Method and apparatus for obtaining an image indicating metabolism in a body

Claim 1

An apparatus for obtaining an image indicating metabolism in a body, comprising: morphological imaging means for obtaining a morphological image of a section of a body, means for discriminating the morphological image into respective regions of internal organs or tissues, functional distribution detecting means for detecting a plurality of detection data, respectively affected with distributions of first and second physical quantities of the body at the respective regions of the discriminated morphological image, and image reconstruction means for reconstructing an image indicating the distribution of said first physical quantity in said section of the body, by using the plurality of detection data, and by determining values of said second physical quantity based on the discriminated morphological image at respective pixels of the discriminated morphological image.

Claim 2

An apparatus for obtaining an image indicating metabolism in a body, comprising: morphological imaging means for obtaining a morphological image of a section of a body, means for discriminating the morphological image into respective regions of internal organs or tissues, functional distribution detecting means for detecting a plurality of detection data, respectively affected with distributions of first and second physical quantities of the body at the respective regions of the discriminated morphological image, and image reconstruction means for reconstructing an image indicating the distribution of said first physical quantity in said section of the body, by using the plurality of detection data, and by determining values of said second physical quantity based on the discriminated morphological image at respective pixels of the discriminated morphological image.

Claim 10

An apparatus for obtaining an image indicating metabolism in a body comprising: an x-ray tomography scanner for obtaining an x-ray tomogram image of a section of the body, means for discriminating the x-ray tomogram image into individual regions of internal organs or tissues, light source means for radiating the body with light pulse transmissions, an optical tomography scanner for detecting the light pulse transmissions at a wavelength for respective ones of a plurality of light irradiation spots and a plurality of light pickup spots on said body, and optical tomography image reconstructing means for reconstructing a distribution of a light absorption coefficient at said wavelength in said section of the body, including means for calculating a plurality of projections of the light absorption coefficient from the light pulse transmissions detected by the optical tomography scanner and from values of a light scattering coefficient determined on a respective pixel of said discriminated x-ray tomogram imaged and means for calculating back-projection data from the projections of the light absorption coefficient.

Claim 11

An apparatus for obtaining an image indicating metabolism in a body comprising: an x-ray tomography scanner for obtaining an x-ray tomogram image of a section of the body, means for discriminating the x-ray tomogram image into individual regions of internal organs or tissues, light source means for radiating the body with light pulse transmissions, an optical tomography scanner for detecting the light pulse transmissions at a wavelength for respective ones of a plurality of light irradiation spots and a plurality of light pickup spots on said body, and optical tomography image reconstructing means for reconstructing a distribution of a light absorption coefficient at said wavelength in said section of the body, including means for calculating a plurality of projections of the light absorption coefficient from the light pulse transmissions detected by the optical tomography scanner and from values of a light scattering coefficient determined on a respective pixel of said discriminated x-ray tomogram imaged and means for calculating back-projection data from the projections of the light absorption coefficient.

Claim 16

An apparatus for obtaining an image indicating metabolism in a body, comprising: morphological imaging means for obtaining a morphological image of the body, means for discriminating the morphological image into respective regions of internal organs or tissues, functional distribution detecting means for detecting a plurality of detection data, respectively affected with distributions of first and second physical quantities of the body at the respective regions of the discriminated morphological image, the first physical quantity being indicative of metabolism of the body, and image reconstruction means for reconstructing an image indicating the distribution of said first physical quantity in the body, by determining variable ranges of said second physical quantity at respective pixels from the discriminated morphological image, including means for calculating the first and second physical quantities by an iteration method using the variable ranges and the plurality of detection data.

Claim 17

An apparatus for obtaining an image indicating metabolism in a body, comprising: morphological imaging means for obtaining a morphological image of the body, means for discriminating the morphological image into respective regions of internal organs or tissues, functional distribution detecting means for detecting a plurality of detection data, respectively affected with distributions of first and second physical quantities of the body at the respective regions of the discriminated morphological image, the first physical quantity being indicative of metabolism of the body, and image reconstruction means for reconstructing an image indicating the distribution of said first physical quantity in the body, by determining variable ranges of said second physical quantity at respective pixels from the discriminated morphological image, including means for calculating the first and second physical quantities by an iteration method using the variable ranges and the plurality of detection data.

Claim 20

A method for obtaining an image indicating metabolism in a body, comprising the steps of: (a) obtaining a morphological image of a section of the body; (b) discriminating the morphological image into respective regions of internal organs or tissues; (c) detecting a plurality of functional detection data, respectively affected with distributions of first and second physical quantities of the body at the respective regions of the discriminated morphological image; and (d) reconstructing an image indicating the distribution of said first physical quantity in said section of the body, by using the plurality of functional detection data, and by determining values of said second physical quantity based on respective pixels of the discriminated morphological image.

Claim 21

A method for obtaining an image indicating metabolism in a body, comprising the steps of: (a) obtaining a morphological image of a section of the body; (b) discriminating the morphological image into respective regions of internal organs or tissues; (c) detecting a plurality of functional detection data, respectively affected with distributions of first and second physical quantities of the body at the respective regions of the discriminated morphological image; and (d) reconstructing an image indicating the distribution of said first physical quantity in said section of the body, by using the plurality of functional detection data, and by determining values of said second physical quantity based on respective pixels of the discriminated morphological image.

Claim 32

A method for obtaining an image indicating metabolism in a body, comprising the steps of: (a) obtaining a morphological image of a section of the body; (b) discriminating the morphological image into respective regions of internal organs or tissues; (c) obtaining a plurality of functional distribution data for said section of the body, each of the plurality of data relating to a first physical quantity and a second physical quantity of the body; (d) determining the second quantity, for the plurality of functional distribution data, in accordance with the discriminated morphological image; (e) calculating the first physical quantity, in accordance with the determined second physical quantity; and (f) displaying an image of at least one of the functional distribution data, the calculated first physical quantity, and the determined second physical quantity.

Claim 33

A method for obtaining an image indicating metabolism in a body, comprising the steps of: (a) obtaining a morphological image of a section of the body; (b) discriminating the morphological image into respective regions of internal organs or tissues; (c) obtaining a plurality of functional distribution data for said section of the body, each of the plurality of data relating to a first physical quantity and a second physical quantity of the body; (d) determining the second quantity, for the plurality of functional distribution data, in accordance with the discriminated morphological image; (e) calculating the first physical quantity, in accordance with the determined second physical quantity; and (f) displaying an image of at least one of the functional distribution data, the calculated first physical quantity, and the determined second physical quantity.

Claim 36

A method for obtaining an image indicating a functional distribution in a body, comprising the steps of: (a) obtaining a morphological image of a section of the body; (b) discriminating the morphological image into respective regions of internal organs or tissues; (c) detecting at least one physical quantity correlating to said functional distribution for said section of the body; (d) obtaining a plurality of physical distribution data for said section of the body from the detected at least one physical quantity; (e) changing the plurality of physical distribution data into a functional distribution for said section of the body; and (f) displaying an image of the functional distribution in conjunction with the morphological image.

Claim 37

A method for obtaining an image indicating a functional distribution in a body, comprising the steps of: (a) obtaining a morphological image of a section of the body; (b) discriminating the morphological image into respective regions of internal organs or tissues; (c) detecting at least one physical quantity correlating to said functional distribution for said section of the body; (d) obtaining a plurality of physical distribution data for said section of the body from the detected at least one physical quantity; (e) changing the plurality of physical distribution data into a functional distribution for said section of the body; and (f) displaying an image of the functional distribution in conjunction with the morphological image.