According to the the present invention, the point-like when you get rid of the false image of the statistical noise Visibility in the structures and the two overlapping portions of the streaks it is possible to provide a high-speed image processing apparatus that does not deteriorate. That is, according to the configuration of the present invention, high-speed image processing for high visibility processed image P4 can output depending on the shape of the structure of the object visible on captured original image P0 when removing the artifact according to the statistical noise apparatus 1 can be provided. Noise band image generating unit 17 of the present invention, the band image, isotropic blur image P1, and the anisotropic blur image P2 is superimposed while changing weighting on the basis of the edge degree of reliability E at each pixel image processing do. According to the configuration of the present invention, the artifact removal processing of the original image P0, the visibility of overlapping portions of the dot-like structures and two muscles is not deteriorated.本発明によれば、統計ノイズに係る偽像を取り除く際に点状の構造物や2つの筋の重なり部分における視認性が悪化しない高速な画像処理装置を提供することができる。すなわち、本発明の構成によれば、統計ノイズに係る偽像を取り除く際に元画像P0に写り込む被検体の構造物の形状に応じて視認性の高い処理画像P4が出力できる高速な画像処理装置1が提供できる。本発明のノイズ帯域画像生成部17は、帯域画像、等方向ボカシ画像P1,および異方性ボカシ画像P2とを画素の各々でエッジ信頼度Eに基づき重み付けを変更しながら重ね合わせて画像処理を行う。本発明の構成によれば、元画像P0の偽像除去処理において、点状の構造物や2つの筋の重なり部分における視認性が悪化しない。
