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

1. An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, comprising:

an ultrasonic probe configured to transmit an ultrasonic wave into a predetermined region including a diagnosis target of an object, receive a reflected wave from the predetermined region, and convert the reflected wave into an electrical signal; and

processing circuitry configured to

acquire ultrasonic image data based on the electrical signal, and

execute tone correction on the ultrasonic image data, wherein, in the tone correction, the processing circuitry calculates a histogram associated with brightness of the ultrasonic image data, and calculates a brightness distribution range corresponding to the diagnosis target and a tone correction function using the histogram, wherein the processing circuitry calculates the brightness distribution range and the tone correction function using at least one feature point, which is obtained from a second order differential of the histogram.

2. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry

calculates a cumulative sum of the histograms, and

calculates a slope of the tone correction function using a slope of the cumulative sum within the brightness distribution range.

3. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry calculates the brightness distribution range and the tone correction function using an inflection point of the histogram as one of the feature points.

4. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry calculates the tone correction function using at least one of a minimum value, a maximum value, a second zero point, and a third zero point of the second order differential of the histogram as one of the feature points.

5. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry calculates the tone correction function using an arbitrary point designated via a computer interface as one of the feature points.

6. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the tone correction includes performing gain adjustment, and when the gain adjustment is performed by the processing circuitry, the processing circuitry calculates the histogram associated with the brightness of the ultrasonic image data after the gain adjustment.

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

the diagnosis target is a heart, and

the processing circuitry determines a region of the histogram corresponding to a cardiac muscle as the brightness distribution range.

8. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a computer interface configured to input a start instruction of the tone correction,

wherein the processing circuitry executes the tone correction in response to the start instruction input via the computer interface.

9. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry executes the tone correction every time the processing circuitry acquires the ultrasonic image data.

10. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry calculates the brightness distribution range and the tone correction function using at least one of the feature points, which are obtained from an nth order differential (n is a natural number) of the histogram.

11. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the processing circuitry calculates the brightness distribution range and the tone correction function using an inflection point of the histogram as one of the feature points.

12. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the processing circuitry calculates the tone correction function using at least one of an ith extreme value and a jth zero point of an nth order differential (n, i, and j are natural numbers) of the histogram as one of the feature points.

13. The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the processing circuitry calculates the tone correction function using an arbitrary point designated via a computer interface as one of the feature points.

14. An ultrasonic image processing apparatus comprising:

memory circuitry storing ultrasonic image data associated with a predetermined region including a diagnosis target of an object;

processing circuitry configured to execute tone correction on the ultrasonic image data; and

a display configured to display an ultrasonic image obtained by executing the tone correction on the ultrasonic image data,

wherein, in the tone correction, the processing circuitry

calculates a histogram associated with brightness of the ultrasonic image data,

calculates a brightness distribution range corresponding to the diagnosis target and a tone correction function using the histogram, and

calculates the brightness distribution range and the tone correction function at least one feature point, which is obtained from a second order differential of the histogram.

15. The ultrasonic image processing apparatus according to claim 14 , wherein the processing circuitry

calculates a cumulative sum of the histograms, and

calculates a slope of the tone correction function using a slope of the cumulative sum within the brightness distribution range.

16. The ultrasonic image processing apparatus according to claim 14 , wherein the processing circuitry calculates the brightness distribution range and the tone correction function using an inflection point of the histogram as one of the feature points.

17. The ultrasonic image processing apparatus according to claim 14 , wherein the processing circuitry calculates the tone correction function using at least one of a minimum value, a maximum value, a second zero point, and a third zero point of the second order differential of the histogram as one of the feature points.

18. The ultrasonic image processing apparatus according to claim 14 , wherein the processing circuitry calculates the tone correction function using an arbitrary point designated via a computer interface as one of the feature points.

19. The ultrasonic image processing apparatus according to claim 14 , wherein

the diagnosis target is a heart, and

the processing circuitry determines a region of the histogram corresponding to a cardiac muscle as the brightness distribution range.

20. The ultrasonic image processing apparatus according to claim 14 , further comprising a computer interface configured to input a start instruction of the tone correction,

wherein the processing circuitry executes the tone correction in response to the start instruction input via the computer interface.

21. The ultrasonic image processing apparatus according to claim 14 , wherein the processing circuitry executes the tone correction every time the memory circuitry stores the ultrasonic image data.

22. The ultrasonic image processing apparatus according to claim 14 , wherein the tone correction includes performing gain adjustment, and when the gain adjustment is performed by the processing circuitry, the processing circuitry calculates the histogram associated with the brightness of the ultrasonic image data after the gain adjustment.

23. The ultrasonic image processing apparatus according to claim 14 , wherein the processing circuitry calculates the brightness distribution range and the tone correction function using at least one of the feature points, which are obtained from an nth order differential (n is a natural number) of the histogram.

24. The ultrasonic image processing apparatus according to claim 23 , wherein the processing circuitry calculates the brightness distribution range and the tone correction function using an inflection point of the histogram as one of the feature points.

25. The ultrasonic image processing apparatus according to claim 23 , wherein the processing circuitry calculates the tone correction function using at least one of an ith extreme value and a jth zero point of an nth order differential (n, i, and j are natural numbers) of the histogram as one of the feature points.

26. The ultrasonic image processing apparatus according to claim 23 , wherein the processing circuitry calculates the tone correction function using an arbitrary point designated via input interface circuitry as one of the feature points.

27. A medical image diagnostic apparatus, comprising:

processing circuitry configured to

acquire image data associated with a predetermined region including a diagnosis target of an object; and

execute tone correction on the image data, wherein, in the tone correction, the processing circuitry calculates a histogram associated with brightness of the image data, and calculates a brightness distribution range corresponding to the diagnosis target and a tone correction function using the histogram, wherein the processing circuitry calculates the brightness distribution range and the tone correction function using at least one feature point, which is obtained from a second order differential of the histogram.

28. A medical image processing apparatus, comprising:

memory circuitry storing image data associated with a predetermined region including a diagnosis target of an object;

processing circuitry configured to execute tone correction on the image data; and

a display configured to display an image obtained by executing the tone correction on the image data,

wherein, in the tone correction, the processing circuitry calculates a histogram associated with brightness of the image data, and calculates a brightness distribution range corresponding to the diagnosis target and a tone correction function using the histogram, wherein the processing circuitry calculates the brightness distribution range and the tone correction function using at least one feature point, which is obtained from a second order differential of the histogram.