Patent ID: 8754906

Claim:
A diagnosis assisting system, comprising: volume data storage means, for storing a plurality of sets of volume data, obtained by imaging at least one subject a plurality of times on different imaging dates/times, in a predetermined storage device, correlated with subject identifying data and imaging date/time data; volume data selecting means, for selecting a plurality of sets of volume data correlated with subject identifying data that represents a specified subject, from among the sets of volume data stored in the storage device; observation image generating means, for generating an image for observation that represents the specified subject for each set of volume data selected by the volume data selecting means, and for correlating the images for observation and the imaging date/time data of the set of volume data corresponding thereto; layered image generating means, for generating layered images, by positioning and overlapping the plurality of generated images for observation; display control means, for arranging the layered images on a predetermined screen, for detecting operations that move a point along a temporal axis on the screen, and for changing the display of the images for observation that constitute the layered image arranged on the screen based on the detected operations; and degree of opacity control means, for setting the degree of opacity of each image for observation that constitutes the layered image; wherein: the display control means changes the degree of opacity of the images for observation that constitute the layered image arranged on the screen, based on the detected operations and the setting of the degree of opacity control means, and the degree of opacity control means sets the degree of opacity of the images for observation to be a maximum value when the point along the temporal axis is on the imaging date/time correlated to the images for observation, and sets the degree of opacity of the images for observation to become lower as the date indicated by the point becomes farther from the imaging date/time correlated to the images for observation.