Information processing apparatus, ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, information processing method, and computer-readable medium

Abstract

Provided is an information processing apparatus, an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, an information processing method, and a computer-readable medium that present information indicating an appropriate puncture difficulty according to a user performing a blood vessel puncture. A main body section (12) includes an acquisition section (34) that acquires an ultrasonic image (U) of a tissue including a blood vessel (B) of a subject, a detection section (36) that detects the blood vessel (B) from the acquired ultrasonic image (U), and a difficulty information output section (44) that outputs difficulty information related to a puncture difficulty of the detected blood vessel (B) according to a proficiency of a user performing a puncture.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to an information processing apparatus, an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, an information processing method, and a computer-readable medium. BACKGROUND

[0002] An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus that uses an ultrasonic probe to take an ultrasonic image of a subject is known, the ultrasonic probe receiving ultrasonic echoes of ultrasonic waves emitted toward the subject and outputting a reception signal based on the received ultrasonic echoes.

[0003] Also, a blood vessel of a subject is punctured by inserting an insert such as a so-called puncture needle and catheter. As a puncture method, a method of taking an ultrasonic image of a blood vessel of a subject and performing puncture with reference to a blood vessel that appears in the taken ultrasonic image, such as echo-guided puncture, is known. In this method, there is a technique of presenting information indicating a puncture difficulty to a user such as a doctor or nurse who performs puncture. For example, Patent Literature 1 describes a technique of comparing a blood vessel diameter detected from an ultrasonic image and a standard blood vessel diameter, judging whether puncture can be performed according to a state of compression of a blood vessel by an ultrasonic probe, and presenting a result.

[0004] PRIOR ART DOCUMENTS

[0005] PATENT LITERATURE

[0006] Patent Literature 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2016-123794 SUMMARY

[0007] PROBLEMS TO BE SOLVED BY THE INVENTION

[0008] The proficiency regarding puncture differs depending on the user. Therefore, the difficulty of puncture sometimes differs for each user. As the puncture difficulty, Patent Literature 1 presents that puncture can be performed, but this does not correspond to each user, and the presented puncture difficulty sometimes does not suit the user who actually performs puncture.

[0009] The present application was made in view of the above circumstances, and aims to provide an information processing apparatus, an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, an information processing method, and an information processing program that can present information indicating an appropriate puncture difficulty to a user who performs puncture of a blood vessel.

[0010] MEANS FOR SOLVING THE PROBLEMS

[0011] To achieve the above object, an information processing apparatus of a first aspect of the present application includes: an acquisition unit that acquires an ultrasonic image of a tissue including a blood vessel of a subject; a detection unit that detects the blood vessel from the acquired ultrasonic image; and a difficulty information output unit that outputs, as difficulty information, information related to a difficulty of puncture of the detected blood vessel, according to a proficiency of a user who performs the puncture.

[0012] An information processing apparatus of a second aspect of the present application further includes a determination unit that determines whether the puncture can be performed according to a detection result of the detection unit, in the information processing apparatus of the first aspect.

[0013] An information processing apparatus of a third aspect of the present application determines whether the puncture can be performed according to a blood vessel condition corresponding to the proficiency of the user and related to whether the puncture can be performed and the detection result, in the information processing apparatus of the second aspect.

[0014] An information processing apparatus of a fourth aspect of the present application relaxes, in the information processing apparatus of the second or third aspect, a blood vessel condition under which the puncture is allowed, when a quality of the ultrasonic image is higher than a predetermined quality.

[0015] An information processing apparatus of a fifth aspect of the present application further includes a detection unit that detects a depth from a body surface to the blood vessel of the subject, in the information processing apparatus of any one of the second to fourth aspects, and a determination unit that determines whether the puncture can be performed according to the depth.

[0016] An information processing apparatus of a sixth aspect of the present application allows, in the information processing apparatus of the fifth aspect, the puncture when the depth is less than a depth threshold.

[0017] An information processing apparatus of a seventh aspect of the present application further includes a detection unit that detects a blood vessel diameter indicating a thickness of the blood vessel, in the information processing apparatus of any one of the second to sixth aspects, and a determination unit that determines whether the puncture can be performed according to the blood vessel diameter.

[0018] An information processing apparatus of an eighth aspect of the present application allows, in the information processing apparatus of the seventh aspect, the puncture when the blood vessel diameter is greater than a blood vessel diameter threshold.

[0019] An information processing apparatus of a ninth aspect of the present application further includes a detection unit that detects a tissue around the blood vessel, in the information processing apparatus of any one of the second to eighth aspects, and a determination unit that determines whether the puncture can be performed according to the tissue.

[0020] An information processing apparatus of a tenth aspect of the present application allows, in the information processing apparatus of the ninth aspect, the puncture when a distance between the blood vessel and the tissue is greater than or equal to a distance threshold.

[0021] The information processing apparatus of the 11th aspect of the present application, in the information processing apparatus of the 9th aspect or the 10th aspect, the blood vessel is an object blood vessel as a puncture object, and the tissue includes a non-object blood vessel that is not a puncture object.

[0022] The information processing apparatus of the 12th aspect of the present application, in the information processing apparatus of any one of the 1st aspect to the 11th aspect, the difficulty information is information in which a display manner is different between when the puncture can be performed and when the puncture cannot be performed.

[0023] The information processing apparatus of the 13th aspect of the present application, in the information processing apparatus of any one of the 2nd aspect to the 12th aspect, in a case where the quality of the ultrasonic image is higher than a predetermined reference, the determination section increases the proficiency acquired, and determines whether the puncture can be performed based on a blood vessel condition corresponding to the proficiency after the increase.

[0024] The information processing apparatus of the 14th aspect of the present application, in the information processing apparatus of any one of the 1st aspect to the 13th aspect, the difficulty information output section outputs the ultrasonic image to which the difficulty information is added.

[0025] Further, in order to achieve the above object, the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus of the 15th aspect of the present application includes: an ultrasonic probe that receives an ultrasonic echo of an ultrasonic wave that is emitted and outputs a reception signal based on the received ultrasonic echo; an image generation section that generates an ultrasonic image from the reception signal input from the ultrasonic probe; and the information processing apparatus of the present application.

[0026] Further, in order to achieve the above object, the information processing method of the 16th aspect of the present application is a method for a computer to execute: acquiring an ultrasonic image of a tissue including a blood vessel of a subject; detecting the blood vessel from the acquired ultrasonic image; and outputting difficulty information related to a puncture difficulty of the detected blood vessel according to a proficiency of a user who performs a puncture.

[0027] Further, in order to achieve the above object, the information processing program of the 17th aspect of the present application is for causing a computer to execute: acquiring an ultrasonic image of a tissue including a blood vessel of a subject; detecting the blood vessel from the acquired ultrasonic image; and outputting difficulty information related to a puncture difficulty of the detected blood vessel according to a proficiency of a user who performs a puncture.

[0028] Effects of the Invention

[0029] According to the present application, it is possible to present information indicating an appropriate puncture difficulty according to a user who performs a blood vessel puncture. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0030] Figure 1is a block diagram showing an example of the overall structure of an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus of an embodiment.

[0031] Figure 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the structure of a reception circuit.

[0032] Figure 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the structure of an image generation section.

[0033] Figure 4A is an example of an ultrasonic image taken by a short axis method.

[0034] Figure 4B is an example of an ultrasonic image taken by a long axis method.

[0035] Figure 4C is a diagram for explaining a blood vessel diameter and a depth of a blood vessel.

[0036] Figure 5A is a diagram for explaining an example of personal proficiency information.

[0037] Figure 5B is a diagram for explaining an example of blood vessel condition information.

[0038] Figure 6 is a structure diagram showing an example of the hardware structure of a main body section of an embodiment.

[0039] Figure 7 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of a puncture assistance process of a main body section of an embodiment.

[0040] Figure 8A is an example of an ultrasonic image to which difficulty information indicating that a puncture can be performed is added.

[0041] Figure 8B is an example of an ultrasonic image to which difficulty information indicating that a puncture cannot be performed is added.

[0042] Figure 9 is a diagram for explaining another example of blood vessel condition information.

[0043] Figure 10 is a diagram for explaining an example of blood vessel conditions of Modification 1.

[0044] Figure 11 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of a puncture assistance process of a main body section of Modification 1.

[0045] Figure 12A is an example of an ultrasonic image to which difficulty information indicating that a puncture can be performed is added in the modification.

[0046] Figure 12Bis a drawing showing an example of an ultrasound image to which difficulty information indicating that puncture cannot be performed is added in a modification example.

[0047] Figure 13 is a drawing showing an example of the overall structure of a modification example of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus.

[0048] Figure 14 is a drawing showing an example of the overall structure of another modification example of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0049] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present application will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that the present embodiment is not intended to limit the present application.

[0050] [1st Embodiment]

[0051] First, an example of the overall structure of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus of the present embodiment will be described. Figure 1 A block diagram showing an example of the overall structure of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 1 of the present embodiment is shown in FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. 1, the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 1 of the present embodiment is provided with an ultrasonic probe 10 and a main body section 12. Figure 1

[0052] The ultrasonic probe 10 is provided with a transducer array 20 and a transceiving circuit 22 including a transmission circuit 24 and a reception circuit 26. The transducer array 20 is provided with a plurality of transducers (omitted from the drawing) arranged in one dimension or two dimensions. As an example, in the present embodiment, a linear type ultrasonic probe in which the ultrasonic probe 10 is provided with a plurality of transducers arranged in a straight line will be described. Note that the ultrasonic probe 10 is not limited to this, and can be a convex or fan type ultrasonic probe in which the transducers are arranged in a curved line. The plurality of transducers respectively transmit ultrasonic waves in accordance with a drive signal applied from the transmission circuit 24, and receive ultrasonic echoes generated in an object, and output an electric signal corresponding to the received ultrasonic echoes.

[0053] The plurality of transducers are respectively constituted by, for example, electrodes formed at both ends of a piezoelectric body having piezoelectricity, such as a piezoelectric ceramic typified by PZT (Lead Zirconate Titanate), a high molecular piezoelectric element typified by PVDF (Poly Vinylidene Di Fluoride), and a piezoelectric single crystal typified by PMN-PT (Lead Magnesium Niobate-Lead Titanate).

[0054] ​The transmitting circuit 24 causes the transducer array 20 to emit an ultrasonic beam toward the subject. Specifically, the transmitting circuit 24 includes, for example, multiple pulse generators (not shown), and supplies drive signals to apply voltage by adjusting the delay of each transducer in the transducer array 20 according to a transmission delay mode selected based on a control signal from the imaging control unit 30 of the main body 12. Each drive signal is a pulsed or continuous wave voltage signal, and when a voltage is applied to the electrodes of the transducer array 20, the piezoelectric element expands and contracts. As a result, pulsed or continuous wave ultrasonic waves are generated from each transducer, and the composite wave of these ultrasonic waves forms an ultrasonic beam.

[0055] The emitted ultrasonic beam is reflected by various parts of the subject body (e.g., blood vessels and other tissues) and instruments placed within the subject body to generate ultrasonic echoes. These echoes propagate within the subject body and are received by multiple transducers in the transducer array 20. Each transducer generates an electrical signal corresponding to the received ultrasonic echo. The electrical signals generated in each transducer are output to the receiving circuit 26.

[0056] The receiving circuit 26 processes the signal (strictly speaking, analog electrical signal) output from the oscillator array 20 according to the control signal from the photography control unit 30 of the main body 12 to generate an acoustic signal. Figure 2 A block diagram illustrating an example of the structure of the receiving circuit 26 in this embodiment is shown. Figure 2 As shown, the receiving circuit 26 includes, for example, an amplification unit 60, an A / D (Analog-Digital) converter 62, and a beamformer 64.

[0057] The amplification unit 60 amplifies the electrical signals output from the multiple oscillators of the oscillator array 20 and outputs the amplified electrical signals to the A / D conversion unit 62. The A / D conversion unit 62 converts the amplified electrical signals into digital received data and outputs the converted received data to the beamformer 64. The beamformer 64 assigns a delay to each received data converted by the A / D conversion unit 62 according to the speed of sound (set according to the reception delay mode) or the distribution of the speed of sound, and adds them together to perform reception focusing processing. The reception delay mode is selected according to the control signal from the imaging control unit 30 of the main body unit 12. Through this reception focusing processing, the received data converted by the A / D conversion unit 62 is phase-aligned and added together to generate a focused acoustic ray signal of the ultrasonic echo. The generated acoustic ray signal is output to the image generation unit 32 of the main body unit 12.

[0058] On the other hand, the main body 12 includes a photographing control section 30, an image generation section 32, an acquisition section 34, a detection section 36, a determination section 38, an authentication section 40, a difficulty information output section 44, and a display section 46. The main body 12 of the present embodiment is a portable terminal device such as a smartphone or a tablet terminal. The main body 12 has a function of photographing an ultrasonic image as a B-mode image (tomographic image) related to a tissue in a subject, based on an acoustic line signal obtained by scanning the subject with the ultrasonic probe 10, by installing a program such as an application software. The main body 12 of the present embodiment is an example of the information processing device of the present application.

[0059] When the ultrasonic image is photographed, the photographing control section 30 has a function of outputting a control signal to the transceiving circuit 22 of the ultrasonic probe 10, as described above. The control signal output from the photographing control section 30 is input to the transmission circuit 24 and the reception circuit 26, and the acoustic line signal is output from the reception circuit 26 of the ultrasonic probe 10 to the image generation section 32, as described above.

[0060] The image generation section 32 has a function of generating an ultrasonic image based on the acoustic line signal input from the reception circuit 26 of the ultrasonic probe 10. Figure 3 A block diagram showing an example of the structure of the image generation section 32 of the present embodiment is shown in FIG. 8. As shown in FIG. 8, the image generation section 32 has, for example, a signal processing section 70, a DSC (Digital Scan Converter) 72, and an image processing section 74. The signal processing section 70 performs distance-based attenuation correction on the acoustic line signal generated by the reception circuit 26 according to the depth of the reflection position of the ultrasonic wave, and then performs envelope detection processing, thereby generating a B-mode image signal representing the ultrasonic image U. The DSC 72 converts the B-mode image signal generated by the signal processing section 70 into an image signal conforming to a scanning method of a general television signal by raster conversion or the like. The image processing section 74 performs various necessary image processing such as gradation processing on the B-mode image signal input from the DSC 72, and then outputs the B-mode image signal. The B-mode image signal output from the image generation section 32 corresponds to the ultrasonic image U. Figure 3 The signal processing section 70 performs distance-based attenuation correction on the acoustic line signal generated by the reception circuit 26 according to the depth of the reflection position of the ultrasonic wave, and then performs envelope detection processing, thereby generating a B-mode image signal representing the ultrasonic image U. The DSC 72 converts the B-mode image signal generated by the signal processing section 70 into an image signal conforming to a scanning method of a general television signal by raster conversion or the like. The image processing section 74 performs various necessary image processing such as gradation processing on the B-mode image signal input from the DSC 72, and then outputs the B-mode image signal. The B-mode image signal output from the image generation section 32 corresponds to the ultrasonic image U.

[0061] The transceiving circuit 22 of the ultrasonic probe 10 and the image generation section 32 of the main body 12 continuously acquire a plurality of ultrasonic images at a predetermined frame rate during the photographing of the ultrasonic image under the control of the photographing control section 30.

[0062] In addition, by moving the ultrasonic probe 10 while in contact with the subject, the portion where the tomographic image is observed changes according to the ultrasonic image, and by changing the orientation in which the ultrasonic probe 10 is brought into contact with the subject, it is possible to switch the direction in which a blood vessel or the like within the subject is observed. For example, in a case where the ultrasonic probe 10 is brought into contact with the subject in an orientation in which the direction in which the plurality of transducers in the transducer array 20 are arranged (i.e., the scanning direction) is orthogonal to the direction in which the blood vessel and the insert extend (i.e., in a case where the short axis method (cross method) is employed), the cross section of the blood vessel and the insert will be observed in the ultrasonic image. Figure 4A An example of an ultrasonic image U taken by the short axis method is shown in FIG. 6. Figure 4A The ultrasonic image U shown in FIG. 6 shows the cross section of the blood vessel B and the cross section of the needle N as an example of an insert. Here, the cross section of each of the blood vessel B and the needle N indicates a cut surface of each of the blood vessel B and the needle N that is orthogonal to the direction of extension.

[0063] On the other hand, in a case where the ultrasonic probe 10 is brought into contact with the subject in an orientation in which the direction in which the transducers in the transducer array 20 are arranged (the scanning direction) is along the direction in which the blood vessel and the insert extend (i.e., in a case where the long axis method (parallel method) is employed), the longitudinal section of the blood vessel and the insert will be observed in the ultrasonic image. Figure 4B An example of an ultrasonic image U taken by the long axis method is shown in FIG. 7. Figure 4B The ultrasonic image U shown in FIG. 7 shows the longitudinal section of the blood vessel B and the longitudinal section of the needle N as an example of an insert. Here, the longitudinal section of each of the blood vessel B and the needle N indicates a cut surface of each of the blood vessel B and the needle N that is along the direction of extension.

[0064] In addition, in the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 8, the ultrasonic probe 10 is brought into contact with the subject in an orientation in which the direction in which the plurality of transducers in the transducer array 20 are arranged (i.e., the scanning direction) is orthogonal to the direction in which the blood vessel and the insert extend. Figure 4A and Figure 4B As shown in FIG. 8, in the ultrasonic image U, the direction connecting the surface S of the subject and the inside of the subject is referred to as the depth direction D. The depth direction D corresponds to the direction in which the plurality of scan lines extend in the ultrasonic image U. On the other hand, the direction that intersects the depth direction D is referred to as the width direction H. The width direction H corresponds to the direction in which the plurality of scan lines are arranged. Each of the blood vessel B and the needle N and the like in the ultrasonic image U is displayed in a position in the depth direction D that corresponds to the distance (i.e., the depth) from the surface of the subject that is in contact with the ultrasonic probe 10.

[0065] The ultrasonic image U generated by the image generation section 32 is output to the acquisition section 34.

[0066] The acquisition unit 34 has a function of acquiring the ultrasonic image U generated and output by the image generation unit 32. The ultrasonic image U acquired by the acquisition unit 34 is output to the detection unit 36 and the difficulty information output unit 44. In addition, in a case where the image generation unit 32 functions as the information processing apparatus of the present application as in the present embodiment, the functions of the image generation unit 32 and the acquisition unit 34 can be integrated. In other words, in a case where the information processing apparatus of the present application is provided with the image generation unit 32, the image generation unit 32 can be caused to also function as the acquisition unit 34.

[0067] The detection unit 36 has a function of detecting the blood vessel B from the ultrasonic image U input by the acquisition unit 34. In addition, the method by which the detection unit 36 detects the blood vessel B from the ultrasonic image U is not particularly limited. As an example, the detection unit 36 of the present embodiment analyzes the ultrasonic image U acquired by the acquisition unit 34 (in other words, the ultrasonic image U generated by the image generation unit 32) according to a known algorithm, thereby detecting the blood vessel B within the ultrasonic image U. For example, the detection unit 36 can store typical pattern data of a blood vessel region as a template in advance, search within the ultrasonic image U using the template, derive a degree of similarity to the pattern data, and consider that a blood vessel B exists at a position where the degree of similarity is a reference value or more and is the largest.

[0068] In addition, in addition to simple template matching, the derivation of the degree of similarity can also cite a method of using a learned learning model according to a feature quantity of an image representing the blood vessel B. For example, a machine learning method such as SVM (Support Vector Machine) or AdaBoost (Adaptive Boosting) described in Csurka et al.: Visual Categorization with Bags of Keypoints, Proc. of ECCV Workshop on Statistical Learning in Computer Vision, pp. 59-74 (2004) or a general image recognition method using deep learning described in Krizhevsk et al.: ImageNet Classification with Deep Convolutional Neural Networks, Advances in Neural Information Processing Systems 25, pp. 1106-1114 (2012) can be used.

[0069] Further, for example, the detection unit 36 can also detect the blood vessel B within the ultrasonic image U using a blood vessel detection model, which is a learned model obtained by machine learning on a plurality of ultrasonic images U to which a label is applied for the blood vessel B. The blood vessel detection model is, for example, an object detection algorithm using deep learning. As the blood vessel detection model, for example, an object detection model constituted by R-CNN (Regional CNN) which is one type of convolutional neural network (CNN) can be used. The blood vessel detection model detects the blood vessel B as an object from the input ultrasonic image U and outputs information indicating the blood vessel B within the ultrasonic image U.

[0070] Further, the detection unit 36 of the present embodiment has a function of detecting the diameter (hereinafter referred to as "vessel diameter") and the depth of the detected blood vessel B. In addition, the method by which the detection unit 36 derives the vessel diameter and the depth of the blood vessel B in the ultrasonic image U is not particularly limited. As an example, the detection unit 36 of the present embodiment derives the vessel diameter and the depth of the blood vessel B by applying a known image analysis process to the detected blood vessel B in the ultrasonic image U. In addition, as shown in FIG. 2, the vessel diameter of the blood vessel B indicates the width of the blood vessel B in the depth direction D of the ultrasonic image U (length indicated by the symbol d2). Figure 4C Figure 4C Further, the depth of the blood vessel B indicates the shortest distance from the position corresponding to the body surface S of the subject to the blood vessel B in the ultrasonic image U in the depth direction D (distance indicated by the symbol d1). Figure 4C

[0071] In addition, the detection unit 36 of the present embodiment detects all the blood vessels B and their depths and vessel diameters included in the ultrasonic image U. In the case where a plurality of blood vessels B are included in the ultrasonic image U, it can be configured to detect each of the plurality of blood vessels B, for example, by applying template matching, a general image recognition method, or a blood vessel detection model. Further, for example, it can also be configured to detect a plurality of blood vessels B by grouping one or more blood vessels B together and applying template matching, a general image recognition method, or a blood vessel detection model thereto.

[0072] The detection result of the detection unit 36 is output to the determination unit 38. Specifically, information indicating the blood vessel B within the ultrasonic image U detected by the detection unit 36 and the depth and the vessel diameter of the blood vessel B are output to the determination unit 38.

[0073] ​​The determination section 38 has a function of determining whether or not the puncture can be performed, based on the blood vessel information corresponding to the proficiency of the user and the detection result of the detection section 36. Specifically, the determination section 38 determines whether or not the puncture can be performed on the blood vessel B in the ultrasonic image U, based on the blood vessel condition, the depth of the blood vessel B, and the blood vessel diameter, which allows the puncture on the blood vessel B according to the proficiency of the user. Note that the proficiency is the proficiency of the user such as a doctor or a nurse who performs the puncture, in the puncture on the blood vessel B, and in the present embodiment, the higher the proficiency, the more skilled the user is in the puncture, and the lower the proficiency, the less skilled the user is in the puncture or the more beginner the user is in the puncture.

[0074] The storage section 52 of the present embodiment stores therein the proficiency information 42 indicating the blood vessel condition that allows the puncture for each user according to the proficiency. Note that the blood vessel condition is a condition indicating the state of the blood vessel B related to whether or not the puncture can be performed, and in the present embodiment, the minimum blood vessel diameter and the maximum blood vessel depth for allowing the puncture are adopted. As an example, the proficiency information 42 of the present embodiment includes the personal proficiency information 42A indicating the correspondence between the user ID (IDentification) for identifying the user and the proficiency of the user, and the blood vessel condition information 42B indicating the correspondence between the proficiency and the minimum blood vessel diameter and the maximum blood vessel depth for allowing the puncture. Figure 6 Figure 5A Figure 5B

[0075] The personal proficiency information 42A is information indicating the correspondence between the user ID for identifying the user and the proficiency of the user. As a specific example, in the present embodiment, four levels of "1" to "4" are set for the proficiency, and the higher the level, the more skilled the user is. That is, if the proficiency is "4", it indicates the most skilled, and if the proficiency is "1", it indicates the least skilled. The personal proficiency information 42A is registered in advance for each user who uses the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 1. Note that the method of setting the proficiency of each user is not particularly limited, and for example, it can be set to be able to be set by the manager of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 1 or the like.

[0076] The blood vessel condition information 42B is information indicating the correspondence between the proficiency and the minimum blood vessel diameter and the maximum blood vessel depth for allowing the puncture. As one of the factors that determine the difficulty of the puncture on the blood vessel B, the blood vessel diameter of the blood vessel B can be cited. Generally, the smaller the blood vessel diameter of the blood vessel B, the more difficult it is to perform the puncture, and the higher the difficulty of the puncture. On the other hand, the larger the blood vessel diameter of the blood vessel B, the easier it is to perform the puncture, and the lower the difficulty of the puncture, or in other words, the higher the ease of the puncture. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the minimum blood vessel diameter for allowing the puncture is specified for each proficiency. The minimum blood vessel diameter in the blood vessel condition information 42B of the present embodiment is an example of the blood vessel diameter threshold of the present application.

[0077] ​​​Further, as another factor that determines the difficulty of the puncture of the blood vessel B, the depth of the blood vessel B can be given. Generally, the greater the depth of the blood vessel B, the more difficult the puncture is performed, and the higher the difficulty of the puncture. On the other hand, the smaller the depth of the blood vessel B, the easier the puncture is performed, and the lower the difficulty of the puncture, in other words, the higher the ease of the puncture. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the maximum blood vessel depth that allows the puncture to be performed is specified for each proficiency. The maximum blood vessel depth in the blood vessel condition information 42B of the present embodiment is an example of the depth threshold of the present application.

[0078] Specifically, the determination section 38 determines the proficiency corresponding to the user ID input from the authentication section 40 with reference to the personal proficiency information 42A. Further, the determination section 38 derives the minimum blood vessel diameter and the maximum blood vessel depth corresponding to the determined proficiency with reference to the blood vessel condition information 42B. Furthermore, the determination section 38 determines whether or not the puncture can be performed by comparing each of the derived minimum blood vessel diameter and the maximum blood vessel depth with the blood vessel diameter and the depth of the blood vessel B as the detection result input from the detection section 36. For example, in the case where the user ID input from the authentication section 40 is "0003", first, the determination section 38 determines the proficiency to be "3" with reference to the personal proficiency information 42A. Further, the determination section 38 derives "3 mm" for the minimum blood vessel diameter and "15 mm" for the maximum blood vessel depth with reference to the blood vessel condition information 42B corresponding to the proficiency "3". Then, in the case where the blood vessel diameter input from the detection section 36 is "3 mm" or more and the depth is "15 mm" or less, the determination section 38 determines that the puncture is allowed to be performed. In other words, in at least one of the case where the blood vessel diameter input from the detection section 36 is less than "3 mm" and the case where the depth is greater than "15 mm", the determination section 38 determines that the puncture is not allowed to be performed.

[0079] The determination section 38 outputs information indicating whether or not the puncture can be performed to the difficulty information output section 44 as a determination result.

[0080] The authentication section 40 has a function of performing an authentication process on a user who uses the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 1. Specifically, the authentication section 40 has a function of acquiring a user ID of a user who uses the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 1. In addition, the method of the authentication section 40 to authenticate the user is not particularly limited. For example, it can be configured that the authentication section 40 acquires the user ID by the user himself or the like operating an input I / F (Interface) section 56 provided to the main body section 12 (refer to FIG. 1) (for example, a touch panel, a button, a keyboard, a mouse, a trackball, a trackpad, a microphone, and the like). Further, the authentication section 40 can be configured to acquire the user ID by the user himself or the like operating an input I / F section 56 provided to the main body section 12 (refer to FIG. 1) (for example, a touch panel, a button, a keyboard, a mouse, a trackball, a trackpad, a microphone, and the like). Figure 6The user ID inputted by the user is outputted to the authentication section 40. The user ID inputted by the user is outputted to the authentication section 40.

[0081] The user ID acquired by the authentication section 40 is outputted to the determination section 38.

[0082] The difficulty information output section 44 has a function of outputting difficulty information related to the difficulty of puncturing the blood vessel B detected by the detection section 36, according to the proficiency of the user who performs the puncturing. Specifically, the difficulty information output section 44 of the present embodiment outputs the ultrasound image U to which the information indicating whether or not the puncturing can be performed as the determination result of the determination section 38 is added as the difficulty information to the display section 46.

[0083] The display section 46 has a function of displaying various information such as the ultrasound image U to which the difficulty information (i.e., the information indicating whether or not the puncturing can be performed) is added, which is outputted from the difficulty information output section 44. As the display section 46, for example, an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display), an organic EL (Electro Luminescence) display, a head-mounted display, or the like can be cited.

[0084] The main body section 12 described above can be configured by hardware as shown in FIG. 6, for example. Figure 6 The main body section 12 described above can be configured by hardware as shown in FIG. 6, for example. Figure 6 A configuration diagram showing an example of the hardware structure of the main body section 12 of the present embodiment is shown in FIG. 6. As shown in FIG. 6, the main body section 12 is provided with a display section 46, a control section 50, a storage section 52, a communication I / F (Interface) section 54, and an input I / F section 56. The display section 46, the control section 50, the storage section 52, the communication I / F section 54, and the input I / F section 56 are connected to each other via a bus 59 such as a system bus or a control bus, so that various information can be exchanged therebetween. Figure 6

[0085] ​The control section 50 controls the operation of the entire main body section 12. The control section 50 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 50A, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 50B, and a RAM (Random Access Memory) 50C. Various programs, including a puncture assistance processing program 51 executed by the CPU 50A, and a photographing program, which is omitted from illustration, are stored in advance in the ROM 50B. The RAM 50C temporarily stores various data. The puncture assistance processing program 51 of the present embodiment is an example of the information processing program of the present application.

[0086] The CPU 50A executes the photographing program stored in the ROM 50B, whereby the CPU 50A functions as the photographing control section 30. Also, the CPU 50A executes the puncture assistance processing program 51 stored in the ROM 50B, whereby the CPU 50A functions as the acquisition section 34, the detection section 36, the determination section 38, the authentication section 40, the proficiency information 42, and the difficulty information output section 44.

[0087] The storage section 52 stores therein image data of the ultrasonic image U generated by the image generation section 32, the above-described proficiency information 42, and other various information. As a specific example of the storage section 52, a HDD (Hard Disk Drive), an SSD (Solid State Drive), an SD (Secure Digital) card, or the like can be given.

[0088] The input I / F section 56 is used for the user to input instructions and various information related to the photographing of the ultrasonic image U, and the like. The input I / F section 56 is not particularly limited, and various switches, a touch panel, a stylus, a camera, a mouse, or the like can be given. In addition, the display section 46 and the input I / F section 56 can be integrated into a touch screen display.

[0089] The communication I / F section 54 performs communication of various information with the ultrasonic probe 10 or an external device of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 1 through wireless communication, such as WiFi (registered trademark) or Bluetooth (registered trademark), or wired communication. As described above, the control signal for photographing the ultrasonic image U is output from the main body section 12 to the ultrasonic probe 10 via the communication I / F section 54. Also, the sound ray signal is input from the ultrasonic probe 10 to the main body section 12 via the communication I / F section 54.

[0090] Next, the operation of the main body section 12 of the present embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0091] As an example, the main body 12 of the present embodiment executes the puncture assisting process stored in the ROM 50B by the CPU 50A of the control section 50 Figure 7 A puncture assisting process is shown as an example in the present embodiment. Figure 7 A flowchart showing an example of a flow of the puncture assisting process executed in the main body 12 of the present embodiment is shown in FIG. 10. Figure 7 The puncture assisting process shown is executed, for example, when the main body 12 is powered on or when the user instructs execution by the input I / F section 56, or the like.

[0092] In Figure 7 In step S100, the authentication section 40 performs a user authentication process. In the present embodiment, as described above, the authentication section 40 performs user authentication, acquires the user ID, and outputs the acquired user ID to the determination section 38.

[0093] In the next step S102, the acquisition section 34 acquires the ultrasonic image U generated by the image generation section 32, as described above. The acquisition section 34 outputs the acquired ultrasonic image U to the detection section 36 and the difficulty information output section 44.

[0094] In the next step S104, the detection section 36 derives the vessel diameter and depth of the blood vessel B within the ultrasonic image U. In the present embodiment, as described above, the detection section 36 detects the blood vessel B within the ultrasonic image U and derives the vessel diameter and depth of the detected blood vessel B. In addition, as described above, in the case where a plurality of blood vessels B are included in the ultrasonic image U, the detection section 36 derives the vessel diameter and depth for each of the plurality of blood vessels B. The vessel diameter and depth derived by the detection section 36 are output to the determination section 38.

[0095] In the next step S106, the determination section 38 acquires the blood vessel conditions corresponding to the proficiency of the user. In addition, in the present embodiment, as described above, the determination section 38 refers to the personal proficiency information 42A and the blood vessel condition information 42B stored in the storage section 52 to acquire the minimum vessel diameter and maximum vessel depth corresponding to the user ID authenticated in the above step S100. Specifically, as described above, the determination section 38 refers to the personal proficiency information 42A to determine the proficiency corresponding to the user ID acquired in the above step S100. Further, the determination section 38 refers to the blood vessel condition information 42B to derive the minimum vessel diameter and maximum vessel depth corresponding to the proficiency of the user.

[0096] In the next step S108, the determination unit 38 determines whether puncture can be performed. In this embodiment, as described above, the determination of whether puncture of blood vessel B can be performed is made by comparing the blood vessel diameter and depth derived in step S104 with the minimum blood vessel diameter and maximum blood vessel depth obtained in step S106 as blood vessel conditions corresponding to the user's proficiency, based on the blood vessel B in the ultrasound image U detected in step S104.

[0097] For example, let's explain the case where the diameter of blood vessel B exported in step S104 is 3mm and the depth is 9mm. If the user ID obtained through the user authentication process in step S100 is "0001", then in step S106, the personal proficiency information 42A (reference...) will be used. Figure 5A The proficiency level can be determined to be "4". Furthermore, refer to vascular condition information 42B (reference). Figure 5B The minimum vessel diameter is 2mm, and the maximum vessel depth is 20mm. Vessel B has a diameter of 3mm, which is greater than the minimum vessel diameter. Furthermore, vessel B has a depth of 9mm, which is less than the maximum vessel depth. Therefore, the determination unit 38 determines that puncture can be performed. On the other hand, if the user ID obtained through the user authentication process in step S100 is "0002", in step S106, the personal proficiency information 42A (reference...) is used as a reference. Figure 5A The proficiency level can be determined to be "1". Furthermore, refer to vascular condition information 42B (reference...). Figure 5B The minimum vessel diameter is 5mm, and the maximum vessel depth is 10mm. Vessel B has a diameter of 3mm, which is less than the minimum vessel diameter. Furthermore, vessel B has a depth of 9mm, which is less than the maximum vessel depth. Therefore, the determination unit 38 determines that puncture cannot be performed. The determination result of the determination unit 38 is output to the difficulty information output unit 44.

[0098] In the next step S110, the difficulty information output unit 44 determines whether puncture can be performed based on the determination result of the determination unit 38. If the determination result is that puncture can be performed, the determination in step S110 is affirmed, and the process proceeds to step S112.

[0099] In step S112, as described above, after the difficulty information output unit 44 adds difficulty information indicating the ability to perform puncture to the ultrasound image U obtained in step S102, it proceeds to step S116. Figure 8A The image shown is an example of an ultrasound image U with added information indicating the difficulty of performing the puncture. Figure 8AIn the illustrated example, as the difficulty information 801 indicating that the puncture can be performed, an example in which a relatively thick solid line that encloses the outline of the blood vessel B is applied is shown.

[0100] On the other hand, in a case where the result of the determination is that the puncture cannot be performed, the determination in step S110 is negated, and step S114 is reached. In step S114, as described above, the difficulty information output section 44, after adding the difficulty information indicating that the puncture cannot be performed to the ultrasound image U acquired in the above step S102, proceeds to step S116. Figure 8B An example of the ultrasound image U to which the difficulty information indicating that the puncture cannot be performed is added is shown in Fig. 8B. In the example shown in Fig. 8B, as the difficulty information 802 indicating that the puncture cannot be performed, an example in which a relatively thick dotted line that encloses the outline of the blood vessel B is applied is shown. Figure 8B In the illustrated example, as the difficulty information 801 indicating that the puncture can be performed, an example in which a relatively thick solid line that encloses the outline of the blood vessel B is applied is shown.

[0101] In the following step S116, the difficulty information output section 44 outputs the ultrasound image U to which the difficulty information is added, generated in the above step S112 or step S114, to the display section 46. Thereby, in the display section 46, the ultrasound image U to which the difficulty information 801 or 802 is added is displayed as shown in Figs. 8A and 8B, for example. Figure 8A and Figure 8B The ultrasound image U to which the difficulty information 801 or 802 is added is displayed as shown in Figs. 8A and 8B, for example. In the present embodiment, as the display method regarding the difficulty information 801 when the puncture can be performed and the difficulty information 802 when the puncture cannot be performed, an example in which the type of line (solid line or dotted line) is changed is shown, but the type of line is not limited thereto, and a method in which other display methods are changed can be provided. For example, a method in which the hue of the line, the chroma of the line, the gradation of the line, the thickness of the line, and whether or not the line flashes, and the like are changed can be provided. Also, a method in which a frame that encloses the region of the blood vessel B is provided, and the shape or the hue of the frame is changed can be provided. Also, a method in which an arrow or a mark indicating whether or not the puncture can be performed is displayed can be provided.

[0102] In the following step S118, the difficulty information output section 44 determines whether or not the puncture assistance processing is ended. In the present embodiment, in a case where a predetermined end condition is satisfied (a case where the user instructs the end through the input I / F section 56, a case where the power of the main body section 12 is turned off, a case where a predetermined time elapses from the end of the processing in the above step S116, and the like), the puncture assistance processing is ended. Figure 7 The puncture assistance processing is ended as shown in Fig. 9. In a case where the end condition is not satisfied, the determination in step S118 is negated, and step S120 is reached.

[0103] In a case where the difficulty information added to the ultrasonic image U displayed in the display section 46 by the process of the above step S116 corresponds to a case where the puncture cannot be performed, the user who performs the puncture is changed to another user (for example, a user with high proficiency) from the user who is currently being authenticated, for example. In this case, in order to perform the user authentication again for the changed user, in step S120, the authentication section 40 determines whether the user authentication is performed. In a case where the user authentication is performed, the determination of step S120 is affirmative, and the process returns to step S100, and the above processes of steps S100 to S118 are repeated.

[0104] On the other hand, in a case where the difficulty information added to the ultrasonic image U displayed in the display section 46 by the process of the above step S116 corresponds to a case where the puncture cannot be performed, the puncture position is changed, for example. In this case, it is determined whether the puncture of the blood vessel B in the ultrasonic image U taken at the changed position can be performed. Therefore, the determination of step S120 is negative, and the process proceeds to step S102, and the above processes of steps S102 to S118 are repeated.

[0105] On the other hand, in a case where the end condition is satisfied in step S118, the process ends Figure 7 The puncture assistance process illustrated in Fig. 1 is ended.

[0106] In addition, the present mode is not limited to the above, and the following modified examples can be applied, for example.

[0107] [Modified Example 1]

[0108] In the above mode, as the blood vessel condition, the mode in which the minimum blood vessel diameter and the maximum blood vessel depth are applied is described, but in the present modified example, other blood vessel conditions are described.

[0109] As one of the factors that determine the puncture difficulty of the blood vessel B, the distance between the puncture target blood vessel B and other tissues that are not puncture targets can be given. In general, the shorter the distance between the blood vessel B and the other tissues, the more difficult the puncture is performed, and the higher the puncture difficulty is. On the other hand, the longer the distance between the blood vessel B and the other tissues, the easier the puncture is performed, and the lower the puncture difficulty is, in other words, the higher the puncture easiness is. Therefore, in the present modified example, the minimum distance between the blood vessel B and the other tissues that allows the puncture to be performed is specified as the blood vessel condition for each proficiency. Figure 9 An example of the blood vessel condition information 42B1 of the present modified example is illustrated in Fig. 12. In the present modified example, the proficiency information 42 stored in the storage section 52 includes the blood vessel condition information 42B instead of the blood vessel condition information 42B of the above mode (refer to Fig. 11). Figure 5B ) while including Figure 9The vascular condition information 42B1 is shown. The minimum distance in this variation is an example of the interval threshold of the present invention. In addition, other tissues that are not the puncture target include organs such as nerves, tendons and muscles around the puncture target blood vessel B, as well as blood vessels such as arteries and veins around it. Hereinafter, the puncture target blood vessel B will be referred to as the "target blood vessel", and blood vessels that are not the puncture target will be referred to as the "non-target blood vessel".

[0110] Please explain the following situations: For example, such as Figure 10 As shown, there are three vessels: B1 (the basilar vein), B2 (the brachial vein), and B3 (the brachial artery), with vessel B1 being the target vessel. In this case, vessel B3 is not the target vessel. In this case, if the distance *r* between vessels B1 and B3 is greater than or equal to the minimum distance, the determination unit 38 determines that puncture can be performed. In other words, if the distance *r* between vessels B1 and B3 is less than the minimum distance, the determination unit 38 determines that puncture cannot be performed. Specifically, when the user's proficiency is "2", if the distance *r* between vessels B1 and B3 is 30 mm or more, the determination unit 38 determines that puncture can be performed; if it is less than 30 mm, the determination unit 38 determines that puncture cannot be performed. Furthermore, for example, if the distance *r* between vessels B1 and B3 is 30 mm, and the proficiency is "1", the determination unit 38 determines that puncture cannot be performed; if the proficiency is "2" or higher, the determination unit 38 determines that puncture can be performed.

[0111] Thus, in this modified example, since the distance r between the target blood vessel B and other tissues that are not the target blood vessel is used as the blood vessel condition, the detection unit 36 ​​detects the tissue surrounding the target blood vessel B from the ultrasound image U, and derives the distance r between the target blood vessel B and other tissues. Figure 10 In the example shown, the distance r between blood vessels B1 and B3 is detected. Furthermore, the method by which the detection unit 36 ​​detects the tissue surrounding the target blood vessel from the ultrasound image U is not particularly limited. As an example, in this modified example, the detection unit 36 ​​detects the tissue surrounding the target blood vessel in the ultrasound image U by analyzing the ultrasound image U acquired by the acquisition unit 34 according to a known algorithm. For example, the detection unit 36 ​​may pre-store the tissue surrounding the target blood vessel (in... Figure 10 In the example shown, typical pattern data of the vascular region of the brachial artery (blood vessel B3) is used as a template. While searching within the ultrasound image U using the template, the similarity with the pattern data is derived, and blood vessel B3 is considered to exist at the location with the highest similarity above the baseline value.

[0112] Furthermore, besides simple template matching, similarity can also be derived by using learned models based on the features of the image representing the surrounding tissue. For example, machine learning methods such as SVM or AdaBoost mentioned above, or general image recognition methods using deep learning mentioned above, can be used.

[0113] Furthermore, for example, the detection unit 36 ​​can also use a tissue detection model to detect the tissue surrounding the object blood vessel within the ultrasound image U. This tissue detection model is a learned model obtained by machine learning from multiple ultrasound images U labeled with surrounding tissue. The tissue detection model can be, for example, an object detection algorithm using deep learning. As a tissue detection model, for example, an object detection model composed of R-CNN (Regional CNN), which is a type of Convolutional Neural Network (CNN), can be used.

[0114] The tissue detection model detects tissue as an object from the input ultrasound image U and outputs information representing the tissue surrounding the blood vessels of the object within the ultrasound image U.

[0115] Furthermore, as described above, the detection unit 36 ​​of this modified example has the function of deriving the distance r between the target blood vessel B and the detected surrounding tissue. Additionally, the method by which the detection unit 36 ​​derives the distance r between the target blood vessel B and the surrounding tissue in the ultrasound image U is not particularly limited. As an example, the detection unit 36 ​​of this modified example derives the distance r by applying known image analysis processing to the detected blood vessel B in the ultrasound image U. Figure 9 In the example shown, the detection unit 36 ​​uses image analysis processing to derive the distance r between the center of blood vessel B1, which is the target blood vessel, and the center of blood vessel B3, which is the surrounding tissue and is not the target blood vessel.

[0116] Figure 11 The diagram shows a flowchart illustrating an example of the puncture-assisted treatment process of this modified example. Furthermore, the processes following steps S100-S102 and S110 are the same as the puncture-assisted treatment described above (see reference). Figure 7 The same process applies, therefore the description is omitted.

[0117] like Figure 11As shown, in the present modification example, in step S104A, the detection section 36 derives the inter-tissue distance r between the blood vessel B as the target blood vessel and the surrounding tissue within the ultrasonic image U, as described above. As described above, the detection section 36 detects the blood vessel B as the target blood vessel and the surrounding tissue within the ultrasonic image U, and derives the distance r between the detected blood vessel B and the surrounding tissue. Further, as described above, in the case where a plurality of blood vessels B as the target blood vessel are included in the ultrasonic image U, the detection section 36 derives the distance r for each of the plurality of blood vessels B. The distance r derived by the detection section 36 is output to the determination section 38.

[0118] In the next step S106A, the determination section 38 acquires the blood vessel condition corresponding to the proficiency of the user. Further, in the present modification example, as described above, the determination section 38 refers to the personal proficiency information 42A and the blood vessel condition information 42B1 stored in the storage section 52 to acquire the minimum distance corresponding to the user ID authenticated in the above step S100. Specifically, as described above, the determination section 38 refers to the personal proficiency information 42A to determine the proficiency corresponding to the user ID acquired in the above step S100. Further, the determination section 38 refers to the blood vessel condition information 42B1 to derive the minimum distance corresponding to the proficiency of the user.

[0119] In the next step S108A, as described above, the determination section 38 determines whether or not the puncture can be performed. In the present modification example, as described above, whether or not the blood vessel B as the target blood vessel within the ultrasonic image U detected in the above step S104A can be punctured is determined by comparing the distance r derived in the above step S104A and the minimum distance acquired as the blood vessel condition corresponding to the proficiency of the user in the above step S106A.

[0120] As such, in the present modification example, as the blood vessel condition, the manner in which the minimum distance between the target blood vessel and the surrounding tissue is applied is described, but the blood vessel condition is not limited to the present modification example. Also, the minimum blood vessel diameter, the maximum blood vessel depth, and the minimum distance of the above-described manner as the blood vessel condition can be used as the blood vessel condition individually, or can be combined to be used as the blood vessel condition.

[0121] Figure 12A An example of the ultrasonic image U to which the difficulty information 801 indicating that the puncture can be performed is added in the present modification example is shown in FIG. 8B. In the example shown in FIG. 8B, the display example of the ultrasonic image U when the blood vessel B1 is the target blood vessel and the blood vessel B1 can be punctured is shown. As such, in the present modification example, the difficulty information 801 is also added to the blood vessel B1 in which the puncture can be performed, and thus the user can perform the puncture by referring to the difficulty information 801. Figure 12A In the example shown, the display example of the ultrasonic image U when the blood vessel B1 is the target blood vessel and the blood vessel B1 can be punctured is shown. As such, in the present modification example, the difficulty information 801 is also added to the blood vessel B1 in which the puncture can be performed, and thus the user can perform the puncture by referring to the difficulty information 801.

[0122] On the other hand,Figure 12B The image shown is an example of an ultrasound image U in this variant, with additional information 802 indicating the difficulty of puncture. Figure 12B The example shown illustrates a scenario where vessel B1 is the target vessel and puncture of vessel B1 is not possible. Furthermore, in this modified example, as... Figure 12B As shown, in cases where puncture of the target blood vessel is not possible, the difficulty information output unit 44 also appends information 803 indicating the surrounding tissue as a reason for the inability to perform puncture and information 804 indicating the name of that tissue to the ultrasound image U and displays it on the display unit 46. Additionally, in Figure 12B In the example shown, information 803 representing the surrounding tissue is illustrated using a relatively thick single-dot dashed line that surrounds the blood vessels B2 and B3. Thus, in this modified example, difficulty information 802 is also added to the blood vessel B1 that cannot be punctured, allowing the user to identify situations where puncture is impossible by referring to the difficulty information 802. Furthermore, in this modified example, information 803 and 804 are also added to the surrounding tissue, allowing the user to identify the reason why puncture is impossible. Alternatively, either information 803 or 804 can be added to the ultrasound image U for display. It is also possible to display information 803 and 804 even when puncture is possible. Furthermore, it is possible to display information 803 and 804 based on the user's skill level. For example, it could be configured such that information 803 and 804 are displayed when the user's skill level is relatively low, and whether to display information 803 and 804 is determined by the user's choice when the user's skill level is relatively high.

[0123] [Variation Example 2]

[0124] The above methods have described how managers and others set user proficiency levels. However, in this variation, another example of a proficiency setting method will be described. As an example, this variation will describe a method of adjusting a pre-set proficiency level based on actual puncture results.

[0125] For example, it can be said that the more punctures a user performs, the higher their proficiency. Therefore, the determination unit 38, which considers the number of punctures as a measure of proficiency, accumulates the number of punctures by establishing a correspondence with the user ID. Furthermore, during puncture assistance processing (see reference...) Figure 7 In step S108, when determining whether puncture can be performed, if the number of punctures exceeds the threshold, the determination unit 38 can be configured as follows: the user's proficiency obtained by referring to the personal proficiency information 42A is corrected to a predetermined degree, and the vascular condition is obtained by referring to the vascular condition information 42B based on the corrected proficiency.

[0126] Further, for example, the more the number of successful punctures, the higher the proficiency of the user can be said to be, and conversely, the more the number of failed punctures, the lower the proficiency of the user can be said to be. In addition, "success" and "failure" of the puncture in this case are determined based on whether the needle N is properly inserted into the blood vessel B as the target blood vessel, whether other tissues are damaged, whether blood flows outside the blood vessel B, and whether the needle N penetrates the blood vessel B, and the like. Therefore, in the case where success and failure of the puncture are considered as the proficiency, the determination section 38 determines whether the user successfully punctured or failed to puncture, and accumulates the determination result. In addition, the method of determining success or failure of the puncture by the determination section 38 is not particularly limited. For example, the determination section 38 can be configured to detect the needle N from the ultrasonic image U, and recognize the relationship between the detected needle N and the blood vessel B, thereby determining success or failure of the puncture. In addition, the method of detecting the needle N from the ultrasonic image U by the determination section 38 is not particularly limited, and for example, the same method as that of detecting the blood vessel B from the ultrasonic image U can be applied. For example, typical pattern data of the needle N is stored in advance as a template, and a similarity to the pattern data is derived while searching within the ultrasonic image U with the template, and it is considered that the needle N exists at a position where the similarity is a reference value or more and is the largest. Further, when determining whether the puncture can be performed in step S108 of the puncture assistance process (refer to Figure 7 ), if the number of successful punctures exceeds a threshold value, the determination section 38 in this case corrects the proficiency of the user acquired with reference to the personal proficiency information 42A by an increase of a predetermined degree, and acquires the blood vessel condition with reference to the blood vessel condition information 42B based on the corrected proficiency. On the other hand, if the number of failed punctures exceeds a threshold value, it can be configured that the proficiency of the user acquired with reference to the personal proficiency information 42A is corrected by a decrease of a predetermined degree, and the blood vessel condition is acquired with reference to the blood vessel condition information 42B based on the corrected proficiency.

[0127] Further, for example, the shorter the time required for the puncture, the higher the proficiency of the user can be presumed to be, and conversely, the longer the time required for the puncture, the lower the proficiency of the user can be presumed to be. In addition, the time required for the puncture can be, for example, the elapsed time from the start of scanning of the subject with the ultrasonic probe 10 to the end of the puncture. Further, it can be, for example, the elapsed time from the insertion of the needle N into the subject to the extraction of the needle N to the outside of the subject. Therefore, in the case where the time required for the puncture is considered as the proficiency, the determination section 38 counts the time required for the puncture, and accumulates information indicating whether the time required for the puncture is less than a threshold time (for example, the number of times of being less than the threshold time). When determining whether the puncture can be performed in step S108 of the puncture assistance process (refer to Figure 7In step S108, when determining whether puncture can be performed, if the number of times the time required for puncture is less than the threshold time exceeds the threshold number, the determination unit 38 can adjust the user's proficiency obtained by referring to the personal proficiency information 42A to improve it by a predetermined degree, and obtain the vascular condition by referring to the vascular condition information 42B based on the adjusted proficiency.

[0128] [Variation Example 3]

[0129] In this modified example, the determination unit 38 will further consider the image quality of the ultrasonic image U to determine whether puncture can be performed.

[0130] When a user is highly skilled, they are accustomed to using the ultrasound probe 10 to capture ultrasound images U. Therefore, it can be said that the image quality of the captured ultrasound image U (specifically, the ultrasound image U generated by the image generation unit 32) is relatively high. In this case, as for the image quality of the ultrasound image U generated by the image generation unit 32, if the contrast, gain, and noise levels are above a predetermined standard, the determination unit 38 considers it to be of high quality and considers the user who captured the ultrasound image U to be highly skilled. When in puncture-assisted processing (refer to...) Figure 7 In step S108, when determining whether puncture can be performed, the determination unit 38 can determine the image quality of the ultrasound image U. If the image quality is above a predetermined standard, it corrects the user's proficiency obtained by referring to the personal proficiency information 42A to a predetermined degree, and obtains the vascular condition based on the corrected proficiency and the vascular condition information 42B. On the other hand, if the determined image quality of the ultrasound image U is below a predetermined standard, the determination unit 38 can correct the user's proficiency obtained by referring to the personal proficiency information 42A to a predetermined degree, and obtain the vascular condition based on the corrected proficiency and the vascular condition information 42B. Alternatively, it can be configured to determine proficiency based on the image quality of the ultrasound image U instead of obtaining proficiency associated with the user ID through user authentication.

[0131] Further, in a case where the quality of the captured ultrasonic image U (specifically, the ultrasonic image U generated by the image generation section 32) is relatively high, the ultrasonic image U displayed in the display section 46 becomes an image that is relatively easy to observe, and thus it tends to be easy to perform the puncture. Therefore, in a case where the quality of the ultrasonic image U is equal to or higher than a predetermined reference, even for a user who is less skilled than the user in the above-described manner, it is sometimes appropriate to perform the puncture with reference to the ultrasonic image U. In this case, as the quality of the ultrasonic image U generated by the image generation section 32, in a case where the contrast, the gain, and the presence or absence of noise are equal to or higher than a predetermined reference, the determination section 38 regards it as high quality, and corrects the skill level of the user who is to perform the puncture with reference to the ultrasonic image U to a range lower than the original skill level by a predetermined degree. When determining whether or not the puncture can be performed in step S108 of the puncture assistance process (refer to Figure 7 ), the determination section 38 in this case can determine the quality of the ultrasonic image U, and in a case where the quality is equal to or higher than a predetermined reference, correct the skill level of the user who is to perform the puncture with reference to the personal skill level information 42A to a range lower than the original skill level by a predetermined degree, and acquire the blood vessel condition with reference to the blood vessel condition information 42B on the basis of the corrected skill level. Alternatively, it can be configured to relax the blood vessel condition indicated by the blood vessel condition information 42B instead of reducing the skill level.

[0132] As described above, the main section 12 of each of the above-described manners is configured to acquire an ultrasonic image U including a tissue of a blood vessel B of a subject, detect the blood vessel B from the acquired ultrasonic image U, and output difficulty information related to a puncture difficulty of the detected blood vessel B in accordance with a skill level of a user who is to perform the puncture.

[0133] Therefore, according to the main section 12 of each of the above-described manners, as described above, it is possible to present information indicating an appropriate puncture difficulty in accordance with a user who is to perform a blood vessel puncture. Further, according to the main section 12 of each of the above-described manners, the user who is to perform the puncture can intuitively recognize the puncture difficulty, and thus it is easy to determine a blood vessel B or a position of a blood vessel that is appropriate for the puncture.

[0134] Further, the technology of the present application is not limited to each of the above-described manners, and various modifications can be further made.

[0135] For example, it can be configured in a manner in which the skill level of the user can be changed or set in accordance with the state of the user on the day, and the like. Further, it can be configured in a manner in which a blood vessel condition corresponding to the skill level of the user is displayed in the display section 46, and the user or the like can adjust the displayed blood vessel condition by operating the input I / F section 56.

[0136] Also, it can be configured such that, if the user attempts to perform puncture on the blood vessel B that has been determined to be unable to perform puncture, information indicating a warning is output. In this case, the determination unit 38 detects the puncture needle N in the ultrasonic image U under echo-guided puncture and determines whether or not the blood vessel B that has been determined to be unable to perform puncture exists on the extension line of the detected puncture needle N, and if it exists, outputs this content to the difficulty information output unit 44 as a determination result. Also, the difficulty information output unit 44 can be configured to display information indicating a warning in the display unit 46 when the determination result input to the determination unit 38. Note that the display of the warning in this case can be either of visual display and auditory display.

[0137] Also, in the above-described modes, the main unit 12 is described as an example of the information processing apparatus of the present application, but an apparatus other than the main unit 12 can also have the functions of the information processing apparatus of the present application. In other words, a part or all of the functions of the acquisition unit 34, the detection unit 36, the determination unit 38, the authentication unit 40, and the difficulty information output unit 44 can be provided by an apparatus other than the main unit 12, such as the ultrasonic probe 10 or an external apparatus.

[0138] Also, in the above-described modes, the image generation unit 32 that generates the ultrasonic image U from the acoustic line signals is provided in the main unit 12, but instead, the image generation unit 32 can be provided in the ultrasonic probe 10. In this case, the ultrasonic probe 10 generates the ultrasonic image U and outputs it to the main unit 12. The CPU 50A of the control unit 50 of the main unit 12 performs puncture assistance processing and the like based on the ultrasonic image U input from the ultrasonic probe 10.

[0139] Also, in the above-described modes, the display unit 46, the input I / F unit 56, and the ultrasonic probe 10 are described as being provided in the main unit 12, but the display unit 46, the input I / F unit 56, the ultrasonic probe 10, and the control unit 50 can be indirectly connected via a network.

[0140] As an example, Figure 13 In the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 1 illustrated in FIG. 1, the display unit 46, the input I / F unit 56, and the ultrasonic probe 10 are connected to the main unit 12 via the network NW. The main unit 12 receives the ultrasonic image U from the ultrasonic probe 10 via the network NW and displays the received ultrasonic image U in the display unit 46. Figure 1 In the above-described main unit 12, the display unit 46 and the input I / F unit 56 are removed from the main unit 12 illustrated in FIG. 1, and the transceiver circuit 22 is added, and the transceiver circuit 22, the control unit 50, and the storage unit 52 are provided. The ultrasonic probe 10 receives the ultrasonic image U from the main unit 12 via the network NW and displays the received ultrasonic image U in the display unit 46. Figure 1 In the above-described ultrasonic probe 10, the transceiver circuit 22 is removed from the ultrasonic probe 10 illustrated in FIG. 1.

[0141] As such, in the above-described modes, Figure 13In the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 1 shown, the display section 46, the input I / F section 56, and the ultrasonic probe 10 are connected to the main body section 12 via the network NW, so the main body section 12 can be used as a so-called remote server. Thus, for example, the user can prepare the display section 46, the input I / F section 56, and the ultrasonic probe 10 in the vicinity of the user, and convenience is improved. Also, by configuring the display section 46 and the input I / F section 56 from a mobile terminal such as a smartphone or a tablet terminal, convenience is further improved.

[0142] As another example, in Figure 14 In the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 1 shown, the display section 46 and the input I / F section 56 are provided to the main body section 12, and the ultrasonic probe 10 is connected to the main body section 12 via the network NW. In this case, the main body section 12 can be configured from a remote server. Also, the main body section 12 can be configured from a mobile terminal such as a smartphone or a tablet terminal.

[0143] Also, in the above-described mode, for example, as a hardware structure of processing sections (processing units) that perform various processes such as the acquisition section 34, the detection section 36, the determination section 38, the authentication section 40, and the difficulty information output section 44, various processors shown below can be used. As described above, the above-described various processors include a CPU that is a general-purpose processor that executes software (programs) to function as various processing sections, and in addition thereto, include a programmable logic device (PLD) such as an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) that is a processor whose circuit structure can be changed after manufacture, an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) that is a processor having a circuit structure that is specially designed to perform a specific process, and the like.

[0144] One processing section can be configured from one of these various processors, or can be configured from a combination of two or more processors of the same kind or different kinds (for example, a combination of a plurality of FPGAs or a combination of a CPU and an FPGA). Also, a plurality of processing sections can be configured from one processor.

[0145] As an example of a case where a plurality of processing sections are constituted by one processor, first, there is a method in which, as typified by computers such as clients and servers, one processor is constituted by a combination of one or more CPUs and software, and the processor functions as a plurality of processing sections. Next, there is a method in which, as typified by a system on chip (SoC) or the like, a processor that realizes the functions of the entire system including a plurality of processing sections is used by one IC (integrated circuit) chip. In this way, various processing sections are constituted by one or more of the above various processors as hardware structures.

[0146] Furthermore, more specifically, as the hardware structure of these various processors, a circuit (circuitry) constituted by combining circuit elements such as semiconductor elements can be used.

[0147] Also, in each of the above embodiments, a method in which the puncture assistance processing program 51 is stored (installed) in advance in the ROM 50B is described, but is not limited thereto. The puncture assistance processing program 51 can also be provided in a manner recorded in a recording medium such as a CD-ROM (Compact Disc Read Only Memory), a DVD-ROM (Digital Versatile Disc Read Only Memory), and a USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory, respectively. Also, the puncture assistance processing program 51 can also be provided in a manner downloaded from an external device via a network, respectively.

[0148] According to the above description, the inventions described in Appendices 1 to 7 below can be grasped.

[0149] [Appendix 1]

[0150] An information processing apparatus including at least one processor,

[0151] The processor performs the following processing:

[0152] acquires an ultrasound image of a tissue of a subject including a blood vessel;

[0153] detects the blood vessel from the acquired ultrasound image; and

[0154] outputs difficulty information related to a puncture difficulty of the detected blood vessel according to a proficiency of a user who performs the puncture.

[0155] [Appendix 2]

[0156] The information processing apparatus according to Appendix 1, wherein

[0157] The processor performs processing of:

[0158] further determining whether the puncture can be performed based on the detection result; and

[0159] using the determination result as the difficulty information.

[0160] [Appendix 3]

[0161] The information processing apparatus according to Appendix 2, wherein

[0162] The processor determines whether the puncture can be performed based on a blood vessel condition related to whether the puncture can be performed and the detection result corresponding to the proficiency of the user.

[0163] [Appendix 4]

[0164] The information processing apparatus according to any one of Appendix 2 to Appendix 3, wherein

[0165] In a case where the quality of the ultrasonic image is higher than a predetermined quality, the processor relaxes a blood vessel condition under which the puncture is allowed to be performed.

[0166] [Appendix 5]

[0167] The information processing apparatus according to any one of Appendix 2 to Appendix 4, wherein

[0168] The processor performs processing of:

[0169] detecting a depth of the subject from a body surface to the blood vessel; and

[0170] determining whether the puncture can be performed based on the depth.

[0171] [Appendix 6]

[0172] The information processing apparatus according to Appendix 5, wherein

[0173] In a case where the depth is less than a depth threshold value, the processor allows the puncture to be performed.

[0174] [Appendix 7]

[0175] The information processing apparatus according to any one of Appendix 2 to Appendix 6, wherein

[0176] The processor performs processing of:

[0177] detecting a blood vessel diameter indicating a thickness of the blood vessel; and

[0178] determining whether the puncture can be performed based on the blood vessel diameter.

[0179] [Appendix 8]

[0180] The information processing apparatus according to Appendix 7, wherein

[0181] The processor allows the puncture to be performed in a case where the blood vessel diameter is greater than a blood vessel diameter threshold.

[0182] [Appendix 9]

[0183] The information processing apparatus according to any one of Appendix 2 to Appendix 8, wherein

[0184] The processor performs processing of:

[0185] detecting a tissue around the blood vessel; and

[0186] determining whether the puncture can be performed based on the tissue.

[0187] [Appendix 10]

[0188] The information processing apparatus according to Appendix 9, wherein

[0189] The processor allows the puncture to be performed in a case where a distance between the blood vessel and the tissue is greater than a distance threshold.

[0190] [Appendix 11]

[0191] The information processing apparatus according to Appendix 9 or Appendix 10, wherein

[0192] The blood vessel is a target blood vessel that is a target of the puncture, and the tissue includes a non-target blood vessel that is not a target of the puncture.

[0193] [Appendix 12]

[0194] The information processing apparatus according to any one of Appendix 2 to Appendix 11, wherein

[0195] The difficulty information is information whose display manner is different between when the puncture can be performed and when the puncture cannot be performed.

[0196] [Appendix 13]

[0197] The information processing apparatus according to any one of Appendix 2 to Appendix 12, wherein

[0198] The processor increases the proficiency acquired in a case where a quality of the ultrasonic image is higher than a predetermined reference, and determines whether the puncture can be performed based on the blood vessel condition corresponding to the proficiency that is increased.

[0199] [Appendix 14]

[0200] The information processing apparatus according to any one of Appendices 1 to 13, wherein

[0201] The processor outputs the ultrasonogram to which the difficulty information is added.

[0202] Symbol explanation

[0203] 1 - ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, 10 - ultrasonic probe, 12 - main body section, 20 - transducer array, 22 - transceiver circuit, 24 - transmission circuit, 26 - reception circuit, 30 - imaging control section, 32 - image generation section, 34 - acquisition section, 36 - detection section, 38 - determination section, 40 - authentication section, 42 - proficiency information, 42A - personal proficiency information, 42B, 42B1 - blood vessel condition information, 44 - difficulty information output section, 46 - display section, 50 - control section, 50A - CPU, 50B - ROM, 50C - RAM, 51 - puncture assistance processing program, 52 - storage section, 54 - communication I / F section, 56 - input I / F section, 59 - bus, 60 - amplification section, 62 - A / D conversion section, 64 - beamformer, 70 - signal processing section, 72 - DSC, 74 - image processing section, 801, 802 - difficulty information, B, B1 to B3 - blood vessel, D - depth direction, d1, d2 - length, H - width direction, N - puncture needle, NW - network, r - distance, S - body surface, U - ultrasonogram.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus including: an acquisition unit that acquires an ultrasonic image of a tissue of a subject including a blood vessel; a detection unit that detects the blood vessel from the acquired ultrasonic image; a determination unit that determines whether or not a puncture can be performed based on a blood vessel condition related to whether or not the puncture can be performed corresponding to proficiency of a user who performs the puncture and a detection result of the detection unit; and a difficulty information output unit that outputs a determination result of the determination unit as difficulty information related to a puncture difficulty of the detected blood vessel. 2.The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein in a case where a quality of the ultrasonic image is higher than a predetermined quality, the determination unit relaxes a blood vessel condition in which the puncture is allowed. 3.The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the detection unit further detects a depth of the subject from a body surface to the blood vessel, the determination unit determines whether or not the puncture can be performed based on the depth. 4.The information processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein in a case where the depth is less than a depth threshold value, the determination unit allows the puncture. 5.The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the detection unit further detects a blood vessel diameter that indicates a thickness of the blood vessel, the determination unit determines whether or not the puncture can be performed based on the blood vessel diameter. 6.The information processing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein in a case where the blood vessel diameter is greater than a blood vessel diameter threshold value, the determination unit allows the puncture. 7.The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the detection unit further detects a tissue around the blood vessel, the determination unit determines whether or not the puncture can be performed based on the tissue. 8.The information processing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein in a case where a distance between the blood vessel and the tissue is greater than or equal to a distance threshold value, the determination unit allows the puncture. 9.The information processing apparatus according to claim 7 or 8, wherein the blood vessel is an object blood vessel that is a target of the puncture, and the tissue includes a non-object blood vessel that is not a target of the puncture. 10.The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the difficulty information is information in which a display manner is different between when the puncture can be performed and when the puncture cannot be performed. 11.The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein in a case where a quality of the ultrasonic image is higher than a predetermined reference, the determination unit increases the proficiency based on the acquired proficiency, and determines whether or not the puncture can be performed based on a blood vessel condition corresponding to the increased proficiency. 12.The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the difficulty information output unit outputs the ultrasonic image to which the difficulty information is added. 13.An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus including: an ultrasonic probe that receives an ultrasonic echo of an ultrasonic wave that is emitted, and outputs a reception signal based on the received ultrasonic echo; an image generation unit that generates an ultrasonic image based on the reception signal that is input from the ultrasonic probe; and the information processing apparatus according to claim 1.

14. An information processing method, which is executed by a computer to perform the following processes: acquiring an ultrasonic image of a tissue including a blood vessel of a subject; detecting the blood vessel from the acquired ultrasonic image; determining whether or not a puncture can be performed, based on a blood vessel condition related to whether or not the puncture can be performed, corresponding to proficiency of a user who performs the puncture, and a detection result of the detection; and outputting a determination result of the determination as difficulty information related to a difficulty of the puncture of the detected blood vessel.

15. A computer-readable medium recording an information processing program for causing a computer to perform the following processes: acquiring an ultrasonic image of a tissue including a blood vessel of a subject; detecting the blood vessel from the acquired ultrasonic image; determining whether or not a puncture can be performed, based on a blood vessel condition related to whether or not the puncture can be performed, corresponding to proficiency of a user who performs the puncture, and a detection result of the detection; and outputting a determination result of the determination as difficulty information related to a difficulty of the puncture of the detected blood vessel.

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