Abstract: A method and apparatus for segmenting an object from a three-dimensional image are disclosed. According to the method, first, a surface of the object is estimated using scale estimation processes such as Laplacian-of-Gaussian filters in one, two or three dimensions. Second, the estimated surface is transformed by having a shrink function applied to it independently in each dimension to give a regularly shaped (preferably substantially spherical), non-isotropic shape. The object is segmented from the volume around it, and is inverse-transformed to obtain the original shape, which shape is then isolated from the image volume.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes an extraction unit configured to extract a structure of a tested eye from an OCT image obtained by optical coherence tomography, an extraction unit configured to extract a structure of the tested eye from an eyeground image obtained by a scanning laser ophthalmoscope or a fundus camera, a calculation unit configured to calculate a reliability degree of the extraction for each of the extracted structures, and a display control unit configured to display the extracted structures superimposed on a image of eyeground according to the calculated reliability.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus for supporting imaging diagnosis of an eye is provided. A layer boundary of a retina region is detected from a tomographic image. A position where the detected layer boundary intersects with an upper or lower limit position of the image in the depth direction of the tomographic image is determined as a dividing position. The tomographic image is divided at the determined dividing position by a scan line in the depth direction of the tomographic image. Subsequently, whether the detection is a false detection is judged for each divided region. An average density value of the image outside the retina region according to the detected result is calculated for each divided region, and the detection in the divided region is judged to be a false detection if the average density value is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus according to the present invention includes an acquisition unit configured to acquire a tomography image of a target to be captured, a detection unit configured to detect layer boundaries of a plurality of layers sequentially positioned in the depth direction from the acquired tomography image, and a determination unit configured to determine a structure of the target to be captured according to the number of the detected layer boundaries.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes a detection unit configured to detect layers on the retina based on tomographic images of the retina, an acquisition unit configured to acquire a region having a larger curvature of the boundary surface between the retina and the corpus vitreum than a threshold value, and a determination unit configured to determine an optic disc of the retina based on the optical disc including a region where a specific layer is not detected by the detection unit and the region acquired by the acquisition unit.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus processes a plurality of tomograms obtained by acquiring, along a direction crossing at a right angle a section along the thickness direction of a retina, a plurality of tomograms each including the section. The apparatus detects a layer structure in the retina from image information of respective lines of the tomograms along the thickness direction, and appends structure information to the respective lines based on the layer structures detected for the respective lines. The image processing apparatus maps the structure information of the respective lines of the plurality of tomograms onto a plane crossing the thickness direction at a right angle, thereby generating a two-dimensional image based on the structure information.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus according to the present invention includes a first identifying unit configured to identify the position of at least a part of a layer boundary based on a tomography image of a target to be captured, a setting unit configured to set a search range for a portion whose position has not been identified by the first identifying unit based on a depth directional position of the layer boundary whose position has been identified by the first identifying unit, and a second identifying unit configured to identify the position of a layer boundary portion whose position has not been identified based on a luminance value in the search range having been set.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus according to the present invention includes an acquisition unit configured to acquire a tomography image of a target to be captured, a detection unit configured to detect layer boundaries of a plurality of layers sequentially positioned in the depth direction from the acquired tomography image, and a determination unit configured to determine a structure of the target to be captured according to the number of the detected layer boundaries.

Abstract: A user had to manually select a cross-sectional image indicating features of a finding and a cross-sectional image displayed in a report, from a three-dimensional medical image. Provided is an image processing apparatus that includes: a unit configured to acquire a target finding of a medical image; a unit configured to calculate an image feature quantity of a type associated in advance with the target finding, for each of a plurality of cross-sectional images of the medical image; and a unit configured to identify a cross-sectional image from the plurality of cross-sectional images based on the calculated image feature quantity. Operation of selecting a cross-sectional image by a doctor can be omitted, and the burden can be reduced.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus according to the present invention includes an acquisition unit configured to acquire a tomography image of a target to be captured, a detection unit configured to detect layer boundaries of a plurality of layers sequentially positioned in the depth direction from the acquired tomography image, and a determination unit configured to determine a structure of the target to be captured according to the number of the detected layer boundaries.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus according to the present invention includes a first identifying unit configured to identify the position of at least a part of a layer boundary based on a tomography image of a target to be captured, a setting unit configured to set a search range for a portion whose position has not been identified by the first identifying unit based on a depth directional position of the layer boundary whose position has been identified by the first identifying unit, and a second identifying unit configured to identify the position of a layer boundary portion whose position has not been identified based on a luminance value in the search range having been set.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes a detection unit configured to detect layers on the retina based on tomographic images of the retina, an acquisition unit configured to acquire a region having a larger curvature of the boundary surface between the retina and the corpus vitreum than a threshold value, and a determination unit configured to determine an optic disc of the retina based on the optical disc including a region where a specific layer is not detected by the detection unit and the region acquired by the acquisition unit.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus which processes a plurality of tomograms obtained by acquiring, along a direction crossing at a right angle a section along the thickness direction of a retina, a plurality of tomograms each including the section, detects a layer structure in the retina from image information of respective lines of the tomograms along the thickness direction, and appends structure information to the respective lines based on the layer structures detected for the respective lines. The image processing apparatus maps the structure information of the respective lines of the plurality of tomograms onto a plane crossing the thickness direction at a right angle, thereby generating a two-dimensional image based on the structure information.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes an extraction unit configured to extract a structure of a tested eye from an OCT image obtained by optical coherence tomography, an extraction unit configured to extract a structure of the tested eye from an eyeground image obtained by a scanning laser ophthalmoscope or a fundus camera, a calculation unit configured to calculate a reliability degree of the extraction for each of the extracted structures, and a display control unit configured to display the extracted structures superimposed on a image of eyeground according to the calculated reliability.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus for supporting imaging diagnosis of an eye is provided. A layer boundary of a retina region is detected from a tomographic image. A position where the detected layer boundary intersects with an upper or lower limit position of the image in the depth direction of the tomographic image is determined as a dividing position. The tomographic image is divided at the determined dividing position by a scan line in the depth direction of the tomographic image. Subsequently, whether the detection is a false detection is judged for each divided region. An average density value of the image outside the retina region according to the detected result is calculated for each divided region, and the detection in the divided region is judged to be a false detection if the average density value is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold.

Abstract: To control initial shudder in a wet paper friction plate, the frictional sliding surface of a wet paper friction member is preconditioned by frictional sliding contact with a mating plate until its bearing length ratio tp at a cutting depth of 10 ?m is in the range from 70 to 85%. The preconditioning is optionally preceded by grinding, preferably before the wet paper friction member is attached to a base plate.

Abstract: A brightness information generation unit 13 generates brightness profiles, serving as brightness information, from each Sobel image formed by an image transformation unit. A feature point detection unit 14 extracts feature points from the generated brightness information. In this case, maximum points (hereinafter, referred to as “peaks”) in the brightness profiles generated from the Sobel image are determined and detected as feature points. A layered structure identification unit 15 identifies the kind of the boundary of each layer or that of the layer in the retina. To identify the kind of the layer or boundary, brightness values in an area between the peaks are obtained from a median image and the layered structure in the area between the peaks is determined, thus identifying the kind of the layer or boundary corresponding to each peak on the basis of information indicating the determination.

Abstract: This invention concerns the acquisition of diagnosis information data effective for diagnosing eye disease independently of the eye state. An image processing apparatus for processing a tomogram of an eye includes a unit configured to determine an eye feature based on the tomogram and thus determine the eye state, a unit configured to detect, from the tomogram, a detection target to be used to calculate diagnosis information data quantitatively representing the determined eye state, and a unit configured to calculate the diagnosis information data using position information of the detection target. In accordance with the eye state, the detection unit changes the detection target or an algorithm to be used to detect the detection target.

Abstract: To control initial shudder in a wet paper friction plate, the frictional sliding surface of a wet paper friction member is preconditioned by frictional sliding contact with a mating plate until its bearing length ratio tp at a cutting depth of 10 ?m is in the range from 70 to 85%. The preconditioning is optionally preceded by grinding, preferably before the wet paper friction member is attached to a base plate.