Medical image processing apparatus and medical image processing method
There is provided a medical image processing apparatus which includes a first extraction unit configured to extract coronary arteries depicted in images of a plurality of time phases relating to the heart, and to extract at least one stenosed part depicted in each coronary artery; a calculation unit configured to calculate a pressure gradient of each of the extracted coronary arteries, based on tissue blood flow volumes of the coronary arteries; a second extraction unit configured to extract an ischemic region depicted in the images; and a specifying unit configured to specify a responsible blood vessel of the ischemic region by referring to a dominance map, in which each of the extracted coronary arteries and a dominance territory are associated, for the extracted ischemic region, and to specify a responsible stenosis, based on the pressure gradient corresponding to a stenosed part in the specified responsible blood vessel.
1. A medical image processing apparatus, comprising:
processing circuitry configured to
acquire geometry of a coronary artery depicted in data of images relating to the heart,
calculate a fractional flow reserve (FFR) value of the acquired coronary artery, based on the acquired geometry of the coronary artery,
acquire an ischemic region or a myocardial infarction region relating to the heart, which is determined based on blood flow through a cardiac muscle of the heart, and
specify a responsible blood vessel of the ischemic region or the myocardial infarction region by referring to a dominance map, in which the acquired geometry of the coronary artery and a dominance territory are associated, for the acquired ischemic region or the acquired myocardial infarction region; and
a display to display (1) the FFR value on a curved planar image that depicts the specified responsible blood vessel, based on the data of the images relating to the heart and (2) a graph having a first axis representing FFR values of the specified responsible blood vessel and a second axis representing spatial locations for the FFR values aligned to a scale of the curved planar image.
2. The medical image processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein
the processing circuitry is further configured to specify a responsible stenosis, based on the FFR value corresponding to a stenosed part on the specified responsible blood vessel; and
the display displays the curved planar image in which the specified responsible stenosis is depicted, together with the FFR value corresponding to the responsible stenosis.
3. The medical image processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the display displays the curved planar image in which the specified responsible blood vessel is depicted, together with information indicative of the responsible blood vessel.
4. The medical image processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to refer to the dominance map for the acquired ischemic region or the acquired myocardial infarction region, thereby specifying whether a collateral vessel is present in the ischemic region or the acquired myocardial infarction region, and
the display displays information indicating whether a collateral vessel is present in the ischemic region or the acquired myocardial infarction region.
5. The medical image processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to generate a tissue blood flow image relating to the cardiac muscle from the images relating to the heart, and to acquire the ischemic region or the myocardial infarction region from the tissue blood flow image.
6. The medical image processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to rank a degree of priority of treatment of a stenosed part, based on the FFR value corresponding to the stenosed part in the specified responsible blood vessel, and
the display displays information indicative of the degree of priority of treatment which is determined.
7. The medical image processing apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to specify at least one of a catheter and a stent for use in treatment of the responsible stenosis, based on a size of the specified responsible stenosis, and
the display displays the at least specified one of the catheter and the stent.
8. The medical image processing apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the display displays the curved planar image in which the specified responsible stenosis is depicted such that the curved planar image is rotated in accordance with a position of the specified responsible stenosis.
9. A medical image processing method, comprising:
acquiring geometry of a coronary artery depicted in data of images relating to the heart;
calculating fractional flow reserve (FFR) value of the acquired coronary artery, based on the acquired geometry of the coronary artery;
acquiring an ischemic region or a myocardial infarction region relating to the heart, which is determined based on blood flow through a cardiac muscle of the heart;
specifying a responsible blood vessel of the ischemic region or the myocardial infarction region by referring to a dominance map, in which the acquired geometry of coronary artery and a dominance territory are associated, for the acquired ischemic region or the acquired myocardial infarction region; and
displaying (1) the FFR value on a curved planar image that depicts the specified responsible blood vessel, based on the data of the images relating to the heart and (2) a graph having a first axis representing FFR values of the specified responsible blood vessel and a second axis representing spatial locations for the FFR values aligned to a scale of the curved planar image.
10. The medical image processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the display displays a marker at a position corresponding to a contour of the responsible blood vessel.
11. The medical image processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to calculate a reliability value relating to the FFR value of the acquired geometry of the coronary artery, based on the acquired geometry of the coronary artery and the blood flow through a cardiac muscle of the heart, and
the display displays the reliability value.
12. The medical image processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein
the processing circuitry is further configured to determine whether or not a surviving cardiac muscle is present based on the blood flow through a cardiac muscle of the heart, and
the display displays information on whether or not the surviving cardiac muscle is present.
13. The medical image processing apparatus of claim 2 , wherein
the processing circuitry is further configured to specify the stenosed part of the acquired geometry of the coronary artery based on the FFR value, and
the display displays a marker indicating the stenosed part.
14. The medical processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to generate the curved planar image that depicts the specified responsible blood vessel.