Medical image processing apparatus, x-ray diagnostic apparatus, medical image processing method and x-ray diagnostic method

Abstract

According to one embodiment, a medical image processing apparatus includes processing circuitry. The processing circuitry is configured to obtain time changes of concentrations of a contrast agent, based on at least X-ray contrast image data; generate a gray scale or a color scale by assigning a change in pixel value for at least one period, to a period shorter than a period from an initial time to an ending time of the time changes of the concentrations of the contrast agent; and generate blood vessel image data according to the gray scale or the color scale. The blood vessel image data have pixel values corresponding to times at which the concentrations of the contrast agent become a specific condition.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A medical image processing apparatus comprising:
 processing circuitry configured to   obtain time changes of concentrations of a contrast agent, based on at least X-ray contrast image data;   generate a gray scale or a color scale by assigning a change in pixel value for at least one period, to a period shorter than a period from an initial time to an ending time of the time changes of the concentrations of the contrast agent; and   generate blood vessel image data according to the gray scale or the color scale, the blood vessel image data having pixel values corresponding to times at which the concentrations of the contrast agent become a specific condition.   
     
     
         2 . A medical image processing apparatus of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the processing circuitry is configured to generate the gray scale or the color scale by assigning a change in pixel value, longer than the change in the pixel value for the one period, to the period from the initial time to the ending time of the time changes of the concentrations of the contrast agent.   
     
     
         3 . A medical image processing apparatus of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the processing circuitry is configured to generate the gray scale or the color scale by assigning the change in the pixel value for the one period multiple times, to the period from the initial time to the ending time of the time changes of the concentrations of the contrast agent.   
     
     
         4 . A medical image processing apparatus of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the processing circuitry is configured to generate plural gray scales or plural color scales by shifting the gray scale or the color scale in a direction of the change in the pixel value.   
     
     
         5 . A medical image processing apparatus of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the processing circuitry is configured to   generate plural gray scales or plural color scales by changing at least one of a phase and a period of the change in the pixel value for the at least one period, and   generate the blood vessel image data as a moving image, according to the gray scales or the color scales.   
     
     
         6 . A medical image processing apparatus of  claim 4 ,
 wherein the processing circuitry is configured to generate the blood vessel image data using the gray scales or the color scales, the blood vessel image data being generated as a moving image in which changes of pixel values different from each other are assigned to the period shorter than the period from the initial time to the ending time of the time changes of the concentrations of the contrast agent.   
     
     
         7 . A medical image processing apparatus of  claim 4 ,
 wherein the processing circuitry is configured to generate the blood vessel image data using the gray scales or the color scales, the blood vessel image data being generated as a moving image of which a frame interval is different from a frame interval of the X-ray contrast image data.   
     
     
         8 . A medical image processing apparatus of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the processing circuitry is configured to generate the gray scale or the color scale by assigning the change in the pixel value for the at least one period, to a designated period.   
     
     
         9 . A medical image processing apparatus of  claim 3 ,
 wherein the processing circuitry is configured to generate a gray scale or a color scale in which the change of the pixel value for the one period, having a designated initial pixel value, is repeated in a designated period.   
     
     
         10 . A medical image processing apparatus of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the processing circuitry is configured to generate blood vessel image data, having brightness values according to concentrations of the contrast agent at the specific condition.   
     
     
         11 . A medical image processing apparatus of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the specific condition is maximum values, a predetermined ratio of the maximum values, or a threshold value.   
     
     
         12 . A medical image processing apparatus of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the processing circuitry is configured to generate the blood vessel image data based on time changes, of the concentrations of the contrast agent, having a data interval shorter than a sampling interval of the concentrations of the contrast agent.   
     
     
         13 . A medical image processing apparatus of  claim 12 ,
 wherein the processing circuitry is configured to obtain the time changes, of the concentrations of the contrast agent, having the data interval shorter than the sampling interval of the concentrations of the contrast agent, by interpolation processing, curve fitting processing, or gravity center calculation processing.   
     
     
         14 . A medical image processing apparatus of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the processing circuitry is configured to generate the blood vessel image data based on time changes, of the concentrations of the contrast agent, after running average processing in at least one of a time direction and spatial directions.   
     
     
         15 . A medical image processing apparatus of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the processing circuitry is configured to generate the blood vessel image data based on time changes, of the concentrations of the contrast agent, after low-pass filtering processing in at least one of a time direction and spatial directions.   
     
     
         16 . A medical image processing apparatus of  claim 8 ,
 wherein the processing circuitry is configured to generate the gray scale or the color scale by assigning a pixel value, different from the change in the pixel value, to a period other than the designated period.   
     
     
         17 . A medical image processing apparatus of  claim 8 ,
 wherein the processing circuitry is configured to generate the gray scale or the color scale by assigning a transmittance, different from a transmittance in the designated period, to a period other than the designated period.   
     
     
         18 . A medical image processing apparatus of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the processing circuitry is configured to generate the gray scale or the color scale by assigning a continuous change in color phase, a continuous change in at least one color brightness value or a continuous change in gray brightness value, as the change in the pixel value.   
     
     
         19 . A medical image processing apparatus comprising:
 processing circuitry configured to   obtain time changes in pixel value corresponding to a blood vessel, based on blood vessel image data acquired by an image diagnostic apparatus;   generate a gray scale or a color scale by assigning a change in pixel value for at least one period, to a period shorter than a period from an initial time to an ending time of the time changes in the pixel value corresponding to the blood vessel; and   generate blood vessel image data according to the gray scale or the color scale, the blood vessel image data having pixel values corresponding to times at which pixel values corresponding to the blood vessel become a specific condition.   
     
     
         20 . An X-ray diagnostic apparatus comprising:
 an X-ray tube and an X-ray detector for acquiring at least X-ray contrast image data from an object; and   processing circuitry configured to   obtain time changes of concentrations of a contrast agent, based on the at least X-ray contrast image data;   generate a gray scale or a color scale by assigning a change in pixel value for at least one period, to a period shorter than a period from an initial time to an ending time of the time changes of the concentrations of the contrast agent; and   generate blood vessel image data according to the gray scale or the color scale, the blood vessel image data having pixel values corresponding to times at which the concentrations of the contrast agent become a specific condition.   
     
     
         21 . A medical image processing method comprising:
 obtaining time changes of concentrations of a contrast agent, based on at least X-ray contrast image data;   generating a gray scale or a color scale by assigning a change in pixel value for at least one period, to a period shorter than a period from an initial time to an ending time of the time changes of the concentrations of the contrast agent; and   generating blood vessel image data according to the gray scale or the color scale, the blood vessel image data having pixel values corresponding to times at which the concentrations of the contrast agent become a specific condition.   
     
     
         22 . An X-ray diagnostic method comprising:
 acquiring at least X-ray contrast image data from an object;   obtaining time changes of concentrations of a contrast agent, based on the at least X-ray contrast image data;   generating a gray scale or a color scale by assigning a change in pixel value for at least one period, to a period shorter than a period from an initial time to an ending time of the time changes of the concentrations of the contrast agent; and   generating blood vessel image data according to the gray scale or the color scale, the blood vessel image data having pixel values corresponding to times at which the concentrations of the contrast agent become a specific condition.