Three-dimensional template transformation method and apparatus

A computer-readable, non-transitory storage medium storing a program for causing a computer to execute a three-dimensional template transformation procedure, comprising:

• accepting designation of apart for which a three-dimensional geometric model is generated, among a heart and blood vessels surrounding the heart to obtain a three-dimensional template for a designated part from a template storage unit storing three-dimensional templates represented by polygons;
• first identifying a heart valve that is a reference in transformation of the three-dimensional template for the designated part;
• extracting a shape of an annulus of the identified heart valve from a cross-section image in a plane passing through an axis within the annulus of the identified heart valve in a three-dimensional volume data, which is generated from a plurality of tomographic images of an organism including the heart, the plurality of tomographic images being stored in a tomographic image storage unit, and storing a three-dimensional annulus data representing the annulus of the identified heart valve into a storage device;
• second identifying a first reference point that is a point satisfying a first condition on the annulus of the identified heart valve in the three-dimensional template for the designated part, and identifying a second reference point that is a point satisfying the first condition on the annulus represented by the three-dimensional annulus data stored in the storage device and corresponding to the first reference point;
• arranging, according to a predetermined rule, n starting points from the first reference point on the annulus of the identified heart valve in the three-dimensional template for the designated part, arranging, according to the predetermined rule, n target points from the second reference point on the annulus represented by the three-dimensional annulus data stored in the storage device, and storing coordinates of the starting points and the target points into the storage device, wherein the n is a predetermined integer;
• first calculating coefficients of a predetermined function to calculate movement destination coordinates of vertices of the polygons relating to the three-dimensional template for the designated part, by using the coordinates of the starting points and the target points, which are stored in the storage device;
• and
• second calculating the movement destination coordinates of the vertices of the polygons relating to the three-dimensional template for the designated part, by using the calculated coefficients and the predetermined function, transforming the three-dimensional template for the designated part according to the calculated movement destination coordinates, and storing the transformed three-dimensional template as a three-dimensional geometric model of the designated part into the storage device.

A three-dimensional template transformation apparatus, comprising:

• a template storage unit storing three-dimensional templates represented by polygons;
• a tomographic image storage unit storing a plurality of tomographic images;
• a template selector to accept designation of a part for which a three-dimensional geometric model is generated, among a heart and blood vessels surrounding the heart to obtain a three-dimensional template for a designated part from the template storage unit;
• a heart valve identifying unit to identify a heart valve that is a reference in transformation of the three-dimensional template for the designated part;
• a valve annulus extractor to extract a shape of an annulus of the identified heart valve from a cross-section image in a plane passing through an axis within the annulus of the identified heart valve in a three-dimensional volume data, which is generated from a plurality of tomographic images of an organism including the heart, and to store a three-dimensional annulus data representing the annulus of the identified heart valve into a storage device;
• a reference point identifying unit to identifying a first reference point that is a point satisfying a first condition on the annulus of the identified heart valve in the three-dimensional template for the designated part, and to identify a second reference point that is a point satisfying the first condition on the annulus represented by the three-dimensional annulus data stored in the storage device and corresponding to the first reference point;
• a point setting unit to arrange, according to a predetermined rule, n starting points from the first reference point on the annulus of the identified heart valve in the three-dimensional template for the designated part, to arrange, according to the predetermined rule, n target points from the second reference point on the annulus represented by the three-dimensional annulus data stored in the storage device, and to store coordinates of the starting points and the target points into the storage device, wherein the n is a predetermined integer;
• a coefficient calculation unit to calculate coefficients of a predetermined function to calculate movement destination coordinates of vertices of the polygons relating to the three-dimensional template for the designated part, by using the coordinates of the starting points and the target points, which are stored in the storage device;
• and
• a transform unit to calculate the movement destination coordinates of the vertices of the polygons relating to the three-dimensional template for the designated part, by using the calculated coefficients and the predetermined function, to transform the three-dimensional template for the designated part according to the calculated movement destination coordinates, and to store the transformed three-dimensional template as a three-dimensional geometric model of the designated part into the storage device.