Patent ID: 8131045
Filing Date: 2012-03-06
Classification: G16H

Abstract:
1. An image processing apparatus, comprising: a recognizing device which recognizes a bone area extracted from a tomogram, the bone area including a bone site composed of several bone pieces, in units of bone pieces by estimating a range where bone sites of each of vertebra, left and right ribs, and sternum can exist using at least one of an angle formed by straight lines extending from a vertebra center, a vertebra width and a vertebra center on a CT slice image of a vertebra part, and dividing into a plurality of areas composed of vertebra area, left rib area and right rib area, and sternum area using the estimated range; a display site selecting device which selects a bone site to be displayed; a display/non-display determining device which determines a bone piece to be displayed with respect to the selected bone site; and a display controlling device which controls the display site in order to display a bone piece corresponding to the selected bone site based on the determination by the display/non-display determining device, so that a selected bone site is displayed in units of bone pieces merely by selecting the bone site to be displayed.