JPH05233824A - Medical image processor - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide the medical image processor for shortening time for reconstituting plural new cross-sectional images. CONSTITUTION:This medical image processor reconstitutes plural new cross-sectional images crossing plural parallel source cross-sectional images expressing a three-dimensional diagnostic object from those source cross-sectional images and in a step S1, a reconstitutive area for each new cross section is secured corresponding to the setting of plural new cross sections. In a step S4, the pixel data of plural crossing lines on a one-dimensional cross-sectional image composed of plural new cross sections are collected. In a step S5, the pixel data are arranged in the previously secures reconstitutive area for each new cross section.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a medical image processing apparatus, and more specifically, it relates to a plurality of parallel original cross-section images that three-dimensionally represent an object to be diagnosed and a plurality of cross-sections of the original cross-section images. The present invention relates to a medical image processing apparatus that reconstructs a new slice image at high speed.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 5 is a block diagram of essential parts of an example of a conventional medical image processing apparatus. This medical image processing device 51
Is an image memory 2, a setting unit 53, a control unit 54, an image processing unit 55, an original image temporary memory 6, and a reconstruction image memory 5
It consists of 7 and CRT8. The image memory 2 stores n parallel original cross-sectional images G # m (m = 1, ..., N) as shown in FIG. 6 that three-dimensionally represent a diagnosis target.

FIG. 7 shows an example in which the medical image processing apparatus 51 intersects with the original cross-section images G # m from the original cross-section images G # m (m = 1, ..., N) stored in the image memory 2. It is a flow chart of processing which reconstructs a new section picture about new section D. In this process, the user sets the new section D to the setting unit 5
It is activated by setting 3

At step S11, the counter m is set to "1".
Initialize to. In step S12, the control unit 54 transfers the original slice image G # m from the image memory 2 to the original image temporary memory 6
Transfer and store in. Initially, the original slice image G # 1 is stored in the original image temporary memory 6.

In step S13, the image processing section 55
Pixel data P # m on the intersection line L # m between the new section D and the original section image G # m stored in the original image temporary memory 6 is collected. First, the intersection line L # 1 between the new section D and the original section image G # 1
(FIG. 6) Collect the pixel data P # 1 above.

In step S14, the image processing section 55
The collected pixel data P # m is arranged in the reconstruction image memory 57 as shown in FIG. By this arrangement, one line of the new sectional image is generated.

In steps S15 and S16, steps S12 to S14 are repeated until the pixel data P # n of the final original cross-section image G # n is collected. Thus, the new slice image of the new slice D is reconstructed on the reconstruction image memory 57. This new cross-sectional image is displayed on the CRT 8.

When the number of original slice images G # m is n = 50, the processing time required to reconstruct one new slice image is, for example, about 55 seconds.

[0009]

In the conventional medical image processing apparatus 51 described above, when there are a plurality of new sections D, the processing of FIG. 7 is repeated for each new section D. Therefore, {reconstruction processing time of a plurality of new slice images} = {reconstruction processing time of one new slice image} x {number of new slices}, and as the number of new slices increases There is a problem that the reconstruction processing time simply increases.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a medical image processing apparatus capable of shortening the time for reconstructing a plurality of new slice images.

[0011]

A medical image processing apparatus according to the present invention is a new section representing a new section that intersects with a plurality of parallel original section images that three-dimensionally represent a diagnosis target. In a medical image processing apparatus for reconstructing an image, an image data collecting unit that repeats, for each original slice image, continuously collecting image data on a plurality of intersecting lines of a plurality of new slices and one original slice image. A new cross section reconstructing means for reconstructing one new cross section image by collecting only image data of one new cross section from the obtained image data on the intersection line. What is done is a feature of the configuration.

[0012]

In the medical image processing apparatus according to the present invention, image data on a plurality of intersecting lines of a plurality of new slices and one original slice image are continuously collected, and the image data on the obtained intersecting lines are selected. The process of collecting only the image data of one new slice and reconstructing one new slice image is repeated for each new slice. Therefore, the number of times one original cross-sectional image is read from the image memory is one. On the other hand, conventionally, the number of times of reading one original cross-section image from the image memory was as many as the number of new cross-sections. Therefore, it can be seen that the processing time can be shortened.

[0013]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to the embodiments shown in the drawings. However, this does not limit the present invention. FIG. 1 is a block diagram of essential parts of a medical image processing apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The medical image processing apparatus 1 includes an image memory 2, a setting unit 3, a control unit 4, an image processing unit 5, an original image temporary memory 6, a reconstruction image memory 7, and a CRT 8.

The image memory 2 has n parallel original cross-sectional images G # m (m = 1, m = 1,
..., n) is remembered. FIG. 3 shows that the medical image processing apparatus 1 has the original slice image G # m (m = 1,
, N) is a flowchart of a process of reconstructing new cross-section images for a plurality of new cross-sections Di (i = 1, ..., K) intersecting the original cross-section images G # m. This process is started by the user setting the new section Di (i = 1, ..., K) by the setting unit 3.

In step S1, the control unit 4 causes the setting unit 3
Based on the information of the new cross section Di (i = 1, ..., K) from (1), a command to secure the reconstruction area for reconstructing the new cross section image for each new cross section Di is sent to the image processing unit 5. In response to the command, the image processing unit 5 causes the reconstruction area Fi for each new section Di on the reconstruction image memory 7 as shown in FIG.
Secure (i = 1, ..., k).

At step S2, the counter m is initialized to "1". In step S3, the control unit 4 transfers / stores the original cross-sectional image G # m from the image memory 2 to the original image temporary memory 6. Initially, the original slice image G # 1 is stored in the original image temporary memory 6.

In step S4, the image processing unit 5 intersects the new cross sections D1, D2, ..., Dk with the original cross section image G # m stored in the temporary memory 6 for the original image, L1 # m, L2 # m. ,…, Lk # m
The above pixel data P1 # m, P2 # m, ..., Pk # m are collected. First, the intersection lines L1 # 1, L2 # 1, ..., Lk # 1 (Fig. 2)
The upper pixel data P1 # 1, P2 # 1, ..., Pk # 1 are collected.

In step S5, the image processing unit 5 reserves the collected pixel data P1 # m, P2 # m, ..., Pk # m in the reconstruction image memory 7 in advance. It is arranged at F1, F2, ..., Fk. With this arrangement, one line of all new cross-sectional images is generated.

In steps S6 and S7, steps S12 to S14 are repeated until the pixel data P1 # n, P2 # n, ..., Pk # n of the final original cross-section image G # n are collected. In this way, the reconstruction area F1, on the reconstruction image memory 7
The new cross-section images of the new cross-section Di (i = 1, ..., k) are reconstructed in F2, ..., Fk, and the user can display the desired new cross-section image on the CRT 8. I can.

For example, when the number of new slices Di is k = 10 and the number of original slice images G # m is n = 50, the time required for the reconstruction process is about 100 sec. In the conventional device 51,
It is about 55 seconds × 10 (= k) = 550 seconds. The difference between the two times increases as the number k of new cross sections Di increases.

Step S4 corresponds to the image data collecting means, and step S5 corresponds to the new section reconstructing means.

[0022]

According to the medical image processing apparatus of the present invention,
The processing time for reconstructing a plurality of new slice images can be shortened.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a medical image processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an exemplary diagram of an original slice image and a new slice according to the medical image processing apparatus of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a flow chart of a reconstruction process of a new slice image by the medical image processing apparatus of FIG.

4 is an explanatory diagram of a reconstruction image memory of the medical image processing apparatus of FIG.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram of an example of a conventional medical image processing apparatus.

FIG. 6 is a view showing an example of an original slice image and a new slice.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a reconstruction process of a new slice image by the medical image processing apparatus of FIG.

8 is an explanatory diagram of a reconstruction image memory of the medical image processing apparatus of FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Medical Image Processing Device 2 Image Memory 3 Setting Unit 4 Control Unit 5 Image Processing Unit 6 Temporary Memory for Original Image 7 Reconstruction Image Memory Di New Section Fi Reconstruction Area G # m Original Section Image

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A medical image processing apparatus for reconstructing a new cross-sectional image representing a new cross-section intersecting the original cross-sectional images from a plurality of parallel original cross-sectional images that three-dimensionally represent a diagnosis target. An image data collecting unit that repeats continuous collection of image data on a plurality of intersecting lines of a new slice and one original slice image for each original slice image, and one of the obtained image data on the intersecting lines. A medical image processing apparatus comprising: new section reconstructing means for reconstructing one new section image by collecting only image data of one new section.