# US 8,542,891 B2 · X-ray imaging apparatus that displays analysis image with taken image, X-ray imaging method, and image processing apparatus > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,542,891 B2 - Document ID: US8542891B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 12/486,096 - Filed: 2009-06-17 - Published: 2010-01-07 - Granted: 2013-09-24 - Earliest claimed: 2008-07-04 - Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba; Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation - Applicants: Tetsuya Yokota; Hitoshi Yamagata; Satoshi Wakai - Inventors: Tetsuya Yokota; Hitoshi Yamagata; Satoshi Wakai - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8542891B2 ## CPC - A61B 6/504: {for diagnosis of blood vessels, e.g. by angiography} - A61B 6/12: Arrangements for detecting or locating foreign bodies - G06T 7/32: using correlation-based methods - G06T 7/35: using statistical methods - G06T 19/00: Manipulating three-dimensional [3D] models or images for computer graphics - A61B 6/4441: {the rigid structure being a C-arm or U-arm} - A61B 6/4464: {the source unit or the detector unit being mounted to ceiling} - A61B 6/481: {involving the use of contrast agents} - G06T 2207/10081: Computed x-ray tomography [CT] - G06T 2207/10121: Fluoroscopy - G06T 2207/10124: Digitally reconstructed radiograph [DRR] - G06T 2207/30104: Vascular flow; Blood flow; Perfusion - G06T 2210/41: Medical - G06T 2219/028: Multiple view windows (top-side-front-sagittal-orthogonal) - A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D) - G06T: IMAGE DATA PROCESSING OR GENERATION, IN GENERAL ## Abstract Positioning images are created by a projection-image creating unit before imaging, and the positioning images are grouped and stored by a projection-image storage unit for each preset. When imaging is started, a positioning-information calculating unit calculates positioning parameters using the positioning images stored in the projection-image storage unit. An analysis-image-for-synthesis creating unit creates an analysis image using the positioning parameters, and an analysis-image synthesizing and displaying unit synthesizes the analysis image with a live image and displays a synthesized image. When an imaging direction of an X-ray angiography apparatus is changed, a positioning-information updating unit directly updates the positioning parameters based on an amount of change of the imaging direction. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An image processing apparatus comprising: an image obtaining unit that obtains an X-ray projection image of a subject; a positioning-image creating unit connected to the image obtaining unit for creating positioning images with a subject center being changed within a certain range, under a condition that a point of view and a projection plane are fixed, for each of a plurality of different projection conditions using volume data collected from the subject by a medical imaging apparatus; a projection-condition obtaining unit connected to the positioning-image creating unit for selecting an image most analogous to the X-ray projection image of the subject from the positioning images, and obtains a projection condition of the selected positioning image; a target-region storage unit that stores volume data of a target region, among the volume data collected, as target-region volume data; and an image display unit connected to the target-region storage unit and the projection-condition obtaining unit for creating and displaying an image of the target region based on the target-region volume data stored in the target-region storage unit and the projection condition obtained by the projection-condition obtaining unit. ### Claim 2 An X-ray imaging apparatus comprising: an imaging unit that irradiates X-rays on a subject and detects X-rays penetrating the subject to generate an X-ray projection image of the subject; a positioning-image creating unit connected to the imaging unit for creating positioning images with a subject center being changed within a certain range, under a condition that a point of view and a projection plane are fixed, for each of a plurality of different projection conditions using volume data collected from the subject by a medical imaging apparatus; a projection-condition obtaining unit connected to the positioning-image creating unit for selecting an image most analogous to the X-ray projection image of the subject from the positioning images, and obtains a projection condition of the selected positioning image; a target-region storage unit that stores volume data of a target region, among the volume data collected, as target-region volume data; and an image display unit connected to the target-region storage unit and the projection-condition obtaining unit for creating and displaying an image of the target region based on the target-region volume data stored in the target-region storage unit and the projection condition obtained by the projection-condition obtaining unit. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The X-ray imaging apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a synthesized-image display unit that synthesizes an image created by the image display unit with an X-ray projection image being taken, and displays a synthesized image. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The X-ray imaging apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising a projection-condition updating unit that updates the projection condition corresponding to a change of an imaging condition based on the obtained projection condition, when the imaging condition of the subject is changed. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The X-ray imaging apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the synthesized-image display unit can simultaneously display a plurality of types of images, and the X-ray imaging apparatus further comprises a display setting unit that sets a plurality of types of images and display positions displayed by the synthesized-image display unit. ### Claim 6 (depends on 3) The X-ray imaging apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the positioning-image creating unit has a function of creating a plurality of positioning images beforehand for each imaging condition preset in the X-ray imaging apparatus and storing the positioning images in an image database, and the projection-condition obtaining unit has a function of selecting the positioning images corresponding to the imaging condition selected at a time of X-ray imaging of the subject from the image database. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The X-ray imaging apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the synthesized-image display unit can simultaneously display a plurality of types of images, and the X-ray imaging apparatus further comprises a display setting unit that sets a plurality of types of images and display positions displayed by the synthesized-image display unit. ### Claim 8 (depends on 3) The X-ray imaging apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising a target-region selecting unit that selects a target region to be synthesized and displayed from a plurality of target regions, wherein the target-region storage unit stores volume data of the target regions, and the image display unit creates and displays an image of the target region selected by the target-region selecting unit. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The X-ray imaging apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the synthesized-image display unit can simultaneously display a plurality of types of images, and the X-ray imaging apparatus further comprises a display setting unit that sets a plurality of types of images and display positions displayed by the synthesized-image display unit. ### Claim 10 (depends on 2) The X-ray imaging apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the synthesized-image display unit can simultaneously display a plurality of types of images, and the X-ray imaging apparatus further comprises a display setting unit that sets a plurality of types of images and display positions displayed by the synthesized-image display unit. ### Claim 11 (depends on 2) The X-ray imaging apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a projection-condition updating unit that updates the projection condition corresponding to a change of an imaging condition based on the obtained projection condition, when the imaging condition of the subject is changed. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The X-ray imaging apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the positioning-image creating unit has a function of creating a plurality of positioning images beforehand for each imaging condition preset in the X-ray imaging apparatus and storing the positioning images in an image database, and the projection-condition obtaining unit has a function of selecting the positioning images corresponding to the imaging condition selected at a time of X-ray imaging of the subject from the image database. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The X-ray imaging apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising a target-region selecting unit that selects a target region to be synthesized and displayed from a plurality of target regions, wherein the target-region storage unit stores volume data of the target regions, and the image display unit creates and displays an image of the target region selected by the target-region selecting unit. ### Claim 14 (depends on 2) The X-ray imaging apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the positioning-image creating unit has a function of creating a plurality of positioning images beforehand for each imaging condition preset in the X-ray imaging apparatus and storing the positioning images in an image database, and the projection-condition obtaining unit has a function of selecting the positioning images corresponding to the imaging condition selected at a time of X-ray imaging of the subject from the image database. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The X-ray imaging apparatus according to claim 14, further comprising a target-region selecting unit that selects a target region to be synthesized and displayed from a plurality of target regions, wherein the target-region storage unit stores volume data of the target regions, and the image display unit creates and displays an image of the target region selected by the target-region selecting unit. ### Claim 16 (depends on 2) The X-ray imaging apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a target-region selecting unit that selects a target region to be synthesized and displayed from a plurality of target regions, wherein the target-region storage unit stores volume data of the target regions, and the image display unit creates and displays an image of the target region selected by the target-region selecting unit. ### Claim 17 (depends on 2) The X-ray imaging apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the volume data is time-series volume data, the X-ray imaging apparatus further comprises a volume-data extracting unit that extracts one time-phase volume data from the time-series volume data, and the positioning-image creating unit creates a plurality of positioning images based on an imaging condition of the X-ray imaging apparatus, using the volume data extracted by the volume-data extracting unit. ### Claim 18 An X-ray imaging method comprising: irradiating X-rays on a subject; detecting X-rays penetrating the subject; generating an X-ray projection image of the subject; creating positioning images with a subject center being changed within a certain range, under a condition that a point of view and a projection plane are fixed, for each of a plurality of different projection conditions using volume data collected from the subject by a medical imaging apparatus; selecting an image most analogous to the X-ray projection image of the subject from the positioning images; obtaining a projection condition of the selected positioning image; storing volume data of a target region, among the volume data collected, as target-region volume data; and creating and displaying an image of the target region based on the target-region volume data and the projection condition.