Calcification display apparatus and imaging apparatus, and program
To enable compactness of pixel regions representing possibly micro-calcified tissue in an image to be intuitively recognizable. There is provided a calcification display apparatus comprising: identifying means for identifying pixel regions representing possibly calcified tissue in an image; dilating means for dilating, for each identified pixel region, a corresponding region including that pixel region; grouping means for combining the pixel regions pertaining to the dilated corresponding regions contiguously adjoining one another into one group; and display means for displaying, for each group, at least one of the following: the pixel regions belonging to that group, dilated corresponding regions for the pixel regions, and a border enclosing the pixel regions, with color or brightness according to the number of the pixel regions belonging to that group.
1. A calcification display apparatus comprising:
identifying means for identifying pixel regions representing possibly calcified tissue in an image;
dilating means for dilating, for each said identified pixel region, a corresponding region including said pixel region;
grouping means for combining said pixel regions pertaining to said dilated corresponding regions contiguously adjoining one another into one group; and
display means for displaying, for each said group, at least one of the following: said pixel regions belonging to said group, dilated corresponding regions for said pixel regions, and a border enclosing said pixel regions, with color or brightness according to the number of said pixel regions belonging to said group.
2. The calcification display apparatus as recited in claim 1 , wherein: said dilating means dilates said corresponding region around said pixel region for said corresponding region by up to a predefined rate of dilation.
3. The calcification display apparatus as recited in claim 2 , wherein: said predefined rate of dilation is any value ranging from two to ten times.
4. The calcification display apparatus as recited in claim 1 , wherein: said corresponding region has a circular or elliptical shape.
5. The calcification display apparatus as recited in claim 1 , wherein:
said image is a three-dimensional image,
said corresponding region is a three-dimensional region, and
said display means displays, for each said group, at least one of the following: said pixel regions belonging to said group, dilated ones of said corresponding regions for said pixel regions, and a border enclosing said pixel regions, with color or brightness according to the number of said pixel regions belonging to said group in a projection image in which said three-dimensional image is projected onto one plane.
6. The calcification display apparatus as recited in claim 1 , wherein: said display means displays the number of said pixel regions belonging to said group in correspondence with said group.
7. The calcification display apparatus as recited in claim 1 , wherein said image is an ultrasonic image.
8. The calcification display apparatus as recited in claim 1 , wherein: said image is a radiographic image, a radiation tomographic image, or a magnetic resonance image.
9. An ultrasonic image display apparatus comprising:
an ultrasonic probe;
a transmitting/receiving section connected to the ultrasonic probe;
an ultrasonic image processing section connected to the transmitting receiving section and configured to produce an ultrasonic image based on echo signals from the transmitting/receiving section;
a display section;
a display control section for displaying the ultrasonic image on the display section;
and a calcification display apparatus comprising:
identifying means for identifying pixel regions representing possibly calcified tissue in an image;
dilating means for dilating, for each said identified pixel region, a corresponding region including said pixel region;
grouping means for combining said pixel regions pertaining to said dilated corresponding regions contiguously adjoining one another into one group; and
display means for displaying, for each said group, at least one of the following: said pixel regions belonging to said group, dilated corresponding regions for said pixel regions, and a border enclosing said pixel regions, with color or brightness according to the number of said pixel regions belonging to said group.
10. A method of identifying calcified tissue, the method comprising:
identifying pixel regions representing possibly calcified tissue in an image;
dilating, for each of the pixel regions, a corresponding region including each of the pixel regions;
combining said pixel regions pertaining to said dilated corresponding regions contiguously adjoining one another into one group;
displaying for each group at least one of the following: said pixel regions belonging to said group, dilated corresponding regions for said pixel regions, and a border enclosing said pixel regions, with color or brightness according to the number of said pixel regions belonging to said group.