Image processing apparatus, image processing method, and program

An image processing method comprising:

• acquiring a special light image that captures a reflected light when light of a specific wavelength band is irradiated to a living body from a medical imaging device,
• acquiring a white light image that captures a reflected light when white light is irradiated to the living body from the medical imaging device,
• generating a first 3D structure image based on the special light image and a second 3D structure image based on the white light image,
• comparing the first 3D structure image and the second 3D structure image,
• determining a difference between the first 3D structure image and the second 3D structure image in a depth direction, and
• emphasizing an area of an image on a display based on the difference in depth direction, including at least one of:
• emphasizing the area by superimposing a numerical value indicating a thickness of a component of the living body from the difference in the depth direction, or
• emphasizing the area by superimposing a gradation image corresponding to the thickness of the component of the living body from the difference in the depth direction, and
• on condition that difference in the depth direction exceeds a predetermined threshold, detecting a mist resulting from surgery, instructing display of the special light image or generating an image via image processing that removes the mist resulting from the surgery.

A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon a program that when executed by a computer causes the computer to execute processing, the processing comprising:

• acquiring a special light image that captures a reflected light when light of a specific wavelength band is irradiated to a living body from a medical imaging device,
• acquiring a white light image that captures a reflected light when white light is irradiated to the living body from the medical imaging device,
• generating a first 3D structure image based on the special light image and a second 3D structure image based on the white light image,
• comparing the first 3D structure image and the second 3D structure image,
• determining a difference between the first 3D structure image and the second 3D structure image in a depth direction, and
• emphasizing an area of an image on a display based on the difference in the depth direction, including at least one of:
• emphasizing the area by superimposing a numerical value indicating a thickness of a component of the living body from the difference in the depth direction, or
• emphasizing the area by superimposing a gradation image corresponding to the thickness of the component of the living body from the difference in the depth direction, and
• on condition that difference in the depth direction exceeds a predetermined threshold, detecting a mist resulting from surgery, instructing display of the special light image or generating an image via image processing that removes the mist resulting from the surgery.

An image processing apparatus for processing an image captured by a medical imaging device, comprising:

• circuitry configured to
• acquire a special light image that captures a reflected light when light of a specific wavelength band is irradiated to a living body from the medical imaging device,
• acquire a white light image that captures a reflected light when white light is irradiated to the living body from the medical imaging device,
• generate a first 3D structure image based on the special light image and a second 3D structure image based on the white light image,
• compare the first 3D structure image and the second 3D structure image,
• determine a difference between the first 3D structure image and the second 3D structure image in a depth direction, and
• on condition that difference in the depth direction exceeds a threshold, detect a mist resulting from surgery, and instruct display of the special light image or generate an image via image processing that removes the mist resulting from the surgery.