Patent ID: 8285013

Claim:
An image processing apparatus comprising: previous image storing means for storing a previous image containing a first abnormal shadow obtained by photographing a subject; current diagnosis image storing means for storing a current diagnosis image to be diagnosed obtained by photographing the subject at a time later than the photographing time of the previous image; aligning means for aligning the positions of the subject contained in the previous image and the current diagnosis image; alignment information storing means for storing alignment information obtained by the aligning means; abnormal shadow positional information storing means for storing positional information of the first abnormal shadow on the subject in the previous image; corresponding position calculating means for calculating, based on the positional information of the first abnormal shadow and the alignment information, a corresponding position on the subject in the current diagnosis image, the corresponding position corresponding to the position of the first abnormal shadow on the subject in the previous image; and current diagnosis image abnormal shadow detecting means for detecting a second abnormal shadow in a judgment region within the current diagnosis image that includes a point within the corresponding position, is of a predetermined range that sufficiently includes the first abnormal shadow, and is designated as the sole detection target region for the second abnormal shadow in the current diagnosis image; the current diagnosis image abnormal shadow detecting means detecting the second abnormal shadow by searching for the outline of the second abnormal shadow along lines that connect the point within the corresponding position and other points within the judgment region.