Medical imaging analyzer and medical image processing method

1. A medical imaging analyzer comprising processing circuitry configured to:

divide an area including an object of a subject to be captured into a plurality of partial areas such that the partial areas overlap each other to form an overlapping area, and administer a contrast agent to each of the partial areas to capture a plurality of time-series images;

calculate, based on a transition in pixel value in one of the time-series images having the overlapping area, a transition in pixel value in another of the time-series images having the overlapping area; and

analyze the time-series images based on the transition in pixel value in the one and the other of the time-series images to obtain hemodynamics of the subject.

2. The medical imaging analyzer of claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to:

obtain a correspondence relationship between the one and the other of the time-series images to perform registration between the one and the other of the time-series images;

obtain first pixel value transition information that represents a transition in pixel value in the time-series images as the transition in pixel value in the one of the time-series images;

obtain pixel value estimation information in the overlapping area, wherein the pixel value estimation information is information that, regarding capturing time of second and subsequent time-series images among the time-series images related to the first pixel value transition information, estimates a transition in pixel value due to a change in concentration of the contrast agent administered for capturing a previous time-series image; and

obtain second pixel value transition information that represents a transition in pixel value depending on the concentration of the contrast agent administered to capture each of the time-series images.

3. The medical imaging analyzer of claim 2 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to compare an image in the overlapping area of the one of the time-series images with an image in the overlapping area of the other of the time-series images to obtain the correspondence relationship, and perform registration between the one and the other of the time-series images to constitute a target site, which is the object to be captured.

4. The medical imaging analyzer of claim 3 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to

acquire an entire area image that represents an entire area of the object to be captured, and

compare the one of the time-series images with the entire area image and compare the other of the time-series images with the entire area image to obtain the correspondence relationship, and perform registration between the one and the other of the time-series images based on the correspondence relationship to constitute the entire area image.

5. The medical imaging analyzer of claim 2 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to obtain the second pixel value transition information of a time-series image captured later in the time-series images having the overlapping area, based on the pixel value estimation information and the first pixel value transition information of the time-series image captured later, and the correspondence relationship between the time-series image captured later and a time-series image captured first.

6. The medical imaging analyzer of claim 5 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to subtract a value obtained by multiplying a pixel value represented by the pixel value estimation information of the time-series image captured later by a weighting factor with respect to each time point, from a pixel value represented by the first pixel value transition information of the time-series image captured later to obtain the second pixel value transition information.

7. The medical imaging analyzer of claim 2 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to

obtain the hemodynamics of the subject for each of the time-series images, and

perform weighted addition of the hemodynamics of the one and the other of the time-series images having the overlapping area based on the hemodynamics obtained and the correspondence relationship.

8. The medical imaging analyzer of claim 2 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to obtain, as the correspondence relationship, a relationship of either or both of anatomical location and scale of organ of the subject rendered in the overlapping area between the one and the other of the time-series images.

9. The medical imaging analyzer of claim 2 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to

calculate administration start time to administer the contrast agent to capture next time-series images each time the pixel value estimation information is obtained for time-series images captured with respect to one area, and

administer the contrast agent to the subject based on the administration start time.

10. The medical imaging analyzer of claim 2 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to

calculate administration start time to administer the contrast agent to capture next time-series images each time the pixel value estimation information is obtained for time-series images captured with respect to one area, and

notify the administration start time calculated.

11. A medical image processing method comprising:

capturing a plurality of time-series images of a plurality of partial areas by administering a contrast agent to each of the partial areas, the partial areas being obtained by dividing an area including an object of a subject to be captured such that the partial areas overlap each other to form an overlapping area;

calculating, based on a transition in pixel value in one of the time-series images having the overlapping area, a transition in pixel value in another of the time-series images having the overlapping area; and

analyzing the time-series images based on the transition in pixel value in the one and the other of the time-series images to obtain hemodynamics of the subject.