A dynamic analysis system includes a diagnostic console which calculates at least one index value representing variation in a target portion of a human body from at least one dynamic image acquired by performing radiographic imaging to a subject containing the target portion, and evaluates flexibility of the target portion based on the calculated index value.

A dynamic analysis system includes an imaging device and an analysis device. The imaging device performs dynamic imaging by emitting radiation to a chest part of a human body, thereby obtaining a series of frame images showing a dynamic state of the chest part. The analysis device includes a controller. The controller (i) selects a first plurality of frame images to be analyzed from the series of frame images obtained by the imaging device, (ii) calculates, based on the first plurality of frame images, a ventilation amount index value that indicates an amount of ventilation of a lung field and a perfusion amount index value that indicates an amount of perfusion of the lung field, and (iii) calculates a ratio of the ventilation amount index value to the perfusion amount index value.

Systems and methods are disclosed for predicting coronary plaque vulnerability, using a computer system. One method includes acquiring anatomical image data of at least part of the patient's vascular system; performing, using a processor, one or more image characteristics analysis, geometrical analysis, computational fluid dynamics analysis, and structural mechanics analysis on the anatomical image data; predicting, using the processor, a coronary plaque vulnerability present in the patient's vascular system, wherein predicting the coronary plaque vulnerability includes calculating an adverse plaque characteristic based on results of the one or more of image characteristics analysis, geometrical analysis, computational fluid dynamics analysis, and structural mechanics analysis of the anatomical image data; and reporting, using the processor, the calculated adverse plaque characteristic.

A method for vascular modeling is disclosed. The method, in some embodiments, comprises receiving a plurality of 2-D angiographic images of a portion of a vasculature of a subject, and processing the images to automatically detect 2-D features, for example, paths along vascular extents, which are projected into 3-D to determine homologous features among blood vessels. In some embodiments, projection and/or image registration is iteratively altered to improve feature position matching. Based on 3-D vascular extents and their registration to 2-D images, additional features such as vascular width are optionally determined and added to the model.

This device for constructing a blood-vessel-shape model in order to perform blood-flow analysis using computational fluid dynamics is provided with: an input unit which inputs a medical image; a shape-model generation unit which constructs, based on the medical image, a blood-vessel-shape model; a shape-model-quality evaluation unit which evaluates the shape reproduction degree of the constructed blood-vessel-shape model to determine the quality of the blood-vessel-shape model; and an output unit which outputs the determination result and the constructed blood-vessel-shape model.

An imaging system includes an imaging unit, a display unit, and at least one processor. The at least one processor is configured to acquire a first type of diagnostic imaging information of the patient; reconstruct a first image using the first type of diagnostic imaging information; if a first stop criterion for terminating imaging is not satisfied, acquire a second type of diagnostic imaging information having an increased level of acquisitional burden; reconstruct a second image; if a second stop criterion for terminating imaging is not satisfied, acquire a third type of diagnostic imaging information having an increased level of acquisitional burden, wherein the patient is maintained on a table of the imaging unit during the acquisition of the second type of diagnostic imaging information, reconstruction of the second image, and acquisition of the third type of diagnostic imaging information; reconstruct a third image; and display the third image.

In one embodiment, a medical image processing apparatus which analyzes blood flow dynamics in a predetermined region of a subject, the blood flow dynamics being generated from medical images obtained by imaging the predetermined region in time sequence over a plurality of time phases. The medical image processing apparatus includes memory circuitry configured to store a program; and processing circuitry configured to correct pixel values of a second medical image according to an amount of deformation of the second medical image when the second medical image is aligned with a first medical image by executing the program read out from the memory circuitry, the first medical image and the second medical image being among the medical images in the plurality of time phases,

A dynamic analysis apparatus may include a setting section which sets a target region in a lung region of a chest dynamic image; a conversion section which calculates a representative value of a pixel signal value in the target region, and converts the pixel signal value; an extraction section which extracts a pulmonary blood flow signal from the image; and a calculation section which calculates a change in the pulmonary blood flow signal, and calculates a feature amount regarding pulmonary blood flow. The setting section may determine a size of the target region based on a size of a body part other than a lung blood vessel, a movement amount of a body part other than the lung blood vessel or subject information of the chest dynamic image, the subject information regarding a subject of the radiation imaging, and the setting section may set the target region.

In one embodiment, a method of amplifying temporal variation in at least two images comprises examining pixel values of the at least two images. The temporal variation of the pixel values between the at least two images can be below a particular threshold. The method can further include applying signal processing to the pixel values.

There is provided a medical image processing apparatus which includes a first extraction unit configured to extract coronary arteries depicted in images of a plurality of time phases relating to the heart, and to extract at least one stenosed part depicted in each coronary artery; a calculation unit configured to calculate a pressure gradient of each of the extracted coronary arteries, based on tissue blood flow volumes of the coronary arteries; a second extraction unit configured to extract an ischemic region depicted in the images; and a specifying unit configured to specify a responsible blood vessel of the ischemic region by referring to a dominance map, in which each of the extracted coronary arteries and a dominance territory are associated, for the extracted ischemic region, and to specify a responsible stenosis, based on the pressure gradient corresponding to a stenosed part in the specified responsible blood vessel.