Image processing apparatus, image processing method, and computer program

An image processing apparatus comprising:

• a boundary extraction unit configured to detect boundaries of retina layers from a tomogram of an eye to be examined;
• a specifying unit configured to specify a region where an exudate exists in the tomogram using the boundaries of the retina layers extracted by said boundary extraction unit;
• a likelihood calculation configured to calculate likelihoods of existence of the exudate in association with the region specified by said specifying unit;
• and
• a tomogram exudate extraction unit configured to extract an exudate region in the tomogram from the region specified by said specifying unit using the likelihoods.

An image processing method comprising:

• a boundary extraction step of controlling a boundary extraction unit to detect boundaries of retina layers from a tomogram of an eye to be examined;
• an exudate extraction step of controlling an exudate extraction unit to extract an exudate region from a fundus image of the eye to be examined;
• a registration step of controlling a registration unit to perform registration between the tomogram and the fundus image, and to calculate a spatial correspondence between the tomogram and the fundus image;
• a specifying step of controlling a specifying unit to specify a region where an exudate exists in the tomogram using the boundaries of the retina layers extracted in the boundary extraction step, the exudate region extracted in the exudate extraction step, and the spatial correspondence calculated in the registration step;
• a likelihood calculation step of controlling a likelihood calculation unit to calculate likelihoods of existence of the exudate in association with the region specified in the specifying step;
• and
• a tomogram exudate extraction step of controlling a tomogram exudate extraction unit to extract an exudate region in the tomogram from the region specified in the specifying step using the likelihoods.

An image processing method comprising:

• a boundary extraction step of controlling a boundary extraction unit to detect boundaries of retina layers from a tomogram of an eye to be examined;
• a specifying step of controlling a specifying unit to specify a region where an exudate exists in the tomogram using the boundaries of the retina layers extracted in the boundary extraction step;
• a likelihood calculation step of controlling a likelihood calculation unit to calculate likelihoods of existence of the exudate in association with the region specified in the specifying step;
• and
• a tomogram exudate extraction step of controlling a tomogram exudate extraction unit to extract an exudate region in the tomogram from the region specified in the specifying step using the likelihoods.