JP2019005034A - Medical image processing apparatus, medical image processing system, and medical image processing method - Google Patents

Abstract

To disable the displaying of peripheral-side blood vessels that may produce obstacle shadows, without impairing the accuracy of blood vessel images.SOLUTION: A medical image processing apparatus 10 includes: an image data acquisition unit 11 for acquiring medical image data; a blood vessel path detection unit 12 for detecting blood vessel paths from the acquired medical image data; a creation condition setting unit 13 for accepting an input of a blood vessel image creation condition and setting the blood vessel image creation condition; a blood vessel image creation unit 14 for creating a blood vessel image from detected blood vessel paths. The blood vessel image creation unit 14 is configured to create a blood vessel image according to the set creation condition upon the setting of the creation condition.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a medical image processing apparatus and a medical image processing method for processing the display of a blood vessel image obtained from medical image data.

  In an operation for excision of an affected part such as a liver, it is required to excise a region including a blood vessel (nutrient blood vessel) supplying nutrients to a tumor to be removed in a minimum range. Therefore, in order to grasp the excision site before surgery, it is important to capture a medical image of a patient with a fluoroscopic imaging device and to accurately extract a blood vessel structure from the captured medical image.

  For example, in Patent Document 1 (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2014-171908), a landmark represented by a branch point of a blood vessel tree diagram is identified from three-dimensional image data, and the branch is branched from the landmark according to anatomical information. It is described to select a pair of landmarks corresponding to a segment of the structure and to determine a spatial arrangement of the segments with respect to the blood vessel tree diagram in the three-dimensional image data based on the selected pair of landmarks . Patent Document 2 (Japanese Patent No. 5391229) discloses a tree structure in which a linear structure is defined by a plurality of nodes (nodes) and a plurality of edges (sides) from medical image data including the linear structure. It describes that a tree structure is created by extracting nodes as candidates and connecting each node according to a predetermined algorithm.

JP 2014-171908 A Japanese Patent No. 5391229

  The conventional blood vessel structure extraction technique described above extracts a blood vessel structure with high accuracy. For example, when a blood vessel highly relevant to a tumor is determined when the tumor is removed, the blood vessel is displayed in detail to the periphery. Rather, it can be an obstacle to diagnosis and examination. In order to prevent peripheral blood vessels from being displayed, for example, it is conceivable to increase the display threshold of image data. This is because, when imaging is performed by injecting a contrast agent, an image with a higher luminance is obtained with a thicker blood vessel, and a luminance with a lower luminance is obtained toward the peripheral side. However, when the display threshold is increased, a blood vessel is displayed thinly in a low-luminance region, resulting in a problem that accuracy as a blood vessel image is lost.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a medical image processing apparatus and the like that can prevent a blood vessel that may be a shadow from being obstructed without impairing accuracy as a blood vessel image.

The medical image processing apparatus of the present invention includes an image data acquisition unit that acquires medical image data,
A blood vessel route detection unit for detecting a blood vessel route from the acquired medical image data;
A blood vessel image creation unit that creates a blood vessel image from the blood vessel route detected by the blood vessel route detection unit;
A creation condition setting unit for accepting an input of creation conditions for a blood vessel image and setting the accepted creation conditions;
Have
The blood vessel image creation unit is configured to create the blood vessel image from the blood vessel route according to the created creation condition when the creation condition is set by the creation condition setting unit.

  The medical image processing system of the present invention includes the above-described medical image processing apparatus of the present invention and a fluoroscopic imaging device that captures a medical image composed of medical image data.

The medical image processing method of the present invention creates a blood vessel image from medical image data using a medical image processing apparatus having an image data acquisition unit, a blood vessel path detection unit, a creation condition setting unit, and a blood vessel image creation unit. A medical image processing method comprising:
The image data acquisition unit acquiring the medical image data;
The blood vessel route detection unit detecting a blood vessel route from the acquired medical image data;
The creation condition setting unit accepting a creation condition of a blood vessel image and setting the accepted creation condition;
The blood vessel image creation unit creates the blood vessel image from the detected blood vessel route, and when the creation condition is set by the creation condition setting unit, the blood vessel route is set according to the set creation condition. Creating the blood vessel image from:
Have

  According to the present invention, a blood vessel image creation condition is received, and a blood vessel image is created according to the accepted creation condition, so that the blood vessel image on the peripheral side that can be an obstacle shadow for diagnosis and examination without losing accuracy as a blood vessel image As a result, diagnosis and inspection can be performed efficiently and accurately.

1 is a block diagram of a medical image processing system according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a figure which shows typically an example of the blood vessel image produced using the detected blood vessel path | route. 2 is a flowchart showing an example of a rough flow of medical image processing by the medical image processing apparatus shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a diagram schematically showing a blood vessel image created using a blood vessel route to a secondary branch blood vessel among the blood vessel routes shown in FIG. 2 when a branch order is set as a blood vessel image creation condition. It is a part of the blood vessel image of the liver actually imaged. 4B is a blood vessel image displaying up to a tertiary blood vessel in the blood vessel image shown in FIG. 4A. 4B is a blood vessel image displayed with a higher threshold value in the blood vessel image shown in FIG. 4A. It is a part of the blood vessel image of the lung actually captured. 5B is a blood vessel image displaying up to a tertiary blood vessel in the blood vessel image shown in FIG. 5A. It is a figure which shows typically the example of the blood vessel image when the item regarding a diseased part is set as the preparation conditions of the blood vessel image. It is a figure which shows an example of the user interface for display / erase control. It is a figure which shows an example of the user interface for display / erase control. In the blood vessel image shown in FIG. 2, it is a figure explaining the case where a primary blood vessel is determined based on the full length from the starting point to the terminal.

  Referring to FIG. 1, a block diagram of a medical image processing system according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown.

  The medical image processing system includes at least a medical image processing apparatus 10, and an input device 2 and a display device 3 connected to the medical image processing apparatus 10. In addition to these, the medical image processing system may include at least one of the data storage unit 1 and the fluoroscopic imaging device 100. The input device 2 may be any device that can input data or the like to the medical image processing apparatus 10 by a user operation, such as a keyboard and a mouse.

  The display device 3 may be any device that visually displays an image generated by the medical image processing apparatus 10 such as a liquid crystal display. Each of the input device 2 and the display device 3 can also constitute a part of a touch panel in which a touch screen having a transparent electrode is arranged on a display.

  The medical image processing apparatus 10 has a function of acquiring medical image data and creating a desired blood vessel image from the acquired medical image data, and includes an image data acquisition unit 11, a blood vessel path detection unit 12, a creation condition setting unit 13, and a blood vessel. An image creation unit 14 is included. Such functions of the medical image processing apparatus 10 can be configured by a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a ROM (Rad Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), and a computer unit having an interface with other devices. . The computer unit may be provided in the medical image processing apparatus 10, may be provided in a medical workstation, or may be provided in the fluoroscopic imaging apparatus 100. It may be a general-purpose computer such as a personal computer.

  In the ROM, a computer that executes a series of processes performed by the image data acquisition unit 11, the blood vessel path detection unit 12, the creation condition setting unit 13, and the blood vessel image creation unit 14 so that the computer unit functions as the medical image processing apparatus 10. The program is implemented. The CPU reads the computer program into the RAM and executes it.

  The computer program may be stored in a computer-readable recording medium. Here, the recording medium storing the computer program may be a non-transitory recording medium. The non-transitory recording medium is not particularly limited, and may be a recording medium such as a memory card or a CD-ROM. The computer program stored in the recording medium can be installed in the computer unit via an appropriate reader. Examples of the appropriate reader include a card reader when the recording medium is a memory card, and a CD drive when the recording medium is a CD-ROM.

  Alternatively, the computer program may be downloaded from an external server to the computer unit via a communication network.

  The image data acquisition unit 11 is connected to the fluoroscopic imaging device 100 and / or the data storage unit 1 so that medical image data can be acquired from the fluoroscopic imaging device 100 or the data storage unit 1. The fluoroscopic imaging apparatus 100 includes medical image data that can generate blood vessel images, such as a CT (Computed Tomography) apparatus, an angio apparatus, an MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) apparatus, a PET (Positionon Emission Tomography) apparatus, and an ultrasound diagnostic apparatus. It may be any device capable of taking a medical image. The data storage unit 1 may be a server that stores medical image data of a plurality of subjects, or may constitute a part of a medical image storage communication system (PACS). When acquiring medical image data from the data storage unit 1, the medical image processing apparatus 10 accepts input of subject specifying information (for example, a subject ID) that can specify a subject to be acquired, and a specific subject according to the input subject specifying information. Is obtained from the data storage unit 1. The medical image data may be three-dimensional image data such as volume data.

  Further, when a fluoroscopic imaging device 100 captures a medical image of a subject, a contrast medium is often injected into the subject. Therefore, the medical image processing system may further include a chemical liquid injector 200 that injects a contrast medium into the subject. In the acquisition of medical image data using a contrast agent, it is preferable to operate the fluoroscopic imaging device 100 at an appropriate timing when the injected contrast agent reaches the region of interest. Therefore, the chemical injection device 200 is connected to the fluoroscopic imaging device 100 so as to be able to transmit and receive electrical signals so that the injection of the contrast medium by the chemical injection device 200 and the operation of the fluoroscopic imaging device 100 can be linked. Can.

The blood vessel route detection unit 12 is configured to detect a blood vessel route from the acquired medical image data. The blood vessel path extends while branching from the upstream toward the downstream, and thus has a start portion that is the most upstream end and a plurality of ends. Various known methods can be used to detect the vascular route. For example, the blood vessel path detection unit 12 extracts the center line and the contour from the blood vessel start to each end by analyzing the luminance distribution of the image data, and specifies the branch order at the blood vessel branch point. Moreover, it is preferable that the detected blood vessel route includes all branch points as data that is distinguished for each branch order. In this embodiment, the branch order is determined as follows.
(1) When a specific blood vessel is a primary blood vessel, a blood vessel branched from the primary blood vessel is a secondary blood vessel. A secondary blood vessel is a branching blood vessel of a primary blood vessel. In addition, the start point of the secondary blood vessel is a primary branch point in the sense of a branch point from the primary blood vessel. Here, a specific blood vessel, that is, a primary blood vessel can be determined based on the thickness and / or length of the blood vessel as will be described later.
(2) Similarly, a blood vessel branched from the secondary blood vessel is set as a tertiary blood vessel, and the start point of the tertiary blood vessel is set as a secondary branch point.
(3) Hereinafter, similarly, the order increases by one each time the branch is made.

  Further, the blood vessel path detection unit 12 can obtain the diameters of a plurality of blood vessels extending downstream from the branch point downstream of the branch point, and can specify the branch order from the obtained diameter. More specifically, the obtained diameters of the plurality of blood vessels are compared, and one or a plurality of blood vessels excluding the blood vessel having the largest diameter is determined as a branched blood vessel branched from a blood vessel on the upstream side of the branch point. For example, when the blood vessel extending from the starting point is a primary blood vessel, the diameters of a plurality of blood vessels extending downstream are obtained downstream of the branch point of the primary blood vessel. Compare the obtained diameters of multiple blood vessels, determine that the blood vessel with the largest diameter is a primary blood vessel that continues from the primary blood vessel upstream of the bifurcation point, and other blood vessels other than the secondary blood vessels that branch from the primary blood vessel Judge. The diameter of the blood vessel can be obtained from the extracted center line and contour of the blood vessel.

  Such a determination is based on a general anatomical structure in which a blood vessel becomes thinner each time it branches. From this viewpoint, when determining the primary blood vessel, the blood vessel route detecting unit 12 can determine the blood vessel having the largest diameter among the blood vessels obtained from all the detected blood vessel routes as the primary blood vessel. The blood vessel also has an anatomical feature that the length is shortened each time it branches. Therefore, when determining the primary blood vessel, the blood vessel route detection unit 12 can also determine the longest blood vessel among the blood vessels obtained from all the detected blood vessel routes as the primary blood vessel. The recognition of the primary blood vessel based on the thickness of the blood vessel and the recognition of the primary blood vessel based on the length of the blood vessel may be performed independently or in combination. In the present specification, “upstream” and “downstream” mean “upstream” and “downstream” in the direction of blood flow in a blood vessel.

  The vascular route detected by the vascular route detection unit 12 can further include a diseased part such as a tumor. For example, when a massive structure different from a tubular structure such as a blood vessel is extracted by analyzing the luminance distribution of image data, the blood vessel path detection unit 12 detects this as a diseased part.

  The blood vessel image creation unit 14 is configured to create a blood vessel image from the blood vessel route detected by the blood vessel route detection unit 12 and output the created blood vessel image to the display device 3. Any known method can be used to create the blood vessel image. Further, since the blood vessel route detection unit 12 extracts the center line and the contour of the blood vessel, the created blood vessel image reflects the route and the thickness of the blood vessel.

  An example of a blood vessel image created from the blood vessel route detected by the blood vessel route detection unit 12 is schematically shown in FIG. In the example shown in FIG. 2, the primary blood vessel extending from the starting point SP branches at four primary branch points BR1, and the secondary blood vessels extend from the primary branch points BR1, respectively. Each of these secondary blood vessels branches again at a secondary branch point BR2 in the middle, a tertiary blood vessel extends from each secondary branch point BR2, and further, a tertiary blood vessel extends from a tertiary branch point BR3 in the middle of the tertiary blood vessel. The fifth blood vessel extends from the fourth branch point BR4 in the middle of the next blood vessel.

  Here, the medical image processing apparatus 10 of the present embodiment can accept an input of a blood vessel image creation condition through the input device 2. The creation condition setting unit 13 has this function. The creation condition setting unit 13 receives an input of a creation condition for a blood vessel image and sets the accepted creation condition. When the creation condition is set by the creation condition setting unit 13, the blood vessel image creation unit 14 creates a blood vessel image from the blood vessel path detected by the blood vessel path detection unit 12 in accordance with the set creation condition, and displays it on the display device 3. As a result, a desired blood vessel image is displayed on the display device 3. Alternatively, the blood vessel image creation unit 14 may transmit the created blood vessel image to the data storage unit 1 in addition to the output of the created blood vessel image to the display device 3, or the blood vessel to the data storage unit 1 Only image transmission may be performed.

  The creation conditions that can be accepted by the creation condition setting unit 13 can include the branching order of blood vessels as an item. In this case, the blood vessel image creation unit 14 creates blood vessel images up to the branch order set by the creation condition setting unit 13. Alternatively, when the vascular route includes a diseased part, the degree of association with the diseased part can be included as an item. In this case, the blood vessel image creation unit 14 creates a blood vessel image including the diseased part and blood vessels corresponding to the degree of association set by the creation condition setting unit 13.

  Here, “the creation condition setting unit 13 accepts an input of creation conditions” means that the creation conditions can be input to the operator, for example, a screen for creating conditions is displayed on the display device 3. It means to do so.

  FIG. 3 shows a rough flow of medical image processing by the medical image processing apparatus 10 described above.

  First, the image data acquisition unit 11 acquires medical image data (S101). Next, the blood vessel route detection unit 12 detects a blood vessel route from the acquired medical image data (S102). After detecting the blood vessel route, the creation condition setting unit 13 accepts the creation condition of the blood vessel image and sets the accepted creation condition (S103). When the creation conditions are set by the creation condition setting unit 13, the blood vessel image creation unit 14 creates a blood vessel image from the blood vessel path detected by the blood vessel path detection unit 12 according to the set creation conditions (S104). The created blood vessel image can be output to the display device 3 and / or the data storage unit 1 by the medical image processing apparatus 10. Thereafter, if other creation conditions are not accepted, the medical image processing is terminated, and if other creation conditions are accepted, the creation condition setting unit 13 accepts the creation conditions again (S106). Thereafter, the same processing is repeated.

  Next, the case where the branch order of a blood vessel is set as a creation condition will be described in more detail with respect to the flow described above.

  First, the image data acquisition unit 11 acquires medical image data from the fluoroscopic imaging device 100 or the data storage unit 1. Next, the blood vessel route detection unit 12 detects the blood vessel route from the acquired medical image data. When the blood vessel route is detected, the creation condition setting unit 13 receives an input of the branch order of the blood vessel image from the input device 2 by the user. When the branch order is input, the creation condition setting unit 13 sets the branch order as the creation condition. The blood vessel image creation unit 14 creates a blood vessel image using the blood vessel route up to the set branch order. When the blood vessel image is created, the blood vessel image creation unit 14 outputs the created blood vessel image to the display device 3. As a result, blood vessel images up to the input branch order are displayed on the display device 3.

  For example, when an input meaning “secondary branch” is input from the input device 2 and “secondary branch” is set as the creation condition by the creation condition setting unit 13, the blood vessel image creation unit 14 detects the blood vessel route. Among the blood vessel paths detected by the unit 12, a blood vessel image is created without using the tertiary branch point BR 3 and the branch blood vessel downstream thereof, and the created image is output to the display device 3. Thereby, as shown in FIG. 4, a blood vessel image from the starting point SP to the tertiary blood vessel is displayed on the display device 3.

  As described above, the operator specifies the branch order to be displayed, and the branch blood vessels downstream from the specified branch order are not displayed, so that diagnosis and examination can be performed without affecting the thickness or route of the blood vessels. It is possible to prevent the display of blood vessels that may become obstacle shadows. As a result, diagnosis and inspection can be performed efficiently and accurately.

  In the above example, the blood vessel route detection unit 12 detects all branch orders, and the blood vessel image creation unit 14 creates a blood vessel image using the blood vessel routes up to the input branch order among the detected blood vessel routes. did. However, the detection of the blood vessel route by the blood vessel route detection unit 12 is executed up to the inputted branch order, and the blood vessel image creation unit 14 creates and outputs a blood vessel image from the detected blood vessel route up to the specific branch order. It can also be. In this case, the blood vessel route detection unit 12 detects the blood vessel route after the branch order is input. In this way, the blood vessel route detection unit 12 only needs to detect the blood vessel route necessary for display by detecting the blood vessel route up to the inputted branch order after the branch order is input. As a result, the processing time of the medical image processing apparatus 10 can be shortened.

  Here, this embodiment will be described by taking a blood vessel image actually captured as an example.

  FIG. 5A is a part of a blood vessel image of the liver, and all the imaged blood vessels are displayed. Moreover, the tumor 300 is recognized in this blood vessel image. In the blood vessel image shown in FIG. 5A, it is difficult to specify which blood vessel is a nutrient blood vessel to the tumor 300.

  FIG. 5B is a blood vessel image obtained by performing the above-described image processing in FIG. 5A and displaying up to the tertiary blood vessel. The blood vessel image shown in FIG. 5B is simpler than the blood vessel image shown in FIG. 5A, and clearly shows that the tertiary blood vessel 301 is a nutritional blood vessel supplying nutrition to the tumor 300.

  FIG. 5C is a blood vessel image displayed with a higher threshold in FIG. 5A. In the blood vessel image shown in FIG. 5C, the blood vessels are displayed more narrowly as the branch order increases. In FIG. 5B, the tertiary blood vessel 301 that is the nutritional blood vessel of the tumor 300 that is displayed is not displayed. Therefore, the blood vessel image shown in FIG. 5C cannot be accurately diagnosed.

  FIG. 6A is a part of a blood vessel image of the lung, and all the imaged blood vessels are displayed. Although the tumor 300 actually exists, in FIG. 6A, the blood vessels are very finely branched, and it is difficult to recognize the presence of the tumor 300 and to identify the nutritional blood vessels to the tumor 300.

  FIG. 6B is a blood vessel image obtained by performing the above-described image processing in FIG. 6A and displaying up to the tertiary blood vessel. In the blood vessel image shown in FIG. 6B, the presence of the tumor 300 can be clearly recognized, and the nutritional blood vessels to the tumor 300 can also be confirmed.

  As described above, the present invention has been described by taking typical embodiments as examples. However, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and can be arbitrarily changed within the scope of the technical idea of the present invention. It is.

(Image creation before entering creation conditions)
In the above-described embodiment, the creation of the blood vessel image by the blood vessel image creation unit 14 after the creation conditions are input has been described. However, the blood vessel image creation unit 14 can also create a blood vessel image using all the blood vessel routes detected by the blood vessel route detection unit 12 before the creation condition setting unit 13 accepts the input of the creation conditions. The blood vessel image creation unit 14 can output the created blood vessel image to the display device 3 to be displayed on the display device 3, or can transmit the created blood vessel image to the data storage unit 1 and store it in the data storage unit 1. Both of these can be performed.

  The process described above is a process of creating a blood vessel image from acquired medical image data between the process of detecting a blood vessel route (S102) and the process of accepting and setting the creation conditions (S103) in the flowchart shown in FIG. This corresponds to executing a process for outputting the produced blood vessel image.

  Thereby, after grasping | ascertaining the whole condition first, creation conditions can be input (set), Therefore A desired blood vessel image can be created efficiently. In this case, the operator can visually recognize the presence or absence of a diseased part from the blood vessel image displayed before receiving the input of the creation conditions. Therefore, when the operator recognizes that a diseased part is present in the blood vessel image, the operator can specify the diseased part in the blood vessel path detected by the blood vessel path detecting unit 12. When the diseased part designated by the operator is different from the diseased part detected by the vascular route detection unit 12, it is preferable to give priority to the diseased part designated by the operator.

  As described above, even when the blood vessel image is created before accepting the input of the creation condition, when the creation condition is input to the medical image processing apparatus 10, the blood vessel image creation unit 14 creates the blood vessel image according to the entered creation condition. create. Here, as a process of creating a blood vessel image in accordance with the input creation conditions after creating a blood vessel image using all the blood vessel paths, for example, the following two processes are exemplified.

  Process 1: As described above, a blood vessel image is created again under the input creation conditions among the blood vessel routes detected by the blood vessel route detection unit 12. In this case, the blood vessel image created after receiving the input of the creation condition is newly created separately from the blood vessel image created before receiving the input of the creation condition.

  Process 2: This process is a process of using a blood vessel image created using all blood vessel paths before inputting the creation conditions. In other words, the blood vessel image creation unit 14 creates a blood vessel image in accordance with the input creation condition by deleting a blood vessel path that deviates from the input creation condition from the blood vessel image created before the creation condition is input. In this case, it is necessary to supplement the deleted blood vessel route. The blood vessel image created in this way is output to the display device 3 and / or transmitted to the data storage unit 1.

(Other preparation conditions 1: degree of association with diseased part)
In the above-described embodiment, the case where the creation condition setting unit 13 receives an input of the branch order as the creation condition has been described. However, the condition for creating the blood vessel image is not limited to the branching order, and may be “relevance with the diseased part”. For example, when the presence of a tumor is recognized in an imaged medical image, there is a request to know in detail the blood vessel route in the vicinity of the tumor in addition to a request to specify a nutritional blood vessel to the tumor.

  In order to respond to such a request, when the vascular route detected by the vascular route detection unit 12 includes a diseased part such as a tumor, the creation condition setting unit 13 sets the diseased part of the blood vessel as an item of the creation condition. When the input of the degree of association is received, the creation condition is set according to the input item, and the blood vessel image creation unit 14 detects the blood vessel route detected by the blood vessel route detection unit 12 under the creation condition set by the creation condition setting unit. A blood vessel image can also be created using. Here, the case where the vascular route detected by the vascular route detection unit 12 includes a diseased part refers to the case where the diseased part is detected by the vascular route detection unit 12 and the case where the diseased part is designated by the operator. Any of these may be used.

  Hereinafter, the case where the degree of association with a diseased part is used as a creation condition will be described with reference to FIG.

As shown in FIG. 7, when a tumor 300 that is a diseased part is present in a vascular route, for example, the following two degrees of association can be considered as the degree of association with a vascular tumor 300.
[Relevance 1]: The blood vessel is in contact with the tumor 300. There is a high possibility that the blood vessel B1 in contact with the tumor 300 is a nutritional blood vessel.
[Relevance 2]: A blood vessel passes in the vicinity of the tumor 300. The blood vessel B2 passing through the vicinity of the tumor 300 needs attention when the tumor 300 is excised.

  The positional relationship between the blood vessel and the tumor 300 can be determined from the relative positional relationship between the blood vessel and the contour of the tumor 300 detected by the blood vessel path detection unit 12. Regarding [Relevance 2], the creation condition setting unit 13 can accept an input of the three-dimensional space 310 including the diseased part (tumor 300) as one of the creation condition items. Therefore, for example, in the input of the degree of association with the diseased part, if the diseased part (tumor 300) is input, the creation condition setting unit 13 is in contact with the tumor 300, assuming that [degree of association 1] is input. If the blood vessel B1 is set as a creation target in the blood vessel image and the three-dimensional space 310 is inputted, the creation condition setting unit 13 assumes that [relevance 2] is inputted, and the blood vessels existing in the three-dimensional space 310 B1 and B2 are set as creation targets in the blood vessel image.

  The three-dimensional space 310 may be preset in the creation condition setting unit 13 with the tumor 300 as a reference. Alternatively, the creation condition setting unit 13 can accept a margin input based on the diseased part (tumor 300) as one of the creation condition items, and set the three-dimensional space 310 from the input margin. The three-dimensional space 310 can be given as a spherical space with the center of gravity O of the tumor 300 as the center, or can be given as a space based on the contour of the tumor 300.

  When the three-dimensional space 310 is given as a space centered on the center of gravity O of the tumor 300, the creation condition setting unit 13 receives an input of the radius M1 centered on the center of gravity O, and receives the received spherical three-dimensional space 310 of the radius M1. The blood vessels B1 and B2 existing inside are set as blood vessels to be created in the blood vessel image.

  When the three-dimensional space 310 is given as a space based on the contour of the tumor 300, the creation condition setting unit 13 receives an input of the distance M2 from the contour of the tumor 300, and the three-dimensional space defined by the received distance M2. The blood vessels B1 and B2 existing in the space 310 are set as blood vessels to be created in the blood vessel image.

  Note that in [Relevance 2], the blood vessel B1 that is in contact with the tumor 300 is excluded to distinguish it from [Relevance 1], and the blood vessel that exists in the three-dimensional space 310 but is not in contact with the tumor 300 is excluded. Only B2 can be set as a creation target.

(Other creation condition 2: end deletion)
The image creation condition may be “end erasure” for erasing the most branched blood vessel in the vascular route. In this case, when a blood vessel image is created in advance by the blood vessel image creation unit 14 and then the creation condition setting unit 13 accepts an input of “end deletion” as the creation condition, the blood vessel image creation unit 14 creates it in advance. It is preferable to create a blood vessel image in which the most branched blood vessel in the blood vessel path in the blood vessel image is deleted. The blood vessel image creation unit 14 can output the created blood vessel image to the display device 3 each time. The pre-created blood vessel image may be a blood vessel image after executing “end elimination”. By repeating this “end elimination”, the end branch vessel is erased to the desired branch vessel. Can do. In this way, the operator erases the distal branch blood vessel that may become a shadow disorder so as to obtain an optimal image required for the treatment of the affected area while confirming the blood vessel image displayed on the display device 3. can do.

  The elimination of the branch blood vessels may be “stepwise elimination” or “continuous elimination”. “Stepwise erasure” means erasing in units of branch vessels, and “continuous erasure” means that the length of the branch vessel to be erased gradually decreases from the end toward the branch point. It means to erase.

  When erasing the branch blood vessels continuously, the blood vessel image creation unit 12 accepts an input of stop or interruption of the erasure process by the operator through the input device 2, and stops or suspends the erasure process when the input is accepted. The blood vessel image at that time may be output to the display device 3. In this way, the display device 3 displays the branch blood vessel to be erased, for example, in a state where the end side is erased from the middle. As a result, while grasping the branching state of the blood vessel, an extra portion of the blood vessel that may become a shadow disorder is not displayed, and thus, for example, more appropriate determination can be made in excision of the diseased part.

  Here, the “end” branch blood vessels to be erased are all the branch blood vessels located at the end regardless of the branch order among all the branch blood vessels of the blood vessel route detected by the blood vessel route detection unit 12. Alternatively, all branch vessels having the highest branch order may be used. In the former case, taking the blood vessel image of FIG. 2 as an example, the branched blood vessels to be erased are all the fifth blood vessels branched from the fourth branch point BR4 and the fourth order branched from the third branch point BR3. Among the blood vessels, all the fourth blood vessels where the fifth blood vessel is not branched. In the latter case, similarly, taking the blood vessel image of FIG. 2 as an example, the branched blood vessels to be erased are all the fifth blood vessels branched from the fourth branch point BR4.

  For example, the above-described criteria for the branch blood vessel to be erased in “end deletion” may be preset in the creation condition setting unit 13, or the operator can arbitrarily set the creation condition setting unit 13. May be.

  Further, when the branch blood vessels are continuously erased, the blood vessel image creation unit 14 can arbitrarily control the elimination of the branch blood vessels by an operator's input operation. For this purpose, for example, a user interface that receives an input for display / erase control of the branch blood vessel can be used. The creation condition setting unit 13 displays this user interface on the display device 2, and the blood vessel image creation unit 14 creates a blood vessel image in which the downstream side is erased from the input position in accordance with the information input via the user interface. In addition, by outputting from the display device 3, it is possible to arbitrarily control the display and erasure of the branch blood vessels.

  An example of a user interface that receives input for display / erase control is shown in FIG. 8A. This user interface includes an image (icon) displayed on the display device 3 and includes a scale 20 extending in the horizontal direction and a slider icon 21 superimposed on the scale 20. The scale 20 schematically represents a branched blood vessel from a primary blood vessel to a predetermined order in a straight line shape. The slider icon 21 represents a position on the scale 20. For example, when the display device 2 is a touch panel, the position on the scale 20 is determined by a predetermined operation such as dragging the slider icon 21 in the extending direction of the scale 20. Can be changed.

  Here, in the initial state, it is assumed that the slider icon 21 is located on the rightmost side on the scale 20 in FIG. 8A. When the operator drags the slider icon 21 from this position to a position of about 20% from the start point of the tertiary blood vessel toward the fourth blood vessel as shown in FIG. 8A, the creation condition setting unit 13 displays the slider icon 21 on the scale 20. The position information is sequentially output to the blood vessel image creation unit 14, and the blood vessel image creation unit 14 creates a blood vessel image using the position information each time the position information of the slider icon 21 is input and outputs the blood vessel image to the display device 3. . As a result, the branch vessel is gradually erased from the terminal side in response to the movement of the slider icon 21, and finally the tip is erased from about 20% of the length of the tertiary vessel. The obtained blood vessel image is obtained.

  By performing the display process as described above, the operator can arbitrarily adjust the range of blood vessels to be erased while viewing the image displayed on the display device 3. Further, if the slider icon 21 is moved from the start side to the end side, the displayed blood vessels can be increased in the direction in which the number of branch characters increases, contrary to the erasure.

  FIG. 8B shows another example of a user interface for display / erase control. The example shown in FIG. 8B is also a user interface displayed on the display device 3, but the operation method is different from the user interface shown in FIG. 8A. This user interface has a dial icon 30, and the display / erase control is performed by rotating the dial icon 30 by a predetermined operation such as dragging, like the slider icon 21 shown in FIG. 8A. Can do.

  In the above example, a slider icon or the like is shown as an example of a software user interface. However, the input means for executing continuous erasure is not limited to the above, but is a general means for inputting a continuous value. For example, a hardware user interface such as a linear encoder or a rotary encoder may be used.

(Determination of primary blood vessels based on the total length from the start point to the end)
With regard to how the primary blood vessel is determined from the blood vessel route detected by the blood vessel route detecting unit 12, in the above-described form, the blood vessel having the largest diameter is determined as the primary blood vessel, and the blood vessel having the longest length is determined as the primary blood vessel. Said. As another method for determining the primary blood vessel, the longest blood vessel route among all the blood vessel routes from the starting portion to the end via a halfway branch point can be determined as the primary blood vessel. In this case, the blood vessel route detection unit 12 calculates the length from the starting point SP for all the detected blood vessel routes, compares the lengths of all the calculated blood vessel routes, and the blood vessel having the longest length among them. The route is defined as the primary vessel. At this time, the thickness of the blood vessel is not considered.

  For example, in the blood vessel image shown in FIG. 2, the length from the starting point SP to the terminal TM1 is the longest as shown in FIG. Assuming that the blood vessel on the path indicated by the broken line arrow is determined as the primary blood vessel. A blood vessel branched from the determined primary blood vessel is a secondary blood vessel, and a blood vessel branched from the secondary blood vessel is a tertiary blood vessel. Similarly, a branched blood vessel ahead of the fourth blood vessel is determined.

  Such determination of the primary blood vessel based on the total length from the start point to the end is particularly effective in the blood vessel image of the heart. This is because the coronary artery is the main blood vessel of the heart, and the thickness of the blood vessel branched therefrom is not necessarily smaller than that of the coronary artery.

(Designation of primary blood vessels by the operator)
The primary blood vessel can also be designated by the operator. The determination of the primary blood vessel based on the designation by the operator can be performed as follows, for example.

  After the blood vessel route detection unit 12 detects the blood vessel route, the blood vessel image creation unit 14 creates a blood vessel image using the blood vessel route detected by the blood vessel route detection unit 12 and outputs the blood vessel image to the display device 2. As a result, blood vessel images using all the blood vessel routes detected by the blood vessel route detecting unit 12 are displayed on the display device 3. In this state, the creation condition setting unit 13 receives the designation of the primary blood vessel as one of the creation conditions.

  The primary blood vessel is designated by, for example, placing the cursor on the blood vessel that the operator wants to designate as the primary blood vessel on the blood vessel image displayed on the display device 3, and inputting the position of the cursor with the input device 2 as a designated point. This can be done. Alternatively, when the touch panel is used as the input device 2 and the display device 3, by tapping the blood vessel that the operator wants to designate as the primary blood vessel on the blood vessel image displayed on the display device 3, the tapped position Can be entered as a designated point. When the input of the designated point is accepted, the creation condition setting unit 13 sets the blood vessel path from the start point SP to the end as the primary blood vessel so that the inputted designated point is included.

  The position to be input as the designated point may be an arbitrary position from the start point SP to the end on the blood vessel route. When there is a branch point between the start point SP and the specified point and / or between the specified point and the end, the creation condition setting unit 14 determines which one is the primary blood vessel according to a predetermined rule. To determine whether to be a branch vessel. The predetermined rule may be, for example, a rule based on the thickness of the blood vessel as in the above-described branch order specifying procedure.

  When the operator designates the primary blood vessel, the creation condition setting unit 12 may have a plurality of designated points for receiving input. When a plurality of designated points are input, the creation condition setting unit 13 sets the blood vessel path from the start point SP to the end as a primary blood vessel so that all of the input designated points are included. Therefore, when a plurality of designated points are present on different blood vessel paths, a plurality of primary blood vessels are obtained. For example, the liver is divided into eight sub-regions, and a plurality of primary blood vessels may be set in this way when it is desired to specify main blood vessels that supply blood to some of these sub-regions.

  The primary blood vessels set in the creation condition setting unit 13 are appropriately processed for display in the blood vessel image creation unit 14 and other blood vessel images already displayed on the display device 3 as primary blood vessel candidates. It can also be displayed in a way that can be visually distinguished from blood vessels. The visually distinguishable methods include, for example, a method of displaying primary blood vessel candidates in a color different from that of other blood vessels, a method of blinking primary blood vessel candidates, and the like. Here, when the blood vessel displayed as the primary blood vessel candidate is different from the blood vessel route intended by the operator, correction such as addition, deletion and / or position change of the designated point by the operator is further accepted, and the creation condition setting unit 13 sets the primary blood vessel again based on the corrected designated point. By repeating the above processing as necessary, a primary blood vessel having a blood vessel route intended by the operator can be set.

  After the primary blood vessel is set, the creation condition setting unit 13 can accept other creation conditions. For example, if an input of the branch order is accepted, the creation condition setting unit 13 sets the input branch order as one of the creation conditions, and the blood vessel image creation unit 14 determines the determined primary blood vessel and the input branch order. A blood vessel image is created using the blood vessel route up to.

(Appendix)
As mentioned above, although this invention was demonstrated, this specification discloses the invention described below. However, the disclosure of the present specification is not limited to the following invention.

[A1] An image data acquisition unit that acquires medical image data;
A blood vessel route detection unit for detecting a blood vessel route from the acquired medical image data;
A blood vessel image creation unit that creates a blood vessel image from the blood vessel route detected by the blood vessel route detection unit;
A creation condition setting unit for accepting an input of creation conditions for a blood vessel image and setting the accepted creation conditions;
Have
The blood vessel image creation unit is configured to create the blood vessel image from the blood vessel route according to the created creation condition when the creation condition is set by the creation condition setting unit.

[A2] The blood vessel route detection unit detects the blood vessel route in which the branch order at the branch point where the blood vessel is branched is identified,
When the creation condition setting unit receives an input of the branch order of the blood vessel as the creation condition item, the creation condition setting unit sets the creation condition according to the input item,
The blood vessel image creation unit creates the blood vessel image using the blood vessel route up to the branch order set by the creation condition setting unit.
The medical image processing apparatus according to [A1].

  [A3] The blood vessel path detection unit obtains the diameters of a plurality of blood vessels extending from the branch point on the downstream side of the branch point, compares the obtained plurality of diameters, and removes one blood vessel having the largest diameter or The medical image processing apparatus according to [A2], configured to determine the branch order by determining a plurality of blood vessels as branch blood vessels branched from a blood vessel upstream of the branch point.

  [A4] The blood vessel route detection unit is configured to extract a blood vessel centerline and contour from the acquired medical image data, and obtain the blood vessel diameter from the extracted centerline and contour [A3] ] The medical image processing apparatus described in the above.

  [A5] The medical image processing apparatus according to any one of [A2] to [A4], wherein the vascular route detection unit detects the vascular route up to the input branch order.

[A6] The vascular route detected by the vascular route detection unit includes a diseased part,
When the creation condition setting unit receives an input of the degree of association with the diseased part as the creation condition item, the creation condition setting unit sets the creation condition according to the input item,
The blood vessel image creation unit creates the blood vessel image using the blood vessel path under the creation conditions set by the creation condition setting unit.
The medical image processing apparatus according to [A1].

  [A7] When the creation condition setting unit accepts an input of “end deletion” as one of creation conditions in a state where the blood vessel image is created, the blood vessel image creation unit The medical image processing apparatus according to [A1], which creates a blood vessel image in which the most branched blood vessel in the blood vessel path is deleted.

  [A8] The medical image processing apparatus according to [A7], wherein the blood vessel image creation unit erases the branch blood vessels in a stepwise manner.

  [A9] The medical image processing apparatus according to [A7], in which the blood vessel image creation unit continuously erases the branched blood vessels.

  [A10] The medical image processing apparatus according to [A9], further including a user interface for display / deletion control of the branch blood vessel that receives continuous input.

[A11] The vascular pathway has a starting portion and a plurality of ends,
The vascular route detection unit according to any one of [A1] to [A5], wherein the vascular route having the longest length among all vascular routes from the starting part to the plurality of ends is defined as a primary blood vessel. Medical image processing apparatus.

  [A12] The creation condition setting unit accepts designation of at least one primary blood vessel as one of the creation conditions, and thereby sets the primary blood vessel according to any one of [A1] to [A5] Processing equipment.

[B1] The medical image processing apparatus according to any one of [A1] to [A12];
A fluoroscopic imaging device for imaging a medical image composed of the medical image data;
A medical image processing system.

  [B2] The medical image processing system according to [B1], further including a chemical liquid injector that injects a contrast agent.

[C1] A medical image processing method for creating a blood vessel image from medical image data using a medical image processing apparatus having an image data acquisition unit, a blood vessel path detection unit, a creation condition setting unit, and a blood vessel image creation unit. And
The image data acquisition unit acquiring the medical image data;
The blood vessel route detection unit detecting a blood vessel route from the acquired medical image data;
The creation condition setting unit accepting a creation condition of a blood vessel image and setting the accepted creation condition;
The blood vessel image creation unit creates the blood vessel image from the detected blood vessel route, and when the creation condition is set by the creation condition setting unit, the blood vessel route is set according to the set creation condition. Creating the blood vessel image from:
A medical image processing method.

[C2] The step of detecting the vascular route includes the vascular route detection unit detecting the vascular route in which the branch order at the branch point where the blood vessel is branched is specified,
The step of setting the creation condition includes setting the creation condition according to the input item when the creation condition setting unit receives an input of the branch order of the blood vessel as the creation condition item,
The step of creating the blood vessel image includes the blood vessel image creating unit creating the blood vessel image using the blood vessel route up to the set branch order.
The medical image processing method according to [C1].

  [C3] In the step of detecting the vascular route, the vascular route detection unit obtains diameters of a plurality of blood vessels extending from the branch point on the downstream side of the branch point, compares the obtained plurality of diameters, The medical image according to [C2], including specifying the branch order by determining one or a plurality of blood vessels excluding a blood vessel having a large diameter as a branch blood vessel branched from a blood vessel upstream of the branch point. Processing method.

  [C4] In the step of detecting the blood vessel route, the blood vessel route detection unit extracts a center line and a contour of a blood vessel from the acquired medical image data, and calculates a diameter of the blood vessel from the extracted center line and the contour. The medical image processing method according to [C3], including calculating.

  [C5] The step of detecting the vascular route includes the vascular route detection unit detecting the vascular route up to the designated branch order after the branch order is designated, from [C2] The medical image processing method according to any one of [C4].

[C6] The vascular route detected by the vascular route detection unit includes a diseased part,
The step of setting the creation condition includes setting the creation condition according to the inputted item when the creation condition setting unit receives an input of the degree of association with the diseased part as the creation condition item. ,
The step of creating the blood vessel image includes the blood vessel image creating unit creating the blood vessel image using the blood vessel route under the creation conditions set by the creation condition setting unit.
The medical image processing method according to [C1].

  [C7] In the step of creating the blood vessel image, when the blood vessel image creation unit receives an input of “end deletion” as one of the creation conditions in a state where the blood vessel image is created, The medical image processing method according to [C1], including creating a blood vessel image in which the most distal branch blood vessel in the blood vessel route in the created blood vessel image is deleted.

  [C8] The medical image processing method according to [C7], wherein the step of creating the blood vessel image includes the blood vessel image creation unit erasing the branch blood vessel in a stepwise manner.

  [C9] The medical image processing method according to [C7], wherein the step of creating the blood vessel image includes the blood vessel image creating unit continuously erasing the branch blood vessels.

[C10] The medical image processing apparatus further includes a user interface for display / erase control of the branching blood vessel that receives continuous input,
The step of creating the blood vessel image includes the medical image processing method according to [C9], in which the blood vessel image creation unit continuously erases or displays the branch blood vessels in accordance with an input from the user interface.

[C11] The vascular pathway has a starting portion and a plurality of ends,
The step of detecting the vascular route includes a step in which the vascular route detection unit determines a vascular route having the longest length among all vascular routes from the starting part to the plurality of ends as a primary blood vessel [ The medical image processing method according to any one of [C1] to [C5].

  [C12] In the step of setting the creation condition, the creation condition setting unit accepts designation of at least one primary blood vessel as one of the creation conditions, thereby setting the primary blood vessel from [C1] to [C5 ] The medical image processing method in any one of.

[D1] A computer program for causing a computer to execute medical image processing for creating a blood vessel image from medical image data,
The computer,
An image data acquisition unit for acquiring the medical image data;
A blood vessel route detection unit for detecting a blood vessel route from the acquired medical image data;
A creation condition setting unit that accepts a creation condition of a blood vessel image and sets the accepted creation condition; and a blood vessel image creation unit that creates the blood vessel image from the blood vessel path detected by the blood vessel path detection unit, the creation When the creation condition is set in the condition setting unit, a blood vessel image creation unit that creates the blood vessel image from the blood vessel route according to the set creation condition,
A computer program that functions as a computer program.

  [E1] A computer-readable recording medium storing the computer program according to [D1].

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Data storage part 2 Input device 3 Display device 10 Medical image processing apparatus 11 Image data acquisition part 12 Blood vessel route detection part 13 Creation condition setting part 14 Blood vessel image creation part 100 Fluoroscopy apparatus 200 Chemical solution injection apparatus

Claims (22)

An image data acquisition unit for acquiring medical image data;
A blood vessel route detection unit for detecting a blood vessel route from the acquired medical image data;
A blood vessel image creation unit that creates a blood vessel image from the blood vessel route detected by the blood vessel route detection unit;
A creation condition setting unit for accepting an input of creation conditions for a blood vessel image and setting the accepted creation conditions;
Have
The blood vessel image creation unit is configured to create the blood vessel image from the blood vessel route according to the created creation condition when the creation condition is set by the creation condition setting unit. The blood vessel route detection unit detects the blood vessel route in which the branch order at the branch point where the blood vessel is branched is identified,
When the creation condition setting unit receives an input of the branch order of the blood vessel as the creation condition item, the creation condition setting unit sets the creation condition according to the input item,
The blood vessel image creation unit creates the blood vessel image using the blood vessel route up to the branch order set by the creation condition setting unit.
The medical image processing apparatus according to claim 1.   The blood vessel path detection unit obtains the diameters of a plurality of blood vessels extending from the branch point on the downstream side of the branch point, compares the obtained plurality of diameters, and one or a plurality of blood vessels excluding the blood vessel having the largest diameter The medical image processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the branch order is identified by determining that a branch blood vessel is branched from a blood vessel upstream of the branch point.   The blood vessel path detection unit is configured to extract a blood vessel center line and contour from the acquired medical image data, and obtain the diameter of the blood vessel from the extracted center line and the contour. Medical image processing apparatus.   The medical image processing apparatus according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the vascular route detection unit detects the vascular route up to the input branch order. The vascular route detected by the vascular route detection unit includes a diseased part,
When the creation condition setting unit receives an input of the degree of association with the diseased part as the creation condition item, the creation condition setting unit sets the creation condition according to the input item,
The blood vessel image creation unit creates the blood vessel image using the blood vessel path under the creation conditions set by the creation condition setting unit.
The medical image processing apparatus according to claim 1.   When the creation condition setting unit accepts an input of “end deletion” as one of the creation conditions in a state where the blood vessel image is created, the blood vessel image creation unit is configured to display a blood vessel path in the created blood vessel image. The medical image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a blood vessel image is created by deleting the most distal branch blood vessel. The vascular pathway has an origin and a plurality of ends;
The vascular route detection unit according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the vascular route having the longest length among all vascular routes from the starting part to the plurality of ends is defined as a primary blood vessel. Medical image processing apparatus.   The medical image processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the creation condition setting unit receives designation of at least one primary blood vessel as one of the creation conditions, and thereby sets the primary blood vessel. A medical image processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 9,
A fluoroscopic imaging device for imaging a medical image composed of the medical image data;
A medical image processing system.   The medical image processing system according to claim 10, further comprising a chemical liquid injector that injects a contrast agent. A medical image processing method for creating a blood vessel image from medical image data using a medical image processing apparatus having an image data acquisition unit, a blood vessel route detection unit, a creation condition setting unit, and a blood vessel image creation unit,
The image data acquisition unit acquiring the medical image data;
The blood vessel route detection unit detecting a blood vessel route from the acquired medical image data;
The creation condition setting unit accepting a creation condition of a blood vessel image and setting the accepted creation condition;
The blood vessel image creation unit creates the blood vessel image from the detected blood vessel route, and when the creation condition is set by the creation condition setting unit, the blood vessel route is set according to the set creation condition. Creating the blood vessel image from:
A medical image processing method. The step of detecting the vascular route includes the vascular route detection unit detecting the vascular route in which a branch order at a branch point where the blood vessel is branched is specified,
The step of setting the creation condition includes setting the creation condition according to the input item when the creation condition setting unit receives an input of the branch order of the blood vessel as the creation condition item,
The step of creating the blood vessel image includes the blood vessel image creating unit creating the blood vessel image using the blood vessel route up to the set branch order.
The medical image processing method according to claim 12.   The step of detecting the blood vessel route is such that the blood vessel route detection unit obtains the diameters of a plurality of blood vessels extending from the branch point on the downstream side of the branch point, compares the obtained plurality of diameters, and has the largest diameter. The medical image processing method according to claim 13, wherein the branch order is specified by determining one or a plurality of blood vessels excluding blood vessels as a branched blood vessel branched from a blood vessel upstream of the branch point.   The step of detecting the blood vessel route includes the step of the blood vessel route detection unit extracting a blood vessel center line and a contour from the acquired medical image data, and obtaining the diameter of the blood vessel from the extracted center line and the contour. The medical image processing method according to claim 14, further comprising:   16. The step of detecting the vascular route includes the vascular route detection unit detecting the vascular route up to the designated branch order after the branch order is designated. A medical image processing method according to claim 1. The vascular route detected by the vascular route detection unit includes a diseased part,
The step of setting the creation condition includes setting the creation condition according to the inputted item when the creation condition setting unit receives an input of the degree of association with the diseased part as the creation condition item. ,
The step of creating the blood vessel image includes the blood vessel image creating unit creating the blood vessel image using the blood vessel route under the creation conditions set by the creation condition setting unit.
The medical image processing method according to claim 12.   The step of creating the blood vessel image is created when the blood vessel image creation unit accepts an input of “end deletion” as one of the creation conditions in a state where the blood vessel image is created. The medical image processing method according to claim 12, further comprising: creating a blood vessel image in which the most distal branch blood vessel in the blood vessel path in the blood vessel image is deleted. The vascular pathway has an origin and a plurality of ends;
The step of detecting the vascular route includes the vascular route detection unit determining a vascular route having the longest length among all vascular routes from the starting part to the plurality of ends as a primary blood vessel. Item 17. The medical image processing method according to any one of Items 12 to 16.   The step of setting the creation condition includes a step in which the creation condition setting unit accepts designation of at least one primary blood vessel as one of the creation conditions, and thereby sets the primary blood vessel. The medical image processing method according to Item. A computer program for causing a computer to execute medical image processing for creating a blood vessel image from medical image data,
The computer,
An image data acquisition unit for acquiring the medical image data;
A blood vessel route detection unit for detecting a blood vessel route from the acquired medical image data;
A creation condition setting unit that accepts a creation condition of a blood vessel image and sets the accepted creation condition; and a blood vessel image creation unit that creates the blood vessel image from the blood vessel path detected by the blood vessel path detection unit, the creation When the creation condition is set in the condition setting unit, a blood vessel image creation unit that creates the blood vessel image from the blood vessel route according to the set creation condition,
A computer program that functions as a computer program.   A computer-readable recording medium storing the computer program according to claim 21.

Images