Image processing apparatus, method of processing image, and program

#The aspect of the embodiments relates to a technique for processing an image that is obtained by imaging.

#A pressure ulcer (a so-called bedsore) is an example of an injury that occurs in a surface layer of a human or animal skin. One of indicators for evaluating the severity of the pressure ulcer is the size of the pressure ulcer. Nowadays, the size of the pressure ulcer is obtained on the basis of a value that is measured by manual work such as contact of, for example, a measure with a region (referred to as an affected region) in which the pressure ulcer occurs. When the size of the pressure ulcer is obtained, medical personnel measure, as a major axis length, a direct distance between two points that is presumably the maximum on the outer edge of the affected region in which the pressure ulcer occurs. A distance between two points on the outer edge in a direction perpendicular to the major axis thereof is measured as a minor axis length. However, the shape of the pressure ulcer is typically complex, thus, the medical personnel is to adjust how the measure is brought into contact therewith when the affected region of the pressure ulcer is measured. This work is to be done at least twice for measurement of the major axis length and the minor axis length. The medical personnel obtain the size of the pressure ulcer by multiplying the manually measured major axis length and minor axis length.

#The medical personnel periodically work to obtain the size of the pressure ulcer as above to evaluate, for example, healing of the pressure ulcer in progress. However, the obtained size changes depending on where the major axis length and the minor axis length are measured in the affected region of the pressure ulcer. Accordingly, the medical personnel is to appropriately adjust how the measure, for example, is brought into contact with the affected region of the pressure ulcer every time to properly evaluate, for example, the healing of the pressure ulcer in progress. In the existing circumstances, the size is obtained by multiplying the major axis length and the minor axis length of the pressure ulcer. However, there is a possibility that the severity of the pressure ulcer can be more appropriately evaluated by using the area of the affected region of the pressure ulcer as the size of the pressure ulcer. Although the affected region in which the pressure ulcer occurs is taken as an example herein, the above matters are common to the cases where measurement and evaluation are carried out on affected regions such as a burn and a lacerated wound and affected regions related to other medical care, other than those of the pressure ulcer.

#FIG. 1 schematically illustrates an affected-region-photographing apparatus.

#FIG. 2 illustrates an example of the structure of an imaging device.

#FIG. 3 illustrates an example of the structure of an image processing apparatus.

#Embodiments for carrying out the disclosure will hereinafter be described in detail by way of example with reference to the drawings. According to the embodiments of the disclosure, presumption of a region of a pressure ulcer (a so-called bedsore) that occurs in a surface layer of a human or animal skin will be described as an example of identification of a specific region such as an injury that occurs in a surface layer of an object by image processing. An example of evaluation of the pressure ulcer that occurs in the surface layer of the skin and a medical condition of the pressure ulcer will be described before a detailed description of the structure and processing of an image processing apparatus according to each embodiment.

#With a human being or an animal laying down, a portion of the body in contact with a floor or a mattress below the body is pressed due to a weight. Continuation of the same posture causes circulatory failure of blood in the portion of the body in contact with the floor and necrosis of surrounding tissue. A state of the necrosis of this tissue is called the pressure ulcer or the bedsore. A patient who develops the pressure ulcer receives pressure ulcer care such as body pressure redistribution care and skin care provided by the medical personnel, and therefore, the pressure ulcer is to be periodically evaluated and managed.

#A pressure ulcer state determination scale, DESIGN-R (registered trademark), developed by academic education committee of Japanese Society of Pressure Ulcers has been proposed as a tool for evaluating healing processes of injuries including the pressure ulcer.