Image diagnostic support apparatus

1. An image diagnostic support device which is configured to receive data from an image acquisition device that is configured to acquire a tomographic image including a lung region of an object to be examined, the image diagnostic support device comprising:

an image display unit configured to display as an image the tomographic image acquired by the image acquisition device;

a storage unit configured to store one or more programs of executable instructions;

a processing unit configured through execution of the programs to include:

a measurement range setting part that sets a measurement range for extracting a chest wall on the image;

a chest wall extracting part that extracts the chest wall on the image within the set measurement range;

a thickened portion extracting part that extracts a thickened portion attached to the chest wall within the measurement range; and

a thickened portion measuring part that measures a thickness of the thickened portion in each position within the measurement range and that obtains a sum of angles viewed from a center of a lung region of thickened portions thicker than predetermined thickness.

2. The image diagnostic support device according to claim 1 , wherein the chest wall extracting part extracts the chest wall on the image by connecting positions on an inner side of ribs using spline interpolation.

3. The image diagnostic support device according to claim 1 , wherein the thickened portion measuring part measures the thickness of the thickened portion from the chest wall toward an inner side of lungs in respective measurement range positions.

4. The image diagnostic support device according to claim 3 , wherein the thickened portion measuring part measures the thickness in a vertical direction with respect to the chest wall.

5. The image diagnostic support device according to claim 1 , wherein:

the image displayed by the image display unit is an axial image of the object; and

the measurement range setting part inputs a point on each of right and left lungs at the central positions thereof so as to set a measurement range on the respective lungs.

6. The image diagnostic support device according to claim 5 , wherein the image display unit displays the measurement range being set using the measurement range setting part by using an angle viewed from a central position of the respective right and left lungs.

7. The image diagnostic support device according to claim 5 , wherein the image display unit displays the measurement range set by the measurement range setting part, and the processing unit determines a length along the chest wall of the right and the left lungs.

8. The image diagnostic support device according to claim 5 , wherein the measurement range setting part sets the measurement range of the chest wall by obtaining an end point on each of the right and left lungs, and further obtaining two points, on the chest wall of the right and left lungs, respectively, that are farthest with respect to each of the end points on an upper side and a lower side of the lungs.

9. The image diagnostic support device according to claim 1 , wherein the processing unit configured through execution of the programs further includes a fatty area extracting part configured to extract a fatty area on an inner side of the chest wall, and wherein the thickened portion extracting part extracts the thickened portion excluding a fatty area.

10. The image diagnostic support device according to claim 9 , wherein:

the image acquisition device is an X-ray CT apparatus; and

the fatty area extracting part determines a region having lower CT value than surrounding area as a fatty area.

11. The image diagnostic support device according to claim 1 , wherein the processing unit configured through execution of the programs further includes:

a distribution information creating unit that creates a ratio of an angle viewed from a center of a lung region of the measurement range to the sum of the angles viewed from the center of the lung region of the thicker thickened portions as distribution information; and

a distribution information presenting unit that presents the created distribution information.

12. The image diagnostic support device according to claim 1 , wherein the processing unit determines a length along a chest wall of the measurement range and determines a sum of lengths along the chest wall of the thicker thickened portions, and wherein the processing unit configured through execution of the programs further includes:

a distribution information creating unit that creates distribution information based on a ratio of the length along a chest wall of the measurement range to the sum of the lengths along the chest wall of the thicker thickened portions; and

a distribution information presenting unit that presents the created distribution information.

13. The image diagnostic support device according to claim 11 , wherein:

the distribution information presenting unit presents a message in the case that the ratio is greater than a predetermined ratio.

14. The image diagnostic support device according to claim 12 , wherein:

the distribution information presenting unit presents a message in the case that the ratio is greater than a predetermined ratio.

15. The image diagnostic support device according to claim 11 , wherein:

the distribution information creating unit calculates a maximum value of the thickness and a position of the thickened portion; and

the distribution information presenting unit outputs the calculated value and the position to image display unit.

16. The image diagnostic support device according to claim 12 , wherein:

the distribution information creating unit calculates a maximum value of the thickness and a position of the thickened portion; and

the distribution information presenting unit outputs the calculated value and the position to image display unit.