Patent ID: 8050519
Filing Date: 2011-11-01
Classification: A61B,G01J,G06T

Abstract:
1. An image combining apparatus for forming an image by combining a first multispectral acquired image containing an image of a measurement object and a second multispectral acquired image containing an image of a comparison object to be compared with the measurement object, comprising: an image extracting unit for specifying: (i) an outline of a measurement-object image by extracting a region having a combination of signal values projected onto a plane representing a characteristic of the measured object in an n-dimensional space from the respective combination of signal values of n wavelength bands that forms the first multispectral acquired image, and (ii) an outline of a comparison-object image by extracting a region having a combination of signal values projected onto a plane representing a characteristic of the comparison object in an n-dimensional space from the respective combination of signal values of n wavelength bands that forms the second multispectral acquired image, where n is four or more; a combining-reference-line setting unit for setting a combining reference line on each of the measurement-object image and the comparison-object image; a combining unit for combining the measurement-object image and the comparison-object image such that a part of the measurement-object image and a part of the comparison-object image are joined along the combining reference lines to form a combined image; and a correction unit for correcting at least one of the measurement-object image and the comparison-object image so as to align outlines thereof, when the correction unit determines that the outline of the measurement-object image and the outline of the comparison-object image, specified by the image extracting unit, are not aligned on the combining reference lines in the combined image.