Medical imaging apparatus, medical image processing apparatus, ultrasonic imaging apparatus, ultrasonic image processing apparatus and method of processing medical images

A medical imaging apparatus, comprising:

• an imaging part configured to capture a cyclically moving subject to acquire a plurality of medical image data representing said subject over a single cycle or more;
• a first-ROI setting part configured to set a first region of interest of a tissue represented by medical image data acquired in a first time phase during systole included in a one-cycle interval;
• a first tracking part configured to track in each time phase a position corresponding to said first region of interest in said one-cycle interval including remaining time phases, based on medical image data acquired in each time phase included in said one-cycle interval;
• a second-ROI setting part configured to correct position of said tracked first region of interest in a second time phase differing from said first time phase during systole included in said one-cycle interval after said tracking performed by said first tracking part, in order to set a second region of interest of said tissue in said second time phase;
• a second tracking part configured to track in each time phase a position corresponding to said second region of interest in an interval including the interval between said first time phase and said second time phase, based on medical image data acquired in said each time phase;
• a position correction part configured to obtain position information of a region of interest of said tissue in said each time phase that passes through both the position of said first region of interest in said first time phase and the position of said second region of interest in said second time phase, based on position information of said first region of interest and said second region of interest in each time phase acquired by said first tracking part and said second tracking part, respectively;
• a motion-information calculator configured to obtain motion information of said tissue based on said position information of the region of interest in said each time phase obtained by said position correcting part;
• and
• a display controller configured to cause a display to display said motion information,
• wherein said position correction part is configured to obtain position information of the region of interest of said tissue in each time phase by smoothly connecting the position of said first region of interest and the position of said second region of interest in a time phase between said first time phase and said second time phase.

A medical image processing apparatus, comprising:

• a storage configured to store a plurality of medical image data that represents a cyclically moving subject acquired by capturing the subject over a single cycle or more;
• a ROI setting part configured to set a first region of interest of a tissue represented in medical image data acquired in a first time phase included in a one-cycle interval, and to set a second region of interest of said tissue represented in medical image data acquired in a second time phase differing from said first time phase included in said one-cycle interval;
• a tracking part configured to track in each time phase a position corresponding to said first region of interest in said one-cycle interval including remaining time phases, based on medical image data acquired in each time phase included in said one-cycle interval and configured to track in each time phase a position corresponding to said second region of interest in said one-cycle interval including the remaining time phases, based on the medical image data acquired in said each time phase;
• a position correction part configured to obtain position information of a region of interest of said tissue in said each time phase that passes through the position of said first region of interest set in said first time phase and the position of said second region of interest set in said second time phase, based on position information of said first region of interest and said second region of interest in each time phase acquired by said tracking part;
• a motion-information calculator configured to obtain motion information of said tissue based on said position information of the region of interest in said each time phase obtained by said position correcting part;
• and
• a display controller configured to cause a display to display said motion information,
• wherein said position correction part is configured to obtain position information of the region of interest of said tissue in each time phase by smoothly connecting the position of said first region of interest and the position of said second region of interest in a time phase between said first time phase and said second time phase.

A medical image processing apparatus, comprising:

• a storage configured to store a plurality of medical image data that represents a cyclically moving subject acquired by capturing the subject over a single cycle or more;
• a first-ROI setting part configured to set a first region of interest of a tissue represented by medical image data acquired in a first time phase during systole included in a one-cycle interval;
• a first tracking part configured to track in each time phase a position corresponding to said first region of interest in said one-cycle interval including remaining time phases, based on medical image data acquired in each time phase included in said one-cycle interval;
• a second-ROI setting part configured to correct the position of said tracked first region of interest in a second time phase differing from said first time phase during systole included in said one-cycle interval after said tracking performed by said first tracking part, to set a second region of interest of said tissue in said second time phase;
• a second tracking part configured to track in each time phase a position corresponding to said second region of interest in an interval including the interval between said first time phase and said second time phase, based on medical image data acquired in said each time phase;
• a position correction part configured to obtain position information of a region of interest of said tissue in said each time phase that passes through both the position of said first region of interest in said first time phase and the position of said second region of interest in said second time phase, based on position information of said first region of interest and said second region of interest in each time phase acquired by said first tracking part and said second tracking part, respectively;
• a motion-information calculator configured to obtain motion information of said tissue based on said position information of the region of interest in said each time phase obtained by said position correcting part;
• and
• a display controller configured to cause a display to display said motion information
• wherein said position correction part is configured to obtain position information of the region of interest of said tissue in each time phase by smoothly connecting the position of said first region of interest and the position of said second region of interest in a time phase between said first time phase and said second time phase.

An ultrasonic imaging apparatus, comprising:

• an imaging part configured to capture a heart of a subject by means of ultrasound in order to acquire a plurality of ultrasonic image data representing said heart over a single cycle or more;
• a ROI setting part configured to set a first region of interest of a tissue represented in ultrasonic image data acquired in a first time phase included in a one-cycle interval, and to set a second region of interest of said tissue represented in ultrasonic image data acquired in a second time phase differing from said first time phase included in said one-cycle interval;
• a tracking part configured to track in each time phase a position corresponding to said first region of interest in said one-cycle interval including remaining time phases based on ultrasonic image data acquired in each time phase included in said one-cycle interval, and configured to track in each time phase a position corresponding to said second region of interest in said one-cycle interval including the remaining time phases based on the ultrasonic image data acquired in said each time phase;
• a position correction part configured to obtain position information of a region of interest of said tissue in said each time phase that passes through both the position of said first region of interest set in said first time phase and the position of said second region of interest set in said second time phase, based on position information of said first region of interest and said second region of interest in each time phase acquired by said tracking part;
• a motion-information calculator configured to obtain motion information of said tissue based on said position information of the region of interest in said each time phase obtained by said position correcting part;
• and
• a display controller configured to cause a display to display said motion information,
• wherein said position correction part is configured to obtain position information of the region of interest of said tissue in each time phase by smoothly connecting the position of said first region of interest and the position of said second region of interest in a time phase between said first time phase and said second time phase.

An ultrasonic imaging apparatus, comprising:

• an imaging part configured to capture a heart of a subject by means of ultrasound to acquire a plurality of ultrasonic image data representing said heart over a single cycle or more;
• a first-ROI setting part configured to set a first region of interest of a tissue represented by ultrasonic image data acquired in a first time phase during systole included in a one-cycle interval;
• a first tracking part configured to track in each time phase a position corresponding to said first region of interest in said one-cycle interval including remaining time phases, based on ultrasonic image data acquired in each time phase included in said one-cycle interval;
• a second-ROI setting part configured to correct the position of said tracked first region of interest in a second time phase differing from said first time phase during systole included in said one-cycle interval after said tracking performed by said first tracking part, in order to set a second region of interest of said tissue in said second time phase;
• a second tracking part configured to track in each time phase a position corresponding to said second region of interest in an interval including the interval between said first time phase and said second time phase, based on ultrasonic image data acquired in said each time phase;
• a position correction part configured to obtain position information of a region of interest of said tissue in said each time phase that passes through both the position of said first region of interest in said first time phase and the position of said second region of interest in said second time phase, based on position information of said first region of interest and said second region of interest in each time phase acquired by said first tracking part and said second tracking part, respectively;
• a motion-information calculator configured to obtain motion information of said tissue based on said position information of the region of interest in said each time phase obtained by said position correcting part;
• and
• a display controller configured to cause a display to display said motion information,
• wherein said position correction part is configured to obtain position information of the region of interest of said tissue in each time phase by smoothly connecting the position of said first region of interest and the position of said second region of interest in a time phase between said first time phase and said second time phase.

An ultrasonic image processing apparatus, comprising:

• a storage configured to store a plurality of ultrasonic image data that represents a heart of a subject acquired over a single cycle or more by capturing the subject by means of ultrasound;
• a ROI setting part configured to set a first region of interest of a tissue represented in ultrasonic image data acquired in a first time phase included in a one-cycle interval, and to set a second region of interest of said tissue represented in ultrasonic image data acquired in a second time phase differing from said first time phase included in said one-cycle interval;
• a tracking part configured to track in each time phase a position corresponding to said first region of interest in said one-cycle interval including remaining time phases, based on ultrasonic image data acquired in each time phase included in said one-cycle interval and configured to track in each time phase a position corresponding to said second region of interest in said one-cycle interval including the remaining time phases, based on the ultrasonic image data acquired in said each time phase;
• a position correction part configured to obtain position information of a region of interest of said tissue in said each time phase that passes through the position of said first region of interest set in said first time phase and the position of said second region of interest set in said second time phase, based on position information of said first region of interest and said second region of interest in each time phase acquired by said tracking part;
• a motion-information calculator configured to obtain motion information of said tissue based on said position information of the region of interest in said each time phase obtained by said position correcting part;
• and
• a display controller configured to cause a display to display said motion information,
• wherein said position correction part is configured to obtain position information of the region of interest of said tissue in each time phase by smoothly connecting the position of said first region of interest and the position of said second region of interest in a time phase between said first time phase and said second time phase.

An ultrasonic image processing apparatus, comprising:

• a storage configured to store a plurality of ultrasonic image data that represents a heart of a subject acquired over a single cycle or more by capturing the subject by means of ultrasound;
• a first-ROI setting part configured to set a first region of interest of a tissue represented by ultrasonic image data acquired in a first time phase during systole included in a one-cycle interval;
• a first tracking part configured to track in each time phase a position corresponding to said first region of interest in said one-cycle interval including remaining time phases, based on ultrasonic image data acquired in each time phase included in said one-cycle interval;
• a second-ROI setting part configured to correct the position of said tracked first region of interest in a second time phase differing from said first time phase during systole included in said one-cycle interval after said tracking performed by said first tracking part, to set a second region of interest of said tissue in said second time phase;
• a second tracking part configured to track in each time phase a position corresponding to said second region of interest in an interval including the interval between said first time phase and said second time phase, based on ultrasonic image data acquired in said each time phase;
• a position correction part configured to obtain position information of a region of interest of said tissue in said each time phase that passes through both the position of said first region of interest in said first time phase and the position of said second region of interest in said second time phase, based on position information of said first region of interest and said second region of interest in each time phase acquired by said first tracking part and said second tracking part, respectively;
• a motion-information calculator configured to obtain motion information of said tissue based on said position information of the region of interest in said each time phase obtained by said position correcting part;
• and
• a display controller configured to cause a display to display said motion information, wherein said position correction part is configured to obtain position information of the region of interest of said tissue in each time phase by smoothly connecting the position of said first region of interest and the position of said second region of interest in a time phase between said first time phase and said second time phase.

A method of processing medical images implemented by a processor programmed as a medical imaging apparatus, the method comprising:

• capturing a cyclically moving subject to acquire a plurality of medical image data representing said subject over a single cycle or more;
• setting, by the medical imaging apparatus, a first region of interest of a tissue represented in medical image data acquired in a first time phase included in a one-cycle interval, and setting a second region of interest of said tissue represented in medical image data acquired in a second time phase differing from said first time phase included in said one-cycle interval;
• tracking in each time phase a position corresponding to said first region of interest in said one-cycle interval including remaining time phases, based on medical image data acquired in each time phase included in said one-cycle interval, and tracking in each time phase a position corresponding to said second region of interest in said one-cycle interval including the remaining time phases, based on medical image data acquired in said each time phase;
• obtaining position information of a region of interest of said tissue in said each time phase that passes through both the position of said first region of interest set in said first time phase and the position of said second region of interest set in said second time phase, based on position information of said first region of interest and said second region of interest in each time phase acquired in the tracking step;
• obtaining motion information of said tissue based on said obtained position information of the region of interest in said each time phase;
• and
• displaying said motion information,
• wherein the obtaining step includes obtaining position information of the region of interest of said tissue in each time phase by smoothly connecting the position of said first region of interest and the position of said second region of interest in a time phase between said first time phase and said second time phase.

A method of processing medical images implemented by a processor programmed as a medical imaging apparatus, the method comprising:

• capturing a cyclically moving subject to acquire a plurality of medical image data representing said subject over a single cycle or more;
• setting, by the medical imaging apparatus, a first region of interest of a tissue represented by medical image data acquired in a first time phase during systole included in a one-cycle interval;
• tracking in each time phase a position corresponding to said first region of interest in said one-cycle interval including remaining time phases, based on medical image data acquired in each time phase included in said one-cycle interval;
• correcting the position of said tracked first region of interest in a second time phase differing from said first time phase during systole included in said one-cycle interval after said tracking, to set a second region of interest of said tissue in said second time phase;
• tracking in each time phase a position corresponding to said second region of interest in an interval including the interval between said first time phase and said second time phase, based on medical image data acquired in said each time phase;
• obtaining position information of a region of interest of said tissue in said each time phase that passes through both the position of said first region of interest in said first time phase and the position of said second region of interest in said second time phase, based on position information of said first region of interest and said second region of interest in said each time phase acquired in the respectively tracking steps;
• obtaining motion information of said tissue based on said obtained position information of the region of interest in said each time phase;
• and
• displaying said motion information,
• wherein the obtaining step includes obtaining position information of the region of interest of said tissue in said each time phase by smoothly connecting the position of said first region of interest and the position of said second region of interest in a time phase between said first time phase and said second time phase.