PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a medical image observation support device by which an operator can easily perceive an image display position.SOLUTION: Characteristic shapes using characteristics of a luminal organ are extracted in a characteristic shape extracting section 4 from a plurality of images constituted by photographing the same luminal organ and the corresponding relation among a plurality of images is determined in a characteristic site-corresponding section 5. A virtual developed image of the luminal organ is obtained from the plurality of images in an image forming and expanding/contracting section 6, the virtual developed image is expanded or contracted based on the characteristic shape, the plurality of extended or contracted virtual developed images or others are simultaneously displayed in a state where display positions are synchronized in any position on a virtual developed image in an image display section 8, and they can be scrolled by an image display position control section 9.COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT【課題】操作者が画像表示位置把握を容易に行うことができる医用画像観察支援装置を提供する。【解決手段】同一の管腔臓器を撮影した複数の画像から特徴形状抽出部4で管腔臓器の特徴を利用した特徴形状を抽出し、特徴部位対応付け部5で複数の画像間の対応関係を決定する。画像生成及び伸縮部6で複数の画像から管腔臓器の仮想展開像を得て、これを特徴形状に基づき伸縮しておき、画像表示部8において仮想展開像上のどの位置でも表示部位の同期がとられた状態で複数の伸縮仮想展開像等を同時に表示し、これらを画像表示位置制御部9によってスクロール可能とする。【選択図】図1
