JP5982208B2 - Image processing apparatus and program - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus and a program for processing an image related to a biological tissue that is activated by a particle beam therapy apparatus or the like.

  In recent years, a so-called particle beam therapy apparatus that irradiates a biological tissue in which an abnormality such as cancer has occurred with a particle beam and causes the cells of the abnormal tissue in which the abnormality has occurred to grow and die has been used.

  When using a particle beam therapy apparatus, a treatment plan is usually made in advance before treatment in order to prevent irradiation of a living tissue in which no abnormality has occurred. In such a treatment plan, for example, the range (region of interest) of the target of particle beam irradiation is determined by CT (Computed Tomography) or the like, and a predetermined amount of proton beams are aligned with the shape of the region of interest, and Irradiation with intensity is performed.

  Further, for example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for capturing a biological tissue activated using a PET camera or the like as an image every time a particle beam is irradiated and detecting the activated position.

JP 2008-173297 A

  However, in the above-described conventional technology, it is difficult to confirm the range of the activated biological tissue that slightly changes every day even though the activated range can be confirmed. In other words, abnormal biological tissue is removed every day due to the effect of particle beam therapy, but this range change is difficult to predict and only slightly changes in some cases. Furthermore, the living body is also changing every day. For example, in a living body receiving an anticancer drug, there is a tissue whose volume decreases due to a decrease in appetite.

On the other hand, even if the change on the image is slight, the particle beam passes through the decreased abnormal biological tissue, and the normal living body on the back side (on the opposite side from the radiation irradiation side) of the abnormal biological tissue It must be prevented from reaching the organization.
In addition, an increase in the amount of the particle beam reaching the back side of the abnormal living tissue must prevent a decrease in the amount of particle beam irradiation to the abnormal living tissue on the near side. Furthermore, a slight deterioration in irradiation position accuracy due to a decrease in volume of the living tissue may cause a lateral shift, and in this case as well, the amount of particle beam irradiation to the normal tissue on the side of the abnormal living tissue As a result, it is necessary to prevent an increase in the amount of particle beam irradiation to abnormal living tissue.

  Therefore, there is a demand for confirming the temporal change of the activated living tissue, but there is a problem that the conventional apparatus cannot meet such demand.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide an image processing apparatus that supports recognition of temporal changes in a living biological tissue.

  The present invention for solving the above-described problems of the conventional example is an image processing apparatus, and it repeats an activated tissue image representing a position of a living tissue activated by a particle beam therapy apparatus at a predetermined timing. An image acquisition means to acquire, a plurality of activated tissue images acquired at different timings as a comparison target, a means for relatively moving and aligning the reference positions in a predetermined living body, and the position The image generation means for generating a contrast image using a plurality of activated tissue images to be compared and the display means for displaying the generated image are included.

  Here, means for acquiring a three-dimensional reconstruction image of a region including the biological tissue to be activated, region-of-interest setting means for accepting setting of a three-dimensional region of interest in the three-dimensional reconstruction image, and the three-dimensional Means for relatively moving and aligning the reconstructed image and the plurality of activated tissue images to be compared with each other so as to match predetermined reference positions in the living body, and after the alignment, For each activated tissue image to be compared, an operation for calculating the activation intensity of the living tissue included in the region in the activated tissue image corresponding to the region of interest set in the three-dimensional reconstruction image And a comparison image obtained by comparing the calculation result of the activation intensity of the biological tissue included in the corresponding region, calculated for each of the activated tissue images to be compared. Output It may be.

  Further, a plurality of regions of interest are set in the three-dimensional reconstruction image, and the calculation means sets each of the activated tissue images to be compared in the three-dimensional reconstruction image after alignment. It is also possible to calculate the activation intensity of the living tissue included in the area in the activated tissue image corresponding to the region of interest, calculate the ratio of the intensity calculated for each area, and output the calculation result.

  The program according to one embodiment of the present invention is different from an image acquisition unit that repeatedly acquires a radioactive tissue image representing a position of a biological tissue activated by a particle beam therapy apparatus at a predetermined timing. A plurality of activated tissue images acquired at the timing are used as comparison targets, and a means for relatively moving and aligning the reference positions in the living body to be matched with each other, and the plurality of comparison targets that are aligned. The image generation means for generating a contrast image using the activated tissue image and the display means for displaying the generated image are made to function.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to support recognition of temporal changes in the activated biological tissue.

It is a block diagram showing the example of a structure of the image processing apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a functional block diagram showing the example of the image processing apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is explanatory drawing showing the example of a display in a certain cross section of the activated tissue image which the image processing apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention displays. It is a flowchart figure showing the example of operation of the image processing device concerning an embodiment of the invention. It is a functional block diagram showing another example of the image processing apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is explanatory drawing showing the example of an image display of the image processing apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is explanatory drawing showing the example of the graph which the image processing apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention outputs.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. As shown in FIG. 1, the image processing apparatus 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention includes a control unit 11, a storage unit 12, an operation unit 13, a display unit 14, and an input / output unit 15. The control unit 11 is a program control device such as a CPU, and operates according to a program stored in the storage unit 12.

  The control part 11 of this Embodiment repeatedly acquires the activated tissue image of the biological tissue activated by the particle beam therapy apparatus for every predetermined timing. Specifically, this acquisition is performed every time the tissue is activated by the particle beam therapy system. Further, the control unit 11 uses a plurality of activated tissue images acquired at different timings as a comparison target, relatively moves and aligns the predetermined reference positions in the living body, and performs the alignment. A comparison image is generated using a plurality of activated tissue images to be compared. Details of the processing of the control unit 11 will be described later.

  The storage unit 12 is a memory device or the like and holds a program executed by the control unit 11. The program may be provided by being stored in a computer-readable recording medium such as a DVD-ROM and stored in the storage unit 12. In addition, the storage unit 12 records the activated tissue image acquired by the control unit 11. Further, the storage unit 12 also operates as a work memory for the control unit 11.

  The operation unit 13 may be a mouse or a keyboard, and receives an instruction input from the user and outputs the content of the instruction to the control unit 11. The display unit 14 is a display or the like, and displays and outputs an image in accordance with an instruction input from the control unit 11. The input / output unit 15 is an interface such as USB (Universal Serial Bus), for example, and accepts image information input from the outside. Then, the image information is output to the control unit 11. The input / output unit 15 may output various information to the outside in accordance with instructions input from the control unit 11.

  Next, prior to describing the operation of the control unit 11 of the present embodiment, the activated tissue image of the activated biological tissue input to the control unit 11 will be described. This activated tissue image is, for example, as disclosed in Patent Document 1 and specifically as follows. As an example of a proton beam therapy system that is an example of a particle beam therapy system, when protons emitted from the proton beam therapy system interact with the nuclei that make up a living tissue, an unstable nucleus that undergoes β + decay is generated. Is done. When β + decay occurs, a positron is emitted. When this positron encounters an electron, it annihilates and emits two photons (a pair of annihilation gamma rays) that form an angle of 180 degrees with each other. By detecting this pair of annihilation gamma rays, there is a high probability of pair annihilation between the place where β + decay occurred (actually the place where the pair annihilated but the extranuclear electrons of the activated nucleus) It can almost be detected where β + decay has occurred.

Therefore, by detecting annihilation γ-rays with a detector placed in an arbitrary cross section (plane perpendicular to the sagittal plane and the coronal plane) of the target organism, the three-dimensional position where β + decay occurred Reconstructed as a three-dimensional image (e.g., the intensity of activation such as a value corresponding to the number of β + decays detected in the coordinate range corresponding to the pixel of the corresponding three-dimensional position coordinate, for example) Is set to a predetermined pixel value) is the activated tissue image in the present embodiment.
This activated tissue image is obtained as a sinogram representing the intensity of annihilation gamma rays in a plurality of cross sections (slice planes), and two-dimensional activated tissue on each slice plane reconstructed from the sinogram. It is a collection of images.

  In one aspect of the present embodiment, the control unit 11 executes a program stored in the storage unit 12 to functionally acquire an image acquisition unit 21 and an image reading unit 22 as illustrated in FIG. And the position alignment part 23, the contrast image generation part 24, and the display part 25 are implement | achieved.

The image acquisition unit 21 receives this activated tissue image via the input / output unit 15. The image acquisition unit 21 stores the activated tissue image in the storage unit 12 every time it receives it. A plurality of activated tissue images are accumulated in the storage unit 12. The image acquisition unit 21 may display the received activated tissue image on the display unit 14 and accept the designation of the reference position in the activated tissue image from the user. In this display, a two-dimensional activated tissue image itself obtained on each slice plane from which the activated tissue image was obtained or a two-dimensional activated tissue image obtained on a plurality of slice planes are projected (predetermined filter). It is assumed that a two-dimensional image selected by the user from an image obtained by accumulating and applying, for example, an image obtained by a method known as Filtered Back Projection is displayed. Such a display method is, for example, CT (Computed
Tomography) is the same as the method of displaying an image, and a widely known method can be adopted, and detailed description thereof is omitted here.

  FIG. 3 shows a state in which an activated tissue image of a human head is displayed in a sagittal section. The user designates at least one point on the image of the cross section, for example, a point with little relative position change with respect to the activated tissue even in the daily change of the living body imaged using this cross section. In addition, this reference position shall designate the same position in any activated tissue image. As a result, at least one point serving as a reference position is determined as a point on the three-dimensional coordinate in the activated tissue image.

  For example, in the case of the human head illustrated in FIG. 3, the relative position relationship between the brainstem position and the position of the activated tissue in the living body changes even if the subcutaneous fat of the living body is reduced (thinning). Hard to do. Therefore, the user may specify such a point as a reference position.

  The image acquisition unit 21 acquires information representing the current date and time from a calendar IC (not shown), the acquired date and time information, the activated tissue image received from the outside, and the user specified the activated tissue image. The reference position information is associated and stored in the storage unit 12.

  When receiving a comparison image generation instruction from the user, the image reading unit 22 reads, as comparison targets, a plurality of activated tissue images acquired at different timings from the activated tissue images stored in the storage unit 12. . Specifically, the image reading unit 22 rearranges the activated tissue images stored in the storage unit 12 in the order of the date and time information associated with each, and activates the activation associated with the latest date and time information. A tissue image (hereinafter referred to as “I_1” for distinction) and an activated tissue image (hereinafter referred to as “I_n” for distinction) associated with the n-th latest date and time information are read out as comparison targets. At this time, if the reference position information is associated with the activated tissue image to be read, the image reading unit 22 also reads the associated reference position information. Note that n = 2 is initially set. The image reading unit 22 may increase or decrease the value of the integer n in the range of n ≧ 2 according to instructions from the user.

Further, the alignment unit 23 obtains positioning images (such as fluoroscopic images and CT images) acquired at each date and time associated with each activated tissue image. In the particle beam therapy, since the positioning image for accurately determining the irradiation position of the particle beam is always acquired before the particle beam irradiation is performed, the alignment unit 23 obtains this.
The alignment unit 23 uses the positioning images acquired at each date and time, and the relative positions of the human bodies for each day when the activated tissue image is obtained with respect to the imaging device (which are determined in advance in the imaging device). Information indicating the variation of the three axes x, y, z orthogonal to each other and the degrees of rotation θ, φ, ψ around these axes in total of six axes) is obtained. Information representing this variation is expressed as a deviation amount of each of the six axes in each axial direction.

Then, the alignment unit 23 compares the positioning images acquired at the date and time corresponding to the acquisition date and time of the activation tissue image as the comparison target read out by the image reading unit 22 and displays information representing the relative fluctuations of the images. Get it.
The alignment unit 23 moves and aligns the respective reference positions of the activated tissue images as comparison targets read out by the image reading unit 22 so as to coincide with each other. That is, only the information representing the relative fluctuation obtained above is used to compare one of the activated tissue images as comparison targets (two-dimensional activated tissue images obtained on each slice plane are accumulated to obtain a voxel value in three dimensions. The coordinates of the voxel are given by parallel translation by an amount corresponding to each displacement amount in the x, y, and z axis directions and rotation by each displacement amount around each axis. May be updated for alignment.
In addition, when the position of the living body is the same regardless of the daily changes, the center of the activated tissue image is the same as the imaging device used to obtain the activated tissue image before the particle beam irradiation based on the positioning image. Since it is fixed with respect to the imaging device, if the living body is aligned, the activated tissue image is aligned. In this case, it is not necessary to translate or rotate the activated tissue image itself, and the obtained activated tissue image is used as it is.

  The comparison image generation unit 24 generates a comparison image that is registered by the alignment unit 23 and that compares the activated tissue images I_1 and I_n to be compared with each other. The contrast image is as follows as an example. The contrast image generation unit 24 calculates the difference between the corresponding three-dimensional pixels (voxel values) of the two activated tissue images I_1 and I_n to be compared. The result of this difference calculation is an example of a contrast image.

  The display unit 25 displays and outputs the comparison image generated by the comparison image generation unit 24 on the display unit 14. Again, since the contrast image is three-dimensional information, it is only necessary to display and output a cross-sectional image when the cross-section is broken at the cross-section designated by the user. Since this display can also employ a widely known method for displaying CT images, detailed description thereof is omitted here.

  This embodiment has the above-described configuration and operates as follows. In an example of the operation of the image processing apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment, after irradiation of particle beams by the particle beam therapy apparatus performed every day, a radioactive tissue image of the irradiated living body is captured and output to the image processing apparatus 1. The When the activated tissue image is accepted, the image processing apparatus 1 acquires information representing the current date and time from a calendar IC (not shown), the acquired date and time information, the activated tissue image received from the outside, and the radiation The information on the reference position designated by the user for the synthetic tissue image is stored in the storage unit 12 in association with it.

  In addition, upon receiving an instruction to generate a contrast image from the user, the image processing apparatus 1 starts the process illustrated in FIG. The image processing apparatus 1 is associated with the activated tissue image I_1 associated with the latest date and time information among the activated tissue images stored in the storage unit 12, and with the second and latest date information. The activated tissue image I_2 is read out as a comparison target (S1). At this time, information on the reference position associated with the activated tissue image to be read is also read out.

  The image processing apparatus 1 moves and aligns the read activated tissue images as comparison targets so that their reference positions coincide with each other (S2).

  The image processing apparatus 1 calculates a difference between three-dimensionally corresponding pixels (voxel values) of the aligned activated tissue images I_1 and I_2 that have been aligned and corresponding pixels on the three-dimensional side. A comparison image is generated using the value (voxel value) as a result of the difference (S3). Then, the image processing apparatus 1 displays and outputs this contrast image on the display unit 14 (S4). The user can refer to how the activated biological tissue changes with reference to the contrast image.

Here, among the activated tissue images stored in the storage unit 12, the activated tissue image I_1 associated with the latest date information and the activation associated with the second latest date information are provided. Although the tissue image I_2 is set as the comparison target, the user may arbitrarily select the activated tissue image to be compared. In this case, the image processing apparatus 1 aligns the set of activated tissue images selected by the user, and generates and displays a contrast image between the activated tissue images after alignment.
In addition, as already stated, when the alignment of the human body with respect to the imaging apparatus is completed at the time of imaging for particle beam therapy, there is no need to translate or rotate the activated tissue image itself.
In the above description, an example of comparing a pair of activated tissue images has been described. However, an image comparing a plurality of activated tissue images may be generated. For example, a first contrast image obtained by calculating a difference between corresponding voxel pixel values of the first activated tissue image I_1 and the second activated tissue image I_2, a second activated tissue image I_2, And a second contrast image obtained by calculating a difference in pixel value of the corresponding voxel with the three activated tissue images I_3, and becomes a difference value exceeding a predetermined threshold in the first contrast image. The voxel that is a difference value exceeding a predetermined threshold value in the second contrast image is set to the second pixel value, and the first and second voxels are set to the first pixel value. A new contrast image may be generated by accumulating pixel values of voxels corresponding to each other.

Furthermore, the contrast image in this Embodiment is not restricted to what was illustrated here. The contrast image of the present embodiment is a three-dimensional region (region of interest: Region) in a living body that is set in advance using a three-dimensional reconstruction image such as a CT image or an MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) image.
The information regarding the activation amount of the biological tissue within the “of Interest”) may be compared.

  The control unit 11 of the image processing apparatus 1 according to this example executes the program stored in the storage unit 12 to functionally include the region-of-interest information acquisition unit 20 and the image acquisition as illustrated in FIG. The unit 21, the image reading unit 22 ′, the alignment unit 23 ′, the contrast image generation unit 24 ′, and the display unit 25 are realized. Here, components having the same configuration as that in FIG. 2 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof is omitted.

  The region-of-interest information acquisition unit 20 acquires information for specifying a three-dimensional region of interest in the living body set in a three-dimensional reconstructed image such as a CT image or an MRI image of the target living body. As an example, the region of interest is set in a three-dimensional reconstruction image by CT. In this three-dimensional reconstructed image, the axis in the front-rear direction of the living body (Z-axis), the axis in the left-right direction of the living body (X-axis), and the axis in the vertical direction of the living body (Y-axis) are the same as in the activated tissue image. The pixel values of the pixels in the three-dimensional space defined by these are set. The user sets a region having a predetermined shape (for example, a rectangular parallelepiped shape) in the three-dimensional reconstruction image. As an example, when a rectangular parallelepiped shape is set, the user specifies parameters that define six surfaces xmin, xmax, ymin, ymax, zmin, and zmax.

  The user sets at least two reference positions P and Q in the three-dimensional reconstruction image. This reference position is also set by specifying the corresponding coordinates in the three-dimensional space, and the user can set the reference position at a point where there is little change in position relative to the activated tissue even in daily changes of the living body. Shall be set.

  When the activated tissue image is input, the image acquisition unit 21 acquires information representing the current date and time from a calendar IC (not shown), the acquired date and time information, the activated tissue image received from the outside, The information on the reference position designated by the user for the activated tissue image is stored in the storage unit 12 in association with it. In this example, the user designates reference positions P ′ and Q ′ in the activated tissue image corresponding to at least two reference positions P and Q set in the three-dimensional reconstruction image. Shall.

  The image reading unit 22 ′ sequentially reads the activated tissue images stored in the storage unit 12 in a predetermined order. For example, the order of date and time associated with each activated tissue image may be the newest order or the oldest order.

  The alignment unit 23 ′ is a reference position set in the activated tissue image I_n read out by the image reading unit 22 ′, and a reference set in the coordinates of the three-dimensional configuration image corresponding to the reference position. Align with the position. Here, the X, Y, and Z axes can be made to coincide with each other by rotation around the respective axes. Therefore, for example, the reference position P ′ of the activated tissue image is set to each of the reference positions P and Q of the three-dimensional reconstruction image. , Q ′ are moved, or the activated tissue image is moved or enlarged / reduced and deformed.

  As an example, the coordinates of the reference positions P and Q determined using the three-dimensional reconstructed image after matching the X, Y, and Z axes are respectively (xp, yp, zp), (xq, yq). , Zq) and the coordinates of the reference positions P ′, Q ′ determined using the activated tissue image I_n (n = 1, 2,...) Are (ξp_n, ηp_n, ζp_n), (ξq_n, ηq_n, respectively. , Ζq_n).

  At this time, the alignment unit 23 ′ first translates each of the activated tissue images I_n (n = 1, 2,...) By (xp−ξp_n, yp−ηp_n, zp−ζp_n), and sets the reference position P. The coordinates of P ′ are matched with the coordinates. Then, the alignment unit 23 ′ sets the enlargement / reduction ratio α as an unknown, and matches the coordinates of the reference position Q with the coordinates of Q ′ multiplied by the enlargement / reduction ratios α, β, γ in the respective axial directions after translation. , Α, β, γ are determined. That is, the alignment unit 23 ′ has (α × (ξq_n−ξp_n) + xp, β × (ηq_n−ηp_n) + yp, γ × (ζq_n−ζp_n) + zp) = (xq, yq, zq) , Γ are obtained respectively.

  In this way, the alignment unit 23 ′ converts the coordinates (ξ, η, ζ) of the activated tissue image I_n into (α × (ξ−ξp_n) + xp, β × (η−ηp_n) + yp, γ × (ζ−ζp_n). + Zp) and align with the coordinates of the three-dimensional reconstruction image.

  The contrast image generation unit 24 ′ identifies pixels in the region corresponding to the region of interest in the activated tissue image I_n (n = 1, 2,...) Read by the image reading unit 22 ′. Specifically, xmin ≦ α × (ξ−ξp_n) + xp ≦ xmax, ymin ≦ β × (η−ηp_n) + yp ≦ ymax, zmin ≦ γ × (ζ−ζp_n) + zp ≦ zmax (ξ, η, Pixels in the range of ζ) are specified.

  As already described, the pixel values (voxel values) of the pixels within the three dimensions of the activated tissue image are values related to the activation intensity. Therefore, based on the pixel value, the sum of the activation intensities (integrated values) of the living tissue in the range corresponding to the region can be calculated from the pixel value in the region corresponding to the region of interest. The contrast image generation unit 24 ′ includes biological tissue in a range corresponding to the region corresponding to the region of interest in the activated tissue image I_n (n = 1, 2,...) Read by the image reading unit 22 ′. An integral value of the activation intensity (hereinafter simply referred to as an integral value in the region of interest) is calculated.

  The display unit 25 displays an image of a predetermined cross section of at least one activated tissue image designated by the user. For example, when the user specifies sagittal sections of the activated tissue image I_1 with n = 1 and the activated tissue image I_2 with n = 2, the display unit 25 displays these sagittal shapes as illustrated in FIG. Integral values in the region of interest that are calculated based on pixel values (voxel values) in the region corresponding to the set region of interest (R) in each of the activated tissue images I_1 and I_2 while displaying the cross section Is output. In addition, the display unit 25 calculates the interest by using each of the activated tissue images I_n (n = nmax, nmax-1,..., Nmin) corresponding to the ranges nmin and nmax specified by the user. You may display the graph showing the increase / decrease in the integral value in an area | region (FIG. 7 (a)).

  A plurality of regions of interest may be set. In this case, for each region of interest, the contrast image generation unit 24 ′ calculates each pixel value (voxel value) included in each corresponding region in each activated tissue image I_n (n = 1, 2,...) Calculate the integral value in the region of interest. In this case, the display unit 25 is calculated using each of the activated tissue images I_n (n = nmin, nmin + 1,..., Nmax) corresponding to the n ranges nmin and nmax designated by the user. You may display the graph showing the increase / decrease in the integral value for every region of interest (R1, R2) (FIG.7 (b)). In these graphs, trend diagrams (such as straight lines) obtained as a result of statistical calculation such as linear regression based on the calculated values may be drawn and displayed.

  In this example, the user sets, for example, a region of interest on the outer peripheral portion of the living tissue to be activated and removed, on the side farther from the particle beam source. In the particle beam therapy, the biological tissue to be initially activated and removed is activated and removed from the side closer to the radiation source. Eventually, when the biological tissue to be removed begins to be activated and removed, the particle beam reaches the side farther from the radiation source, and the biological tissue farther from the radiation source is also activated and removed. It becomes like this. That is, when the region of interest is set on the farther side from the particle beam source, the activation intensity of the living tissue in the region of interest increases with time (every particle beam treatment is performed). Accordingly, the user can control the reach of the particle beam by adjusting the dose of the particle beam while referring to the increase in the integrated value in the set region of interest.

  Further, the region of interest may be set at a plurality of locations in the living tissue to be activated and removed. For example, a region of interest may be set in each of the peripheral portion and the central portion of the living tissue to be removed. For example, in liver cancer, the amount of oxygen that can be used by cancer cells in the center of the region decreases as a result of the active use of cancer cells in the periphery of the cancerous region and the increased oxygen usage, Cancer cells in the center may become asphyxia. At this time, blood flow is promoted in the central portion, and a phenomenon occurs in which the activated tissue is pushed away by the blood flow in a short time. That is, in this case, if the activated tissue image is repeatedly obtained in a relatively short time (for example, every 50 seconds), the amount of decrease in the integral value of the region of interest set in the center is relatively small, but set in the periphery. It is observed that the integrated value of the region of interest decreases relatively with time. In addition, looking at the time axis for daily particle beam therapy, the amount of decrease in the integral value of the region of interest set in the center tends to increase, and the change in the amount of decrease in the integral value of the region of interest set in the peripheral part is It is hardly seen.

  When a plurality of regions of interest are set in this way, the contrast image generation unit 24 'determines the ratio of the integral values of each region of interest (the activation of the living tissue in the range corresponding to the region corresponding to each region of interest). (Intensity ratio) may be calculated. The display unit 25 displays and outputs this calculation result.

  This is useful for observing the response to the dose for each region of interest. Specifically, it is possible to obtain data necessary to determine the effective dose limit at the peripheral portion and the central portion of the previously cancerous region.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Image processing apparatus, 11 Control part, 12 Storage part, 13 Operation part, 14 Display part, 15 Input / output part, 20 Region-of-interest information acquisition part, 21 Image acquisition part, 22, 22 'Image reading part, 23, 23' Alignment unit, 24.24 ′ contrast image generation unit, 25 display unit.

Claims (2)

Image acquisition means for repeatedly acquiring the activated tissue image representing the position of the biological tissue activated by the particle beam therapy device at a predetermined timing;
Means for obtaining a three-dimensional reconstructed image of the region containing the biological tissue to be activated;
In the three-dimensional reconstructed image, a region-of-interest setting unit that accepts a plurality of three-dimensional region-of-interest settings including a peripheral portion of the biological tissue to be activated and removed and a center portion;
Using a plurality of activated tissue images acquired at different timings as a comparison target, the three-dimensional reconstructed image and the plurality of activated tissue images that are the comparison targets are determined based on predetermined reference positions in a living body. Means for relatively moving and aligning to match,
After the alignment, for each activated tissue image to be compared, activation of biological tissue included in the region in the activated tissue image corresponding to each region of interest set in the three-dimensional reconstructed image Calculating means for calculating the intensity ratio of the intensity calculated for each region;
Including
An image generating means for generating a contrast image using a plurality of activated tissue images to be compared, which are aligned;
Display means for displaying the generated image;
Only including,
The image processing device outputs the ratio of the activation intensity of the living tissue included in the corresponding region, calculated for each of the activated tissue images to be compared . Computer
Image acquisition means for repeatedly acquiring the activated tissue image representing the position of the biological tissue activated by the particle beam therapy device at a predetermined timing;
Means for obtaining a three-dimensional reconstructed image of the region containing the biological tissue to be activated;
In the three-dimensional reconstructed image, a region-of-interest setting unit that accepts a plurality of three-dimensional region-of-interest settings including a peripheral portion of the biological tissue to be activated and removed and a center portion;
Using a plurality of activated tissue images acquired at different timings as a comparison target, the three-dimensional reconstructed image and the plurality of activated tissue images that are the comparison targets are determined based on predetermined reference positions in a living body. Means for relatively moving and aligning to match,
After the alignment, for each activated tissue image to be compared, activation of biological tissue included in the region in the activated tissue image corresponding to each region of interest set in the three-dimensional reconstructed image Calculating means for calculating the intensity ratio of the intensity calculated for each region;
Including
An image generating means for generating a contrast image using a plurality of activated tissue images to be compared, which are aligned;
Display means for displaying the generated image;
When functioning as the image generation means, the computer outputs the ratio of the activation intensity of the living tissue included in the corresponding region calculated for each of the activated tissue images to be compared. Program.

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