Medical image processing device for producing a composite image of the three-dimensional images

A medical image processing device for producing a plurality of three-dimensional images for the same region of a human body under examination as seen from a direction of line of sight and combining the three-dimensional images to produce a composite image for display, comprising:

• input means for setting a plane section of the region of the human body under examination;
• first image projection means, responsive to first three-dimensional data for the same region of the human body under examination, for producing a three-dimensional image containing the plane section set by the input means, said first image projection means including depth map producing means for producing a depth map representing the plane section on the first three-dimensional data;
• input means for specifying the display/non-display of a region of the human body under examination;
• second image producing means, responsive to second three-dimensional image data for the same portion of the human body under examination, for producing a three-dimensional image based on said second three-dimensional image data, wherein said second image producing means trims data on one side of the plane;
• and
• combining means for combining the three-dimensional image containing the plane section produced by the first image producing means and the three-dimensional image produced by the second image production means while referring to said depth map.

An image display method for use with a medical image processing device for producing a plurality of three-dimensional image for the same region of a human body under examination and combining the three-dimensional image to produce a composite image for display, the method comprising the steps of:

• the step of setting a plane section of the region of the human body under examination;
• the step of creating a depth map representing said plane section;
• the step of, when the display of data is specified through input means, combining a first three-dimensional image and a second three-dimensional image, each containing the plane section of the region set by the setting step to produce a composite image for display, wherein said step of combining is performed while referring to said depth map;
• and
• the steps of, when the non-display of data is specified through input means, trimming the second three-dimensional image having data on one side of the plane section, and combining the first three-dimensional image containing the plane section of the region and the trimmed second three-dimensional image to produce a composite image for display.