PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To more easily observe and evaluate the functional and/or morphological characteristics of a peripheral structure area functionally related to an attention branching structure in a branching structure on the basis of a three-dimensional medical image showing the internal structure of a subject which is made up of the branch structure and the peripheral structure.SOLUTION: From the three-dimensional medical image, a pulmonary blood vessel extraction section 32 extracts the branching structure, a lung field area extraction section 31 extracts the peripheral structure area where the peripheral structure of the branching structure is present, an attention blood vessel setting section 33 sets an attention branching structure in the branching structure, an attention lung parenchyma area estimation section 34 estimates an attention peripheral structure area of the peripheral structure area which is functionally related to the attention branching structure on the basis of the branching structure, an evaluation value computation section 35 acquires an evaluation value in the estimated attention peripheral structure area, a map image generation section 36 generates a map image in which the evaluation value in the attention peripheral structure area is mapped in a form image showing at least one form from among the form of the attention branching structure and the form of the attention peripheral structure area.COPYRIGHT: (C)2012,JPO&INPIT【課題】分枝構造と周辺構造とからなる被検体内構造物を表す3次元医用画像に基づいて、分枝構造中の注目分枝構造と機能的に関連する周辺構造領域の機能的および/または形態的特性をより容易に観察・評価する。【解決手段】3次元医用画像から、肺血管抽出部32が分枝構造を抽出するとともに、肺野領域抽出部31が分枝構造の周辺構造が存在する周辺構造領域を抽出し、注目血管設定部33が分枝構造中に注目分枝構造を設定し、注目肺実質領域推定部34が周辺構造領域のうち注目分枝構造と機能的に関連する注目周辺構造領域を分枝構造に基づいて推定し、評価値算出部35が推定された注目周辺構造領域における評価値を取得し、マップ画像生成部36が注目分枝構造および注目周辺構造領域の少なくとも一方の形態を表す形態画像に、注目周辺構造領域における評価値をマッピングしたマップ画像を生成する。【選択図】図2
