Image processing apparatus, method for image processing, image pickup system, and computer-readable storage medium

A method for image processing, comprising steps of:

• detecting a first layer boundary and a second layer boundary of a retina in a tomographic image of a subject's eye;
• comparing pixel value information of an area between the first layer boundary and the second layer boundary detected in the detecting step with pixel value information of an area, in the tomographic image, corresponding to a vitreous body;
• determining whether the first layer boundary is a vitreous cortex based on a compared result in the comparison step;
• and
• identifying kinds of the first layer boundary and the second layer boundary based on a determined result in the determining step,
• wherein the first layer boundary is identified as an inner limiting membrane when the first layer boundary is not the vitreous cortex, and the second layer boundary is identified as the inner limiting membrane when the first layer boundary is the vitreous cortex in the identifying step, and
• wherein the identifying step identifies the area between the first layer boundary and the second layer boundary as a retinal tissue and the first layer boundary as an inner limiting membrane when the pixel value information of the area between the first layer boundary and the second layer boundary is not substantially equal to the pixel value information of the area corresponding to the vitreous body, and the area between the first layer boundary and the second layer boundary as a gap caused by a detachment of the vitreous cortex and the second layer boundary as the inner limiting membrane when the pixel value information of the area between the first layer boundary and the second layer boundary is substantially equal to the pixel value information of the area corresponding to the vitreous body.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium containing a program that allows a computer to execute:

• a process of detecting a first layer boundary and a second layer boundary of a retina in a tomographic image of a subject's eye;
• a process of comparing pixel value information of an area between the first layer boundary and the second layer boundary detected in the detecting process with pixel value information of an area, in the tomographic image, corresponding to a vitreous body;
• a process of determining whether the first layer boundary is a vitreous cortex based on a compared result in the comparison process;
• and
• a process of identifying kinds of the first layer boundary and the second layer boundary based on a determined result in the determining step,
• wherein the first layer boundary is identified as an inner limiting membrane when the first layer boundary is not the vitreous cortex, and the second layer boundary is identified as the inner limiting membrane when the first layer boundary is the vitreous cortex in the identifying process, and
• wherein the identifying process identifies the area between the first layer boundary and the second layer boundary as a retinal tissue and the first layer boundary as an inner limiting membrane when the pixel value information of the area between the first layer boundary and the second layer boundary is not substantially equal to the pixel value information of the area corresponding to the vitreous body, and the area between the first layer boundary and the second layer boundary as a gap caused by a detachment of the vitreous cortex and the second layer boundary as the inner limiting membrane when the pixel value information of the area between the first layer boundary and the second layer boundary is substantially equal to the pixel value information of the area corresponding to the vitreous body.