Medical image processing apparatus and medical image processing method

1. An X-ray medical image processing apparatus comprising:

an image inverting unit that generates a first inverted image obtained by inverting a first medical image in a left-and-right direction of an examined subject and generates a second inverted image obtained by inverting a second medical image that is different from the first medical image in the left-and-right direction of the examined subject;

a displacement detecting unit that detects a displacement between the first medical image and the first inverted image;

a registration unit that, based on the displacement that has been detected by the displacement detecting unit, generates one of a corrected image obtained by correcting the second medical image and a corrected inverted image obtained by correcting the second inverted image; and

a difference image generating unit that generates one of a difference image between the second inverted image and the corrected image and a difference image between the second medical image and the corrected inverted image.

2. The medical image processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

the first medical image is an X-ray image taken before a blood vessel is visualized using a contrast media, and

the second medical image is a difference image that has been generated from an X-ray image taken after the blood vessel is visualized using a contrast media and the first medical image.

3. The medical image processing apparatus according to claim 2 , further comprising: a medical image generating unit that generates a plurality of second medical images by generating a difference image between each of a plurality of X-ray images that are sequentially taken after the blood vessel is visualized using a contrast media and the first medical image, wherein

the image inverting unit generates the first inverted image and a plurality of second inverted images that are obtained by inverting the plurality of second medical images,

the registration unit, based on the displacement that has been detected by the displacement detecting unit, generates one of the following: a plurality of corrected images obtained by correcting the plurality of second medical images; and a plurality of corrected inverted images obtained by correcting the plurality of second inverted images, and

the difference image generating unit generates, either with respect to one image group made up of the plurality of second inverted images and another image group made of up the plurality of corrected images or with respect to one image group made up of the plurality of second medical images and another image group made up of the plurality of corrected inverted images, a difference image between the one image group and said another image group after correcting, for each set of pixels in a mutually same position, a time difference between a temporal change in a contrast media density in the one image group and a temporal change in a contrast media density in said another image group.

4. The medical image processing apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the difference image generating unit extracts, for each set of pixels in a mutually same position, a maximum value among differences between contrast media densities in the one image group and contrast media densities in said another image group and generates the difference image by using the extracted maximum values.

5. The medical image processing apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the difference image generating unit calculates, for each set of pixels in a mutually same position, a total sum of differences between contrast media densities in the one image group and contrast media densities in said another image group and generates the difference image by using the calculated total sums.

6. An X-ray medical image processing apparatus comprising:

an image inverting unit that generates a first inverted image obtained by inverting a first medical image in a left-and-right direction of an examined subject and generates a second inverted image obtained by inverting, in the left-and-right direction of the examined subject, a second medical image that is taken by performing a procedure that forms a series of procedures together with a procedure for taking the first medical image;

a displacement detecting unit that detects a displacement between a third medical image that is different from the first medical image and the first inverted image;

a registration unit that, based on the displacement that has been detected by the displacement detecting unit, generates one of the following: a corrected image obtained by correcting a fourth medical image that is taken by performing a procedure that forms a series of procedures together with a procedure for taking the third medical image; and a corrected inverted image obtained by correcting the second inverted image; and

a difference image generating unit that generates one of a difference image between the second inverted image and the corrected image and a difference image between the fourth medical image and the corrected inverted image.

7. The medical image processing apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein

the first medical image is an X-ray image taken before a first blood vessel is visualized using a contrast media,

the second medical image is a difference image that has been generated from an X-ray image taken after the first blood vessel is visualized using a contrast media and the first medical image,

the third medical image is an X-ray image taken before a second blood vessel that is different from the first blood vessel is visualized using a contrast media, and

the fourth medical image is a difference image that has been generated from an X-ray image taken after the second blood vessel is visualized using a contrast media and the third medical image.

8. The medical image processing apparatus according to claim 7 , further comprising: a medical image generating unit that generates a plurality of second medical images by generating a difference image between each of a plurality of X-ray images that are sequentially taken after the first blood vessel is visualized using a contrast media and the first medical image and generates a plurality of fourth medical images by generating a difference image between each of a plurality of X-ray images that are sequentially taken after the second blood vessel is visualized using a contrast media and the third medical image, wherein

the image inverting unit generates the first inverted image and a plurality of second inverted images that are obtained by inverting the plurality of second medical images,

the registration unit, based on the displacement that has been detected by the displacement detecting unit, generates one of the following: a plurality of corrected images obtained by correcting the plurality of fourth medical images; and a plurality of corrected inverted images obtained by correcting the plurality of second inverted images, and

the difference image generating unit generates, either with respect to one image group made up of the plurality of second inverted images and another image group made of up the plurality of corrected images or with respect to one image group made up of the plurality of fourth medical images and another image group made up of the plurality of corrected inverted images, a difference image between the one image group and said another image group after correcting, for each set of pixels in a mutually same position, a time difference between a temporal change in a contrast media density in the one image group and a temporal change in a contrast media density in said another image group.

9. The medical image processing apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the difference image generating unit extracts, for each set of pixels in a mutually same position, a maximum value among differences between contrast media densities in the one image group and contrast media densities in said another image group and generates the difference image by using the extracted maximum values.

10. The medical image processing apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the difference image generating unit calculates, for each set of pixels in a mutually same position, a total sum of differences between contrast media densities in the one image group and contrast media densities in said another image group and generates the difference image by using the calculated total sums.

11. An X-ray medical image processing method comprising:

generating a first inverted image obtained by inverting a first medical image in a left-and-right direction of an examined subject and generating a second inverted image obtained by inverting a second medical image that is different from the first medical image in the left-and-right direction of the examined subject;

detecting a displacement between the first medical image and the first inverted image;

generating, based on the displacement that has been detected, one of a corrected image obtained by correcting the second medical image and a corrected inverted image obtained by correcting the second inverted image; and

generating one of a difference image between the second inverted image and the corrected image and a difference image between the second medical image and the corrected inverted image.

12. An X-ray medical image processing method comprising:

generating a first inverted image obtained by inverting a first medical image in a left-and-right direction of an examined subject and generating a second inverted image obtained by inverting, in the left-and-right direction of the examined subject, a second medical image that is taken by performing a procedure that forms a series of procedures together with a procedure for taking the first medical image;

detecting a displacement between a third medical image that is different from the first medical image and the first inverted image;

generating, based on the displacement that has been detected, one of the following: a corrected image obtained by correcting a fourth medical image that is taken by performing a procedure that forms a series of procedures together with a procedure for taking the third medical image; and a corrected inverted image obtained by correcting the second inverted image; and

generating one of a difference image between the second inverted image and the corrected image and a difference image between the fourth medical image and the corrected inverted image.