Patent ID: 8170309

Claim:
An image processing apparatus comprising: a dictionary configured to store training data, the training data being data relating to each of a plurality of training images of an training heart and including training myocardial area boundary data of the training hearts, the training myocardial area boundary data being data corresponding to three training positions which are specified on a myocardial boundary of the training heart, and the three training positions having a relation with positions of three vertexes of a predetermined reference triangle; an image input unit configured to enter a diagnostic image of a diagnostic heart; a first position specifying unit configured to specify three diagnostic positions corresponding to the respective vertexes of the reference triangle so as to be similar to a like figure of the reference triangle on the myocardial boundary of the diagnostic hearts in the diagnostic image; a first calculating unit configured to obtain a similarity by matching the three training positions of each of the plurality of training images and the three diagnostic positions and comparing the diagnostic image and the training myocardial area boundary data; and an output unit configured to output the training myocardial area boundary data having the highest similarity as a myocardial area boundary data of the diagnostic heart.