Method and apparatus for calculating index concerning local blood flow circulations

1. An index calculation method executed by an image processing apparatus, comprising:

using, at the image processing apparatus, a weight in accordance with a degree of similarity between pixels to filter a plurality of images in order to reduce noise from the plurality of continuous images concerning a specific region of a subject with a contrast medium injected therein, wherein the weight is a first weight for a first degree of similarity and the weight is a second weight greater than the first weight for a second degree of similarity higher than the first degree of similarity;

preparing, at the image processing apparatus, first time-density curves concerning arteries in the specific region and second time-density curves concerning tissues in the specific region from the plurality of images with the reduced noise;

calculating, at the image processing apparatus, modulation transfer functions indicating local blood flow circulations in the tissues with respect to the respective arteries by curve-fitting so that residual errors of the second time-density curves are minimized with respect to convolution of the modulation transfer functions and first time-density curves; and

calculating, at the image processing apparatus, indices concerning the local blood flow circulations with respect to the respective arteries from the modulation transfer functions.

2. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

determining the similarity between the pixels based on a difference of time-density curves between the pixels.

3. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

determining the similarity between the pixels based on a difference of time-density curves between the pixels and a dispersal anticipated value of the noise.

4. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

replacing each pixel value of the pixel constituting the image with a weighted average with a peripheral pixel by the weight.

5. The index calculation method according to claim 1 , wherein the modulation transfer function is a rectangular function.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the using comprises:

setting, for each of a plurality of pixels, a combination of vector values corresponding to values of said each pixel included in the plurality of images;

determining, by statistical testing, degrees of similarity of combinations of vector values corresponding to the plurality of pixels;

weighting values of pixels corresponding to combinations of vector values proportionally to the degree of similarity; and

calculating an average of weighted pixel values in each of the plurality of images.

7. An index calculation apparatus comprising:

a filter section which uses a weight in accordance with a degree of similarity between pixels to filter a plurality of images in order to reduce noise from the plurality of continuous images concerning a specific region of a subject with a contrast medium injected therein, wherein the weight is a first weight for a first degree of similarity and the weight is a second weight greater than the first weight for a second degree of similarity higher than the first degree of similarity;

a time-density curve preparation section which prepares first time-density curves concerning arteries in the specific region and second time-density curves concerning tissues in the specific region from the plurality of images with the reduced noise;

a modulation transfer function calculation section to calculate modulation transfer functions indicating local blood flow circulations in the tissues with respect to the respective arteries by curve-fitting so that residual errors of the second time-density curves are minimized with respect to convolution of the modulation transfer functions and first time-density curves; and

an index calculation section to calculate indices concerning the local blood flow circulations with respect to the respective arteries from the modulation transfer functions.