TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to an image display method based on volume data.

BACKGROUND ART

Photoacoustic imaging or the like has been proposed as an imaging technology for displaying an image based on volume data generated by a medical image diagnosis apparatus (modality). The photoacoustic imaging is the imaging technology which with a photoacoustic wave generated from an optical absorber irradiated with light is received, and a spatial distribution of the optical absorber can be imaged. When the photoacoustic imaging is applied to a living body, the optical absorber such as a blood vessel including hemoglobin can be imaged.

PTL 1 describes that photoacoustic image data in a three-dimensional (3D) space (XYZ space) is generated by using a photoacoustic imaging principle, and a tomographic image of the photoacoustic image data (volume data) on a certain plane is displayed. PTL 1 describes that a plurality of ultrasonic transducers including probes arranged in an X-direction are provided, and a tomographic image of the photoacoustic image data in an XZ cross section is displayed in a case where scanning of the probes is performed in a Y-direction.

CITATION LIST

Patent Literature

[PTL 1]

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2013-233386

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

Solution to Problem

When an image of one cross section of volume data is displayed, it may be difficult to understand a structure of an imaging object in some cases.

In view of the above, the present invention provides an image display method based on the volume data with which the structure of the imaging object can be easily understood.

An image display method according to an aspect of the present invention includes obtaining photoacoustic image data, generating a first photoacoustic image corresponding to a first spatial region on the basis of the photoacoustic image data, generating a second photoacoustic image corresponding to a second spatial region having a different thickness in a viewing direction of rendering from a thickness of the first spatial region and having a spatial region overlapped with the first spatial region on the basis of the photoacoustic image data, and generating and displaying a parallel image in which the first photoacoustic image and the second photoacoustic image are arranged side by side.

Further features of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of exemplary embodiments with reference to the attached drawings.

