The present invention relates to a technique for detecting a specific image area and performing a removal process.
There is known a technique such as a volume rendering for generating a two-dimensional projection drawing from a three-dimensional image (volume data) which is made up of tomographic images (angio data) of a test object, the tomographic images being obtained by a tomographic apparatus such as an X-ray CT (Computed Tomography) apparatus and an MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) apparatus.
The MIP (Maximum Intensity Projection) method is one of the volume rendering techniques. The MIP method is a method for applying a projection process to the volume data in an optional direction, and displaying on a projection plane, a maximum luminance value in the projection path. With this method, if there exists an area where bones and the like are displayed, which may hamper the observation of blood vessels or the like being a diagnostic object on the projection plane, a user has been allowed to select to a high degree of detail, the area which is desired to be removed. Accordingly, it has been possible to create a display where such area is removed (see, “Oh, I see!! Medical three-dimensional image; Bible of Way of thinking and Processing method”, supervised by Yutaka Imai, p. 141 (2003)(non-patent document 1), for instance).