X-ray CT apparatus and image processing apparatus

1. An X-ray CT apparatus wherein projection data on a patient are acquired, and an original image of the patient is reconstructed based on the acquired projection data, the X-ray CT apparatus comprising:

a high contrast extraction unit configured to extract a high-contrast region having a comparatively high X-ray attenuation coefficient from the original image;

a convolution unit configured to generate an unsharp image concerning the high-contrast region based on a position of the extracted high-contrast region and a point spread function peculiar to the CT apparatus, wherein said convolution unit includes a unit configured to convolute the point spread function into a position image of the extracted high-contrast region, and a unit configured to normalize the convoluted position image of the high-contrast region in accordance with a standard CT number of the high-contrast region; and

a unit which configured to subtract the unsharp image from the original image to generate a low-contrast image concerning a low-contrast region of comparatively low X-ray attenuation coefficient.

2. The X-ray CT apparatus as defined in claim 1 , wherein said high contrast extraction unit is configured to extract the high-contrast region by generating a differential image from the original image, and subjecting the differential image to threshold processing.

3. The X-ray CT apparatus as defined in claim 1 , wherein the high contrast extraction region is configured to extract the high-contrast region, which is a metallic instrument embedded in the patient for medical treatment, or calcified calcium.

4. The X-ray CT apparatus as defined in claim 1 , further comprising a unit configured to add a position image of the extracted high-contrast region to the low-contrast image.

5. The X-ray CT apparatus as defined in claim 1 , further comprising:

a classification unit configured to classify the low-contrast image into a plurality of regions in accordance with CT numbers; and

a unit configured to replace pixel values of the low-contrast image with values that are respectively peculiar to the plurality of classified regions.

6. The X-ray CT apparatus as defined in claim 5 , further comprising a unit configured to add a position image of the extracted high-contrast region to the replaced low-contrast image.

7. The X-ray CT apparatus as defined in claim 5 , wherein the classification unit is configured to classify the low-contrast image into the plurality of regions including a region in which lipide is predominant, a region in which a vascular wall is predominant, and a region in which a contrast medium is predominant.

8. The X-ray CT apparatus as defined in claim 5 , wherein the classification unit includes:

a unit configured to extract a plurality of regions of different sizes from the low-contrast image on the basis of a plurality of threshold values;

a unit configured to compute respective gravitational centers of the plurality of extracted regions; and

a unit configured to select a specified region corresponding to a subject for the extraction, from the plurality of extracted regions on the basis of distances between the gravitational centers.

9. The X-ray CT apparatus as defined in claim 8 , wherein the plurality of threshold values are determined based on a frequency distribution of pixel appearances of the respective CT numbers concerning the image.

10. An X-ray CT apparatus wherein projection data on a patient are acquired, and an original image within the patient is reconstructed based on the acquired projection data, the X-ray CT apparatus comprising:

a convolution unit configured to generate an unsharp image concerning a high-contrast region having a comparatively high X-ray attenuation coefficient in the original image based on a position of the extracted high-contrast region and a point spread function peculiar to the CT apparatus, wherein said convolution unit includes a unit configured to convolute the point spread function into a position image of the high-contrast region, and a unit configured to normalize the convoluted position image of the high-contrast region in accordance with a standard CT number of the high-contrast region;

a unit configured to subtract the unsharp image concerning the high-contrast region contained in the original image, from the original image to generate a low-contrast image concerning a region of comparatively low X-ray attenuation coefficient;

a classification unit configured to classify the low-contrast image into a plurality of regions in accordance with CT numbers; and

a unit configured to replace pixel values of the low-contrast image with values that are respectively peculiar to the plurality of classified regions.

11. The X-ray CT apparatus as defined in claim 10 , wherein the classification unit is configured to classify the low-contrast image into a contrast medium region, a vascular wall region, and a plaque region.

12. The X-ray CT apparatus as defined in claim 11 , wherein to identify the contrast medium region, said classification unit includes:

a unit configured to extract a plurality of included region candidates of different sizes in succession, from the low-contrast image based on the plurality of threshold values;

a unit configured to compute respective gravitational centers of the plurality of extracted regions; and

a unit configured to select the contrast medium region from the plurality of extracted region candidates based on distances between the gravitational centers.

13. The X-ray CT apparatus as defined in claim 12 , wherein the plurality of threshold values are determined based on a frequency distribution of pixel appearances of respective CT numbers concerning the image.

14. The X-ray CT apparatus as defined in claim 12 , wherein the selection unit is configured to select a region in which a displacement magnitude of the gravitational center is the largest within a range less than a predetermined magnitude, as the specified region.

15. The X-ray CT apparatus as defined in claim 12 , wherein to identify the vascular wall region, said classification unit is configured to trace the CT numbers radially from substantially a center of a blood vessel of the low-contrast image, and to specify two positions at which changes of the CT numbers exceed a predetermined value, as an inner wall and an outer wall of the blood vessel.

16. The X-ray CT apparatus as defined in claim 15 , wherein to identify the plaque region, said classification unit is configured to extract a group of pixels having CT numbers lower than those of the vascular wall, inside the vascular wall.

17. In an X-ray CT apparatus wherein projection data on a patient are acquired, and an image within the patient is reconstructed on the basis of the acquired projection data, an X-ray CT apparatus comprising:

a unit which extracts a plurality of included region candidates of different sizes in succession, from an image on the basis of a plurality of threshold values;

a unit which computes respective gravitational centers of the plurality of extracted regions; and

a unit which selects a specified region from the plurality of extracted region candidates on the basis of distances between the gravitational centers.

18. An X-ray CT apparatus as defined in claim 17 , wherein the plurality of threshold values are determined on the basis of a frequency distribution of pixel appearances of respective CT numbers concerning the image.

19. An X-ray CT apparatus as defined in claim 17 , wherein the selection unit selects a region in which a displacement magnitude of the gravitational center is the largest within a range less than a predetermined magnitude, as the specified region.

20. An image processing apparatus, comprising:

a high contrast extraction unit which is configured to extract a high-contrast region of having a comparatively high X-ray attenuation coefficient from an original X-ray image;

a convolution unit configured to generate an unsharp image concerning the high-contrast region based on a position of the extracted high-contrast region and a point spread function peculiar to the apparatus, wherein said convolution unit includes a unit configured to convolute the point spread function into a position image of the extracted high-contrast region, and a unit configured to normalize the convoluted position image of the high-contrast region in accordance with a standard CT number of the high-contrast region; and

a unit configured to subtract the unsharp image from the original image to generate a low-contrast image concerning a low-contrast region of comparatively low X-ray attenuation coefficient.

21. An image processing apparatus, comprising:

a convolution unit configured to generate an unsharp image concerning a high-contrast region having a comparatively high X-ray attenuation coefficient in an original image based on a position of the high-contrast region and a point spread function peculiar to the CT apparatus, wherein said convolution unit includes a unit configured to convolute the point spread function into a position image of the high-contrast region, and a unit configured to normalize the convoluted position image of the high-contrast region in accordance with a standard CT number of the high-contrast region;

a unit configured to subtract the unsharp image concerning the high-contrast region contained in the original X-ray image, from the original X-ray image, and to generate a low-contrast image concerning a region of comparatively low X-ray attenuation coefficient;

a classification unit configured to classify the low-contrast image into a plurality of regions in accordance with pixel values; and

a unit configured to replace the pixel values of the low-contrast image with values that are respectively peculiar to the plurality of classified regions.

22. An image processing apparatus, comprising:

a unit which extracts a plurality of included region candidates of different sizes in succession, from an X-ray image on the basis of a plurality of threshold values;

a unit which computes respective gravitational centers of the plurality of extracted regions; and

a unit which selects a specified region from the plurality of extracted region candidates on the basis of distances between the gravitational centers.