[Name of Document] Specification
[Title of Invent ion] MEDICAL IMAGE DISPLAY APPARATUS, MEDICAL IMAGE
DISPLAY METHOD, AND MEDICAL IMAGE DISPLAY PROGRAM
5 [Technical Field]
[0001]
The present invention is related to a medical image display
apparatus, a medical image display method, and a medical image
display program. The present invention is particularly related to
10 a that medical image display apparatus, a medical image display
method, andamedicalimagedisplayprogram that displayadditional
information images that represent information added to three
dimensional medical images along with the three dimensional medical
images.
[Background Art 1
[0002]
Conventionally, three dimensional medical images of subjects
are obtained by imaging the subjects with a CT (Computed Tomography)
20 apparatus, an MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) apparatus, or the
like. These three dimensionalmedical images are displayedto users
on display devices by display methods such as MPR (Multi Planar
Reconstruction) and volume rendering.
25 When explanations are given while showing the three
dimensional medical images to third parties for reports, at
conferences, and at research presentations, arrows that indicate
regions of interest within the three dimensionalmedicalimageswere
added as annotations and displayed.
3 0
[Background Art Documents 1
[Patent Documents]
[0004]
[Patent Document 11
3 5 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2008-245832
[Patent Document 2 I
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2001-283191
[ Patent Document 3 1
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2010-131315
[Problem to be Solved by the Invention]
[0005]
Whenannotations areaddedasdescribedabove, it isnecessary
to set the color of the annotations such that they can be distinguished
10 from the color of the three dimensional medical images. However,
there were cases in which it is d i f f i c u l t to distinguish the color
of the annotations, which are set in advance, from the color of the
three dimensional medical images.
[0006]
15 In addition, when CPR (Curved Planar Reformation) images are
displayedbasedonthreedimensionalmedicalimages, there are cases
in which the images of cut curved surfaces of the CPR images are
displayed on volume rendered images as annotations. Generally,
volume rendered images are displayed as color images. Therefore,
20 there are cases in which the images of cut curved surfaces become
buried within the volume rendered images depending on the color
thereof. Insuchcases, itwillbecomedifficult tounderstandwhich
curvedsurface is beingdisplayed. In addition, it is desirable for
a color specified by a user to be employed as the color of the
25 annotations, in order to f a c i l i t a t e viewing by third parties or to
emphasize the annotations.
[0007]
Patent Document 1 proposes to adjust the brightness of an
object such as a text box according to the brightness of a medical
30 image when displaying the object along with the medical image.
However, the brightness of the object is adjusted in order to solve
a problem that medical images, in which high display precision is
required, may be influenced depending on the brightness of objects
displayed therewith, resulting in image diagnosis being adversely
35 affected. Patent Document 1 does not propose any measures from the
viewpoint of facilitating discrimination of objects.
[0008]
Patent Document 2 and Patent Document 3 propose displaying
a region of interest and regions other than the region of interest
5 suchthattheycanbedistinguishedfromeachother. However, Patent
Document 2 and Patent Document 3 are silent regarding the
relationship between annotations and three dimensional medical
images.
[0009]
10 The present invention has been developed in view of the
foregoing circumstances. It is an object of the present invention
toprovideamedicalimagedisplayapparatus, amedicalimagedisplay
method, and a medical image display program that display a three
dimensional medical image of a subject and an additional information
15 image that represents information added to the three dimensional
medical image in a desired color which enables the additional
information image to be clearly distinguished from the three
dimensional medical image.
20 [Means for Solving the Problem]
[ OOlO]
A medical image display apparatus of the present invention
comprises:
Q medical image obtaining means for obtaining a three
25 dimensional medical image of a subject;
display control means for displaying the three dimensional
medical image obtained by the medical image obtaining means and an
additional information image that represents information added to
the three dimensional medical image; and
3 0 additional information display command receiving means for
receivingacommandtodisplaytheadditionalinformationimagealong
with the three dimensional medical image;
the display control means displaying the additional
information image along with the three dimensional medical image
35 and changing the color of the displayed three dimensional medical
image to a color which can be discriminated from the color of the
additional information image, when the command to display the
additional information image is received.
[0011]
5 In the medical image display apparatus of the present
invention, the display control means may display the additional
information image in color, and change the display of the three
dimensional medical image from color display to black and white
display.
10 [0012]
A configuration may be adopted, wherein the medical image
display apparatus further comprises:
color change command receiving means for receiving a command
to change thecolor oftheadditional information image; andwherein:
15 the display control means changes the color of the displayed
three dimensional image to a color which can be discriminated from
the color of the additional information image after the color of
the additional information image is changed, when the command to
change the color of the additional information image is received
20 by the color change command receiving means.
[0013]
A configuration may be adopted, wherein:
thedisplaycontrolmeansdisplays anindicator that indicates
a predetermined position within the three dimensional medical image
25 as the additional information image.
[0014]
A configuration may be adopted, wherein:
the display control means displays a CPR (Curved Planar
Reformation) image based on the three dimensional medical image,
30 and displays an image that represents a cut curved surface of the
CPR image as the additional information image on the three
dimensional medical image.
[0015]
A configuration may be adopted, wherein:
the additional information display command receiving means
also receives a comand to not display the additional information
image; and
the display control means ceases display of the additional
information image and return the color of the three dimensional
5 medical image to the color it had been displayed in prior to being
changed, when the command to not display the additional information
image is received.
[0016]
A configuration may be adopted, wherein:
the display control means returns the display of the three
dimensional medical image to color display, which is the manner in
whichthethreedimensionalmedicalimageisdisplayedpriortobeing
changed to black and white display, when the command to not display
the additional information image is received.
15 [0017]
A configuration may be adopted, wherein:
the display control means displays a volume rendered image
as the three dimensional medical image.
[0018]
20 A medical image display method of the present invention
comprises:
obtaining a three dimensional medical image of a subject; and
displaying the three dimensional medical image and an
e additional information image that represents information added to
25 the three dimensional medical image;
the additional information image being displayed along with
the three dimensional medical image and the color of the displayed
three dimensional medical image being changed to a color which can
be discriminated from the color of the additional information image,
30 when a command to display the additional information image is
received.
[0019]
A medical image display program of the present invention
causes a computer to function as:
medical image obtaining means for obtaining a three
dimensional medical image of a subject;
display control means for displaying the three dimensional
medical image obtained by the medical image obtaining means and an
additional information image that represents information added to
the three dimensional medical image; and
additional information display command receiving means for
receivingacommandtodisplaytheadditionalinfo~tionimagealong
with the three dimensional medical image;
the display control means, displaying the additional
information image along with the three dimensional medical image
and changing the color of the displayed three dimensional medical
image to a color which can be discriminated from the color of the
additional information image, when the command to display the
additional information image is received.
[0020]
Themedical imagedisplay apparatus, themedical imagedisplay
method, and the medical image display program of the present
invention receive comnds to display additional information images
along with three dimensional medical images. In the case that the
commands to display the additional information images are received,
the additional information images aredisplayedalongwiththethree
dimensional medical images, and the color of the three dimensional
medical images which are being displayed is changed to a color which
can be discriminated from the color of the additional information
images. Therefore, the additional information images can be
displayedwithadesiredcolor, andtheadditional information images
andthethreedimensionalmedicalimagescanbeclearlydistinguished
from each other.
[0021]
Inaddition, aconfigurationmaybe adopted, whereina command
to change the color of the additional information image may be
received; and the color of the displayed three dimensional image
is changed to a color which can be discriminated from the color of
the additional information image after the color of the additional
35 information image is changed, when the command to change the color
of the additional information image is received by the color change
command receiving means. In this case, the color of the additional
information image can be changed by a user, while the additional
information images and the three dimensional medical images can be
5 clearly distinguished from each other regardless of what color the
additional information image is changed into.
[0022]
F'urther, a configuration may be adopted, wherein a command
to not display the additional information image may be received;
10 and display of the additional information image is ceased and the
color ofthe three dimensionalmedical image is returnedtothe color
it had been displayed in prior to being changed, when the command
tonot display theadditional information image is received. Inthis
case, thecolorofthethreedimensionalmedicalimagecanbereturned
15 to a colorthata user is accustomedtoviewingthethreedimensional
medical image in, in a state in which the additional information
image is not being displayed.
[Brief Description of the Drawings]
20 [0023]
Figure 1 is a diagram that schematically illustrates the
configuration of a medical image display system in which a medical
image display apparatus according to an embodiment of the present
C invention is incorporated.
25 Figure 2 is a flow chart that schematically illustrates the
operations of the medical image display system in which the medical
image display apparatus according to the embodiment of the present
invention is incorporated.
Figure 3 is a diagram that illustrates an example of a three
30 dimensional medical image.
Figure 4 is a diagram for explaining an example in which the
color of a three dimensional medical image and the color of an image
of the surface of a cut curved surface of a CPR image cannot be
discriminated.
Figure 5 is a diagram for explaining a case in which a three
dimensional medical image is displayed in black and white and an
image of the surface of a cut curved surface of a CPR image is displayed
in color.
Figure 6 is a diagram that i l l u s t r a t e s an example of a case
in which an arrow shaped cursor that indicates the position of a
region of interest is displayed as an additional information image.
Figure 7 is a diagram that i l l u s t r a t e s an example of a case
in which a frame that indicates the position and range of a region
of interest is displayed as an additional information image.
[Embodiments of the Invention]
[0024]
Hereinafter, a medical image display apparatus, a medical
image display program, and a medical image display method according
toanembodimentofthepresentinventionwillbedescribedindetail
with reference to the attached drawings. Figure 1 is a diagram that
schematically i l l u s t r a t e s the configuration of a medical image
display system in which amedical image display apparatus according
to an embodiment of the present invention is incorporated. As
illustrated in Figure 1, the medical image display system according
to the present embodiment is equipped with a medical image display
apparatus 1, a storage device 2, and a display 3.
[0025]
The medical image display apparatus 1 i s a single computer,
in which the medical image display program of the present invention
is installed. The computer may be a work station or a personal
computer that a physician that performs image diagnosis operates
directly. Alternatively,thecomputermaybeaservercomputerwhich
is connectedtotheworkstationorthepersonalcomputerviaanetwork.
The medical image display program i s stored in a recording medium
such as a DVD or a CD-ROM, or in a server computer connected to a
network to be accessible from the exterior. The medical image
display program is read out from the recording medium or the server
computer, downloaded into the computer, and installed in response
to a request from a physician.
[0026]
The medical image display apparatus 1 is equipped with a CPU
(Central Processing Unit), a semiconductormemory, a storage device
such as a hard disk and an SSD (Solid State Drive), in which the
5 medical image display program is installed, etc. These hardware
components constitute amedical image obtaining section11 (medical
imageobtainingmeans), adisplaycontrol section12 (displaycontrol
means), an additional information display command receiving section
13 (additional information display command receiving means), and
10 a color change command receiving section 14 (color change command
receiving means) a s i l l u s t r a t e d in Figure 1. Each of the above
sections function by the medical image display program installed
in the hard disk being executed by the central processing unit. In
addition, the display 3 and input devices 4 constituted by a mouse,
15 a keyboard, and the like, are connected to the medical image display
apparatus 1.
[0027]
The medical image obtaining section 11 obtains three
dimensional medical images of subjects, which are photographed in
20 advance. Specifically, the medical image obtaining section 11
obtains three dimensional medical images 5 which are taken of
subjects during CT examinations and MRI examinations, as well as
CPR (Curved Planar Reformation) images 6 which are generated based
on such three dimensional medical images 5. The CPR images 6 are
25 images which are generated by cutting a three dimensional medical
image of an elongate structure such as a blood vessel, a bronchial
tube, a large intestine, and a spine along a cut curved plane along
the centerline of the structure, and then by stretching the curved
plane. CPRimagesmybedisplayedasthreedifferenttypesofimages,
30 whichare aprojected~PRimage,a stretchedCPRimge, andastraight
CPRimage, inadditiontobeingdisplayedas atwodimen~ional~lanar
image of the cut plane. Note that the three dimensional medical
images 5 and the CPR images 6 are stored in the storage device 2
in advance.
35 [0028]
Thedisplay control section12 displaysthe threedimensional
medical images 5 obtained by the medical image obtaining section
11 and the aforementioned CPR images 6 on the display 3. Further,
the display control section 12 displays additional information
5 images that represent information which is added to the three
dimensional medical images 5.
[0029]
The additional information images are similartoannotations.
Specific examples of the additional information image include: an
10 image that represents the surface of the cut curved plane of the
CPR image 6 in the three dimensional medical image 5 (hereinafter,
referred to as "surface image of cut curved plane") and an indicator
which is displayed to specify the position of a region of interest
inathreedimensionalmedicalimage 5. Examplesof suchan indicator
15 include a cursor represented as an arrow or an x, and a square or
a circular frame image that indicates the position and range of a
regionof interest. The additional information images also include
images of comment fields in which findings regarding the three
dimensional medical images 5 are written. That is, the additional
20 information images may be any type of image as long as they represent
information which is added to the three dimensional medical images
5.
[0030]
Note that the surface images of cut curved planes of the CPR
25 images 6 in the three dimensionalmedical image 5 are generatedbased
on information which is employed when generating the CPR images 6,
such as the core axes of tubular tissue such as blood vessels and
bronchial tubes. Such information is input to the medical image
displayapparatus 1alongwiththeCPRimages 6. Thedisplay control
30 section 12 generates the surface images of cut curved planes of the
CPR images 6 based on the input information. Methods for generating
surface images of cut planes of CPR images 6 are known, as disclosed
in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2012-24517, for
example. Therefore, a detailed description thereof w i l l be omitted
35 here.
[0031]
In addition, the display control section 12 controls the
display and non display of the surf ace images of cut curved planes
oftheCPRimages 6 (additional information image) andcontrolscolor
5 changesaswillbedescribedbelow. At this time, thedisplaycontrol
section 12 employs the information of the core axes which is used
when generating the CPR image 6. The information regarding the core
axescanbeobtainedbyusingthemethoddescribedinJapanese Patent
No. 4717935, for example. Hereinbelow, a method for obtaining the
10 infomationregardingthecoreaxesofthebloodvesselsoftheheart
w i l l be described.
[0032]
Specifically, f i r s t , Gaussian pyramids are generated by
administering multiple resolution transform on a three dimensional
15 medical image of the heart.
[0033]
Then, to blood vessel candidates constituted by linear
structures having different sizes are detected by administering a
predetermined detection process on each of the generated Gaussian
20 pyramids. Next, eigenvalue analysis of Hessian matrices is
performed in predetermined regions that include the blood vessel
candidates, to calculate thedirections ofthemainaxes oftheblood
vesselcandidates.AHessianmatrixisamatrixinwhichtheelements
arepartialderivativesofthe second floor. Forathreedimensional
25 image, a Hessian matrix is a 3 by 3 matrix as shown in the formula
below.
[Formula 11
Here, when A1 , A2, and A3 are the eigenvalues of the ~ e s s i a n
matrix a t an arbitrary pixel and in the case that two of the
eigenvalues are large and one of the eigenvalues is close to 0, for
example, when A3, A2 >> A1 and A180 a r e s a t i s f i e d , it is know that
the pixel is that of a l i n e a r structure. Therefore, the eigenvector
correspondingtotheminimumeigenvalue ( A l s o ) o f t h e ~ e s s i a n m a t r i x
is the direction of the main axis of a vessel candidate.
[0035]
Next, a normalization process is performed on a predetermined
target area that includes the blood vessel candidates, based on the
directionofthemainaxiswhich is calculatedinthemanner described
above. Then, feature quantities are calculated from the normalized
target region by a machine learning technique. The calculated
feature amounts are employed to judge whether true blood vessels
are included in the target region.
[0036]
In the case that it is judged that a blood vessel is included,
a predetermined point within the target region is set as a candidate
point. The judgment described above is repeated until there are no
more target regions to be judged.
[0037]
Next, when the judgments of a l l of the target regions are
completed and judgments are no longer required, a cost function is
employed to reconstruct whether the plurality of candidate points
can be connected, and the core axis of a blood vessel is obtained.
The conditions of the cost function with respect to the relationship
between a t least two o f t h e candidate points fromamongtheplurality
of set candidate points are that the two candidate points are within
a predetermined distance from each other, based on position
information of the candidate points, and that the sum of two acute
angles formed by a base line connecting the two candidate points
and the directions of the main axes of the two candidate points is
less than a predetermined angle. Specifically, for example, the
minimum spanning tree method may be employed to reconstruct the
plurality of candidate points, to obtain the core axis of the blood
vessel. Note that as described above, the core axis of the blood
vessel is employed to generate CPR images of the blood vessel and
the surface images of the cut curved planes of the CPR images.
[0038]
The additional information display command receiving section
13 receives a command to display an additional information image
or a command to not display an additional information image along
with a three dimensional medical image 5 which is being displayed
on the display 3, and outputs a signal indicating receipt of the
command signal to the display control section 12. The command to
display or to not display the additional informat ion image is input
by a user using the input devices 4, and the additional information
display command receiving section 13 receives signals input from
the input devices 4.
[0039]
When a command signal to display an additional information
image is input, the display control section 12 displays the
additional information image as described above on the display 3.
Whena command signal to not display the additional information image
is input, the display control section 12 ceases display of the
additionalinfomationimgewhichisbeingdisplayedonthedisplay
3.
[0040]
Further, when a command signal to display the additional
information image is input, the display control section 12 displays
the additional information image as described above, and changes
the color of the three dimensional medical image 5 that is currently
being displayed to that which can be distinguished from the color
of the additional information image.
[0041]
More specifically, for example, in the case that settings
which are set in advance specify that the three dimensional medical
image 5 is to be displayed in color, and that the additional
information image is also to be displayed in color, the display
controlsection12displaystheadditionalinfomationimageincolor
when an command signal to display the additional information image
is input and changes the display of the three dimensional medical
image 5 which is currently being displayed from color display to
black and white display.
[0042]
Note that it is not necessary for the color of the three
dimensional medical image 5 after the color change to be black and
white as described above. The three dimensional medical image 5
after the change may be any color if the color is distinguishable
from the color of the additional information image. However, it is
desirable forthecontrastofthecoloroftheadditionalinfomtion
image with respect to the color of the three dimensional medical
image 5 to be high. The contrast between the color of the three
dimensional medical image 5 after the change in color and the color
of the additional information image is at least higher than the
contrast between the color of the three dimensional medical image
5 before the change in color and the color of the additional
information image. That is, the color of the three dimensional
medical image 5 is changed such that the relationship between the
color of the additional information image and the color of the three
dimensional medical image 5 after the change in color is more easily
discriminated than the relationship between the color of the
additional information image and the color of the three dimensional
medical image 5 before the change in color.
[0043]
In addition, the display control section ceases display of
the additional information image, whichisbeingdisplayedin color,
and returns the color of the three dimensional medical image 5 from
black and white display to black and white display, which was the
30 manner of displayprior tothe change incolor, whena commandsignal
to not display the additional information image is input in a state
in which the additional information image is being displayed.
[0044]
The color change command receiving section 14 is configured
35 to receivecomndstochangethecoloroftheadditionalinfomation
image, and outputs signals indicating receipt of such commands to
the display control section 12. The commands to change the color
of the additional information image are input by a user using the
input devices 4, and the color change command receiving section 14
receives signals input from the input devices 4. The commands to
change the color of the additional information image may be input
bydisplayingapalette, inwhichapluralityofcolors are arranged,
on the display 3, and by the user selecting a color from the palette.
[0045]
When a command signal to change the color of the additional
information image is input, the display control section 12 changes
the color of the additional information image in accordance with
the signal. In addition, the display control section 12 changes the
colorofthethreedimensionalmedicalimagewhichisbeingdisplayed
to a color that can be discriminated from the color of the additional
information image after the change of color.
[0046]
Specifically, in the case that the additional information
image is displayed in color and the three dimensional medical image
is displayed in black and white as described above, there is little
effect even if the color of the additional information image is
changed. However, in the case that the additional information image
and the three dimensional medical image are displayed in different
colorswhicharedistinguishable fromeachother, theremaybe cases
in which the color of the additional information image after the
change in color is difficult to discriminate from the color of the
three dimensional medical image.
[ 00471
Therefore, the display control section 12 changes the color
of the three dimensional medical image to a color which can be
discriminated from the color of the additional information image
after the change incolorwhen thecolorofthe color ofthe additional
information image is changed, in order to prevent such a problem
from occurring.
It is desirable forthe color ofthe three dimensionalmedical
image at this time to be that which has a high contrast with the
color of the additional information image which has been changed
by the user. The color of the three dimensional medical image is
5 changed such that the contrast between the color of the additional
information image after the change in color and the color of the
three dimensional medical image, which is also changed accompanying
the change in color of the additional information image, is at least
higher than the contrast between the color of the additional
10 information image before the change in color and the color of the
three dimensional medical image at that time in the same manner as
describedpreviously. That is, the color of the three dimensional
medical image is changedsuchthattherelationshipbetweenthe color
of the additional information image after the change in color and
15 the color of the three dimensional medical image, which is also
changed accompanying the change in color of the additional
information image, is more easily discriminated than the
relationship between the color of the additional information image
before the change in color and the color of the three dimensional
I 20 medical image at that time.
[004 91
With respect to the change in color of the three dimensional
I medical image, it is possible for the display control section 12
C to automatically determine such a color. The method for determining
25 colorshaving high contrastmaybe the contrast determinationmethod
I proposedbyW3C. Alternatively, atable inwhich colors havinghigh
I
I contrast are associated with each other may be set in the display
1
i control section 12, and the color of the three dimensional medical
I
1 image may be determined and changed by referring to the table based
I
j 30 on the color of the additional information image which is changed
I by the user.
i [OOSO]
1
I Volume data which has been reconstructed based on slice data
output from CT apparatuses and MRI apparatuses, volume data output
35 from MS (~ultiSl ice) CT apparatuses and cone beam CT apparatuses,
etc. are stored in the storage device 2 as the three dimensional
medicalimage5. Further, theCPRimages 6, whicharegeneratedbased
on the volume data described above, are stored in the storage device
2.
[0051]
FIG 2 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the
medical imagedisplay systemofthe present embodiment. Hereinafter,
a description w i l l be given with reference to the flowchart. Note
that here, a case w i l l be described in which a surface image of the
cut curved plane of a CPR image 6 is displayed as the additional
information image.
[0052]
First, in the medical image display system of the present
embodiment, a l i s t o f t h e ID1sof subjects isdisplayedonthedisplay
3. Then, an I D of a subject is selected from the list of the ID'S
of subjects that is displayed on the display 3. When the selection
operation by the user is detected by the medical image display
apparatus 1, the three dimensional medical image 5 and the CPR image
6 related to the subject that is selected is obtained by the medical
image obtaining section 11 of the medical image display apparatus
1 (S10) .
[0053]
Next, the three dimensional medical image 5 and the CPR image
obtained by the medical image obtaining section 11 are input to the
display control section 12, and the display control section 12
displays the input three dimensional medical image 5 and CPR image
on the display 3 (S12). Figure 3 is a diagram that i l l u s t r a t e s an
example of a three dimensional medical image 5, which is displayed
on the display 3. The display control section 12 of the present
embodiment displays the three dimensional medical image 5 in a light
green color a t this time.
[0054]
Here, inthecasethattheuserwishestoconfimthe cutplane
of the CPR image 6 within the three dimensional medical image 5 on
the CPR image 6, the user employs the input devices 4 to input a
command signal to display a surface image of the cut curved plane
of the CPR image 6 as an additional information image (S14, YES) .
[0055]
The command signal input from the input devices 4 by the user
is receivedbythe additional information display command receiving
section13, andtheadditionalinformationdisplaycommandreceiving
section13 outputs a signal indicatingreceipt of the command signal
to the display control section 12.
[0056]
Next, when the command signal to display the surface image
of the cut curved plane is input, the display control section 12
displays the surface image of the cut curved plane in the three
dimensional medical image 5 which is being displayed on the display
3 (S16).
[0057]
Here, for example, ifthesurfaceimageofthecutcurvedplane
isdisplayedinadarkgreencolorwhilethethreedimensionalmedical
image 5 is displayed in a light green color as shown in Figure 4,
discrimination of the surf ace image of the cut curved plane and the
three dimensional medical image 5 w i l l be d i f f i c u l t .
[0058]
Therefore, when the command signal to display the surface
image of the cut curved plane is input, the display control section
12 displays the surface image of the cut curved plane, and further
changes the color of the three dimensional medical image 5 which
i s currentlybeingto a color which is distinguishable fromthe color
ofthesurfaceimageofthecurvedsurface (518). Morespecifically,
for example, the display of the three dimensional medical image 5
is changed from color display to black and white display as shown
in Figure 5. By changing the color of the three dimensional medical
image 5 according to the color of the surface image of the cut curved
plane in this manner, the surface image can be more easily
discriminated within the three dimensional medical image 5, and the
curved plane represented by the surface image can be more clearly
recognized.
[0059]
Then, i f theuserwishesto ceasedisplayof the surface image
of the cut curved plane, the user inputs a command signal to not
display the surface image of the cut curved plane using the input
5 devices 4 (S20, YES) .
[0060]
The command signal input by the user via the input devices
4isreceivedbytheadditionalinfomtiondisplaycormandreceiving
section13, and the additionalinfomtiondisplaycommand receiving
10 section13outputsasignalindicatingreceiptofthecomndsignal
to the display control section 12.
[00611
Next, when the command signal tonot displaythe surface image
of the cut curved plane is input, the display control section 12
15 ceases display of the surface image of the cut curved plane on the
display 3 (S22) , and further returns the display of the three
dimensional medical image 5 to display in the light green color,
in which the three dimensional medical image 5 had been displayed
before the changing of the color thereof (S24).
20 [0062]
Meanwhile, i f the user wishes to change the color of the
surface image of the cut curved plane after the surface image of
the cut curved plane is displayed in S16, the user inputs a command
signal to change the color of the surface image of the cut curved
25 plane using the input devices 4 (S26, YES) .
[0063]
The command signal to change the color input by the user via
the input devices 4 is receivedbythe color change commandreceiving
section14, and the additional informationdisplay command receiving
30 section13 outputs a signal indicatingreceiptofthe commandsignal
to the display control section 12.
[0064]
Then, when the command signal to change the color is input,
the display control section12 changesthe color ofthe surface image
35 of the cut curved plane according to the signal, and further changes
the color of the three dimensional medical image which is currently
being displayed to a color that can be discriminated from the color
of the surface image of the cut curved plane after the change in
color thereof (528) .
5 [0065]
However, inastateinwhichthesurfaceimageofthecutcurved
planeisdisplayedinadarkgreencolorandthreedimensionalmedical
image is displayed in black and white as described above, and the
color of the surface image of the cut curved plane is changed to
10 a color different from dark green but is distinguishable from black
andwhitedisplay, it ispossibletodiscriminate the blackandwhite
three dimensional medical image 5 and the surface image of the cut
curvedplane. Therefore, the color ofthe threedimensionalmedical
image 5 is not changed in such a case.
15 [0066]
On the other hand, i f the color of the surface image of the
cut curved plane is changed while in a state in which the surface
imageofthe cutcurvedplaneandthethreedimensionalmedicalimage
are displayed in different colors which are distinguishable from
20 each other, the color of the three dimensional medical image is
changed such that the surface image of the cut curved plane and the
threedimensionalmedical image canbediscriminated fromeachother
after the change in color of the surface image of the cut curved
plane.
25 [0067]
The medical image display system of the embodiment is
configuredto receive a command to display anadditional information
image (surf ace image of the cut curved plane of a CPR image 6) along
with a three dimensional medical image, and displays the additional
30 information image along with the three dimensional medical image
in the case that the command to display the additional information
image is received. At this time, the color of the three dimensional
image which is currently being displayed is changed to a color that
can be discriminated from the color of the additional information
35 image. Therefore, the additional information images can be
displayedwithadesiredcolor, andtheadditional informationimages
andthethreedimensionalmedicalimagescanbeclearlydistinguished
from each other.
[00681
In the above description, a case has been described in which
the surface image of the cut curved plane of the CPR image 6 is
displayed as the additional information image. However, the
additional information image is not limited to such an image as
described above. Examples of other types of additional information
images include a cursor represented as an arrow that indicates the
position of a region of interest, and a frame image that indicates
thepositionandrangeofaregionofinterest. Figure 6is adiagram
that illustrates an example of a case in which an arrow shaped cursor
that indicates the position of a region of interest is displayed
as an additional information image. Figure 7 is a diagram that
illustrates an example of a case in which a frame that indicates
the position and range of a region of interest is displayed as an
additional information image. When the arrow shaped cursor
illustrated in Figure 6 or the frame image illustrated in Figure
7 are displayed as well, the color of the three dimensional medical
image 5 may be changed to a color which can be discriminated from
the color of the cursor and the color of the frame image in the same
manner as that described above.
[Explanation of the Reference Numerals]
[0069]
1 medical image display apparatus
2 storage device
3 display
4 input devices
11 medical image obtaining section
12 display control section
13 additional information display command
14 color change command receiving section
receiving section
[Name of Document] Scope of Demand for Patent
[Claim 11 A medical image display apparatus, comprising:
medical image obtaining means for obtaining a three
dimensional medical image of a subject;
5 display control means for displaying the three dimensional
medical image obtained by the medical image obtaining means and an
additional information image that represents information added to
the three dimensional medical image; and
additional information display command receiving means for
10 receivingacommandtodisplaytheadditionalinformationimagealong
with the three dimensional medical image;
the display control means displaying the additional
information image along with the three dimensional medical image
and changing the color of the displayed three dimensional medical
15 image to a color which can be discriminated from the color of the
additional information image, when the command to display the
additional information image is received.
[Claim 21 A medical image display apparatus as defined in Claim 1,
wherein :
20 the display control means displays the additional information
image in color, and changes the display of the three dimensional
medical image from color display to black and white display.
[Claim 31 A medical image display apparatus as defined in either
one of Claim 1 and Claim 2, further comprising:
25 color change command receiving means for receiving a comrnand
tochange thecolor ofthe additional information image; andwherein:
the display control means changes the color of the displayed
three dimensional image to a color which can be discriminated from
the color of the additional information image after the color of
30 the additional information image is changed, when the command to
change the color of the additional information image is received
by the color change command receiving means.
[Claim 41 Amedical image display apparatus as defined in any one
of Claims 1 through 3, wherein:
3 5 thedisplay controlmeans displaysanindicatorthat indicates
a predeterminedpositionwithinthe three dimensional medical image
as the additional information image.
[Claim 51 A medical image display apparatus as defined in any one
of Claims 1 through 4, wherein:
the display control means displays a CPR (Curved planar
Reformation) image based on the three dimensional medical image,
and displays an image that represents a cut curved surface of the
CPR image as the additional information image on the three
dimensional medical image.
[Claim 61 A medical image display apparatus as defined in any one
of Claims 1 through 5, wherein:
the additional information display command receiving means
also receives a command to not display the additional information
image; and
the display control means ceases display of the additional
information image and return the color of the three dimensional
medical image to the color it had been displayed in prior to being
changed, when the command to not display the additional information
image is received.
[Claim 71 A medical image display apparatus as defined in Claim 6,
wherein :
the display control means returns the display of the three
dimensional medical image to color display, which is the manner in
which the threedimensionalmedical image is displayedpriortobeing
changed to black and white display, when the command to not display
the additional information image is received.
[Claim 81 A medical image display apparatus as defined in any one
of Claims 1 through 8, wherein:
the display control means displays a volume rendered image
as the three dimensional medical image.
[Claim 91 A medical image display method comprising:
obtaining athree dimensionalmedical image of a subject; and
displaying the three dimensional medical image and an
additional information image that represents information added to
the three dimensional medical image;
the additional informat ion image being displayed along with
the three dimensional medical image and the color of the displayed
three dimensional medical image being changed to a color which can
be discriminated fromthe color of the additional information image,
5 when a command to display the additional information image is
received.
[Claim 101 Amedical image display program that causes a computer
to function as :
medical image obtaining means for obtaining a three
10 dimensional medical image of a subject;
display control means for displaying the three dimensional
medical image obtained by the medical image obtaining means and an
additional information image that represents information added to
the three dimensional medical image; and
15 additional information display command receiving means for
receivingacomndtodisplaytheadditionalinfomationimagealong
with the three dimensional medical image;
the display control means displaying the additional
information image along with the three dimensional medical image
20 and changing the color of the displayed three dimensional medical
image to a color which can be discriminated from the color of the
additional information image, when the command to display the
additional information image is received.