JPH03297452A - Method of setting slice line and device therefor - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To simply and precisely set a plurality of slice lines in a short time by displaying the plurality of slice lines which are superposed with an image of a body to be checked, and by moving the plurality of slice lines while confirming an image pick-up range and the positions of the slice lines. CONSTITUTION:A scanner image output circuit 14 delivers scanner image data of a body to be checked, and a planning line producing circuit 12 delivers coordinate data for start line data, slice line interval data and data of a plurality of slice lines so that the image of the body to be checked and a synthetic images of the plurality of slice lines are displayed on a monitor 16. With the manipulation of a mouse 17, at least one of the topmost slice line and the lowermost slice line is moved to a desired position on the image of the body to be checked, and accordingly, the intervals or the number of the slice lines are changed between the topmost slice line and the lowermost slice line. Accordingly, the operator can freely set the number or the intervals of the slice line while watching the image of the body to be checked and the number of the slice line, and thereby it is possible to simply set a plurality of slice lines in a short time.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention [Objective of the Invention] (Industrial Application Field) The present invention relates to a slice line setting method for setting the cross-sectional position of a subject, which is used in an image processing apparatus, particularly a medical image processing apparatus, and the method thereof. Regarding equipment.

(Prior Art) As a medical image processing device, there is an X-ray C7 imaging device that takes tomographic images of a human body. This X-ray C7 imaging device scans the subject with an X-ray CT scanner, and the signals obtained are transferred to a computer, reproduced as an image based on a predetermined image reproduction method, and displayed on a monitor as a tomographic image. Ru.

When obtaining a tomographic image using the above-mentioned X-ray C7 imaging device, it is necessary to specify the tomographic position of the subject, but with conventional devices,
A fluoroscopic image of the subject is displayed on the monitor, and a start slice line is displayed superimposed on the displayed image by key operation.

This start slice line is moved on the subject image by operating a trackball, for example, and set at a target position. Once the start line position is determined, a plurality of slice lines are set with this start line as a reference. In this case, the operator manually inputs the interval and number of slice lines, and displays a plurality of slice lines on the monitor superimposed on the subject image. If the position of the displayed slice line, that is, the slice position, deviates from the target position, the operator changes the slice line interval and displays the plurality of slice lines again. When multiple slice lines are set at the target position by such operations,
The line CT scanner is started, and multiple tomographic images corresponding to multiple slice lines are captured.

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) As described above, in the conventional X-ray CT imaging apparatus, when setting multiple slice lines in a subject image, the operator has to set multiple slice lines at the target position. You may need to change the slice line spacing several times. Therefore, setting the slice line is quite troublesome and relatively time consuming. Furthermore, there can be a large difference in slice line setting time between a skilled operator and an inexperienced operator.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a slice line setting method and apparatus that can easily and quickly set a plurality of slice lines.

[Structure of the Invention] (Means for Solving the Problems) According to the present invention, the steps of outputting an image of a subject, outputting a plurality of slice lines, and adding the plurality of slice lines to the subject image are provided. a step of displaying the uppermost slice line and the lowermost slice line in an overlapping manner; a step of moving at least one of the uppermost slice line and the lowermost slice line to a target position in the object image; A slice line setting method is provided that includes the steps of changing line spacing or the number of slice lines.

Further, according to the present invention, the first data means outputs image data of the subject, the second data output means outputs slice line data representing a plurality of slice lines,
means for displaying the object image data and slice line data as an image of a plurality of slice lines superimposed on the object image, and moving at least one of the uppermost slice line and the lowermost slice line to a target position in the object image. and means for changing the slice line interval or the number of slice lines between the uppermost slice line and the maximum slice line after the movement.

(Operation) Since a plurality of slice lines are collectively displayed on the subject image, the operator can freely set the slice line interval or the number of slice lines while viewing the subject image and the plurality of slice lines.

(Example) FIG. 1 shows an X-ray CT apparatus using the slice line setting device of the present invention. According to this, an output section of a keyboard 11 provided on a console (not shown) is connected to an input section of a planned line creation circuit 12. The planned line creation circuit 12 outputs slice line data representing a plurality of slice lines set at predetermined intervals in response to a slice line display command from the keyboard 1.

In this case, the planned line creation circuit 12 has a coordinate data output circuit and an arithmetic circuit, and the coordinate data output circuit responds to a slice line display command to display coordinate data of the start line of a plurality of slice lines, for example, the topmost slice line. The arithmetic circuit calculates the coordinate data and the interval data, and outputs slice line data corresponding to a plurality of equally spaced slice lines.

A data output terminal of the planned line creation circuit 12 is connected to an input terminal of an image/graphic display control circuit 13. The other input terminal of the display control circuit 1B is connected to the output terminals of the scanogram output circuit 14 and the pointer control circuit 15, and the output terminal thereof is connected to the monitor 16. The image/graphic display control circuit 13 includes a scano image output circuit 14
The slice line data output from the planned line generation circuit 12 is combined with the scanogram data output from the scan line generating circuit 12, and an image signal corresponding to the composite image of the scanogram and slice lines is output to the monitor 16. The scan image output circuit 14 outputs image data obtained by scanning a subject image, for example, a fluoroscopic image of the subject, that is, scanner image data.

Another output terminal of the pointer control circuit 15 is connected to another input terminal of the planned line generation circuit 12, which input terminal is connected to a pointing device, for example a mouse 17. The pointer control circuit 15 outputs point data corresponding to the coordinate data from the mouse 17 to the image/graphic display control circuit 13 and the planned line creation circuit 12. The other output terminal of the planned line creation circuit 2 is connected to an X-ray CT scanner 18 that performs an X-ray CT scan of the subject along a set slice line.

Next, the operation of the apparatus having the above configuration will be explained.

When the start key on the keyboard 11 is pressed, a slice line display command is input to the planned line creation circuit 12. The planned line creation circuit 12 outputs a plurality of slice line data to the image/graphic display control circuit 13 from the coordinate data of the start line data and the slice line interval data in response to the slice line display command. The image/graphic display control circuit 13 synthesizes the slice line data with the scanogram data output from the scanogram output circuit 14 and outputs a synthesized image signal to the monitor 16. At this time, a composite image of the subject image and a plurality of slice lines as shown in FIG. 2A is displayed on the monitor 16.

Next, the mouse 17 is operated and pointer coordinate data is input to the pointer control circuit 15. Pointer control circuit 1
5 inputs pointer data to the monitor 16 via the image/graphic display control circuit 13 in accordance with the pointer coordinate data. Therefore, a pointer P is displayed on the monitor 16 as shown in FIG. 2A. When this pointer P points to the topmost slice line 1, the mouse 17 is clicked and that line 1 is designated. After this, mouse 17
By operating this line] is moved upward to a target position, that is, to a predetermined upper part of the subject, as shown in FIG. 2B. Once the highest slice line 1 is set at the target position, the lowest slice line 4 is then designated by the pointer P. This line 4 is moved below the subject image by operating the mouse 17, and is moved to the lower target position.
It is set at a predetermined lower part. At this time, the slice lines 2.3 between the highest slice line 1 and the lowest slice line 4 are moved so that they are equally spaced between the lines 1.4. That is, assuming that slice lines 1 and 4 are spaced apart, lines 2.3 are displayed at an interval of L/number of planned lines (for example, 4)-1, as shown in FIG. 2C.

In this case, the pointer control circuit 15 calculates L from the movement amount data input to the planned line creation circuit 12, and using this value, the arithmetic circuit provided in the planned line creation circuit 12 calculates the above formula. is performed, and the results are input to the monitor 16 via the image/graphic display control circuit 13.

When slice lines 1 to 4 are set as shown in FIG. 2C, a scan start command is input from the keyboard to the X-ray CT scanner 18 via the planned line creation circuit 12. The X-ray CT scanner 18 starts scanning in response to the scan start command, or in this case, the slice line (1 to 4) data stored in the planned line creation circuit 12 is input to the X-ray CT scanner 18. Therefore, X
The fWcT scanner 18 scans the subject along slice lines 1 to 4 shown in FIG. 2C.

In the above embodiment, the intervals between the slice lines are varied, but as shown in FIG. 3, the intervals may be kept constant and the number of slice lines may be increased.

In this case, the planned line creation circuit 12 outputs slice line data every time the movement amount input from the pointer control circuit 15 changes by an amount corresponding to the slice line interval. Further, slice lines 1 to 1 shown in FIG. 2A
4 can be moved directly to any position.

[Effects of the Invention] According to the present invention, multiple slice lines are displayed superimposed on the subject image, and these slice lines can be moved while checking the imaging range and slice position.
Slice lines can be set accurately without requiring any skill.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram of an X-ray CT apparatus equipped with a slice line setting device according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG.
2C to 2C are diagrams for explaining slice line setting, and FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining another slice line setting method. 1-4...Slice line, 11...Keyboard,
12... Planning line creation circuit, 13... Image/graphic display control circuit, 14... Scanogram output circuit, 15... Pointer control circuit, 16... Monitor, 17
··mouse.

Claims (2)

[Claims] (1) Outputting an image of the object, outputting a plurality of slice lines, collectively displaying the plurality of slice lines on the object image, and a top slice line and a bottom slice. Slice line setting comprising the steps of moving at least one of the lines to a target position in the object image, and changing the slice line interval or the number of slice lines between the uppermost slice line and the maximum slice line after the movement. Method. (2) A first data means for outputting image data of a subject, a second data output means for outputting slice line data representing a plurality of slice lines, and converting the subject image data and slice line data into a subject image. means for displaying a plurality of slice lines as a superimposed image; means for moving at least one of the uppermost slice line and the lowermost slice line to a target position in the object image;
A slice line setting device comprising means for changing the slice line interval or the number of slice lines between the uppermost slice line and the maximum slice line after movement.