# US 10,769,789 B2 · Image processing apparatus and image processing method > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,769,789 B2 - Document ID: US10769789B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/495,660 - Filed: 2017-04-24 - Published: 2017-11-02 - Granted: 2020-09-08 - Earliest claimed: 2016-04-28 - Assignees: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha - Applicants: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha - Inventors: Masashi Kotoku; Yoshihiko Iwase; Makoto Sato - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10769789B2 ## CPC - G06T 7/0016: {involving temporal comparison} - A61B 3/102: {for optical coherence tomography [OCT]} - G06T 7/0012: {Biomedical image inspection} - G06T 7/11: Region-based segmentation - G06T 11/00: Two-dimensional [2D] image generation - G06T 15/08: Volume rendering - G06T 19/00: Manipulating three-dimensional [3D] models or images for computer graphics - G06T 2207/10101: Optical tomography; Optical coherence tomography [OCT] - G06T 2207/10141: Special mode during image acquisition - G06T 2207/20221: Image fusion; Image merging - G06T 2207/30041: Eye; Retina; Ophthalmic - G06T 2207/30096: Tumor; Lesion - G06T 2207/30104: Vascular flow; Blood flow; Perfusion - G06T 2210/41: Medical - G06T 2211/404: Angiography - G06T: IMAGE DATA PROCESSING OR GENERATION, IN GENERAL - A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D) ## Abstract An image processing apparatus includes an information obtaining unit configured to obtain three-dimensional polarization sensitive tomographic information and three-dimensional motion contrast information about a subject based on tomographic signals of lights having different polarizations, the lights being obtained by splitting a combined light obtained by combining a returned light from the subject illuminated with a measurement light with a reference light corresponding to the measurement light, an obtaining unit configured to obtain a lesion region of the subject using the three-dimensional polarization sensitive tomographic information, and an image generation unit configured to generate an image in which the lesion region is superimposed on a motion contrast image generated using the three-dimensional motion contrast information. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An image processing apparatus comprising at least one processor, when executing a program, function as: an information obtaining unit configured to obtain three-dimensional polarization sensitive tomographic information and three-dimensional motion contrast information of a subject based on tomographic signals of lights having different polarizations, the lights being obtained by splitting a combined light obtained by combining a returned light from the subject illuminated with a measurement light with a reference light corresponding to the measurement light; a region obtaining unit configured to obtain a blood vessel region of the subject using the three-dimensional motion contrast information and to obtain a lesion region of the subject using the three-dimensional polarization sensitive tomographic information; an image generation unit configured to generate at least one image in which the lesion region is superimposed on a motion contrast image generated using the three-dimensional motion contrast information or an image in which the blood vessel region is superimposed on a polarization image generated using the three-dimensional polarization sensitive tomographic information; and a display control unit configured to cause a display unit to display the generated at least one image, a value of a parameter indicating the lesion region, and a value of a parameter indicating the blood vessel region. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the region obtaining unit obtains a three-dimensional lesion region of the subject using the three-dimensional polarization sensitive tomographic information, and wherein the image generation unit generates a three-dimensional image in which the three-dimensional lesion region is superimposed on a three-dimensional image generated using the three-dimensional motion contrast information. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The image processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the image generation unit generates an en face image of a specific region of the subject using the three-dimensional image. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the region obtaining unit obtains a two-dimensional lesion region of the subject using the three-dimensional polarization sensitive tomographic information, and wherein the image generation unit generates an image in which the two-dimensional lesion region is superimposed on a motion contrast en face image generated using the three-dimensional motion contrast information. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the display control unit cause the display unit to display a graph showing a change over time in a value of a parameter indicating the blood vessel region within a region selected by an examiner, the region being a corresponding region in each of a plurality of motion contrast images obtained at different examination dates and times selected by the examiner. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the display control unit causes the display unit to display a graph showing a change over time in a value of a parameter indicating the lesion region and a graph showing a change over time in a value of a parameter indicating the blood vessel. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image processing apparatus is connected to and able to communicate with an imaging apparatus including a detection unit configured to detect the lights having different polarizations, and wherein the information obtaining unit obtains the three-dimensional polarization sensitive tomographic information and the three-dimensional motion contrast information, based on the tomographic signals obtained, by the detection unit, by detection of the lights having different polarizations. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the subject is an eye to be examined and the information obtaining obtains the three-dimensional motion contrast information using a plurality of tomographic signals repeatedly obtained at the same position. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image generation unit generates, as the polarization image, a polarization en face image of at least a part of a region of the subject in a depth direction thereof using the three-dimensional polarization sensitive tomographic information, and generates, as the motion contrast image, a motion contrast en face image of at least a part of a region of the subject in a depth direction thereof using the three-dimensional motion contrast information. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The image processing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the processor further function as a determination unit configured to determine, as the at least a part of a region, at least one of a plurality of regions obtained by using a plurality of layers obtained by segmentation in accordance with an operation of an examiner. ### Claim 11 An image processing apparatus comprising at least one processor, when executing a program, function as: an information obtaining unit configured to obtain three-dimensional motion contrast information of a subject obtained using a tomographic signal of a combined light, the lights being obtained by splitting a combined light obtained by combining a returned light from the subject illuminated with a measurement light with a reference light corresponding to the measurement light; a region obtaining unit configured to obtain a blood vessel region using the three-dimensional motion contrast information; an image generation unit configured to generate a motion contrast image using the three-dimensional motion contrast information; and a display control unit configured to cause a display unit to display the generated image and a graph showing a change over time in a value of a parameter indicating the blood vessel region. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The image processing apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the information obtaining unit obtains the three-dimensional polarization sensitive tomographic information and the three-dimensional motion contrast information using tomographic signals of the lights having different polarization obtained by splitting the combined light, wherein the image processing apparatus is connected to and able to communicate with an imaging apparatus including a detection unit configured to detect the lights having different polarizations, and wherein the information obtaining unit obtains the three-dimensional polarization sensitive tomographic information and the three-dimensional motion contrast information using the tomographic signals obtained by detection of the lights having different polarizations by the detection unit. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The image processing apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the subject is an eye to be examined, and the information obtaining unit obtains the three-dimensional motion contrast information using a plurality of tomographic signals repeatedly obtained at a same position. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The image processing apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the display control unit causes the display unit to display a graph showing a change over time in a value of a parameter indicating the blood vessel region within a region selected by an examiner, the region being a corresponding region in each of a plurality of motion contrast images obtained at different examination dates and times selected by the examiner. ### Claim 15 An image processing method comprising: obtaining three-dimensional polarization sensitive tomographic information and three-dimensional motion contrast information of a subject based on tomographic signals of lights having different polarizations, the lights being obtained by splitting a combined light obtained by combining a returned light from the subject illuminated with a measurement light with a reference light corresponding to the measurement light; obtaining a blood vessel region of the subject using the three-dimensional motion contrast information and to obtain a lesion region of the subject using the three-dimensional polarization sensitive tomographic information; generating at least one image in which the lesion region is superimposed on a motion contrast image generated using the three-dimensional motion contrast information or an image in which the blood vessel region is superimposed on a polarization image generated using the three-dimensional polarization sensitive tomographic information, and causing a display unit to display the generated at least one image, a value of a parameter indicating the lesion region, and a value of a parameter indicating the blood vessel region. ### Claim 16 An image processing method comprising: obtaining three-dimensional motion contrast information of a subject obtained using a tomographic signal of a combined light obtained by combining a returned light from the subject illuminated with a measurement light with a reference light corresponding to the measurement light; obtaining a blood vessel region using the three-dimensional motion contrast information; and generating a motion contrast image using the three-dimensional motion contrast information, and causing a display unit to display the generated image and a graph showing a change over time in a value of a parameter indicating the blood vessel region. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a program for causing a computer to execute steps in the method defined in claim 15. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a program for causing a computer to execute steps in the method defined in claim 16.