JPH07230540A - Method and device for displaying three-dimensional image - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To instantaneously display an objective part by a three-dimensional (3-D) image while changing observation time. CONSTITUTION:Plural 3-D data are previously constructed from plural two-dimensional (2-D) image data groups stored in an external storage device 4 and stored in a 3-D data area 3a of a memory correspondingly to data acquiring time. When observation time (time acquiring data to be observed) is applied, the stored 3-D data are extracted from the area 3a and 3-D image data are generated and stored in a display data area 3b. A 3-D image is displayed based upon the 3-D image data stored in the area 3b. Thereby a secular change in an affected part or the like can be instantaneously observed by 3-D images.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a three-dimensional image display method and apparatus, and more particularly, to a three-dimensional image display method and apparatus useful for observing a change over time of a target site with a three-dimensional image.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 6 is a block diagram of an example of a conventional three-dimensional image display device. This three-dimensional image display device 500 is
A computer 51 including a CPU 52 and a memory 53, an external storage device 4 such as a magnetic disk, a display device 5 such as a CRT, and an input device 6 such as a keyboard are provided.
(Computed Tomography) equipment and MRI (Magnetic Res
(onance Imaging) device, and the like, accumulates the two-dimensional image data group acquired by the medical image diagnostic apparatus M, generates three-dimensional data from the two-dimensional image data group, and generates three-dimensional image data from the three-dimensional data. , A three-dimensional image is displayed based on the three-dimensional image data.

Here, the two-dimensional image data is data for obtaining a tomographic image of the subject K and is composed of two-dimensional coordinate information and pixel value information at the coordinates.
The two-dimensional image data group is a set of two-dimensional image data for obtaining tomographic images at a plurality of positions adjacent to each other in a direction substantially perpendicular to the tomographic plane. Further, the three-dimensional data is composed of three-dimensional coordinate information in the volume of the subject that acquired the two-dimensional image data group and value information in the coordinates. So-called surface data is one type of three-dimensional data. Further, the three-dimensional image data is image data when a target part having a volume defined by the three-dimensional data is viewed from a certain direction, and includes two-dimensional coordinate information and pixel value information at the coordinates. There is. In addition, the three-dimensional image is an image of a target site having a volume defined by the three-dimensional data when viewed from a certain direction.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a two-dimensional image data storage process in the three-dimensional image display device 500. In step P1, a two-dimensional image data group acquired by the medical image diagnostic apparatus M at a certain date and time is collected, and is stored in the external storage device 4 in association with each other when the data is acquired. As a result, for example, as shown in FIG. 9, the two-dimensional image data group acquired at the time A, the two-dimensional image data group acquired at the time B, the two-dimensional image data group acquired at the time C, the date D The two-dimensional image data group acquired in step 1 is stored in the external storage device 4.

FIG. 8 is a flow chart showing a three-dimensional image display process in the three-dimensional image display device 500. In step S51, for example, a doctor designates a two-dimensional image data group of a desired date and time with the input device 6. In step S52, the two-dimensional image data group of the designated date and time is read from the external storage device 4, the CPU52 constructs three-dimensional data from the two-dimensional image data group, and the memory 53 is read.
In the three-dimensional data area 53a. Thereby, for example, as shown in FIG. 9, the three-dimensional data of the designated date B is held in the three-dimensional data area 53a. In step S4, for example, the doctor specifies the position of the observation target site and the observation direction using the input device 6. In step S6, the CPU 52 creates three-dimensional image data from the three-dimensional data stored in the three-dimensional data area 53a of the memory 53 and stores the three-dimensional image data in the display data area 53b of the memory 53. As a result, for example, as shown in FIG. 9, the three-dimensional image data of the target portion viewed from the designated direction at the designated date B is held in the display data area 53b. In step S7, the display device 5 displays a three-dimensional image based on the three-dimensional image data held in the display data area 53b of the memory 53. As a result, for example, as shown in FIG. 10, a three-dimensional image of the target site at the position α at the specified date B viewed from the specified direction β1 is displayed on the display device 5.

In step S60, the operator is asked whether to change the position of the observation target portion or the observation direction,
If it is changed, the process returns to step S4. If not changed, the process proceeds to step S61. In step S61, the operator is inquired whether or not the three-dimensional image display processing is to be ended, and if not ended, the processing returns to step S60. When it is finished, the three-dimensional image display process is finished.

Since the processing time in steps S6 and S7 is sufficiently short, if the position of the observation target portion or the observation direction is changed in step S4, the corresponding three-dimensional image can be immediately viewed on the display device 5. I can. FIG. 11 illustrates a change in the three-dimensional image when the observation direction is changed to β1 to β8, for example.

[0008]

In the conventional three-dimensional image display device 500 described above, it is possible to immediately observe the target site as a three-dimensional image while changing the observation position and the observation direction. However, since the processing time of step S52 takes a long time, if the date and time to be observed is changed, the target region will be 3
It takes a long time to display a three-dimensional image. For this reason, there is a problem in that the target site cannot be immediately observed with a three-dimensional image while changing the date and time at which observation is desired. Therefore, the purpose of this invention is to observe (including the date and time)
It is an object of the present invention to provide a three-dimensional image display method and apparatus that allows a target site to be immediately observed with a three-dimensional image while changing the.

[0009]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In a first aspect, the present invention provides a method of converting a set of two-dimensional image data of a subject into a set of three items of the subject.
3D data is constructed, 3D image data is generated based on the 3D data, and 3D image data is generated.
In a three-dimensional image display method for displaying a three-dimensional image, a plurality of sets of two-dimensional image data are stored in association with each other when data is acquired, three-dimensional data is constructed for each set of two-dimensional image data, and original two-dimensional image data is created. Of the three-dimensional image data corresponding to the given data is acquired based on the three-dimensional data.
There is provided a three-dimensional image display method characterized by displaying a three-dimensional image based on three-dimensional image data.

According to a second aspect, the present invention relates to a two-dimensional image data storage means for storing a plurality of two-dimensional image data sets in association with each other at the time of data acquisition, and three-dimensional data for each set of the two-dimensional image data sets. The three-dimensional data constructing means to be constructed, the three-dimensional data holding means that holds the three-dimensional data in association with the original two-dimensional image data at the time of data acquisition, and the input means for designating the data acquisition time are designated. 3D image data corresponding to the time of data acquisition
There is provided a three-dimensional image display device having a structural feature that includes a three-dimensional image data generation unit that generates based on three-dimensional data and a display unit that displays a three-dimensional image by the three-dimensional image data. In the above configuration, the three-dimensional image data generation means generates a plurality of three-dimensional image data corresponding to the plurality of data acquisition times when the plurality of data acquisition times are designated, and the display means generates the plurality of three-dimensional image data. 3 in the order of data acquisition based on 3D image data
It is preferable that the three-dimensional images are displayed continuously.

In the above configuration, the time of data acquisition may be any time stamp that can specify the time of actual data acquisition, and is not limited to the time of actual data acquisition.

[0012]

In the three-dimensional image display method and apparatus according to the first and second aspects, the three-dimensional image data can be obtained from the two-dimensional image data.
Since it takes a long processing time to construct the dimensional data, a plurality of three-dimensional data are constructed in advance from a set of a plurality of two-dimensional image data, and these three-dimensional data are held in association with each other at the time of data acquisition. Then, when the data acquisition time is given, the held three-dimensional data is simply taken out to generate three-dimensional image data, thereby displaying the three-dimensional image. Therefore, the time from when the data is acquired to when the three-dimensional image is displayed becomes sufficiently short. Therefore, it becomes possible to immediately observe the target site with a three-dimensional image while changing the observation time.

Further, when a plurality of data acquisition times are given, a plurality of three-dimensional image data corresponding to the data acquisition times are generated based on the three-dimensional image data, and the data acquisition time based on the three-dimensional image data is acquired. By sequentially displaying the three-dimensional images in sequence, it is possible to observe the change with time of the observation target site in a three-dimensional image as a moving image.

[0014]

The present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the embodiments shown in the drawings. The present invention is not limited to this. FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an embodiment of a three-dimensional image display device of the present invention. This three-dimensional image display device 100 includes a computer 1 including a CPU 2 and a memory 3.
2D image data acquired by a medical image diagnostic apparatus M such as a CT apparatus or an MRI apparatus, which includes an external storage device 4 such as a magnetic disk, a display device 5 such as a CRT, and an input device 6 such as a keyboard. A group is accumulated, three-dimensional data is generated from the two-dimensional image data group, three-dimensional image data is generated from the three-dimensional data, and a three-dimensional image is displayed based on the three-dimensional image data.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing a two-dimensional image data storage process in the three-dimensional image display device 100. In step P1, a two-dimensional image data group acquired by the medical image diagnostic apparatus M at a certain date and time is collected, and is stored in the external storage device 4 in association with each other when the data is acquired. Thereby, for example, as shown in FIG. 4, the two-dimensional image data group acquired at the date A, the two-dimensional image data group acquired at the date B, the two-dimensional image data group acquired at the date C, the date D The two-dimensional image data group acquired in step 1 is stored in the external storage device 4.

FIG. 3 is a flow chart showing a three-dimensional image display process in the three-dimensional image display device 100. In step S1, for example, a doctor designates one or a plurality of two-dimensional image data groups of a desired date and time with the input device 6. In step S2, the two-dimensional image data group at each designated date and time is read from the external storage device 4, and the CPU2 constructs each three-dimensional data from the two-dimensional image data group, and the three-dimensional data area 3a of the memory 3 is constructed. Hold. As a result, for example, as shown in FIG. 4, if the designated dates and times are A to D, the three-dimensional data of the date A, the three-dimensional data of the date B, the three-dimensional data of the date C, and the three-dimensional data of the date D are three-dimensional. It is held in the data area 3a.

In step S3, for example, a doctor designates a date / time range to be observed (one date / time or a first date / time of a plurality of dates / times) with the input device 6. Step S
In 4, the doctor specifies, for example, the position of the observation target portion and the observation direction using the input device 6. In step S5,
The date / time counter i is initialized to "1". Step S6
Then, the three-dimensional data of the i-th date and time within the designated date and time range is taken out from the three-dimensional data area 3a of the memory 3, the CPU2 creates three-dimensional image data from the three-dimensional data, and the three-dimensional image data for display in the memory 3 is displayed. It is held in the data area 3b. As a result, for example, as shown in FIG. 4, the three-dimensional image data of the target site viewed from the designated direction at the i-th date and time is held in the display data area 3b. Step S
In 7, the display device 5 displays a three-dimensional image based on the three-dimensional image data held in the display data area 3b of the memory 3. As a result, for example, as shown in (a) of FIG. 5, a three-dimensional image of the target site at the position α at the specified date A viewed from the specified direction β1 is displayed on the display device 5.

In step S8, it is checked whether the value of the date / time counter i has advanced to the end of the designated date / time range,
If it is not the last, the process proceeds to step S9, and if it is the last, the process proceeds to step S10. In step S9, the value of the date / time counter i is incremented by "1", and the process returns to step S6. By repeating steps S6 to S9, three-dimensional images with different dates and times are continuously displayed at predetermined time intervals (for example, 1 second). Thus, for example, if the designated date and time range is A to D, as shown in (a) to (d) of FIG. 5, the target portion at the position α at the designated date and time A, B, C, and D is viewed from the designated direction β1. 3D images are sequentially displayed on the display device 5
Is displayed in. In addition, in the example of (a) to (d) of FIG.
It can be suitably observed that the tumor formed on the inner wall of the stomach gradually disappears.

In step S10, the operator is inquired whether to change the date / time range, the position of the site to be observed, or the observation direction. If the change is made, the process returns to step S3,
If not changed, the process proceeds to step S11. Step S11
Then, the operator is inquired whether or not the three-dimensional image display processing should be ended, and if not ended, the processing returns to step S10. When it is finished, the three-dimensional image display process is finished.

Since the processing time in steps S6 and S7 is sufficiently short, if the date / time range is changed in step S3 or the position or the observation direction of the observation target portion is changed in step S4, the corresponding three-dimensional image is obtained. The image can be immediately viewed on the display device 5.

[0021]

According to the method and apparatus for displaying a three-dimensional image of the present invention, the target region can be immediately displayed while changing the observation time.
It can be observed with a three-dimensional image. Therefore, it becomes possible to suitably diagnose a change over time in an affected area or the like with a three-dimensional image.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a three-dimensional image display device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing a two-dimensional image data storage process in the three-dimensional image display device of FIG.

3 is a flowchart showing a three-dimensional image display process in the three-dimensional image display device of FIG.

FIG. 4 is a conceptual diagram of data storage / saving in the three-dimensional image display device of FIG.

5 is an exemplary diagram of a three-dimensional image displayed by the three-dimensional image display device of FIG.

FIG. 6 is a configuration diagram of an example of a conventional three-dimensional image display device.

7 is a flowchart showing a two-dimensional image data storage process in the three-dimensional image display device of FIG.

8 is a flowchart showing a three-dimensional image display process in the three-dimensional image display device of FIG.

9 is a conceptual diagram of data storage / saving in the three-dimensional image display device of FIG.

FIG. 10 shows 3 displayed by the three-dimensional image display device of FIG.
It is an illustration figure of a three-dimensional image.

FIG. 11 shows 3 displayed by the three-dimensional image display device of FIG.
It is another illustration figure of a three-dimensional image.

[Explanation of symbols]

 100 three-dimensional image display device 1 computer 2 CPU 3 memory 4 external storage device 5 display device 6 input device

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁶ Identification code Internal reference number FI technical display location G06T 15/00

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A three-dimensional image of a subject is constructed from a set of two-dimensional image data of the subject, three-dimensional image data is generated based on the three-dimensional data, and a three-dimensional image is generated from the three-dimensional image data. In the three-dimensional image display method of displaying, a plurality of sets of two-dimensional image data are stored in association with each other when data is acquired, three-dimensional data is constructed for each set of two-dimensional image data, and data of the original two-dimensional image data is acquired. And 3D image data corresponding to a given data acquisition time is generated based on the 3D data, and a 3D image is displayed based on the 3D image data. 3D image display method. 2. A two-dimensional image data storage means for storing a plurality of sets of two-dimensional image data in association with each other at the time of data acquisition, and a three-dimensional data construction means for constructing three-dimensional data for each set of the two-dimensional image data. , Three-dimensional data holding means for holding the three-dimensional data in association with each other when the original two-dimensional image data is acquired, input means for specifying the data acquisition time, and three-dimensional corresponding to the specified data acquisition A three-dimensional image display device, comprising: a three-dimensional image data generation means for generating image data based on the three-dimensional data; and a display means for displaying a three-dimensional image by the three-dimensional image data. 3. The three-dimensional image display device according to claim 2, wherein the three-dimensional image data generation means generates a plurality of three-dimensional image data corresponding to a plurality of data acquisition times when a plurality of data acquisition times are designated. A three-dimensional image display device, wherein the three-dimensional image is generated based on three-dimensional image data, and the display means continuously displays three-dimensional images in the order of data acquisition based on the three-dimensional image data.