US 12,336,838 B2
Osteoporosis diagnostic support apparatus
Hironobu Tsuji, Tokyo (JP); Yosuke Tsuji, Tokyo (JP); Tatsuro Hayashi, Tokyo (JP); Hiroshi Fujita, Gifu (JP); Takeshi Hara, Gifu (JP); Chisako Muramatsu, Gifu (JP); Kazuki Horiba, Gifu (JP); and Akitoshi Katsumata, Gifu (JP)
Assigned to Media Co., Ltd., Tokyo (JP); and Gifu University, Gifu (JP)
Filed by Media Co., Ltd., Tokyo (JP); and Gifu University, Gifu (JP)
Filed on Apr. 30, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/309,815.
Application 18/309,815 is a division of application No. 16/017,066, filed on Jun. 25, 2018, granted, now 11,672,471.
Application 16/017,066 is a division of application No. 15/162,447, filed on May 23, 2016, granted, now 10,004,448, issued on Jun. 26, 2018.
Application 15/162,447 is a continuation in part of application No. PCT/JP2014/081056, filed on Nov. 25, 2014.
Claims priority of application No. 2013-242678 (JP), filed on Nov. 25, 2013.
Prior Publication US 2023/0263463 A1, Aug. 24, 2023
Int. Cl. A61B 5/05 (2021.01); A61B 5/00 (2006.01); A61B 6/00 (2006.01); A61B 6/50 (2024.01); G06T 7/00 (2017.01); G06T 7/12 (2017.01); G06T 7/149 (2017.01); G06T 7/62 (2017.01)
CPC A61B 5/4509 (2013.01) [A61B 5/0088 (2013.01); A61B 5/4542 (2013.01); A61B 5/7278 (2013.01); A61B 6/501 (2013.01); A61B 6/505 (2013.01); A61B 6/5217 (2013.01); G06T 7/0012 (2013.01); G06T 7/12 (2017.01); G06T 7/149 (2017.01); G06T 7/62 (2017.01); A61B 2576/02 (2013.01); G06T 2207/10116 (2013.01); G06T 2207/20036 (2013.01); G06T 2207/20116 (2013.01); G06T 2207/30008 (2013.01); G06T 2207/30036 (2013.01)] 16 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An osteoporosis diagnostic support apparatus comprising:
a contour extraction unit adapted to extract a mandibular contour from an image of a mandibular cortical bone photographed by a photographic apparatus adapted to photograph the mandibular cortical bone and surroundings thereof;
a line segment extraction unit adapted to extract line segments from the image of the mandibular cortical bone photographed by the photographic apparatus, where the line segments are formed by a gray level distribution and include line segments of the cortical bone and line segments of a coarsely structured portion; and
a cortical bone thickness calculation unit adapted to calculate a thickness of the cortical bone based on the extracted mandibular contour and line segments, wherein the cortical bone thickness calculation unit determines a measurement reference point based on the mandibular contour extracted by the contour extraction unit, acquires profiles from the determined measurement reference point by establishing plural points at predetermined intervals around each measurement reference point on the mandibular contour, acquiring a perpendicular line from each of the points to the mandibular contour, and finding gray values at predetermined intervals on the perpendicular line, the gray values being gained by determining pixel values pixel-by pixel on the perpendicular line and by being converted into images, selects an optimum group of the profiles by selecting a profile group which maximizes the sum total ΣD decrease widths, the decrease widths being determined as a difference between the gray value at a search start point and the smallest gray value in a search range of the profile, and thereby calculates the thickness of the cortical bone from the selected optimum group of the profiles by determining the gradients Ai of the profile at each of points beginning with a measurement start point, calculating an average Aave of only the gradients associated with decreasing gray values, determining a point Tresult closest to the start point which satisfies the condition of Ai<Aave, and designating the distance from the measurement start point to Tresult as the thickness of the cortical bone.