as the partial region of the multi-channel fundus image, one of a region of the multi-channel fundus image which includes the macular area and does not include the optic disk area and a region of the multi-channel fundus image which includes the optic disk area and does not include the macular area.

18 . The image processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the determination unit determines one of the region which includes the macular area and the region which includes the optic disk area from two regions defined by a line intersecting a line segment connecting the optic disk area and the macular area of the multi-channel fundus image.

19 . An image processing apparatus comprising:
an acquisition unit configured to acquire a fundus image fundus image including an optic disk area and a macular area of a subject's eye; a determination unit configured to determine (a) a first region which is a partial region of the multi-channel fundus image and includes the macular area and (b) a second region which is a partial region of the multi-channel fundus image and includes the optic disk area; and a generation unit configured to generate an image in which a difference in color of the first region and a difference in color of the second region are respectively enhanced, by applying different image processing based on a decorrelation stretching method to the first region and the second region.

20 . An image processing appara

Assignees

• Canon Kk

Inventors

• Uji Akihito
• Yoshimura Nagahisa
• Imamura Hiroshi
• Sato Makoto

Classifications

• A61B3/0041

  characterised by display arrangements · CPC title

• G06T2207/30041

  Eye; Retina; Ophthalmic · CPC title

• A61B3/14

  Arrangements specially adapted for eye photography · CPC title

• G06T7/0012

  Biomedical image inspection · CPC title

• G06T7/90

  Determination of colour characteristics · CPC title