Image processing apparatus, control method thereof, and computer program

An image processing apparatus, which analyzes retina layers of an eye to be examined, comprising:

• a feature extraction unit configured to extract a feature amount, which represents an anatomical feature in the eye to be examined, from a projection image obtained from a tomogram of the retina layers;
• a layer structure detection unit configured to detect structures of layers in the retina layers from the tomogram;
• an information extraction configured to extract information of intensities and information of a shape of a layer between predetermined layers based on the structures of the layers detected by said layer structure detection unit means;
• a determination unit configured to determine a presence/absence and a type of a morbid portion in the retina layers based on the feature amount, the information of the intensities, and the information of the shape;
• and
• a layer structure modifying unit configured to modify the structures of the layers detected by said layer structure detection unit, in accordance with the determination result of said determination unit,
• wherein when said determination unit determines that the morbid portion exists, said layer structure modifying unit modifies structures of some of the layers detected by said layer structure detection unit.

A control method of an image processing apparatus, which analyzes retina layers of an eye to be examined, comprising:

• a step of extracting a feature amount, which represents an anatomical feature in the eye to be examined, from a projection image obtained from a plurality of tomograms of the retina layers and a fundus image of the eye to be examined;
• a step of determining a type of the anatomical feature based on the feature amounts;
• a step of deciding layers to be detected from the retina layers according to the determined type of the anatomical feature, and to detect structures of the decided layers in the tomogram;
• and
• a step of modifying the structure of the layer included in a region having the anatomical feature of the detected structures of the layers.

A control method of an image processing apparatus, which analyzes retina layers of an eye to be examined, comprising:

• a step of extracting a feature amount, which represents an anatomical feature in the eye to be examined, from a projection image obtained from a plurality of tomograms of the retina layers;
• a step of detecting structures of layers in the retina layers from the tomogram;
• a step of extracting information of intensities and information of a shape of a layer between predetermined layers based on the detected structures of the layers;
• a step of determining a presence/absence and a type of a morbid portion in the retina layers based on the feature amount, the information of the intensities, and the information of the shape;
• and
• a step of modifying the structures of the layers detected in the detection step in accordance with the determination result,
• wherein in the modifying step, when it is determined that the morbid portion exists, structures of some of the layers detected in the detecting step modified.