# US 12,112,479 B2 · Image processing device, image processing method, and image processing program

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- Number: US 12,112,479 B2
- Document ID: US12112479B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/683,256
- Filed: 2022-02-28
- Published: 2022-09-29
- Granted: 2024-10-08
- Earliest claimed: 2021-03-29
- Assignees: FUJIFILM Corporation
- Applicants: Fujifilm Corporation
- Inventors: Takafumi Koike
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12112479B2

## CPC

- G06T 7/0014: {using an image reference approach}
- A61B 6/5217: {extracting a diagnostic or physiological parameter from medical diagnostic data}
- A61B 6/5223: {generating planar views from image data, e.g. extracting a coronal view from a 3D image}
- A61B 6/5235: {combining images from the same or different ionising radiation imaging techniques, e.g. PET and CT}
- G06T 7/0012: {Biomedical image inspection}
- A61B 6/025: {Tomosynthesis}
- A61B 6/502: {for diagnosis of breast, i.e. mammography}
- G06T 2207/10081: Computed x-ray tomography [CT]
- G06T 2207/30068: Mammography; Breast
- G06T: IMAGE DATA PROCESSING OR GENERATION, IN GENERAL
- A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D)

## Abstract

An image processing device detects a spicula candidate region having a radial line structure from each of a plurality of tomographic images indicating a plurality of tomographic planes of an object and determines whether or not the spicula candidate region is a spicula on the basis of an amount of change of a center position of the line structure included in the spicula candidate region between the tomographic planes.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An image processing device comprising:
at least one processor,
wherein the processor detects a spicula candidate region having a radial line structure from each of a plurality of tomographic images indicating a plurality of tomographic planes of an object, and determines whether or not the spicula candidate region is a spicula on the basis of an amount of change of a center position of the line structure included in the spicula candidate region between the tomographic planes.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The image processing device according to claim 1,
wherein the processor determines the spicula candidate region, in which a variation of the center position of the line structure in an in-tomographic-plane direction is within a reference range, to be the spicula.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The image processing device according to claim 2,
wherein the processor performs control to display the tomographic image, and performs control to display a result of determining whether or not the spicula candidate region is the spicula on the tomographic image.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The image processing device according to claim 2,
wherein the processor selects a plurality of the tomographic images including the spicula candidate region determined to be the spicula as a tomographic image group, and generates a composite two-dimensional image using the selected tomographic image group.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The image processing device according to claim 4,
wherein the processor performs control to display the composite two-dimensional image, and performs control to display a result of determining whether or not the spicula candidate region is the spicula on the composite two-dimensional image.

### Claim 6

An image processing method that is executed by a processor included in an image processing device, the image processing method comprising:
detecting a spicula candidate region having a radial line structure from each of a plurality of tomographic images indicating a plurality of tomographic planes of an object; and
determining whether or not the spicula candidate region is a spicula on the basis of an amount of change of a center position of the line structure included in the spicula candidate region between the tomographic planes.

### Claim 7

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing an image processing program that causes a processor included in an image processing device to execute a process comprising:
detecting a spicula candidate region having a radial line structure from each of a plurality of tomographic images indicating a plurality of tomographic planes of an object; and
determining whether or not the spicula candidate region is a spicula on the basis of an amount of change of a center position of the line structure included in the spicula candidate region between the tomographic planes.