PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To display positional relationships between an attention point set on a tomographic image and a prescribed structure in such a way as clearly recognizable when the tomographic image representing a part of the prescribed structure such as a blood vessel is displayed on a screen for observation.SOLUTION: The image processing device includes: a structure extracting means 10 for extracting a tree structure Ms representing the prescribed structure extending widely while repeatedly branching from one point of origin from a three-dimensional image an attention point setting means 20 for setting an attention point S on the tree structure Ms according to the input by an operator specifying an optionally selected position on the three-dimensional image a projected image generating means 30 for generating a projected image Ij by superimposing an optionally selected tomographic image Ij including the attention point S on a projected image obtained by projecting a partial structure Pj constituting a passage from the attention point S to a point 0 representing the point of origin thereof among the whole tree structure Ms on the tomographic image Ij and a display means 40 for displaying the generated projected image.COPYRIGHT: (C)2013,JPO&INPIT【課題】血管等の所定の構造物の一部が表された断層画像を画面に表示させて観察する場合に、その断層画像上に設定した注目点と所定の構造物との位置関係を認識しやすく表示する。【解決手段】1つの起始部から分枝を繰返しながら広がって延びる所定の構造物を表す木構造Msを3次元画像から抽出する構造抽出手段10と、3次元画像上の任意の位置を指定する操作者による入力に応じて、木構造Ms上に注目点Sを設定する注目点設定手段20と、注目点Sを含む任意の断層画像Ijと、該断層画像Ijに木構造Msの全体のうち注目点Sからその起始部を表す点Oまでの経路を構成する部分構造Pjを投影した投影像とを重畳させてなる投影画像Ij´を生成する投影画像生成手段30と、その生成された投影画像を表示する表示手段40とを備える。【選択図】図3
