Image processing device, method and program

Abstract

A three-dimensional moving image and an ultrasonic moving image showing a body part making periodic motion are obtained, and, from the moving images, a characteristic part having a shape that changes with the periodic motion is extracted. Phases of the periodic motion captured in the moving images are obtained. For at least one of the moving images, the phases are obtained based on the shape of the extracted characteristic part. For each phase, the positions of the characteristic part shown in the three-dimensional moving image and the ultrasonic moving image are associated with each other based on the extracted characteristic part and the obtained phases. A superimposed image is generated by aligning, for each phase, the positions of the characteristic part shown in the three-dimensional moving image and the ultrasonic moving image with each other based on the associated positions of the characteristic part and the phases, and displayed.

1 . An image processing device comprising:
 an image obtaining unit for obtaining a three-dimensional moving image showing a body part of a patient and an ultrasonic moving image showing the body part, the body part making a predetermined periodic motion;   a characteristic part extracting unit for extracting, from a plurality of frame images forming the obtained three-dimensional moving image and ultrasonic moving image, a predetermined characteristic part having a shape that changes in response to the periodic motion;   a phase obtaining unit for obtaining phases of the periodic motion captured in the three-dimensional moving image and the ultrasonic moving image, wherein, for at least one of the three-dimensional moving image and the ultrasonic moving image, the phases are obtained based on the shape of the extracted characteristic part;   an associating unit for associating, for each phase, a position of the characteristic part in a frame image forming the three-dimensional moving image corresponding to the phase with a position of the characteristic part in a frame image forming the ultrasonic moving image corresponding to the phase based on the extracted characteristic part and the obtained phases;   an image generating unit for generating a superimposed image of the three-dimensional moving image and the ultrasonic moving image by aligning, for each phase, a position of the characteristic part in a frame image forming the three-dimensional moving image corresponding to the phase with a position of the characteristic part in a frame image forming the ultrasonic moving image corresponding to the phase based on the associated positions of the characteristic part and the phases; and   a display controlling unit for displaying the generated superimposed image on a display device.   
     
     
         2 . The image processing device as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the characteristic part extracting unit automatically extracts the characteristic part. 
     
     
         3 . The image processing device as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the body part making the periodic motion is a heart, and the characteristic part is any of ventricles, atriums, muscles, valves and an apex of the heart. 
     
     
         4 . The image processing device as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein the phase obtaining unit obtains the phases based on a state of opening and closing of any of the valves of the heart. 
     
     
         5 . The image processing device as claimed in  claim 4 , wherein the phase obtaining unit obtains the phases by identifying an end of diastole and/or systole of the heart based on the state of opening and closing of a mitral valve and/or an aortic valve among the valves of the heart. 
     
     
         6 . The image processing device as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein, for at least one of the three-dimensional moving image and the ultrasonic moving image, the phase obtaining unit obtains the phases from accompanying information of the moving image. 
     
     
         7 . The image processing device as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the image generating unit generates the superimposed image by obtaining pixel spacing from accompanying information of each of the three-dimensional moving image and the ultrasonic moving image and providing the moving images with the same pixel spacing based on the obtained pixel spacing. 
     
     
         8 . The image processing device as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the image generating unit generates the superimposed image by superimposing, on the three-dimensional moving image, the ultrasonic moving image shown by a color Doppler method based on Doppler shift of blood flow. 
     
     
         9 . The image processing device as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the ultrasonic moving image is a moving image showing a cross section including the characteristic part. 
     
     
         10 . An image processing method comprising:
 obtaining a three-dimensional moving image showing a body part of a patient and an ultrasonic moving image showing the body part, the body part making a predetermined periodic motion;   extracting, from a plurality of frame images forming the obtained three-dimensional moving image and ultrasonic moving image, a predetermined characteristic part having a shape that changes in response to the periodic motion;   obtaining phases of the periodic motion captured in the three-dimensional moving image and the ultrasonic moving image, wherein, for at least one of the three-dimensional moving image and the ultrasonic moving image, the phases are obtained based on the shape of the extracted characteristic part;   associating, for each phase, a position of the characteristic part in a frame image forming the three-dimensional moving image corresponding to the phase with a position of the characteristic part in a frame image forming the ultrasonic moving image corresponding to the phase based on the extracted characteristic part and the obtained phases;   generating a superimposed image of the three-dimensional moving image and the ultrasonic moving image by aligning, for each phase, a position of the characteristic part in a frame image forming the three-dimensional moving image corresponding to the phase with a position of the characteristic part in a frame image forming the ultrasonic moving image corresponding to the phase based on the associated positions of the characteristic part and the phases; and   displaying the generated superimposed image on a display device.   
     
     
         11 . A non-transitory storage medium containing an image processing program for causing a computer to function as:
 an image obtaining unit for obtaining a three-dimensional moving image showing a body part of a patient and an ultrasonic moving image showing the body part, the body part making a predetermined periodic motion;   a characteristic part extracting unit for extracting, from a plurality of frame images forming the obtained three-dimensional moving image and ultrasonic moving image, a predetermined characteristic part having a shape that changes in response to the periodic motion;   a phase obtaining unit for obtaining phases of the periodic motion captured in the three-dimensional moving image and the ultrasonic moving image, wherein, for at least one of the three-dimensional moving image and the ultrasonic moving image, the phases are obtained based on the shape of the extracted characteristic part;   an associating unit for associating, for each phase, a position of the characteristic part in a frame image forming the three-dimensional moving image corresponding to the phase with a position of the characteristic part in a frame image forming the ultrasonic moving image corresponding to the phase based on the extracted characteristic part and the obtained phases;   an image generating unit for generating a superimposed image of the three-dimensional moving image and the ultrasonic moving image by aligning, for each phase, a position of the characteristic part in a frame image forming the three-dimensional moving image corresponding to the phase with a position of the characteristic part in a frame image forming the ultrasonic moving image corresponding to the phase based on the associated positions of the characteristic part and the phases; and   a display controlling unit for displaying the generated superimposed image on a display device.