Data processing: database and file management or data structures – Database design – Data structure types
Reexamination Certificate
2000-11-20
2004-10-12
Robinson, Greta (Department: 2177)
Data processing: database and file management or data structures
Database design
Data structure types
C345S418000, C345S419000, C382S190000, C707S793000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06804683
ABSTRACT:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority from the prior Japanese Patent Applications No. 11-334295, filed Nov. 25, 1999; and No. 11-336286, filed Nov. 26, 1999, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to similar image retrieving apparatuses, and more particularly to a similar image retrieving apparatus for retrieving similar images from image database with respect to three-dimensional medical use images such as an MRI, a CT or the like, and complicated three-dimensional shape image data or three-dimensional CAD data or the like which can be obtained from the three-dimensional measuring device or the like.
Furthermore, the present invention relates to three-dimensional database apparatuses and a methods for constructing three-dimensional image database, and more particularly to a method and an apparatus for extracting region of interest and calculating a feature quantity from the three-dimensional image, thereby constructing database for retrieving similar images on the basis of these data items.
Method in Literature 1
Conventional examples of a system for retrieving similar case images associated with similarity of lesion portions with respect to medical images such as lungs include a method described in Literature 1: “Local Versus Global Features for Content-Based Image Retrieval” by C. R. Shyu, C. E. Brodley, A. C. Kak, A. Kosaka, A. Aisen and L. Broderick, in pages 30-34 of the Proceedings of IEEE Workshop on Content-Based Access of Image and Video Libraries, Santa Barbara, Calif., Jun. 1998.
In this method of literature 1, the region of interest desired by a doctor is set by the masking of the lesion portion localized within the CT image of the lung by the doctor who is the user of the method, so that the case images similar to the masked region are retrieved from the medical use image database.
There is available an advantage in that more appropriate retrieval is enabled with the method of literature 1 as compared with conventional methods in order to accurately extract the lesion portion intended by the doctor who is the user of the method.
Method of Literature 2
Similar image retrieving systems corresponding to three-dimensional models include a system described in literature 2:“Shape-Similarity-Based Retrieval in Image Databases by R. Mehrotra and J. Gary, in pages 55-86 of Chapter 3 of Image Description and Retrieval, edited by E. Vicario, Plenum Press, New York, 1998.
The method of literature 2 in this paper is a method for calculating a similarity of polygons by registering a three-dimensional model of the object as a CAD model of a linear image and using a position relationships of the linear image. The method has an advantage in that a three-dimensional object can be retrieved which can be represented in the CAD or the like.
In the method proposed in literature 1 described above, the image to be used by the doctor is basically a two-dimensional image. The masking of the lesion portion is merely two-dimensional image as well.
However, the lesion portion treated in the inspection image such as the CT, the MRI or the like is distributed in a three-dimensional manner. It is difficult to accurately describe the three-dimensional distribution and the three-dimensional position of the lesion portion in an accurate manner.
For example, in the CT and the MRI images in the brain surgery, it is thought that the three-dimensional distribution of the lesion portion and the position thereof have a significant meaning. There is a disadvantage in that it is difficult to accurately retrieve the case images only with the method of literature 1.
Furthermore, in the method proposed in literature 2 described in literature 2, the three-dimensional object is limited to an object that can be described in a simple polygon model. The object is described with the end points and line portions of such polygons, and only the position relations thereof are used. The method does not include the modeling of the texture peculiar to the three-dimensional object and the modeling of the position relationships of the three-dimensional objects.
Furthermore, conventionally as a system for retrieving images, a system using a two-dimensional image data is generally used.
These systems extract features from two-dimensional image data, accumulate the features quantities in the database and retrieve the images on the basis of these features quantities.
Furthermore, in recent years, along with the prevalence of the three-dimensional image, only regions in which users take interest are extracted from the three-dimensional data and the regions are transformed into three-dimensional object to be displayed on a display device with the result that each kind of inspection is conducted more and more frequently in recent years.
However, this three-dimensional image data is extremely large in quantity, and the usage thereof is extremely complicated.
At the time of accumulating the large quantity of this three-dimensional image data in the database, it is necessary to efficiently construct the database itself in the form in which the database itself can be retrieved with ease later in order to enable the user to efficiently retrieve the image data demanded by the user out of this image data.
In order to attain such purpose, Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 5-159001 discloses an apparatus for retrieving three-dimensional figures.
This apparatus is such that two-dimensional information such as front views, sectional views, bird's eye views or the like which represents well the feature of the figures is accumulated in the database with an addition of retrieval keys to the figures, so that upon the figure desired by the user being retrieved, information on the corresponding three-dimensional figure is detected while subsequently displaying the associated two-dimensional information on the screen.
Furthermore, in a three-dimensional image processing apparatus according to Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 6-215105, there is disclosed an example in which three-dimensional geometric shape information and attribute information of an object is stored, and images are retrieved on the basis of this three-dimensional geometric shape information and the attribute information with the result that the two-dimensional projection images are displayed with the three-dimensional geometric shape information and the attribute information given as a result of image retrieval.
However, the two-dimensional image retrieving system as the prior art described above has a problem in that the feature used in the retrieval of the images is obtained from the two-dimensional image data, and the feature quantity inevitably accumulated in the database becomes two-dimensional, and the feature-of the images having three-dimensional-like information cannot be represented, so that the system cannot be used as means for retrieving three-dimensional-like similar image data.
Furthermore, in a system for retrieving three-dimensional figures disclosed in Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 5-159001 described as the prior art described above, so-called structure data such as CAD data or the like is primarily retrieved, and only wire-frame-like information can be accumulated in the database with respect to such structure data.
However, general three-dimensional images have not only such structure data but also complicated data such as information on the pixel contrast, texture information or the like.
Consequently, there is a problem in that the apparatus for retrieving three-dimensional figures disclosed in Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 5-159001 cannot retrieve the figures in consideration of the fine shape changes on the surface which can be assumed from the features of complicated information inherent in general three-dimensional images and in consideration of similarity on the inside information of objects.
Furthermore, this apparatus provides only a plurality of displays of two-dime
Kosaka Akio
Matsuzaki Hiroshi
Shibasaki Takao
Lewis Cheryl
Olympus Corporation
Robinson Greta
Scully Scott Murphy & Presser
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