Method and apparatus for monitoring medical imaging device status, electronic device and medium

Abstract

The application discloses a kind of medical imaging equipment state monitoring method, device, electronic equipment and medium, medical imaging equipment includes multiple monitoring links and multiple monitoring links public temporary storage space, its method includes association target monitoring link and temporary storage space, the target monitoring link is at least one in the multiple monitoring links;Monitoring data received by target monitoring link is stored in the temporary storage space;Based on the monitoring data, the target monitoring link is monitored or corrected;After completing the target monitoring link is monitored or corrected, the temporary storage space is released.The application realizes the online time-sharing detection and correction of medical imaging equipment state, algorithm is simple, easy to implement, required resource amount is small, cost is low, detection precision is high, reaches the purpose that can detect then detect, can all correct, simplifies subsequent imaging process.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of equipment monitoring technology, specifically to a method, device, electronic equipment, and medium for monitoring the status of medical imaging equipment. Background Technology

[0002] Medical imaging equipment, such as CT scanners, are highly sophisticated instruments. During use and routine maintenance, their condition needs to be monitored and calibrated to ensure the accuracy of imaging.

[0003] Positron emission tomography (PET), based on time-of-flight (TOF) technology, is an important direction for technological development in the field of nuclear medicine. Compared with traditional PET imaging, it can provide clearer images. Silicon photomultiplier tubes (SIPMs) are a new type of semiconductor photomultiplier device. They are compact, have low supply voltage, high gain, good time resolution, and are unaffected by external magnetic fields. PET detectors built with SIPMs have irreplaceable advantages. However, SIPM-based PET detection systems have tens of thousands of detector units. When using discrete devices to acquire signals, the imaging electronics hardware design becomes complex, bulky, and consumes excessive power. This necessitates a higher density of electronics to complete the readout and processing of signals from the detection module.

[0004] Traditionally, monitoring the status of medical imaging equipment is done manually, with staff obtaining the detector status by manually shaking the diagnostic chip at the terminal. This method is inaccurate and has high labor costs.

[0005] In existing technologies, there are also some automatic monitoring methods, such as the method that mainly uses the signal test area to detect the internal setting signal status of the ASIC chip and the hardware working status of the FPGA. However, this method uses LED test lights for feedback, without online correction and intelligent monitoring, and cannot operate on the abnormal signal status fed back by the LEDs during the operation of the equipment. Another method is to monitor the status of the imaging equipment through complex system models, such as nuclide distribution sub-models, attenuation distribution sub-models, photon propagation sub-models, detector sub-models, and electron sub-models. This method is complex to implement, and its accuracy and efficiency are strictly dependent on the establishment of the system model.

[0006] Therefore, there is an urgent need for a simple, efficient, and accurate method for monitoring the status of medical imaging equipment to meet the needs of equipment maintenance and use. Summary of the Invention

[0007] This application addresses the above-mentioned situation by proposing a method, device, electronic device, and medium for monitoring the status of medical imaging equipment. It allocates a shared temporary storage space within the memory of the medical imaging equipment for each monitoring link. One or several of the thousands of monitoring links in the medical imaging equipment are designated as target monitoring links. During monitoring, the collected monitoring data of the target monitoring link is stored in the temporary storage space. After monitoring and verification are completed, the temporary storage space is promptly cleared, and then the monitoring or calibration of the next or subsequent target monitoring links is performed. This achieves time-division correction of multiple monitoring links. Furthermore, regardless of whether the equipment system is in idle or normal scanning mode, the calibration can be performed from the underlying electronics module, achieving the goal of detecting and calibrating everything that can be detected and calibrated, simplifying subsequent imaging processes and improving equipment accuracy.

[0008] In a first aspect, embodiments of this application provide a method for monitoring the status of a medical imaging device, the medical imaging device including multiple monitoring links and a temporary storage space shared by the multiple monitoring links, the method comprising:

[0009] The target monitoring link is associated with a temporary storage space, wherein the target monitoring link is at least one of the plurality of monitoring links;

[0010] The monitoring data received by the target monitoring link is stored in the temporary storage space;

[0011] Based on the monitoring data, the target monitoring link is monitored or corrected;

[0012] After monitoring or correcting the target monitoring link is completed, the temporary storage space is released.

[0013] Secondly, embodiments of this application also provide a monitoring device for the status of a medical imaging device. The monitoring device is deployed on the medical imaging device, which includes multiple monitoring links and a temporary storage space shared by the multiple monitoring links. The device includes:

[0014] The association unit is used to associate the target monitoring link with the temporary storage space, wherein the target monitoring link is at least one of the plurality of monitoring links;

[0015] Storage unit, used to store the monitoring data received by the target monitoring link in the temporary storage space;

[0016] A monitoring or correction unit is used to monitor or correct the target monitoring link based on the monitoring data.

[0017] The release unit is used to release the temporary storage space after monitoring or correcting the target monitoring link.

[0018] Thirdly, embodiments of this application also provide an electronic device, including: a processor; and a memory arranged to store computer-executable instructions, which, when executed, cause the processor to perform any of the methods described above.

[0019] Fourthly, embodiments of this application also provide a computer-readable storage medium that stores one or more programs, which, when executed by an electronic device including multiple applications, cause the electronic device to perform any of the methods described above.

[0020] The above-described technical solutions adopted in the embodiments of this application can achieve the following beneficial effects:

[0021] This application allocates a shared temporary storage space within the memory of a medical imaging device for all monitored links. One or several links from among thousands of monitored links are associated with this temporary storage space as target monitoring links. The collected monitoring data of the target monitoring link is stored in this temporary storage control, which is then used to monitor or correct the target monitoring link. After monitoring or correction is complete, the temporary storage space is released promptly, and the next monitoring or correction cycle begins. This application achieves online time-sharing monitoring or correction of the medical imaging device's status, reducing the logical resource occupancy of subsequent data processing modules, fully considering the stability of the medical imaging device system. Furthermore, the algorithm is simple, easy to implement, requires minimal resources, is low-cost, and offers high detection accuracy. Regardless of whether the device system is in idle or normal scanning mode, it can operate from the underlying electronics module, achieving the goal of detecting and calibrating everything that can be detected, simplifying the subsequent imaging process, and improving device accuracy. Attached Figure Description

[0022] The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of this application and form part of this application, illustrate exemplary embodiments and are used to explain this application, but do not constitute an undue limitation of this application. In the drawings:

[0023] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of a large-area scalable PET imaging system according to an embodiment of this application is shown;

[0024] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the structure of a large-scale SIPM-PET system based on ASIC according to an embodiment of this application is shown;

[0025] Figure 3 A flowchart illustrating a method for monitoring the status of a medical imaging device according to an embodiment of this application is shown;

[0026] Figure 4A schematic diagram illustrating the mechanism for monitoring the energy drift of a medical imaging device according to another embodiment of this application is shown;

[0027] Figure 5 A schematic diagram illustrating the principle of a method for determining a target monitoring link according to an embodiment of this application is shown;

[0028] Figure 6 A flowchart illustrating a method for monitoring the status of a medical imaging device according to another embodiment of this application is shown;

[0029] Figure 7 A flowchart illustrating a method for monitoring the status of a medical imaging device according to yet another embodiment of this application is shown.

[0030] Figure 8 A schematic diagram illustrating the mechanism for monitoring the time drift of a medical imaging device according to another embodiment of this application is shown;

[0031] Figure 9 A flowchart illustrating a method for monitoring the status of a medical imaging device according to yet another embodiment of this application is shown.

[0032] Figure 10 A schematic diagram of a medical imaging device status monitoring apparatus according to an embodiment of this application is shown;

[0033] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an electronic device according to an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0034] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this application clearer, the technical solutions of this application will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with specific embodiments and corresponding drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of this application, and not all of them. Based on the embodiments in this application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0035] The technical solutions provided by the various embodiments of this application are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0036] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of a large-area scalable PET imaging system according to an embodiment of this application is shown; Figure 1 The PET imaging system shown is a high-sensitivity, low-radiation, scalable PET system. SiPM-based PET detection systems have a large number of signal links, making management difficult, especially in high-sensitivity, low-radiation, scalable PET systems. Figure 1This requires more detector units arranged in a ring to achieve large-area imaging detection.

[0037] Since imaging electronics, as the core hardware component, directly determines the basic performance parameters of a PET system, this application addresses the complex electronic architecture of SIPM-PET by employing advanced ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) chips to achieve multi-channel, such as 64-channel, SIPM signal measurement. These chips offer high integration and low power consumption, making them suitable for high-density, large-scale PET systems, such as long-axis scalable systems and whole-body systems. Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the structure of an ASIC-based large SIPM-PET system according to an embodiment of this application is shown.

[0038] like Figure 2 As shown, each ASIC chip is divided into four arrays. Each array can perform time and energy discrimination and detection on 16 SIPM signals. The energy link consists of a slow amplification circuit, a filtering and shaping circuit, and an analog-to-digital converter circuit, which outputs ADC (Analog to Digital Converter) information representing the energy of the 16 SIPM signals. The time link consists of a fast amplification circuit, a threshold comparison circuit, and a time discrimination circuit, which outputs the time information of the incident photons. The time and energy information acquired by the ASIC is output to the back-end data processing module for digital processing. The data processing module can be a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) or a Digital Signal Processor (DSP). The main processing operations are performed by the processor (or other processors), including TDC differential nonlinearity (DNL) correction, crystal radiation coordinate calculation based on the centroid method (Anger algorithm), time delay alignment module, detector unit energy nonlinearity correction module, Timewalk time-walking correction module, Compton scattering recovery module, Karl Fischer window module, etc. Only after these processing operations are completed can the event information obtained by the detection be uploaded to the coincidence processing module and imaging module to finally complete the acquisition and reconstruction of the PET signal.

[0039] As the long axis of PET systems gradually increases to the point of being full-body architecture, the scale of front-end circuit design becomes increasingly massive. The system's imaging accuracy strictly depends on the stability of tens of thousands of SIPM links and thousands of ASIC chips. However, imaging electronics are susceptible to the effects of temperature, humidity, and voltage, which can cause deviations in the detection accuracy and efficiency of the energy, time, and space of the measured event, ultimately leading to image artifacts and reduced image quality. Therefore, PET equipment needs to monitor its daily status in real time. However, large-scale PET systems have numerous and complex data monitoring links and a wide monitoring coverage, which places extremely high demands on the logic resources of subsequent data processing modules, making implementation complex and costly. Therefore, how to simultaneously balance system stability, monitoring range ratio, resource utilization, and design implementation cost has become a thorny issue in the design of large-scale PET systems.

[0040] To this end, this application proposes a method for monitoring the status of a medical imaging device. This application improves the utilization rate of the dedicated verification environment. Regardless of whether the system is in a leisure state or a normal scanning state, this method starts from the underlying electronics module to achieve the goal of detecting and calibrating everything that can be detected, simplifying the subsequent imaging process, improving system accuracy, and can intuitively monitor and correct energy drift and time measurement inaccuracies caused by changes in the external environment of thousands of ASICs and tens of thousands of SIPM links. It innovatively uses transitional temporary storage space RAM to establish temporary storage space and switches it to the target link that needs to be monitored in a time-sharing manner. The entire monitoring method has extremely low resource consumption of the subsequent data processing module, can monitor the operating status of the system hardware for a long time, reduces the testing difficulty and operational complexity of large systems, and is low in cost and simple to implement.

[0041] Figure 3 A flowchart illustrating a method for monitoring the status of a medical imaging device according to an embodiment of this application is shown, wherein the medical imaging device includes multiple monitoring links and a shared temporary storage space allocated for the multiple monitoring links. Figure 3 It can be seen that this application includes at least steps S310 to S340:

[0042] Step S310: Associate the target monitoring link with the temporary storage space, wherein the target monitoring link is at least one of the plurality of monitoring links.

[0043] A shared temporary storage space is pre-allocated within the medical imaging equipment's memory for all monitoring links. This temporary storage space can be referred to as transitional RAM. RAM (random access memory), also known as main memory, is an internal memory that directly exchanges data with the CPU (processor). It can be read and written at any time and is very fast, typically serving as temporary data storage for the operating system or other running programs. It should be noted that this temporary storage space is shared by multiple monitoring links. The size of the temporary storage space can automatically expand or shrink according to the amount of data to be stored.

[0044] The monitoring link to be monitored or calibrated in this round is denoted as the target monitoring link. The target monitoring link is one or more links in the medical imaging equipment. That is to say, in a round of monitoring or calibration, only one monitoring link can be monitored or calibrated, or multiple monitoring links can be monitored or calibrated at the same time.

[0045] In some embodiments of this application, the target monitoring link can be determined simply by the sequence number of each monitoring link. For example, if there are 1000 monitoring links, and these links are ordered according to their respective sequence numbers, and if each monitoring or correction involves only one link, then the target monitoring link for each monitoring or correction can be determined in ascending order of the sequence numbers. This method is merely illustrative, and this application does not limit the method for determining the target monitoring link.

[0046] For ease of explanation, each monitoring link can be assigned an ID, and each monitoring link has a one-to-one correspondence with its respective ID. Assume that the number of monitoring links is N, where N is a natural number greater than 1, as shown in Table 1.

[0047] Table 1

[0048]

[0049] Step S320: Store the monitoring data received by the target monitoring link in the temporary storage space.

[0050] When monitoring a target monitoring link, the monitoring data of that link is first collected and stored in the aforementioned temporary space. It should be noted that different monitoring links produce different monitoring data. The imaging accuracy of a PET imaging system is affected by many factors, such as energy, time, and space. This application can detect multiple monitoring links in a PET imaging system, including but not limited to time-drift links, energy-drift links, and baseline-drift links. It should be noted that this application is not limited to the three monitoring links listed above; it also applies to other factors that can affect the imaging accuracy of a PET imaging system.

[0051] Step S330: Based on the monitoring data, monitor or correct the target monitoring link;

[0052] After storing the monitoring data of the target monitoring link in the temporary storage space, the target monitoring link can be monitored or calibrated. That is, the temporary storage space provides a "container" or "space" for performing monitoring or calibration of various target monitoring links. Without the temporary storage space, there is nowhere to store the temporary data generated during the monitoring or calibration process.

[0053] The following explanation uses the target monitoring link as an energy drift link, where the monitoring data is an energy curve (which, when converted to integral form, becomes an energy distribution histogram). Figure 4 This illustration shows a schematic diagram of the mechanism for monitoring the energy drift of a medical imaging device according to an embodiment of this application. Figure 4 As shown in the figure above, the collected monitoring data is an energy curve. The figure shows the monitoring data of one target monitoring link. If there are multiple target monitoring links, multiple energy curves can be collected. Figure 4 The image below shows the temporary storage space. After the energy curve of the target monitoring link is collected, monitoring and verification are completed in the temporary storage space.

[0054] Step S340: After completing the monitoring or correction of the target monitoring link, release the temporary storage space.

[0055] After completing the above monitoring or correction, delete the temporary data stored in the temporary storage space, and then start the next cycle today to complete the time-sharing monitoring of multiple monitoring links.

[0056] Depend on Figure 3As shown in the method, this application allocates a shared temporary storage space in the memory of the medical imaging device for all the links to be monitored. One or several links from among the thousands of links to be monitored are associated with this temporary storage space as target monitoring links. The collected monitoring data of the target monitoring links is stored in the temporary storage control, which is then used to monitor or correct the target links. After monitoring or correction is completed, the temporary storage space is released promptly, and the next monitoring or correction cycle begins. This application achieves online time-sharing monitoring or correction of the medical imaging device status, reducing the logical resource occupancy of subsequent data processing modules, fully considering the stability of the medical imaging device system. Furthermore, the algorithm is simple, easy to implement, requires minimal resources, is low-cost, and has high detection accuracy. Regardless of whether the device system is in idle or normal scanning state, it can start from the underlying electronics module, achieving the goal of detecting and calibrating everything that can be detected, simplifying the subsequent imaging process, and improving device accuracy.

[0057] In some embodiments of this application, prior to the step of associating the target monitoring link and the temporary storage space, the method further includes: the temporary storage space sliding between multiple links in a time-sharing manner; when the temporary storage space slides to at least one of the multiple monitoring links, the at least one monitoring link is designated as the target monitoring link; and / or, at least one of the multiple monitoring links issues a scheduling instruction for the temporary storage space; based on the scheduling instruction and a preset scheduling rule, the temporary storage space slides to at least one monitoring link, and the at least one monitoring link to which the temporary storage space slides is designated as the target detection link.

[0058] Regarding the determination of target monitoring links, this application recommends two methods. One method is to control the temporary storage space to slide across multiple links in a time-sharing manner; and to designate one or more monitoring links to which the temporary storage space slides as the target monitoring link. This method can be understood as a "sliding window" approach. Figure 5 A schematic diagram illustrating the principle of a target monitoring link determination method according to an embodiment of this application is shown. Figure 5 Each small vertical box in the image represents a monitoring link. The temporary storage space is displayed in the form of a "sliding window" that can slide across all monitoring links. When it slides to one or more monitoring links, that one or more monitoring links are used as the target detection link.

[0059] Another approach is that the monitoring link can issue a scheduling instruction for temporary storage space. According to the scheduling instruction and the preset scheduling rules, the temporary storage space can slide between multiple monitoring links. This application does not limit the scheduling rules and can specify them as needed. For example, if 5 monitoring links issue scheduling instructions in one round, and the scheduling rules allow the temporary storage space to cover 3 monitoring links at the same time in one round, then the temporary storage space can slide among the 5 monitoring links that issued scheduling instructions to determine the 3 target monitoring links.

[0060] In some embodiments of this application, in the above embodiments, the step of monitoring or correcting the target monitoring link based on the monitoring data includes: determining whether the target monitoring link meets preset monitoring or correction conditions based on the monitoring data; if not, determining that the state of the target monitoring link is abnormal and reporting the abnormal result to the upper controller; if yes, performing monitoring or correction on the target monitoring link based on the monitoring data.

[0061] It should be noted that not all monitoring links meet the monitoring or calibration conditions. If a monitoring link malfunctions, such as due to physical damage, its status must be reported to the upper-level controller so that staff are aware of it. This can be achieved by pre-setting monitoring or calibration conditions. Monitoring or calibration will only be performed if a target monitoring link meets these conditions; otherwise, the abnormal status of that target monitoring link will be directly reported to the upper-level air controller.

[0062] Specifically, if a monitoring link is functioning normally, it can sense external electrical signal stimuli. The type of electrical signal varies depending on the monitoring item. When the monitored item is energy drift, the electrical signal stimulus can be an external energy triggering event. Therefore, a link's normality can be determined by whether it can sense an external triggering event. If a link is functioning normally, it enters the monitoring or calibration process. If a link is malfunctioning, its abnormal state is reported to the upper-level controller, allowing the controller to recognize the link's failure and take appropriate measures to restore it to normal, such as resetting the link or notifying manual intervention.

[0063] Specifically, a monitoring or calibration condition can be preset. If a target monitoring link meets this condition, its status is considered normal; otherwise, its status is considered abnormal. In other words, the verification in this step is to determine whether each target monitoring link is functioning correctly.

[0064] This application does not limit the specific monitoring or correction conditions. As mentioned above, they can be set based on whether a target monitoring link can sense external triggering events. In some embodiments of this application, in the above method, determining whether each target monitoring link meets the preset correction conditions includes: for a target monitoring link, monitoring whether there is a triggering event at a preset interval, and counting the triggering times; when the cumulative count does not reach a preset threshold, if it is determined that there is no triggering event on the target monitoring link within a preset interval, then it is determined that the target monitoring link does not meet the preset monitoring or correction conditions. During detection, if it is determined that there is a triggering event on the target monitoring link within a preset interval, then the count of the triggering event is updated (the count of the triggering event is incremented by 1 for each triggering time); when it is determined that the cumulative count is greater than or equal to the preset threshold, then it is determined that the target monitoring link meets the preset monitoring or correction conditions.

[0065] In other words, a normal link can "constantly" sense the occurrence of external triggering events. Taking a target monitoring link as an example, the triggering events occurring on the target monitoring link can be accumulated. At a preset interval, such as 5ms, it can be monitored whether there is a triggering event on the target monitoring link. If there is, the count of the triggering event is incremented by one. It can be set that when the number of consecutive triggering events on a target monitoring link reaches a preset threshold, such as 200 times, it is determined that the target monitoring link meets the preset monitoring or correction conditions.

[0066] If, before the number of triggered events reaches the preset threshold, it is determined that no triggered events occur on the target monitoring link within a certain preset interval, then the target monitoring link is deemed to have failed the preset monitoring or correction conditions, i.e., the target monitoring link has malfunctioned. At this point, the fault event can be reported to the upper-level controller. The processing of a faulty target monitoring link is now complete. The data in the temporary storage space can then be deleted, and the monitoring or correction of the next target monitoring link or the next round of target monitoring links can begin.

[0067] If a trigger event is detected on the target monitoring link at every preset interval, the count of the trigger events is accumulated. When the accumulated count is greater than or equal to a preset threshold, such as 200 times, the target monitoring link is determined to meet the preset monitoring or correction conditions. If the preset monitoring or correction conditions are met, actual monitoring or correction is performed on the target monitoring link.

[0068] In practice, when monitoring the target monitoring link for trigger events using a preset interval, a timer can be used. This timer can be virtual or physical; this application does not limit its use. The timer can be set to monitor according to a preset interval, such as 5ms. The system then checks if the timer has timed out (i.e., reached the preset interval). If it has, it checks if the number of trigger events has changed. If it has, it resets the timer (restarts counting). If not, it determines that no trigger event has occurred, and therefore the target monitoring link does not meet the preset correction conditions.

[0069] When a target monitoring link meets the preset monitoring or calibration conditions, it indicates that the target monitoring link is free from physical faults. However, this does not guarantee its accuracy. If drift occurs, it will also affect the imaging effect of the medical imaging equipment. Therefore, the target monitoring link can be monitored or calibrated based on the monitoring data. The monitoring here mainly detects whether the target monitoring link has drifted. If drift occurs, it can be reported to the upper controller or automatically calibrated. In addition, for parameters such as time, regardless of whether drift occurs, calibration is required every time monitoring is performed to ensure the high accuracy of the medical imaging equipment.

[0070] Different monitoring links have different requirements for monitoring or calibration, and can be configured according to the type of monitoring link you want to monitor.

[0071] In some embodiments of this application, when there are multiple target monitoring links, the target monitoring links can be monitored and verified based on a "traversal" mechanism. Specifically, the multiple target monitoring links are sorted according to a preset dimension; according to the sorting result, each target monitoring link is traversed in turn; if it is determined that the current target monitoring link does not meet the preset monitoring or correction conditions, the state of the current target monitoring link is determined to be abnormal, and the abnormal result is reported to the upper controller, and the monitoring data of the current target monitoring link in the temporary storage space is deleted.

[0072] As mentioned above, IDs can be assigned to all monitoring links, and then they can be sorted in ascending (or descending) order. For example, if there are 5 target monitoring links with IDs 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, and 15, these monitoring links can be sorted in ascending order by ID to obtain the sorting result. Then, based on the "traversal" mechanism, it can be determined whether each target monitoring link meets the preset monitoring or correction conditions in order to execute subsequent steps. This application does not limit the sorting dimension and can be set as needed.

[0073] Furthermore, by employing a traversal mechanism, time-sharing monitoring of the target monitoring links can be achieved. It should be noted that traversal can be understood as processing one link at a time, rather than concurrent processing. The reason why multiple target monitoring links can be processed one by one is that each link is independent of the others and does not affect them. Regardless of whether the medical imaging equipment is in an idle or active state, even if a few links fail and cannot be used, the medical imaging equipment as a whole can still be used normally. The failure of a few links may be resolved when the equipment is idle.

[0074] The following provides a more detailed explanation of different types of target monitoring links. Taking energy drift links as an example, large-scale PET systems have tens of thousands of SIPM detector links, and their performance is significantly affected by temperature and high pressure. Without a relevant monitoring scheme, this will ultimately lead to energy peak shifts and an increase in the proportion of scattering in coincidence events, thus affecting the quality of PET imaging. However, due to differences in detection efficiency and imaging electrons, energy drift varies, requiring the smallest monitoring link or unit to be set at the crystal level. The large number of crystal links leads to insufficient resources or high costs for subsequent data processing modules. To address this, the medical imaging equipment status monitoring method provided in this application can be used to monitor each crystal. Specifically, for example... Figure 6 As shown, Figure 6 A flowchart illustrating a method for monitoring the status of a medical imaging device according to another embodiment of this application is shown. Figure 6 As can be seen, this embodiment includes:

[0075] Allocate a shared temporary storage space, namely transitional RAM, for all monitoring links (see reference). Figure 4 (and Table 1).

[0076] Using a temporary storage space "sliding window" method, the target monitoring link is determined to be monitoring link A, and monitoring link A is an energy drift link.

[0077] The monitoring data from monitoring link A is collected and stored in temporary RAM.

[0078] Initialize the timer and count the number of events. First, determine if the timer has timed out. If it has, determine if an external trigger event has occurred on the monitored link. If it has, increment the event count and store the value in the transitional RAM. If it has not occurred, determine that there is an abnormality on the monitored link, report to the upper controller, release the transitional RAM resources, and reset the timer.

[0079] If the accumulated value of the event count is greater than the preset threshold, continue monitoring. If it is, perform histogram statistics on the energy distribution map stored in the transition RAM to determine the current peak value of monitoring link A. Then determine whether the current peak value is consistent with the preset peak value (e.g., 511 keV). If they are consistent, the monitoring link A is processed, the timer is reset, and the transition RAM is released. If they are inconsistent, determine that energy drift is sent and report to the upper controller. (After receiving the energy drift alarm, the upper controller can update the preset peak value based on the current peak value or notify manual intervention.) The crystal to be monitored with the traversal link ID 1 is processed, the traversal link ID is incremented by 1, the timer is reset, and the transition RAM is released.

[0080] Taking the target monitoring link as an example of the ADC baseline drift link, baseline drift in large PET systems can cause inaccurate pulse amplitude analysis, shift the energy spectrum peak position, and reduce energy resolution. This is particularly prominent at high count rates. The smallest unit of baseline monitoring is the ADC link. In SIPM-PET systems, there are thousands of ADC links. If all ADC baselines are monitored at the same time, it will lead to a huge increase in the burden and cost of subsequent data processing modules.

[0081] When performing ADC baseline drift monitoring, the current system is assumed to be in baseline correction mode, meaning no external radiation source signal is injected into the ASIC chip. The ASIC's ADC link is triggered using an electrical signal test module. Specifically, Figure 7 A flowchart illustrating a method for monitoring the status of a medical imaging device according to yet another embodiment of this application is shown. Figure 7 As can be seen, this embodiment includes:

[0082] Allocate a shared temporary storage space, namely transitional RAM, for all monitoring links (see reference). Figure 4 (and Table 1).

[0083] Using a temporary storage space "sliding window" method, the target monitoring links are identified as monitoring link A and monitoring link B, both of which are energy drift links.

[0084] The monitoring data from monitoring links A and B are collected and stored in temporary RAM. Monitoring link A, which is sorted first by link ID, is traversed. A timer is initialized, and the event count is incremented. First, it is determined whether the timer has timed out. If so, it is determined whether an external trigger event has occurred on monitoring link A. If so, the event count is incremented and the value is stored in transitional RAM. If no event has occurred, an anomaly is determined in monitoring link A, and the upper-level controller is notified. The transitional RAM is then released, and the timer is reset.

[0085] Determine if the accumulated event count exceeds a preset threshold. If not, continue monitoring. If so, process the ADC value distribution histogram stored in the transition RAM to determine the current ADC baseline of monitoring link A. Also determine if the current ADC baseline matches the preset ADC baseline. If they match, processing of monitoring link A is complete, the traversed link ID is incremented, the timer is reset, and the transition RAM is released. If they do not match, ADC baseline drift is detected and reported to the upper controller. Simultaneously, the preset ADC baseline can be updated based on the current ADC baseline. Processing of the traversed monitoring link A is complete, the timer is reset, and the transition RAM is released. The traversed link ID is incremented, and the monitoring link B, which is sorted by the traversed link ID, is added.

[0086] In some embodiments of this application, the target monitoring link is a time-drift link, and the monitoring data of the target monitoring link is a differential nonlinear value; before the step of monitoring or correcting the target monitoring link based on the monitoring data, the method further includes: allocating dedicated storage space for the target monitoring link, converting the monitoring data of the target monitoring link into a first time integral nonlinear value, and storing it in the dedicated storage space; after the step of monitoring or correcting the target monitoring link based on the monitoring data, the method further includes: updating the first time integral nonlinear value in the dedicated storage space according to the second time integral nonlinear value obtained by monitoring or correcting the target monitoring link.

[0087] For some monitoring links, the monitoring data is in non-numerical form, such as time drift links. The monitoring data may be in the form of complex charts or complex functions. If only temporary storage space is used, it is difficult to meet the reading requirements.

[0088] To this end, a dedicated storage space can be allocated to the monitoring link. After the monitoring data is collected, it can be converted into the corresponding specified form (such as graphs, curves, tables, etc.) and stored in the dedicated storage space for retrieval and use.

[0089] Specifically, taking the target monitoring link as a time-drift link as an example, the measurement accuracy of the Time Differentiation Link (TDC) in a PET system directly affects the coincidence time resolution and signal-to-noise ratio of the back-end imaging in the Time-of-Flight (TOF) system. However, its measurement accuracy is easily affected by two major factors: internal factors, such as uncontrollable delay of delay units, quantization errors, and nonlinearity of delay lines; and external factors, such as the influence of manufacturing processes, temperature, voltage, and global clock, etc., and the characteristic distribution of each TDC link is different. The commonly used correction scheme is to allocate two lookup table logic storage resources for each TDC link. One is used to record the time count distribution that needs to be corrected in the current TDC link, i.e., the DNL (differential nonlinearity) characteristic; the other is to convert the DNL in the first storage resource into INL (integral nonlinearity) for time correction. However, in large and massive PET systems, the number of TDC links can reach thousands, and the traditional correction scheme consumes too much subsequent logic resources.

[0090] To address this, the time drift can be monitored using the medical imaging equipment status monitoring method described in this application. This monitoring can be performed within the data processing module (FPGA, DSP, or other processor). Figure 8 This illustration shows a schematic diagram of the mechanism for monitoring the time drift of a medical imaging device according to another embodiment of this application. Figure 7 It can be seen that a dedicated RAM is allocated for each TDC link in the PET system. Figure 8 (See the diagram below). It stores the time integral nonlinearity (INL) value (first specified form) of the current link TDC. When traversing to the current TDC link, it searches a dedicated RAM based on the current output value of the TDC link and converts it to a time value. Simultaneously, it allocates a shared transition RAM for all TDC links, which can be time-divisionally slid to each TDC link. It updates the corresponding dedicated RAM based on the current TDC link's DNL, ​​completing the time-division correction for each TDC link. Figure 8 (See image below).

[0091] Figure 9 A flowchart illustrating a method for monitoring the status of a medical imaging device according to yet another embodiment of this application is shown. Figure 9 As can be seen, this embodiment includes:

[0092] A dedicated RAM is allocated for the target monitoring link, and a shared temporary RAM is allocated for the target monitoring link.

[0093] The target monitoring links are identified as monitoring link A and monitoring link B by sending scheduling instructions through the target monitoring links. Both monitoring link A and monitoring link B are time-drift links, with monitoring link A following monitoring link B.

[0094] The monitoring data of monitoring link A and monitoring link B are collected and converted into first time integral nonlinear (INL) values ​​and stored in dedicated RAM, and the original monitoring data is stored in temporary RAM.

[0095] Traverse monitoring link A, initialize the timer, and count the number of events. First, determine if the timer has timed out. If so, determine if an external trigger event has occurred on monitoring link A. If it has, increment the number of events and store the value in the transition RAM. If it has not occurred, determine that there is an abnormality in monitoring link A, report to the host controller, reset the timer, and release the transition RAM.

[0096] Determine if the cumulative event count exceeds a preset threshold. If not, continue monitoring; if so, generate the corresponding time distribution histogram for the transitional RAM. Figure 8 The left image above is converted into a second time integral nonlinearity (INL) value. Figure 8 (See the right image above). The system updates the first time integral nonlinearity (INL) value in the dedicated RAM based on the second time integral nonlinearity (INL) value. At this point, monitoring link A is complete, the timer is reset, and the transitional RAM resources are released. Then, monitoring link B is traversed.

[0097] Figure 10 A structural diagram of a medical imaging device status monitoring apparatus according to an embodiment of this application is shown. The medical imaging device status monitoring apparatus is deployed on the medical imaging device, which includes multiple monitoring links and a temporary storage space shared by the multiple monitoring links. The medical imaging device status monitoring apparatus 400 includes:

[0098] Association unit 410 is used to associate a target monitoring link with a temporary storage space, wherein the target monitoring link is at least one of the plurality of monitoring links;

[0099] Storage unit 420 is used to store the monitoring data received by the target monitoring link in the temporary storage space;

[0100] The monitoring or correction unit 430 is used to monitor or correct the target monitoring link based on the monitoring data.

[0101] Release unit 440 is used to release the temporary storage space after monitoring or correcting the target monitoring link.

[0102] In some embodiments of this application, the above-mentioned apparatus further includes: a sliding unit, configured to, before the step of associating the target monitoring link and the temporary storage space, cause the temporary storage space to slide in a time-sharing manner among multiple links; when the temporary storage space slides to at least one of the multiple monitoring links, the at least one monitoring link is designated as the target monitoring link; and / or, at least one of the multiple monitoring links issues a scheduling instruction for the temporary storage space; based on the scheduling instruction and a preset scheduling rule, cause the temporary storage space to slide to at least one monitoring link, and designate the at least one monitoring link to which the temporary storage space slides as the target detection link.

[0103] In some embodiments of this application, the target monitoring link is a time-drift link, and the monitoring data of the target monitoring link is a differential nonlinear value; the above-mentioned device further includes: an allocation unit, configured to allocate dedicated storage space for the target monitoring link before the step of monitoring or correcting the target monitoring link based on the monitoring data, convert the monitoring data of the target monitoring link into a first time integral nonlinear value, and store it in the dedicated storage space; the monitoring or correction unit 430 is further configured to update the first time integral nonlinear value in the dedicated storage space according to the second time integral nonlinear value obtained by monitoring or correcting the target monitoring link.

[0104] In some embodiments of this application, in the above-described device, the monitoring or correction unit 430 is used to determine whether the target monitoring link meets the preset monitoring or correction conditions based on the monitoring data; if not, the state of the target monitoring link is determined to be abnormal, and the abnormal result is reported to the upper controller.

[0105] In some embodiments of this application, in the above-described device, there are multiple target monitoring links; the monitoring or correction unit 430 is used to sort the multiple target monitoring links according to a preset dimension; according to the sorting result, each target monitoring link is traversed sequentially; if it is determined that the current target monitoring link does not meet the preset monitoring or correction conditions, the state of the current target monitoring link is determined to be abnormal, and the abnormal result is reported to the upper controller.

[0106] In some embodiments of this application, in the above-described apparatus, the monitoring or correction unit 430 is configured to monitor whether there is a triggering event on the target monitoring link at a preset interval, and to accumulate the count of the triggering events; when the accumulated count does not reach a preset threshold, if it is determined that there is a triggering event on the target monitoring link within a preset interval, the count of the triggering events is updated; if it is determined that there is no triggering event on the target monitoring link within a preset interval, the target monitoring link is determined not to meet the preset monitoring or correction conditions; when it is determined that the accumulated count is greater than or equal to the preset threshold, the target monitoring link is determined to meet the preset monitoring or correction conditions.

[0107] In some embodiments of this application, in the above-described apparatus, the target monitoring link is an ADC baseline drift link, and the monitoring data is an ADC value distribution histogram; the monitoring or correction unit 430 is further configured to, if it is determined that the target monitoring link meets preset monitoring or correction conditions, read the ADC value distribution histogram of the target monitoring link in the temporary storage space; determine the current ADC baseline of the target monitoring link based on any one of the mean method, median method, weighted method, and mode method, according to the ADC value distribution histogram; determine whether the current ADC baseline is consistent with the preset ADC baseline, and if not, update the preset ADC baseline according to the current ADC baseline.

[0108] In some embodiments of this application, in the above-described device, the target monitoring link is an energy drift link, and the monitoring data is an energy distribution map; the monitoring or correction unit 430 is further configured to, if it is determined that the target monitoring link meets the preset monitoring or correction conditions, read the energy distribution map of the target monitoring link in the temporary storage space; perform histogram statistics on the energy distribution map to determine the current peak value of the target monitoring link; determine whether the current peak value is consistent with the preset peak value, and if not, report to the upper controller.

[0109] It should be noted that the aforementioned medical imaging equipment status monitoring devices can implement the aforementioned medical imaging equipment status monitoring methods one by one, and will not be described in detail here.

[0110] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an electronic device according to an embodiment of this application. Please refer to it. Figure 11At the hardware level, the electronic device includes a processor, and optionally also includes an internal bus, a network interface, and memory. The memory may include main memory, such as high-speed random-access memory (RAM), or non-volatile memory, such as at least one disk drive. Of course, the electronic device may also include other hardware required for other business operations.

[0111] The processor, network interface, and memory can be interconnected via an internal bus, which can be an ISA (Industry Standard Architecture) bus, a PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect) bus, or an EISA (Extended Industry Standard Architecture) bus, etc. This bus can be divided into address bus, data bus, control bus, etc. For ease of representation, Figure 11 The symbol is represented by a single double-headed arrow, but this does not mean that there is only one bus or one type of bus.

[0112] Memory is used to store programs. Specifically, programs may include program code, which includes computer operation instructions. Memory may include main memory and non-volatile memory, and provides instructions and data to the processor.

[0113] The processor reads the corresponding computer program from non-volatile memory into main memory and then runs it, forming a monitoring device for the status of the medical imaging equipment at the logical level. The processor executes the program stored in memory and specifically performs the aforementioned methods.

[0114] The above is as stated in this application. Figure 10The method executed by the monitoring device for the status of medical imaging equipment disclosed in the illustrated embodiment can be applied to a processor, or implemented by a processor. The processor may be an integrated circuit chip with signal processing capabilities. During implementation, each step of the above method can be completed by integrated logic circuits in the processor's hardware or by instructions in software form. The processor can be a general-purpose processor, including a Central Processing Unit (CPU), a Network Processor (NP), etc.; it can also be a Digital Signal Processor (DSP), an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), a Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA), or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, or discrete hardware components. It can implement or execute the methods, steps, and logic block diagrams disclosed in the embodiments of this application. The general-purpose processor can be a microprocessor or any conventional processor. The steps of the method disclosed in the embodiments of this application can be directly embodied in the execution of a hardware decoding processor, or executed by a combination of hardware and software modules in the decoding processor. The software module can reside in a mature storage medium in the field, such as random access memory, flash memory, read-only memory, programmable read-only memory, electrically erasable programmable memory, or registers. This storage medium is located in memory, and the processor reads information from the memory and, in conjunction with its hardware, completes the steps of the above method.

[0115] The electronic device can also perform Figure 10 A method for monitoring the status of traditional Chinese medicine imaging equipment, and the implementation of the monitoring device for the status of medical imaging equipment. Figure 10 The functions of the embodiments shown are not described in detail here.

[0116] This application also proposes a computer-readable storage medium that stores one or more programs, the programs including instructions that, when executed by an electronic device including multiple applications, enable the electronic device to perform... Figure 9 The method executed by the monitoring device for the status of the medical imaging equipment in the illustrated embodiment is specifically used to execute the aforementioned method.

[0117] Those skilled in the art will understand that embodiments of this application can be provided as methods, systems, or computer program products. Therefore, this application can take the form of a completely hardware embodiment, a completely software embodiment, or an embodiment combining software and hardware aspects. Furthermore, this application can take the form of a computer program product embodied on one or more computer-usable storage media (including but not limited to disk storage, CD-ROM, optical storage, etc.) containing computer-usable program code.

[0118] This application is described with reference to flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams of methods, apparatus (systems), and computer program products according to embodiments of this application. It will be understood that each block of the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams, can be implemented by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions can be provided to a processor of a general-purpose computer, special-purpose computer, embedded processor, or other programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine, such that the instructions, which execute via the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing apparatus, generate instructions for implementing the flowchart... Figure 1 One or more processes and / or boxes Figure 1 A device that provides the functions specified in one or more boxes.

[0119] These computer program instructions may also be stored in a computer-readable storage medium that can direct a computer or other programmable data processing device to function in a particular manner, such that the instructions stored in the computer-readable storage medium produce an article of manufacture including instruction means, which are implemented in a process Figure 1 One or more processes and / or boxes Figure 1 The function specified in one or more boxes.

[0120] These computer program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer or other programmable data processing equipment to cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer or other programmable equipment to produce a computer-implemented process, thereby providing instructions that execute on the computer or other programmable equipment for implementing the process. Figure 1 One or more processes and / or boxes Figure 1 The steps of the function specified in one or more boxes.

[0121] In a typical configuration, a computing device includes one or more processors (CPU), input / output interfaces, network interfaces, and memory.

[0122] Memory may include non-persistent storage in computer-readable media, such as random access memory (RAM) and / or non-volatile memory, such as read-only memory (ROM) or flash RAM. Memory is an example of computer-readable media.

[0123] Computer-readable media includes both permanent and non-permanent, removable and non-removable media that can store information using any method or technology. Information can be computer-readable instructions, data structures, modules of programs, or other data. Examples of computer storage media include, but are not limited to, phase-change memory (PRAM), static random access memory (SRAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), other types of random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), flash memory or other memory technologies, CD-ROM, digital versatile optical disc (DVD) or other optical storage, magnetic tape, magnetic magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other non-transferable medium that can be used to store information accessible by a computing device. As defined herein, computer-readable media does not include transient computer-readable media, such as modulated data signals and carrier waves.

[0124] It should also be noted that the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article, or apparatus. Without further limitation, an element defined by the phrase "comprising one..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that includes said element.

[0125] Those skilled in the art will understand that embodiments of this application can be provided as methods, systems, or computer program products. Therefore, this application can take the form of a completely hardware embodiment, a completely software embodiment, or an embodiment combining software and hardware aspects. Furthermore, this application can take the form of a computer program product embodied on one or more computer-usable storage media (including, but not limited to, disk storage, CD-ROM, optical storage, etc.) containing computer-usable program code.

[0126] The above description is merely an embodiment of this application and is not intended to limit the scope of this application. Various modifications and variations can be made to this application by those skilled in the art. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of this application should be included within the scope of the claims of this application.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring the status of a medical imaging device, characterized in that, The medical imaging device includes multiple monitoring links and a temporary storage space shared by the multiple monitoring links; the method includes: The target monitoring link is associated with a temporary storage space, wherein the target monitoring link is at least one of the plurality of monitoring links; The monitoring data received by the target monitoring link is stored in the temporary storage space; Based on the monitoring data, the target monitoring link is monitored or corrected; After monitoring or correcting the target monitoring link is completed, the temporary storage space is released; Prior to the step of associating the target monitoring link and the temporary storage space, the method further includes: The temporary storage space slides across multiple links in a time-sharing manner. When the temporary storage space slides to at least one of the plurality of monitoring links, the at least one monitoring link serves as the target monitoring link; or, At least one of the multiple monitoring links issues a scheduling instruction for temporary storage space; Based on the scheduling instructions and preset scheduling rules, the temporary storage space is slid at least one monitoring link, and the at least one monitoring link to which the temporary storage space is slid is taken as the target monitoring link.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the target monitoring link is a time-drift link, and the monitoring data of the target monitoring link is a differential nonlinear value; Prior to the step of monitoring or correcting the target monitoring link based on the monitoring data, the method further includes: A dedicated storage space is allocated for the target monitoring link, and the monitoring data of the target monitoring link is converted into a first time integral nonlinear value and stored in the dedicated storage space. After the step of monitoring or correcting the target monitoring link based on the monitoring data, the method further includes: The first time integral nonlinear value in the dedicated storage space is updated based on the second time integral nonlinear value obtained by monitoring or correcting the target monitoring link.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The monitoring or correction of the target monitoring link based on the monitoring data includes: Based on the monitoring data, determine whether the target monitoring link meets the preset monitoring or correction conditions; if not, determine that the state of the target monitoring link is abnormal and report the abnormal result to the upper controller.

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that, The target monitoring links are multiple; the monitoring or correction of the target monitoring links based on the monitoring data includes: Multiple target monitoring links are sorted according to preset dimensions; According to the sorting results, each target monitoring link is traversed sequentially. If it is determined that the current target monitoring link does not meet the preset monitoring or correction conditions, the state of the current target monitoring link is determined to be abnormal, and the abnormal result is reported to the upper controller.

5. The method according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that, The step of determining whether the target monitoring link meets the preset monitoring or correction conditions includes: At preset intervals, monitor whether there are any triggering events on the target monitoring link, and accumulate the number of triggering events. If the cumulative count does not reach the preset threshold, and if it is determined that there is a trigger event in the target monitoring link within a preset interval, then the count of the trigger event is updated. If it is determined that no triggering event occurs in the target monitoring link within a certain preset interval, then it is determined that the target monitoring link does not meet the preset monitoring or correction conditions. When the cumulative number of counts is greater than or equal to a preset threshold, the target monitoring link is determined to meet the preset monitoring or correction conditions.

6. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that, The target monitoring link is an ADC baseline drift link, and the monitoring data is an ADC numerical distribution histogram; The monitoring or correction of the target monitoring link based on the monitoring data further includes: If it is determined that the target monitoring link meets the preset monitoring or correction conditions, then the ADC value distribution histogram of the target monitoring link in the temporary storage space is read. Based on any one of the mean method, median method, weighted method, and mode method, determine the current ADC baseline of the target monitoring link according to the ADC numerical distribution histogram; Determine whether the current ADC baseline is consistent with the preset ADC baseline. If not, update the preset ADC baseline based on the current ADC baseline.

7. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that, The target monitoring link is an energy drift link, and the monitoring data is an energy distribution map; The monitoring or correction of the target monitoring link based on the monitoring data further includes: If it is determined that the target monitoring link meets the preset monitoring or correction conditions, then the energy distribution map of the target monitoring link in the temporary storage space is read; Histogram statistics are performed on the energy distribution map to determine the current peak value of the target monitoring link; Determine whether the current peak value is consistent with the preset peak value. If they are inconsistent, report to the host controller.

8. A monitoring device for the status of a medical imaging equipment, characterized in that, The monitoring device for the status of the medical imaging equipment is deployed on the medical imaging equipment, which includes multiple monitoring links and a temporary storage space shared by the multiple monitoring links. The device includes: The association unit is used to associate the target monitoring link with the temporary storage space, wherein the target monitoring link is at least one of the plurality of monitoring links; Storage unit, used to store the monitoring data received by the target monitoring link in the temporary storage space; A monitoring or correction unit is used to monitor or correct the target monitoring link based on the monitoring data. The release unit is used to release the temporary storage space after monitoring or correcting the target monitoring link; The device further includes: a sliding unit, configured to, before the step of associating the target monitoring link and the temporary storage space, cause the temporary storage space to slide between multiple links in a time-sharing manner; when the temporary storage space slides to at least one of the multiple monitoring links, the at least one monitoring link is designated as the target monitoring link; or, at least one of the multiple monitoring links issues a scheduling instruction for the temporary storage space; based on the scheduling instruction and a preset scheduling rule, cause the temporary storage space to slide to at least one monitoring link, and designate the at least one monitoring link to which the temporary storage space slides as the target monitoring link.

9. An electronic device, comprising: processor; as well as A memory configured to store computer-executable instructions, which, when executed, cause the processor to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

10. A computer-readable storage medium storing one or more programs, which, when executed by an electronic device including a plurality of applications, cause the electronic device to perform the method of any one of claims 1 to 7.

Images