# US 11,994,570 B2 · Region identification device, region identification method, and region identification program > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,994,570 B2 - Document ID: US11994570B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/715,015 - Filed: 2022-04-06 - Published: 2022-07-21 - Granted: 2024-05-28 - Earliest claimed: 2019-10-28 - Assignees: FUJIFILM Corporation - Applicants: FUJIFILM Corporation - Inventors: Hirotaka Ito - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11994570B2 ## CPC - G01R 33/56316: {involving phase contrast techniques} - G06T 7/0016: {involving temporal comparison} - A61B 5/055: involving electronic [EMR] or nuclear [NMR] magnetic resonance, e.g. magnetic resonance imaging - G01R 33/56325: {Cine imaging} - G06T 7/0012: {Biomedical image inspection} - G01R 33/5608: {Data processing and visualization specially adapted for MR, e.g. for feature analysis and pattern recognition on the basis of measured MR data, segmentation of measured MR data, edge contour detection on the basis of measured MR data, for enhancing measured MR data in terms of signal-to-noise ratio by means of noise filtering or apodization, for enhancing measured MR data in terms of resolution by means for deblurring, windowing, zero filling, or generation of gray-scaled images, colour-coded images or images displaying vectors instead of pixels (image data processing or generation, in general G06T)} - G06T 2207/10096: Dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging [DCE-MRI] - G06T 2207/30104: Vascular flow; Blood flow; Perfusion - G01R: MEASURING ELECTRIC VARIABLES; MEASURING MAGNETIC VARIABLES (indicating correct tuning of resonant circuits H03J3/12) - G06T: IMAGE DATA PROCESSING OR GENERATION, IN GENERAL - A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D) ## Abstract An image acquisition unit acquires a phase contrast image consisting of a plurality of phases for each of three spatial directions, in which a pixel value of each pixel represents a velocity of fluid for each of the three directions, the phase contrast image being acquired by imaging a subject including a structure inside which fluid flows by a three-dimensional cine phase contrast magnetic resonance method. An identification unit identifies a region of the structure in the phase contrast image on the basis of a maximum value of the velocity of the fluid between corresponding pixels in each of the phases of the phase contrast image. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A region identification device comprising: a memory that stores a command to be executed by a computer; and a processor configured to execute the stored command, wherein the processor is configured to: acquire a phase contrast image consisting of a plurality of phases for each of three spatial directions, in which a pixel value of each pixel represents a velocity of fluid for each of the three directions, the phase contrast image being acquired by imaging a subject including a structure inside which fluid flows by a three-dimensional cine phase contrast magnetic resonance method that excludes magnetic resonance angiography (MRA); and identify a region of the structure in the phase contrast image on the basis of a maximum value of the velocity of the fluid between corresponding pixels in each of the phases of the phase contrast image. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The region identification device according to claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to specify a pixel in which the velocity is highest between corresponding pixels in each of the phases of the phase contrast image, and differences in magnitude and direction of the velocity from surrounding pixels and from a corresponding pixel in at least one adjacent phase are smaller than a reference, and identify a region consisting of the specified pixels in a high-ranking phase in which the number of the specified pixels correspond to a predetermined number from a top, out of the plurality of phases, as the region of the structure. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The region identification device according to claim 2, wherein the processor is configured to specify a maximum phase in which the number of the specified pixels is maximized, and identify a region consisting of the specified pixels in the maximum phase and at least one phase adjacent to the maximum phase, as the region of the structure. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The region identification device according to claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to derive the velocity on the basis of a pixel value in a corresponding pixel of the phase contrast image for each of the three directions. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The region identification device according to claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to derive a flow velocity vector representing a magnitude and a direction of the velocity of the fluid in each pixel of the region of the structure, for each of the phases. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The region identification device according to claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to display a four-dimensional flow of the fluid based on a flow velocity vector for each of the phases on a display. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The region identification device according to claim 1, wherein the structure is a blood vessel and the fluid is blood. ### Claim 8 A region identification method comprising: acquiring a phase contrast image consisting of a plurality of phases for each of three spatial directions, in which a pixel value of each pixel represents a velocity of fluid for each of the three directions, the phase contrast image being acquired by imaging a subject including a structure inside which fluid flows by a three-dimensional cine phase contrast magnetic resonance method that excludes magnetic resonance angiography (MRA); and identifying a region of the structure in the phase contrast image on the basis of a maximum value of the velocity of the fluid between corresponding pixels in each of the phases of the phase contrast image. ### Claim 9 A non-transitory computer readable recording medium storing a region identification program causing a computer to execute: acquiring a phase contrast image consisting of a plurality of phases for each of three spatial directions, in which a pixel value of each pixel represents a velocity of fluid for each of the three directions, the phase contrast image being acquired by imaging a subject including a structure inside which fluid flows by a three-dimensional cine phase contrast magnetic resonance method that excludes magnetic resonance angiography (MRA); and identifying a region of the structure in the phase contrast image on the basis of a maximum value of the velocity of the fluid between corresponding pixels in each of the phases of the phase contrast image.