Hitachi Medical Corporation

Hitachi, Ltd.

Fujifilm Healthcare Corporation

Koichi Hirokawa

Taiga Goto

Hisashi Takahashi

Osamu Miyazaki

Yoshiaki Sugaya

Taiga Gotou

Toshiyuki Irie

Takayuki Kadomura

Yukio Kumagai

Kana Tanaka

Hironori Ueki

Ryo Yoshida

Hiroto Kokubun

Yasuo Omi

Ryuji Tamaki

A medical image processing apparatus and a medical image processing method capable of improving structural component detectability with respect to a noise component in a medical image. The medical image processing apparatus includes: a separation unit that separates the medical image into a first component including a structural component as a main component and a second component including a noise component as a main component; a modulation unit that modulates the second component with a spatial frequency; and a correction unit that generates a corrected image based on the first component and the modulated second component.

Medical image processing apparatus and medical image processing method

A medical image processing device and a corresponding method are provided that can extract and enhance a signal in a medical image. A medical image processing device that applies image processing to a medical image, the device including an acquiring unit that acquires an original image, a first extraction unit that extracts a local bias component image, a creating unit that decomposes a difference image between the original image and the local bias component image into at least two frequency bands and creates a low-frequency component image formed of a component in the lowest frequency band, a second extraction unit that extracts a local bias component low-frequency image that is a local bias component of the low-frequency component image, and a computing unit that multiplies the local bias component low-frequency image by a gain, adds to the local bias component image, and computes a contrast enhanced image.

Medical image processing device and medical image processing method

An image is generated where an edge of a structure in a subject is sharpened with reducing streak artifacts, within a short amount of time. X-rays at multiple angles are applied to the subject placed in imaging space, and a distribution of X-rays strength passing through the subject is detected to obtain raw data associated with multiple views. After smoothing the raw data associated with multiple views, image reconstruction is performed to generate a smoothed image of a predetermined region to be imaged in the imaging space. In the smoothed image, more intense sharpening process is applied to pixels in a region of a central part of the subject, than the pixels in a region of a peripheral part of the subject.

X-ray CT scanner, image generation method, and image generation program

In order to determine noise intensity more accurately by a projection data division method using data after fan-parallel conversion, a plurality of projection data obtained by irradiating a scan object with radiations are received and subjected to prescribed data conversion; data after the conversion is divided into two or more sets; a reconstructed image is generated for each set of data; and the generated reconstructed image for each of the sets is subtracted to generate a difference image. An index indicating pixel value variation for at least one prescribed region on the difference image is calculated, the value of the index is corrected by a previously calculated correction value, and the corrected index value is regarded as noise intensity of the region.

Image reconstruction device, X-ray CT device, and image reconstruction method

A reconstruction image is generated with a small number of updates, with the use of an iterative approximation method. A specified tomographic image of a subject is received, and a process is performed two or more times, where an update process is performed according to the iterative approximation method, using the tomographic image as an initial image and an update image is obtained. Then, an update vector corresponding to a difference between thus generated update images of the update process performed twice is multiplied by predetermined coefficients, so as to generate an estimated update vector. Using this vector, an update image is generated. Then, this update image is used as a new initial image, and a process is repeated where the update process is performed according to the iterative approximation method and an update image is obtained, thereby generating a tomographic image of the subject.

Image computing device, image computing method, and tomograph

In order to provide a data processing device and the like, capable of performing highly accurate reference correction even in a case where an object protrudes in reference channels in most of the measurement views, an image processing device (data processing device) of an X-ray CT apparatus calculates a unit air calibration reference value which is a value per unit tube current of an air calibration reference value which is reference data measured during air calibration, calculates a reference value (estimated reference value) corresponding to an X-ray condition in the main scanning on the basis of an output tube current value in the main scanning and a unit air calibration reference value, and corrects normalized reference data obtained by normalizing a measured reference value in the main scanning with the estimated reference value, to be included in an allowable error range, so as to remove the influence of protrusion.

Data processing device, X-ray CT apparatus, and reference correction method

In order to provide an X-ray CT apparatus and the like capable of obtaining an optimal X-ray dose for a dynamically changing X-ray irradiation region and reliably irradiating the X-ray irradiation region in a case where X-rays are applied with a spreading angle in a body axis direction, an X-ray CT apparatusdynamically changes an X-ray irradiation regionfor each view angle during scanning, and a system control devicechanges a position of an analysis lineused to calculate an optimal tube current during scanning according to a position of the X-ray irradiation regionat each view angle, so as to obtain an optimal irradiation X-ray dose.

X-ray CT apparatus and scanning method

An X-ray CT apparatus includes an extraction unit that acquires air data measured using the X-ray CT apparatus and the measurement data obtained by scanning the object, that extracts sensitivity variation data which is a sensitivity variation component of a detection element from the air data, and that extracts blank data from which the sensitivity variation component is removed, and a projection data generation unit that removes the sensitivity variation component and noise which are included in the measurement data, based on the sensitivity variation data, and that uses the blank data so as to perform a correction process of the measurement data from which the sensitivity variation component and the noise are removed.

X-ray CT apparatus, data processing device, and projection data generation method

In order to provide a technique capable of restoring measured data from projection data with high accuracy and removing system noise included in the measured data, a signal processing device obtains measured data x including signal values of 0 or less by processing an output signal from a data acquisition system, and performs a conversion process on the measured data x by using a predefined function including a logarithmic function so as to generate projection data (logarithmically converted data z), in which the predefined function is a function of which an inverse function is present for values of a predetermined negative number s or more, and the measured data x including signal values of 0 or less within a predetermined range is restored from the projection data by applying the inverse function to the projection data.

X-ray CT apparatus and image calculating device for X-ray CT apparatus

In order to provide a technique for reducing system noise from an output signal value (measurement data), an X-ray CT apparatus includes an X-ray generation unit that irradiates X-rays to an object, an X-ray detector that detects the X-rays transmitted through the object, a correction processing unit that corrects an output signal from the X-ray detector, and a reconstruction calculating unit that reconstructs an image on the basis of an output from the correction processing unit, in which the X-ray detector includes arranged detection elements, and in which the correction processing unit maintains an average value of output signal values of a plurality of predetermined detection elements centering on a focused detection element among the detection elements, and also reduces a variance of the output signal values of the plurality of predetermined detection elements centering on the focused detection element.

X-ray CT apparatus and correction processing device

In an X-ray CT apparatus, a tube current value calculation unit calculates a tube current value of an X-ray tube based on a successive approximation process condition and based on an input scanning condition and/or a reconstruction condition. A scanning control unit performs scanning based on the calculated tube current value of the X-ray tub, and an image reconstruction unit reconstructs a tomographic image of an object, in accordance with the selected successive approximation process condition and the reconstruction condition. The tomographic image is reconstructed from an amount of transmitted X-rays detected by an X-ray detector after being emitted from an X-ray source to the object, in accordance with the calculated tube current value of the X-ray tube, and being transmitted through the object.

X-ray CT apparatus and tomography method

In order to provide an image processing device and the like making it possible to generate a target image in which edges of a structure are upheld and from which streaking artifacts are removed, a computation device determines a shape of a non-linear function on the basis of feature amounts of an original image and a smoothed image (S). Next, the computation device calculates a condition coefficient of the original image and the smoothed image by using the non-linear function for which the shape was determined in S(S). Next, the computation device uses the condition coefficients calculated in Sto calculate a weighting coefficient for each of the pixels of the original image and the smoothed image (S). Next, the computation device adds weighting to the original image and the smoothed image to generate the target image (S).

Image processing device and image processing method

To generate a reconstructed image suitable to characteristics of a bilaterally symmetric site and possible to an appropriate image diagnosis, a computation device: computes a back projection phase width at a rotational center and distance between the rotational center location which is a reference location and a pixel to be reconstructed; according to the distance between the rotational center location and the pixel to be reconstructed, sets a function (f) changing the back projection phase width; computes a back projection phase width in the pixel to be reconstructed, substituting a value of the distance between the rotational center location and a pixel to be reconstructed in the function (f); computes a view weighting, on the basis of the back projection phase width in the post-correction pixel to be reconstructed and a slope width of a view weighting function; and reconstructs a CT image, using the view weighting.

X-ray CT apparatus and image reconstruction method

In order to provide a technique of obtaining an image having high diagnosability without degrading the operability in an X-ray CT apparatus that suppresses the amount of exposure of an object by controlling the amount of radiation by setting a target image SD and determining the imaging conditions (tube current) satisfying the target image SD, there is provided an X-ray CT apparatus that controls the amount of radiation according to the size of an object in consideration of the contrast by simply inputting one image quality level as a reference of the image quality level that the operator desires. The input image quality level is set as a target image SD when scanning an object having a standard size with a standard tube voltage.

X-ray CT apparatus and tube current determination method

To provide an image reconstruction device capable of creating an image with image quality matching the operator's request when a cross-sectional image is reconstructed through a repeated calculation, the image reconstruction device which performs a repeated calculation on the basis of a difference between calculated projection data and measured projection data, the calculated projection data being obtained by performing a forward projection calculation on a reconstructed image which is reconstructed based on the measured projection data, includes an input section to which an image quality parameter which is considered to be important by an operator is input, a weight calculation section that calculates a weighting coefficient on the basis of the image quality parameter, and a repeated calculation section that performs a repeated calculation on the basis of a value obtained by weighting and adding a pixel value obtained in the previous iteration to a pixel value obtained from now using the weighting coefficient.

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Tokyo, Japan

Koichi Hirokawa