Medical image processing apparatus and method

Abstract

From a plurality of medical images in time phases, a target site is extracted from at least one medical image, a reference point is set on each of a target-site side, and a periphery side of the target site which are on across from each other over an outline of the extracted target site, and movement information for the reference points is calculated.

1 - 17 . (canceled) 
     
     
         18 . A medical image processing apparatus comprising:
 an acquisition unit configured to acquire a plurality of medical images obtained by capturing a target site at times different to each other;   a registration unit configured to perform registration process on the target site between the plurality of medical images;   a calculation unit configured to calculate slippage in relation to a periphery of the target site of, each of a plurality of points being on an outline of the target site based on a result of the registration process; and   a correction unit configured to correct the slippage based on a position on the target site.   
     
     
         19 . The apparatus according to  claim 18 , wherein the correction unit is configured to correct the slippage using a correction coefficient that is set based on the position on the target site. 
     
     
         20 . The apparatus according to  claim 18 , wherein the correction unit is configured to correct the slippage based on the medical image captured in the past for the same target site. 
     
     
         21 . The apparatus according to  claim 18 , wherein the registration unit is configured to perform the registration process on a periphery side of the target site between the plurality of medical images that are set to a first condition, and is configured to perform registration process on a target-site side of the target site between the plurality of medical images that are set to a second condition different from the first condition; and
 the calculation unit is configured to calculate the slippage in relation to the periphery of the target site of each of the plurality of points being on the outline of the target site based on a result of the registration process on the periphery side of the target site and a result of the registration process on the target-site side of the target site.   
     
     
         22 . The apparatus according to  claim 21 , wherein the first condition is a condition in which image features of the periphery side of the target site are emphasized, and the second condition is a condition in which image features of the target-site side of the target site are emphasized. 
     
     
         23 . The apparatus according to  claim 21 , wherein the calculation unit is configured to calculate, as the slippage, difference between the result of the registration process on the periphery side of the target site and the result of the registration process on the target-site side of the target site. 
     
     
         24 . The apparatus according to  claim 18 , further comprising:
 an extraction unit configured to extract the outline of the target site from at least one medical image from the plurality of medical images; and   a setting unit configured to set first reference points used for measuring movement amount of a periphery side of the target site and second reference points used for measuring movement amount of a target-site side of the target site, wherein   the calculation unit is configured to calculate the slippage in relation to the periphery of the target site of each of the plurality of points being on the outline of the target site using the movement amount of the periphery side of the target site that is measured based on positions of the first reference points and the movement amount of the target-site side of the target site that is measured based on positions of the second reference points.   
     
     
         25 . The apparatus according to  claim 18 , further comprising a display process unit configured to visualize the slippage to display on the display unit. 
     
     
         26 . The apparatus according to  claim 18 , wherein the target site is a lung field. 
     
     
         27 . The apparatus according to  claim 18 , wherein the correction unit is configured to correct the slippage based on normal movement of the target site being based on a plurality of normal data. 
     
     
         28 . The apparatus according to  claim 27 , wherein the correction unit is configured to correct the slippage using a model that reflects the normal movement of the target site which is generated based on the plurality of normal data. 
     
     
         29 . A medical image processing method, comprising the steps of:
 acquiring a plurality of medical images obtained by capturing a target site at times different to each other;   performing registration process on the target site between the plurality of medical images;   calculating slippage in relation to a periphery of the target site of each of a plurality of points being on an outline of the target site based on a result of the registration process; and   correcting the slippage based on a position on the target site.