Abstract: Provided is an in vivo movement tracking apparatus configured to track a portion of interest that moves in vivo, in which accuracy and robustness of tracking are improved. The apparatus is configured to determine an estimated position of ah organ in a biological image based on the past movement of the organ and search for contour points corresponding to a plurality of control points, respectively, representing a contour shape of the organ in a region corresponding to the estimated position, to thereby determine an estimated contour of the organ based on the contour points. The in vivo movement tracking apparatus is configured to determine a position of a portion of interest, which moves in association with the organ, based on the estimated contour with reference to previously acquired sample data regarding a positional relationship between a contour of the organ and the portion of interest.

Abstract: An in vivo motion tracking device tracking an in vivo motion that is a tracking target included in an ultrasonic image includes an image acquiring unit that is configured to acquire an ultrasonic image, an advance learning unit that is configured to perform advance learning using the ultrasonic image as learning data, and a tracking unit that is configured to track a position of the tracking target in an ultrasonic image including the tracking target after the advance learning performed by the advance learning unit.

Abstract: An in vivo motion tracking device tracking an in vivo motion that is a tracking target included in an ultrasonic image includes an image acquiring unit that is configured to acquire an ultrasonic image, an advance learning unit that is configured to perform advance learning using the ultrasonic image as learning data, and a tracking unit that is configured to track a position of the tracking target in an ultrasonic image including the tracking target after the advance learning performed by the advance learning unit.

Abstract: Provided is an in vivo movement tracking apparatus configured to track a portion of interest that moves in vivo, in which accuracy and robustness of tracking are improved. The apparatus is configured to determine an estimated position of ah organ in a biological image based on the past movement of the organ and search for contour points corresponding to a plurality of control points, respectively, representing a contour shape of the organ in a region corresponding to the estimated position, to thereby determine an estimated contour of the organ based on the contour points. The in vivo movement tracking apparatus is configured to determine a position of a portion of interest, which moves in association with the organ, based on the estimated contour with reference to previously acquired sample data regarding a positional relationship between a contour of the organ and the portion of interest.

Abstract: When an amount of visceral fat is measured using ultrasonic waves during medical examination of metabolic syndrome, three contact positions are defined on the surface of the abdominal region, and three distances inside the living body are measured by bringing a probe into contact with the surface of the abdominal region at the contact positions. Specifically, three measurement paths having a starting point at the center of the descending aorta are set, and the distances from the center to a surface of the fat layer adjacent to the surface of the body (inner surface of the subcutaneous layer) in the measurement paths are observed. An approximate area of a visceral fat region can be determined from the three distances and two angles defined by the three measurement paths, and an index value is calculated on the basis of the area. A probe holder having three holding portions is desirably used.