Ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, medical image processing apparatus, and medical image processing method

1. An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, comprising:

processing circuitry configured to

acquire a first function index value related to a first heart chamber and a second function index value related to a second heart chamber, wherein at least one of the first and second heart chambers include a left ventricle, and are included in a moving image of a heart;

generate a two-dimensional cardiac function image in which the first and second function index values related to the first and second heart chambers are plotted at a coordinate position determined by the first and second function index values in a two-dimensional coordinate space defined by a first axis and a second axis orthogonal to the first axis; and

superimpose a range suggestion image, in which a normal range and an abnormal range with respect to one of the first and second indexes are indicated with different colors, on the two-dimensional cardiac function image,

wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to

acquire a third function index value related to a third heart chamber;

set a three-dimensional coordinate space in which the first, second, and third function index values are plotted at a particular coordinate position, the three-dimensional coordinate space being defined by the first and second axes, and a third axis orthogonal to both the first and second axes, wherein the first function index is related to the left ventricle, and the second and third function indices are related to two other heart chambers; and

generate a three-dimensional cardiac function image based on the set three-dimensional coordinate space.

2. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the two other heart chambers are a right ventricle and a left atrium.

3. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to generate the two-dimensional cardiac function image by rotating the three-dimensional cardiac function image of the three-dimensional coordinate space at an angle according to a user instruction.

4. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to:

acquire a function index value of a remaining heart chamber of four heart chambers;

set a second three-dimensional coordinate space in which a right atrium, a right ventricle, and a left atrium are assigned to each display dimension;

generate a second three-dimensional cardiac function image based on the set second three-dimensional coordinate space, and

display both the three-dimensional cardiac function image and the second three-dimensional cardiac function image side by side on a display.

5. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

one of the first and second function index values is a function index value of the left ventricle, and

the processing circuitry is further configured to generate the two-dimensional cardiac function image such that the function index value of the left ventricle is indicated by at least one of a character string, a brightness, and a color.

6. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein one of the function index values of the first and second heart chambers includes a left ventricular ejection fraction.

7. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein one of the function index values of the first and second heart chambers includes a global longitudinal strain.

8. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein one of the function index values of the first and second heart chambers includes a global area change ratio.

9. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to generate a plurality of coordinate spaces in which at least one of the function index values assigned to a display dimension is different from another of the function index values, and display the plurality of coordinate spaces side by side on a display.

10. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to:

acquire, as the first and second function index values, a plurality of function index values having different time series from each other, which are obtained based on moving images of the heart obtained by imaging a same object in the different time series; and

generate an image such that the plurality of function index values having different time series from each other are labeled for each time series and simultaneously shown in the two-dimensional coordinate space.

11. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to superimpose an image indicating a time lapse direction between the function index values on the image generated such that the function index values having different time series from each other are labeled for each time series and simultaneously shown in the two-dimensional coordinate space.

12. A medical image processing apparatus, comprising:

processing circuitry configured to

acquire a first function index value related to a first heart chamber and a second function index value related to a second heart chamber, wherein at least one of the first and second heart chambers include a left ventricle and are included in a moving image of a heart;

generate a two-dimensional cardiac function image in which the first and second function index values related to the first and second heart chambers are plotted at a coordinate position determined by the first and second function index values in a two-dimensional coordinate space defined by a first axis and a second axis orthogonal to the first axis; and

superimpose a range suggestion image, in which a normal range and an abnormal range with respect to one of the first and second indexes are indicated with different colors, on the two-dimensional cardiac function image,

wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to

acquire a third function index value related to a third heart chamber;

set a three-dimensional coordinate space in which the first, second, and third function index values are plotted at a particular coordinate position, the three-dimensional coordinate space being defined by the first and second axes, and a third axis orthogonal to both the first and second axes, wherein the first function index is related to the left ventricle, and the second and third function indices are related to two other heart chambers; and

generate a three-dimensional cardiac function image based on the set three-dimensional coordinate space.

13. A medical image processing method, comprising:

acquiring a first function index value related to a first heart chamber and a second function index value related to a second heart chamber, wherein at least one of the first and second heart chambers include a left ventricle and are included in a moving image of a heart;

generating a two-dimensional cardiac function image in which the first and second function index values related to the first and second heart chambers are plotted at a coordinate position determined by the first and second function index values in a two-dimensional coordinate space defined by a first axis and a second axis orthogonal to the first axis; and

superimposing a range suggestion image, in which a normal range and an abnormal range with respect to one of the first and second indexes are indicated with different colors, on the two-dimensional cardiac function image,

wherein the method further comprises

acquiring a third function index value related to a third heart chamber;

setting a three-dimensional coordinate space in which the first, second, and third function index values are plotted at a particular coordinate position, the three-dimensional coordinate space being defined by the first and second axes, and a third axis orthogonal to both the first and second axes, wherein the first function index is related to the left ventricle, and the second and third function indices are related to two other heart chambers; and

generating a three-dimensional cardiac function image based on the set three-dimensional coordinate space.

14. The medical image processing method of claim 13 , wherein the first axis represents values of the first function index and the second axis represents values of the second function index.