PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an image processing apparatus, method, and program capable of more accurately classifying blood vessels into arteries and veins in a medical image.SOLUTION: The image processing apparatus classifies at least a part of a blood vessel in a medical image into either an artery or a vein divides at least a region in the medical image into an artery-related region and a vein-related region, based on the positional relationships between the classified arteries and veins determines whether or not any portion overlapping with an unclassified blood vessel which has not yet been classified into an artery or a vein exists on an interface between the artery-related region and the vein-related region if a portion overlapping with an unclassified blood vessel exists on the interface, classifies the unclassified vessel into either an artery or a vein.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5COPYRIGHT: (C)2016,JPO&INPIT【課題】医用画像において血管を動脈と静脈により正確に分類することができる画像処理装置、方法、及びプログラムを提供する。【解決手段】医用画像中の血管の少なくとも一部を動脈と静脈のいずれかに分類し、分類された動脈と静脈の位置関係に基づいて、医用画像中の少なくとも一部の領域を動脈関連領域と静脈関連領域に分割し、分割された動脈関連領域と静脈関連領域の境界面上に、動脈と静脈のいずれにも分類されていない未分類の血管と重なる部分が存在するか否かを判断し、境界面上に未分類の血管と重なる部分が存在すると判断された場合に、未分類の血管を動脈と静脈のいずれかに分類する。【選択図】図5
