IP Library › Granted Patent US 7,492,967
Granted Patent B2
US 7,492,967 · App. 10/946,247 · Granted Feb 17, 2009

Super-resolution processor and medical diagnostic imaging apparatus

Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba; Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,492,967
App. No.
10/946,247
Granted
Feb 17, 2009
Kind
B2
Abstract

A super-resolution processor includes a storage section for storing data of point spread functions of an X-ray CT scanner which are acquired using a phantom and a super-resolution processing section performing super-resolution of image data of a sample generated by the X-ray CT scanner using the stored point spread functions.

Claims (21)

1. A super-resolution processor, comprising:

a storage unit configured to store projection data of a sample acquired by an X-ray CT scanner;

a designation unit configured to designate a super-resolution process range on a three-dimensional image of the sample;

an image reconstruction unit configured to reconstruct image data from the projection data only in the designated super-resolution process range; and

a super-resolution processing unit configured to perform super resolution of the reconstructed image data using point spread functions for the X-ray CT scanner.

2. The super-resolution processor according to claim 1 , wherein the super-resolution processing unit performs a process of deconvoluting the image data by the stored point spread functions.

3. The super-resolution processor according to claim 2 , wherein the super-resolution processing unit performs a process of iteration for minimizing errors between the image data and the deconvoluted image data that is used as the initial solution.

4. The super-resolution processor according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a reconstructing-condition determination unit configured to determine reconstruction conditions based on the super-resolution process range.

5. The super-resolution processor according to claim 4 , wherein the diameter of the reconstructed field of view is at most one-third of that of the photographing field of view of the projection data.

6. The super-resolution processor according to claim 1 , wherein a high contrast portion of the image is extracted by thresholding and super-resolution is performed on the extracted high contrast portion.

7. The super-resolution processor according to claim 1 , wherein an out-of-focus image having only a high-contrast portion is subtracted from the three-dimensional image of the sample and a result of the subtraction is displayed with a super-resolution image having only a high-contrast portion.

8. A medical diagnostic imaging apparatus, comprising:

an image acquisition unit configured to acquire medical image data from a sample;

a designation unit configured to designate a super-resolution process range on a three-dimensional image of the sample; and

a super-resolution processing unit configured to perform super resolution of the medical image data using point spread functions for the image acquisition unit only in the designated super-resolution process range.

9. The medical diagnostic imaging apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the super-resolution processing unit performs a process of deconvoluting the image data by the stored point spread functions.

10. The medical diagnostic imaging apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the super-resolution processing unit performs a process of iteration for minimizing errors between the image data and the deconvoluted image data that is used as the initial solution.

11. The medical diagnostic imaging apparatus according to claim 8 , further comprising:

a reconstructing-condition determination unit configured to determine reconstruction conditions base based on the super-resolution process range.

12. The medical diagnostic imaging apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the diameter of the reconstructed field of view is at most one-third of that of the photographing field of view of the projection data.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 22, 2004
From: TOKI, YUUSUKE; FUJISAWA, YASUKO; KATO, MOTOSHI
To: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA; TOSHIBA MEDICAL SYSTEMS CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 015833/0904 →
Priority Claims (2)
JP 2003-332192 · Sep 24, 2003 · national
JP 2003-332193 · Sep 24, 2003 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20050063611A1 · Mar 24, 2005