Patent ID: 8326013

Claim:
An image processing device characterized by comprising: image reading means that reads a medical image; anisotropic area setting means that sets plural anisotropic areas continuous with a pixel of-interest contained in the medical image with the pixel-of-interest being centered; statistical amount calculating means that calculates a statistical amount of pixel values of pixels constituting each anisotropic area with respect to each of the plural anisotropic areas; filter setting means that determines an anisotropic area having the minimum statistical amount out of the plural anisotropic areas and constructs an anisotropic shape filter in the same direction as the anisotropic area concerned, or determines an anisotropic area having the maximum statistical amount out of the plural anisotropic areas and constructs an anisotropic shape filter by clockwise or counterclockwise rotating the anisotropic area concerned around the pixel-of-interest by 90° , and sets any one of the former anisotropic shape filter and the latter anisotropic shape filter; and filter processing means that performs median filter processing or smoothing filter processing by using the anisotropic shape filter.