Information processing device, tail vein injection system, tail vein injection method, and program

Abstract

To provide a tail vein injection system facilitating puncture to a tail vein.SOLUTION: A tail vein injection system includes: a calculation unit for calculating a position of a tail vein based on an image obtained by imaging a tail; an adjustment unit for adjusting a position and a posture of an injection needle by using a position adjustment mechanism; and a calibration unit for calibrating a position of the injection needle to the position adjustment mechanism when the injection needle or an injector is replaced.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0006] , ,

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[0001] The present disclosure relates to a caudal vein injection system.

Background Art

[0002] Animal experiments play an important role in various fields such as biochemistry and drug discovery. In particular, laboratory mice are widely used as experimental animals. When puncturing a mouse, caudal vein injection may be performed.

[0003] As a technique related to puncturing blood vessels in a human arm, an automatic injection device is known that represents the characteristic shape of a blood vessel portion by a first-order linear expression from first and second images taken by first and second cameras and controls an actuator to puncture a syringe needle against the blood vessel (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] [[ID=3S]] However, for example, since the diameter of the caudal vein of a mouse is about 300 μm, which is about 1 / 10 of the diameter of blood vessels in a human arm, it has been difficult to apply the puncture technique for blood vessels in a human arm as shown in Patent Document 1 to caudal vein injection in some cases.

[0006] One embodiment of the present disclosure provides a caudal vein injection system that facilitates puncture of a caudal vein.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] A tail vein injection system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure includes a calculation unit that calculates the position of the tail vein based on an image of the tail, an adjustment unit that adjusts the position and orientation of the injection needle using a position adjustment mechanism, and a calibration unit that calibrates the position of the injection needle relative to the position adjustment mechanism when the injection needle or syringe is replaced. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, a tail vein injection system that facilitates puncture of the tail vein can be provided. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] This is a schematic diagram of a tail vein injection system in one embodiment. [Figure 2A] Figure (1) shows an image of a tail vein injection method according to one embodiment. [Figure 2B] Figure (2) shows an image of a tail vein injection method according to one embodiment. [Figure 3] This figure shows an example of the configuration of a bending jig and a retaining part according to one embodiment. [Figure 4] This figure shows an example of the configuration of a clamping section according to one embodiment. [Figure 5] This figure shows an example of the functional configuration of an information processing device according to one embodiment. [Figure 6A] Figure (1) illustrates the tail vein detection process according to one embodiment. [Figure 6B] Figure (2) illustrates the tail vein detection process according to one embodiment. [Figure 7A] Figure (1) illustrates the needle detection process of a syringe according to one embodiment. [Figure 7B] Figure (2) illustrates the needle detection process of a syringe according to one embodiment. [Figure 8] This flowchart shows the processing flow of a tail vein injection system according to one embodiment. [Figure 9]It is a flowchart showing an example of calculation processing according to an embodiment. [Figure 10] It is a diagram (1) for explaining the calculation processing according to an embodiment. [Figure 11] It is a diagram (2) for explaining the calculation processing according to an embodiment. [Figure 12] It is a diagram (3) for explaining the calculation processing according to an embodiment. [Figure 13] It is a diagram (4) for explaining the calculation processing according to an embodiment. [Figure 14] It is a diagram (5) for explaining the calculation processing according to an embodiment. [Figure 15] It is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of an information processing apparatus according to an embodiment.

MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the following description, for parts common to the respective figures, the same reference numerals are given and the description thereof is omitted. Also, for ease of understanding, the scales of the respective members in the respective drawings may be different from the actual ones. The X-axis direction, the Y-axis direction, and the Z-axis direction each include a direction parallel to the X-axis, a direction parallel to the Y-axis, and a direction parallel to the Z-axis. The X-axis direction, the Y-axis direction, and the Z-axis direction are orthogonal to each other. In the following description, for example, terms such as parallel, perpendicular, up and down, left and right, and direction allow a deviation within a range that does not impair the effects of the present invention.

[0011] <SYSTEM CONFIGURATION> FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a tail vein injection system according to an embodiment. The tail vein injection system 1 includes, for example, a position adjustment mechanism 10 having 5 or more axes, a first camera 20a, a second camera 20b, a holding device 30 for holding a mouse (rat) or the like, a fixing device 40 for holding the tail 41 of a mouse or the like, a syringe 50, and an information processing apparatus 100 or the like.

[0012] The position adjustment mechanism 10 is, for example, a robot or the like having six degrees of freedom including the first degree of freedom 11 in the X-axis direction, the second degree of freedom 12 in the Y-axis direction, the third degree of freedom 13 in the Z-axis direction, the fourth degree of freedom 14 around the X-axis, the fifth degree of freedom 15 around the Y-axis, and the sixth degree of freedom 16 around the Z-axis. With these six degrees of freedom, the position adjustment mechanism 10 can move the syringe 50 or the needle of the syringe 50 (hereinafter referred to as the injection needle) to an arbitrary position and direction, for example, according to the control from the information processing device 100.

[0013] Among the six degrees of freedom, the fourth degree of freedom 14 around the X-axis may be used to align the position when attaching the syringe 50 to the position adjustment mechanism 10 (or when attaching the injection needle to the syringe 50). In this case, if the position adjustment mechanism 10 has five or more degrees of freedom, the syringe 50 or the injection needle can be moved to an arbitrary position and direction. As a result, even the blood vessels in the tail of a mouse, which are thinner than the blood vessels of a human or the like, can be punctured more appropriately. In addition to the extending direction of the tail, puncture is possible along the direction perpendicular to the cross-section of the tail. Thereby, appropriate puncture can be achieved.

[0014] The first camera 20a and the second camera 20b are cameras that photograph (image) the tail 41 from different directions. Preferably, the first camera 20a and the second camera 20b are visible light cameras. Since the skin of the tail 41 of a mouse or the like is thinner than that of a human arm or the like, there is a characteristic that it is easy to detect the tail vein even in the visible light region.

[0015] The restrainer (restraining part) 30 is used to restrain (restrain) a mouse or the like that is the target of tail vein injection so that it does not move during tail vein injection. The animal that is the target of tail vein injection is not limited to a mouse (rat), and may be other animals such as a rat, a guinea pig, a gerbil, a hamster, a ferret, etc. Here, as an example, the following description will be made assuming that the animal that is the target of tail vein injection is a mouse.

[0016] The fixing device 40 is, for example, a fixing device (jig) that has a straight section and a curved section and holds the tail 41. The syringe 50 is a syringe for puncturing the tail vein. Here, puncture refers to inserting a needle into a blood vessel or the like from outside the body for the purpose of collecting body fluid or tissue, or for injecting drugs, etc.

[0017] The information processing device 100, for example, has the configuration of a computer and controls a five-axis or more position adjustment mechanism 10, a first camera 20a, a second camera 20b, etc., by executing a predetermined program.

[0018] Note that the configuration of the tail vein injection system 1 shown in Figure 1 is just one example. For example, the tail vein injection system 1 may be a tail vein injection device integrated into a single device. Also, the tail vein injection system 1 may have three or more cameras capable of imaging the tail 41.

[0019] <Overview of tail vein injection method> Figures 2A and 2B show an image of a tail vein injection method according to one embodiment. As shown in Figure 2A, the fixing device 40 has a straight portion 201 that holds a part of the tail 41 in a straight line, and a bent portion 202 that holds another part of the tail 41 with a greater curvature than the straight portion.

[0020] The information processing device 100 uses cameras (first camera 20a, second camera 20b, etc.) to photograph the tail 41 held by the fixing device 40, and calculates the three-dimensional positions of two points on the tail vein 203 based on the captured images. For example, the information processing device 100 calculates the three-dimensional positions of point 204, which will be the puncture point, and point 205, which will be the puncture termination point, in the straight portion of the tail 41 held by the straight section 201. The information processing device 100 also uses a position adjustment mechanism 10 with five or more axes to align the position of the injection needle 207 with a line 206 passing through points 204 and 205.

[0021] As a result, in the tail vein injection system 1 according to this embodiment, as shown in Figure 2B, the injection needle 207 is inserted along the line 206 passing through points 204 and 205. For example, in the tail vein injection system 1, point 204 is designated as the puncture point and point 205 as the puncture termination point, and the puncture is performed.

[0022] In conventional techniques, since puncture is performed at an oblique angle to the blood vessel, there is a problem that if the injection needle 207 is advanced further after it reaches the blood vessel, it will penetrate the blood vessel. On the other hand, in the tail vein injection system 1 according to this embodiment, as shown in Figure 2B, the injection needle 207 can be advanced further after it reaches the tail vein 203, making it easier to puncture the tail vein of mice and other animals, which is thinner than human blood vessels.

[0023] The puncture action of inserting the injection needle 207 into the tail vein 203 may be performed by the tail vein injection system 1 using an actuator or the like, or it may be performed by the user.

[0024] <Configuration of fixing devices and restraint devices> Figure 3 shows an example of the configuration of a fixing device and a retainer according to one embodiment. In the example in Figure 3, the fixing device 40, the retainer 30, and the clamp part 320 are attached to the base 300 which serves as the base.

[0025] The restraint device (restraint section) 30 is cylindrical with an opening at the front of the mouse. The mouse is placed in the restraint device 30 through the opening 301 with its head facing forward. The upper wall 302 of the restraint device 30 is provided with a slit 303 for passing the mouse's tail 41 through, allowing the mouse's tail 41 to be easily set in the fixing device 40.

[0026] Furthermore, the upper wall 302 of the restraint device 30 is sloped so that its height gradually decreases from the front to the rear of the restraint device 30. This allows the restraint device 30 to hold the mouse's rear end while suppressing the mouse's hind legs from kicking the wall. In addition, by providing an opening 301 at the front of the restraint device 30, the mouse will try to escape through the opening 301, which is expected to have the effect of making the mouse's tail 41 extend more firmly.

[0027] The fixation device 40 has a tourniquet 311, which fixes the tail 41 and also dilates the tail vein.

[0028] Furthermore, the fixing device 40 has a groove 312 for guiding the tail, and the groove 312 of the straight section 201 is provided with a hole 313 for drawing in the tail 41 and irradiating it with light. For example, by connecting a suction pump to the suction port 314 and operating it, a part of the tail 41 is drawn into the hole 313 provided in the straight section 201 of the fixing device 40, and the tail 41 is held in a straight line. Also, by turning on the light source provided inside the fixing device 40, light is irradiated from the hole 313, making it easy to detect the tail vein from the image taken by the first camera 201a or the second camera 201b.

[0029] <Composition of the clamp section> The clamp portion 320 has a configuration as shown in Figure 4, for example. Figure 4 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the clamp portion according to one embodiment. In the example of Figure 4, the clamp portion 320 has two rollers 401 and 411 that hold the tail tip 400 of the tail 41. The roller 401 is attached to a shaft 402 fixed to the base portion 300 and is equipped with a one-way clutch 403 that transmits rotational force in only one direction.

[0030] The roller 411 is attached via a shaft 414 to a movable arm 413 mounted on the base 300, and via a shaft 412 to the movable arm 413, and is equipped with a one-way clutch 416, similar to the roller 401. The roller 411 can hold and release the tail tip 400 by moving the movable arm 413 using the elasticity of a spring 415 attached to the movable arm 413. Furthermore, the clamp section 320 is configured such that the holding force that holds the tail tip 400 increases when the mouse's tail 41 is pulled in the direction of the arrow by the mouse.

[0031] <Functional Configuration of Information Processing Devices> The information processing device 100 has the configuration of a computer, and by executing a predetermined program on the computer, it realizes the image acquisition unit 501, detection unit 502, calibration unit 503, storage unit 504, calculation unit 505, adjustment unit 506, and puncture unit 507, etc. At least some of the above functional configurations may be realized by hardware.

[0032] The image acquisition unit 501 controls, for example, the first camera 20a and the second camera 20b to photograph the subject and acquire the captured images. For example, the image acquisition unit 501 acquires a first image taken with the first camera 20a of the straight portion of the tail 41, and a second image taken with the second camera 20b of the straight portion of the tail 41. In the following description, when referring to any of the first camera 20a and the second camera 20b, it is referred to as "camera 20". Preferably, camera 20 is a visible light camera.

[0033] The detection unit 502 detects the tail vein 203, the injection needle 207, etc., from the image acquired by the image acquisition unit 501. Preferably, the detection unit 502 detects the tail vein 203, the injection needle 207, etc., in the visible light region.

[0034] Figure 6A shows an example of an image taken by the camera 20 of the tail 41 held by the fixing device 40. The fixing device 40 according to this embodiment has a hole 313 that sucks the tail 41 and also emits light, so as shown in Figure 6A, the tail 41 can be held in a straight line by suction. In addition, since the mouse tail 41 is sufficiently thin compared to, for example, a human arm, the tail vein 203 can be detected from the image taken by the visible light camera by the visible light emitted from the hole 313 of the fixing device 40.

[0035] For example, the detection unit 502 identifies the darkest point in the image captured by the visible light camera as a candidate for the tail vein 203, and detects the tail vein 203 by performing linear fitting on the candidate. This process can be expressed by the following equation (1) if the tail vein 203 is represented by ax + b in the image.

[0036]

number

[0037] Figure 6B shows an example of an image of the tail 41 taken by the camera 20 when suction is not performed with the fixing device 40. It is known that when suction is not performed, the mouse's tail 41 bends as shown in Figure 6B. Therefore, it is difficult to hold the tail 41 in a straight line when suction is not performed. In this case, light leaks out from the hole 313, making the tail vein 203 unclear and difficult to detect.

[0038] On the other hand, the fixing device 40 according to this embodiment has a hole 313 that sucks the tail 41 and also emits light, making it easier to hold the tail 41 in a straight line and to detect the tail vein using a visible light camera.

[0039] Figure 7A shows an example of an image of the injection needle 207 captured by camera 20. As shown in Figure 7A, due to specular reflection of the metal surface, it is difficult to detect the needle tip from this image. In such cases, as shown in Figure 7B, it is effective to detect the injection needle 207 as a silhouette by shining backlight on it. However, installing backlights to provide sufficient brightness to the injection needle 207 for each of the first camera 20a and the second camera 20b may be undesirable in terms of space and cost.

[0040] Therefore, in this embodiment, a thin back panel with uniform brightness is realized by covering the back panel that serves as the background for the injection needle 207 with a phosphor and irradiating it with ultraviolet light from the camera 20 side. The ultraviolet light irradiated from the camera 20 side does not affect the image captured by the camera 20, and the phosphor-covered back panel can be made to emit light in the visible light region. As a result, the detection unit 502 can easily detect the needle tip 701 of the injection needle 207 from an image such as the one shown in Figure 7B.

[0041] Furthermore, if camera 20 is an infrared camera, as in conventional technology, phosphors that emit light in the infrared region are not common, making it difficult to realize a similar configuration at a similar cost.

[0042] Now, let's return to Figure 5 and continue explaining the functional configuration of the information processing device 100. The calibration unit 503 performs a first calibration process (overall calibration) which calibrates two or more of the following: the camera parameters of the camera 20, the fixing device 40, the position adjustment mechanism 10, and the position of the needle tip 701 of the injection needle 207. The calibration unit 503 also performs a second calibration process (needle tip calibration) which allows for recalibration by calibrating fewer components than in the first calibration process, including the position of the needle tip 701 of the injection needle 207, when the syringe 50 or the injection needle 207 is replaced.

[0043] Here, we will describe an example in which the calibration unit 503 calibrates the camera parameters of the camera 20, the position of the position adjustment mechanism 10, and the position of the needle tip 701 of the injection needle 207.

[0044] In order to correctly insert the injection needle 207 into the mouse tail vein 203, which has a diameter of approximately 0.3 mm, it is necessary to correctly calibrate the position of the needle tip 701 of the injection needle 207 relative to the position adjustment mechanism 10, as well as system parameters such as camera parameters. In this embodiment, this calibration process is referred to as the first calibration process. However, since the syringe 50 or the injection needle 207 is replaced after the injection, it is time-consuming to perform the first calibration process each time an injection is performed.

[0045] Therefore, the calibration unit 503 according to this embodiment is configured to allow recalibration by calibrating the position of the needle tip 701 of the injection needle 207 relative to the position adjustment mechanism 10 when the syringe 50 or the injection needle 207 is replaced. In this embodiment, this calibration process is referred to as the second calibration process.

[0046] In the first calibration process, the calibration unit 503 controls the position adjustment mechanism 10 to gradually move the position of the needle tip 701 of the injection needle 207, photographs the needle tip 701 with the camera 20, and performs calibration of the entire system by solving the optimization problem of equation (2).

[0047]

number

[0048] The calibration unit 503 performs a calibration process for the entire system (first calibration process) by solving the optimization problem of equation (2) such that the difference between the position of the needle tip 701 on the 20 images of the camera represented by p and the position of the needle tip 701 transformed by the function f() is minimized.

[0049] In the second calibration process, the calibration unit 503 calibrates only q, which represents the position of the needle tip 701 relative to the position adjustment mechanism 10. This second calibration process can be performed, for example, by setting the position adjustment mechanism 10 to the home position and taking a set of images using the first camera 20a and the second camera 20b, thus significantly reducing the processing time compared to the first calibration process.

[0050] The memory unit 504 stores, for example, the camera parameters c of the first camera 20a and the second camera 20b, the position H of the position adjustment mechanism 10, and the position q of the needle tip 701 relative to the position adjustment mechanism 10, as determined by the calibration unit 503.

[0051] The calculation unit 505 performs a calculation process to calculate the three-dimensional positions of two points on the tail vein 203 based on an image of the tail 41 taken by the camera 20. The calculation unit 505 calculates the three-dimensional positions of two points on the tail vein based on images of the tail taken under conditions where at least one of the positions or directions is different. For example, the calculation unit 505 uses a first image taken by the first camera 20a and a second image taken by the second camera 20b to calculate the three-dimensional positions of points 204 and 205 as described in Figure 2A. The specific processing details of the calculation process by the calculation unit 505 will be described later using flowcharts and diagrams.

[0052] The adjustment unit 506 performs an adjustment process to adjust the position and orientation of the injection needle using a position adjustment mechanism with five or more axes. For example, as explained in Figure 2A, the adjustment unit 506 uses a position adjustment mechanism 10 with five or more axes to align the position of the injection needle 207 to a line 206 passing through points 204 and 205 determined by the calculation unit 505. Using the calibration results from the calibration unit 503, the adjustment unit 506 can accurately determine the position of the needle tip 701 of the injection needle 207 using the first image taken by the first camera 20a and the second image taken by the second camera 20b. Therefore, the adjustment unit 506 can align the position of the injection needle 207 to a line 206 passing through points 204 and 205 by acquiring the first and second images, confirming the position of the needle tip 701, and controlling the position adjustment mechanism 10 to gradually change the orientation of the syringe 50.

[0053] As shown in Figure 2B, the puncture site 507 inserts the injection needle 207 along the line 206 passing through points 204 and 205. For example, the puncture site 507 uses point 204 as the puncture point and point 205 as the puncture termination point.

[0054] In this embodiment of the tail vein injection system 1, the puncture section 507 can have various configurations. For example, the tail vein injection system 1 may perform the process of aligning the position of the injection needle 207 with the line 206 passing through points 204 and 205, and the puncture process may be performed, for example, by human hands. In this case, the information processing device 100 does not need to have a puncture section 507.

[0055] Furthermore, the puncture site 507 may detect the pressure of the drug solution to be injected after puncture and control the injection of the drug solution based on the detected pressure. For example, the puncture site 507 may utilize the fact that the pressure is high if the injection needle 207 is not properly inserted into the tail vein 203, and may stop the puncture if the pressure exceeds a threshold. Alternatively, the puncture site 507 may use the fact that when the injection needle 207 is inserted into the tail vein 203, blood is extracted into the syringe 50 when the piston of the syringe 50 is pulled, to determine by image whether or not the injection needle 207 is inserted into the tail vein 203.

[0056] Thus, in the tail vein injection system 1 according to this embodiment, the puncture section 507 can have any configuration as long as it performs the process of aligning the position of the injection needle 207 with the line 206 passing through points 204 and 205.

[0057] <Processing flow> Next, the processing flow of the tail vein injection method according to this embodiment will be described.

[0058] (Processing of the tail vein injection system) Figure 8 is a flowchart illustrating an example of processing in a tail vein injection system according to one embodiment. This process shows an example of processing performed by the information processing device 100 in a tail vein injection system 1, such as the one shown in Figure 1.

[0059] In step S801, the calibration unit 503 of the information processing device 100 performs a first calibration process to calibrate, for example, the camera parameters of the first camera 20a and the second camera 20b, the position of the position adjustment mechanism 10, and the position of the needle tip 701 of the injection needle 207. For example, as described above, the calibration unit 503 controls the position adjustment mechanism 10 to move the position of the needle tip 701 of the injection needle 207 little by little, photographs the needle tip 701 with the camera 20, and performs calibration of the entire system by solving the optimization problem of equation (2).

[0060] In step S802, the calculation unit 505 of the information processing device 100 performs a calculation process to calculate the three-dimensional positions of points 204 and 205 using the first image captured by the first camera 20a and the second image captured by the second camera 20b. The specific details of the calculation process will be described later with reference to Figures 9 to 14.

[0061] In step S803, the adjustment unit 506 of the information processing device 100 uses a position adjustment mechanism 10 with five or more axes, as explained in Figure 2A, to adjust the position of the injection needle 207 to the line 206 passing through points 204 and 205 determined by the calculation unit 505.

[0062] In step S804, the puncture unit 507 of the information processing device 100 inserts the injection needle 207 into the tail vein 203 along the line 206 passing through points 204 and 205, as shown in Figure 2B. For example, the puncture unit 507 uses point 204 as the puncture point and point 205 as the puncture termination point to perform the puncture.

[0063] In step S805, the information processing device 100 determines whether or not to perform the next puncture. If the next puncture is to be performed, the information processing device 100 proceeds to step S806. On the other hand, if the next puncture is not to be performed, the information processing device 100 terminates the process shown in Figure 8.

[0064] When the process moves to step S806, the information processing device 100 determines whether the injection needle 207 (or syringe 50) has been replaced. If the injection needle 207 has been replaced, the information processing device 100 proceeds to step S807. On the other hand, if the injection needle 207 has not been replaced, the information processing device 100 returns to step S802.

[0065] As another example, if the injection needle 207 has not been replaced, the information processing device 100 may display a message prompting the user to replace the injection needle 207 and suspend processing until the injection needle 207 is replaced. The information processing device 100 may determine whether or not the injection needle 207 has been replaced based on user input or other means, or based on images captured by the camera 20.

[0066] When the process moves to step S807, the calibration unit 503 of the information processing device 100 performs a second calibration process to calibrate the position of the needle tip 701 of the injection needle 207 relative to the position adjustment mechanism 10, and after calibration, the process returns to step S802.

[0067] As a result of the above process, the tail vein injection system 1 can easily perform punctures into the tail vein, as explained in Figures 2A and 2B. Furthermore, the tail vein injection system 1 can significantly reduce the time required for calibration, even when performing multiple punctures by replacing the injection needle 207 or syringe 50 after each puncture.

[0068] (Calculation process) Figure 9 is a flowchart showing an example of a calculation process according to one embodiment. This process shows an example of a calculation process executed by the calculation unit 505 of the information processing device 100 in step S802 of Figure 8.

[0069] Here, it is assumed that the camera parameters of the first camera 20a and the second camera 20b are known through either the first or second calibration process. These camera parameters include, for example, the position and orientation, focal length, optical center, or distortion correction parameters of the first camera 20a and the second camera 20b. Furthermore, the positional relationship between the fixing device 40 and the first camera 20a and the second camera 20b is assumed to be fixed.

[0070] In step S901, the calculation unit 505 determines the puncture position and the puncture end position using the first image captured by the first camera 20a.

[0071] As a preferred example, the fixing device 40 is marked with a first positioning marker 1001a and a second marker 1001b, as shown in Figure 10. By photographing this fixing device 40 with the first camera 20a, an image 1002 is obtained showing the first marker 1001a and the second marker 1001b on the fixing device 40, as shown in Figure 10.

[0072] For example, in image 1002, the calculation unit 505 determines the position of the first marker 1001a in the X-axis direction as the puncture position c1x1. The calculation unit 505 also determines the puncture termination position c1x2 in the X-axis direction based on the distance to the puncture termination point. For example, if the distance between the first marker 100a and the second marker 1001b is D, and the distance to the puncture termination point is set to d, the calculation unit 505 determines the position d / D in the X-axis direction from the puncture position c1x1 as the puncture termination position c1x2.

[0073] In step S902, the calculation unit 505 determines a first point and a second point on the tail vein using a first image captured by the first camera 20a. For example, as shown in Figure 11, with the tail 41 of the mouse 1101 fixed to the fixing device 40, the calculation unit 505 uses the image acquisition unit 501 to acquire a first image 1102 of the tail 41 captured by the first camera 20a. The calculation unit 505 also uses the detection unit 502 to detect the tail vein 203 from the first image 1102. Furthermore, in the first image 1102, the calculation unit 505 defines the intersection point of the puncture position c1x1 in the X-axis direction and the tail vein 203 as the first point c1p1, and the intersection point of the puncture end position c1x2 in the X-axis direction and the tail vein 203 as the second point c1p2.

[0074] In step S903, the calculation unit 505 calculates the first epipolar line c2l1 and the second epipolar line c2l2 in the second image taken of the tail 41 with the second camera 20b. For example, as shown in Figure 12, the calculation unit 505 uses the image acquisition unit 501 to acquire a second image 1201 of the tail 41 taken with the second camera 20b while the tail 41 of the mouse 1101 is fixed to the fixing device 40. The calculation unit 505 also calculates the first epipolar line c2l1 connecting the first camera 20a and the first point c1p1 in the second image 1201.

[0075] The straight line connecting the first camera 20a and the first point c1p1 is projected as a straight line onto the second camera 20b. This straight line is called the epipolar line. If the coordinates of the first point c1p1 are unknown, it can be seen that the first point c1p1, as captured by the first camera 20a, lies on the first epipolar line c2l1.

[0076] Similarly, the calculation unit 505 calculates a second epipolar line c2l2 connecting the first camera 20a and the second point c1p2 in the second image 1201.

[0077] In step S904, the calculation unit 505 determines, as shown in Figure 13, the third point c2p1 where the tail vein 203 intersects with the first epipolar line c2l1, and the fourth point c2p2 where the tail vein 203 intersects with the second epipolar line c2l2 in the second image 1201.

[0078] In step S905, the calculation unit 505 calculates the three-dimensional positions of the third point c2p2 and the fourth point. The first point c1p1 in the first image 1102 and the third point c2p1 in the second image 1201 represent the same point (for example, point p1 in Figure 14). Therefore, the calculation unit 505 can use the camera parameters of the first camera 20a and the second camera 20b, along with the first image 1102 and the second image 1201, to calculate the three-dimensional coordinates (x1, y1, z1) of point p1 using, for example, a known triangulation method. Note that this point p1 corresponds to point 204 in Figure 2A.

[0079] Similarly, the second point c1p2 in the first image 1102 and the fourth point c2p2 in the second image 1201 represent the same point (for example, point p2 in Figure 14). Therefore, the calculation unit 505 can use the camera parameters of the first camera 20a and the second camera 20b, and the first image 1102 and the second image 1201 to calculate the three-dimensional coordinates (x2, y2, z2) of point p2 using, for example, a known triangulation method. Note that this point p2 corresponds to point 205 in Figure 2A.

[0080] Through the above process, the information processing device 100 can calculate the three-dimensional positions of two points on the tail vein 203 (for example, points 204 and 205 in Figure 2A).

[0081] <Configuration of the information processing device> In the embodiments described above, part or all of the information processing device 100 may be composed of hardware, or it may be composed of information processing by software (programs) executed by a CPU (Central Processing Unit), GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), etc. If it is composed of information processing by software, the software that realizes at least some of the functions of the information processing device 100 in the embodiments described above may be stored on a non-temporary storage medium (non-temporary computer-readable medium) such as a CD-ROM (Compact Disc-Read Only Memory) or USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory, and the software information processing may be executed by loading it into a computer. Alternatively, the software may be downloaded via a communication network. Furthermore, all or part of the software processing may be implemented in a circuit such as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) or FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), so that the information processing by the software is executed by hardware.

[0082] The storage medium for the software may be a removable medium such as an optical disc, or a fixed storage medium such as a hard disk or memory. Furthermore, the storage medium may be located inside the computer (main memory, auxiliary storage, etc.) or outside the computer.

[0083] Figure 15 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the information processing device 100 in the embodiment described above. The information processing device 100 may be implemented as a computer 7 comprising, for example, a processor 71, a main memory 72 (memory), an auxiliary memory 73 (memory), a network interface 74, and a device interface 75, which are connected via a bus 76.

[0084] The computer 7 in Figure 15 has one of each component, but it may have multiple identical components. Also, although Figure 15 shows one computer 7, the software may be installed on multiple computers, and each of these multiple computers may execute the same or different parts of the software's processing. In this case, it may be a distributed computing configuration in which each computer communicates via a network interface 74 or the like to execute processing. In other words, the information processing device 100 in the above-described embodiment may be configured as a system that realizes its function by having one or more computers execute instructions stored in one or more storage devices. Alternatively, it may be configured so that information transmitted from a terminal is processed by one or more computers located on the cloud, and the processing results are transmitted to the terminal.

[0085] The various calculations performed by the information processing device 100 in the embodiments described above may be executed in parallel using one or more processors, or using multiple computers via a network. Alternatively, the various calculations may be distributed to multiple processing cores within a processor and executed in parallel. Furthermore, some or all of the processing and means of this disclosure may be implemented by at least one of a processor and a storage device located on a cloud that can communicate with a computer 7 via a network. Thus, each device in the embodiments described above may be in the form of parallel computing using one or more computers.

[0086] The processor 71 may be an electronic circuit (processing circuit, processing circuitry, CPU, GPU, FPGA, ASIC, etc.) that performs either control or calculations of a computer. The processor 71 may also be a general-purpose processor, a dedicated processing circuit designed to perform specific calculations, or a semiconductor device that includes both a general-purpose processor and a dedicated processing circuit. Furthermore, the processor 71 may include optical circuits or quantum computing-based calculation functions.

[0087] The processor 71 may perform calculations based on data and software input from various devices within the computer 7, and may output calculation results and control signals to these devices. The processor 71 may also control the various components of the computer 7 by executing the computer 7's OS (Operating System) or applications.

[0088] The information processing device 100 in the above-described embodiment may be implemented by one or more processors 71. Here, the processor 71 may refer to one or more electronic circuits arranged on one chip, or one or more electronic circuits arranged on two or more chips or two or more devices. When multiple electronic circuits are used, each electronic circuit may communicate by wire or wireless.

[0089] The main memory 72 may store instructions executed by the processor 71 and various data, and the information stored in the main memory 72 may be read by the processor 71. The auxiliary storage device 73 is a storage device other than the main memory 72. These storage devices refer to any electronic component capable of storing electronic information, and may be semiconductor memory. The semiconductor memory may be either volatile memory or non-volatile memory. In the information processing device 100 in the above-described embodiment, the storage device for storing various data may be implemented by the main memory 72 or the auxiliary storage device 73, or by the built-in memory of the processor 71. For example, the storage unit 504 in the above-described embodiment may be implemented by the main memory 72 or the auxiliary storage device 73.

[0090] In the above-described embodiment, if the information processing device 100 consists of at least one storage device (memory) and at least one processor connected to (coupled with) this at least one storage device, then at least one processor may be connected to one storage device. Also, at least one storage device may be connected to one processor. Furthermore, the configuration may include at least one processor among a plurality of processors being connected to at least one storage device among a plurality of storage devices. This configuration may also be realized by storage devices and processors included in a plurality of computers. Moreover, the configuration may include a storage device integrated with a processor (for example, a cache memory including an L1 cache and an L2 cache).

[0091] The network interface 74 is an interface for connecting to the communication network 8 wirelessly or via a wired connection. The network interface 74 can be any appropriate interface, such as one conforming to existing communication standards. Information may be exchanged between the computer 7 and an external device 9A connected via the communication network 8 through the network interface 74. The communication network 8 may be a WAN (Wide Area Network), LAN (Local Area Network), PAN (Personal Area Network), or a combination thereof, as long as information is exchanged between the computer 7 and the external device 9A. An example of a WAN is the Internet, an example of a LAN is IEEE 802.11 or Ethernet (registered trademark), and an example of a PAN is Bluetooth (registered trademark) or NFC (Near Field Communication).

[0092] The device interface 75 is an interface such as USB that connects directly to the external device 9B.

[0093] External device 9A is a device connected to computer 7 via a network. External device 9B is a device directly connected to computer 7.

[0094] External device 9A or external device 9B may, for example, be an input device. The input device may be a camera, microphone, motion capture device, various sensors, keyboard, mouse, touch panel, etc., and provides the acquired information to the computer 7. Alternatively, it may be a device equipped with an input unit, memory, and processor, such as a personal computer, tablet terminal, or smartphone.

[0095] Furthermore, external device 9A or external device B may, for example, be an output device. The output device may be a display device such as an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) or an organic EL (Electro Luminescence) panel, or a speaker that outputs sound, etc. It may also be a device equipped with an output unit, memory, and processor, such as a personal computer, tablet terminal, or smartphone.

[0096] Furthermore, external devices 9A and 9B may be storage devices (memory). For example, external device 9A may be network storage, and external device 9B may be storage such as an HDD.

[0097] Furthermore, the external device 9A or external device 9B may be a device having some of the functions of the components of the information processing device 100 in the embodiment described above. In other words, the computer 7 may transmit some or all of the processing results to the external device 9A or external device 9B, or may receive some or all of the processing results from the external device 9A or external device 9B.

[0098] As described above, this embodiment provides a tail vein injection system 1 that facilitates puncture of the tail vein.

[0099] (supplement) In this specification (including the claims), when the expression "at least one of a, b, and c" or "at least one of a, b, or c" (including similar expressions) is used, it includes any of a, b, c, ab, ac, bc, or abc. Furthermore, any element may have multiple instances, such as aa, abb, aabbcc, etc. In addition, it is also possible to add other elements other than the enumerated elements (a, b, and c), such as abcd which has d.

[0100] In this specification (including the claims), when expressions such as "using data as input / based on data / according to / in accordance with data" (including similar expressions) are used, unless otherwise specified, this includes using the data itself or using data that has been processed in some way (e.g., data with added noise, normalized data, features extracted from the data, intermediate representations of the data, etc.). Furthermore, when it is stated that some result is obtained "using data as input / based on data / according to / in accordance with data" (including similar expressions), unless otherwise specified, this includes cases where the result is obtained based solely on the data in question or where the result is influenced by other data, factors, conditions, and / or states other than the data in question. Furthermore, when it is stated that "data is output" (including similar expressions), unless otherwise specified, this includes cases where the data itself is used as output or where data that has been processed in some way (e.g., data with added noise, normalized data, features extracted from the data, intermediate representations of various types of data, etc.) is used as output.

[0101] In this specification (including the claims), the terms “connected” and “coupled” are intended to be non-restrictive terms that include any direct connection / coupling, indirect connection / coupling, electrical connection / coupling, communicative connection / coupling, operational connection / coupling, physical connection / coupling, etc. The terms should be interpreted as appropriate in the context in which they are used, but any form of connection / coupling that is not intentionally or naturally excluded should be interpreted non-restrictively as being included in the terms.

[0102] In this specification (including the claims), when the expression "A configured to B" is used, it may include that the physical structure of element A has a configuration capable of performing operation B, and that the permanent or temporary setting / configuration of element A is configured to actually perform operation B. For example, if element A is a general-purpose processor, it is sufficient that the processor has a hardware configuration capable of performing operation B, and that it is configured to actually perform operation B by the setting of a permanent or temporary program (instruction). Furthermore, if element A is a dedicated processor, dedicated arithmetic circuit, etc., it is sufficient that the circuit structure of the processor is implemented to actually perform operation B, regardless of whether control instructions and data are actually attached.

[0103] Wherever terms meaning "comprising" or "possessing" (e.g., "comprising / including," "having," etc.) are used herein, they are intended to be open-ended terms, including cases where the subject matter of such terms is not the object of the term. Where the object of such terms meaning "comprising" or "possessing" is an expression that does not specify a quantity or suggests a singular number (an expression with the article "a" or "an"), such expression should be interpreted as not being limited to a specific number.

[0104] In this specification (including the claims), even if expressions such as "one or more" or "at least one" are used in some places, and expressions that do not specify a quantity or suggest a singularity (expressions using the articles a or an) are used in other places, the latter expressions are not intended to mean "one." In general, expressions that do not specify a quantity or suggest a singularity (expressions using the articles a or an) should not necessarily be interpreted as not being limited to a specific number.

[0105] In this specification, if a particular configuration of an embodiment is described as having a specific advantage or result, it should be understood, unless otherwise stated, that the same advantage or result can also be obtained from one or more other embodiments having that configuration. However, it should be understood that the presence or absence of such advantage or result generally depends on various factors, conditions, and / or states, and that the configuration does not necessarily guarantee that the advantage or result can be obtained. The advantage or result can only be obtained from the configuration described in the embodiment when various factors, conditions, and / or states are met, and the advantage or result cannot necessarily be obtained in the invention claimed to define that configuration or a similar configuration.

[0106] In this specification (including the claims), when terms such as "maximize" are used, they include finding the global maximum value, finding an approximation of the global maximum value, finding the local maximum value, and finding an approximation of the local maximum value, and should be interpreted appropriately depending on the context in which the term is used. They also include finding these approximations of maximum values ​​probabilistically or heuristically. Similarly, when terms such as "minimize" are used, they include finding the global minimum value, finding an approximation of the global minimum value, finding the local minimum value, and finding an approximation of the local minimum value, and should be interpreted appropriately depending on the context in which the term is used. They also include finding these approximations of minimum values ​​probabilistically or heuristically. Similarly, when terms such as "optimize" are used, they include finding the global optimal value, finding an approximation of the global optimal value, finding the local optimal value, and finding an approximation of the local optimal value, and should be interpreted appropriately depending on the context in which the term is used. This also includes finding approximate values ​​of these optimal values ​​probabilistically or heuristically.

[0107] In this specification (including the claims), when multiple hardware components perform a predetermined process, each component may cooperate to perform the predetermined process, or some components may perform all of the predetermined process. Alternatively, some components may perform part of the predetermined process, while other components perform the remainder. In this specification (including the claims), when expressions such as "one or more hardware components perform a first process, and the one or more hardware components perform a second process" (including similar expressions) are used, the hardware component performing the first process and the hardware component performing the second process may be the same or different. In other words, it is sufficient that the hardware component performing the first process and the hardware component performing the second process are included in the one or more hardware components. Hardware may include electronic circuits, devices containing electronic circuits, etc.

[0108] In this specification (including the claims), when multiple memory devices store data, each of the multiple memory devices may store only a portion of the data or the entire data. Furthermore, a configuration in which some of the multiple memory devices store data is also included.

[0109] While embodiments of this disclosure have been described in detail above, this disclosure is not limited to the individual embodiments described above. Various additions, modifications, substitutions, and partial deletions are possible, provided that they do not depart from the conceptual idea and spirit of the present invention derived from the claims and their equivalents. For example, where numerical values ​​or mathematical formulas are used in the description of the embodiments described above, these are provided for illustrative purposes only and do not limit the scope of this disclosure. Similarly, the sequence of operations shown in the embodiments is also illustrative and does not limit the scope of this disclosure. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0110] 1. Tail vein injection system 7 Computers 10 Position adjustment mechanism 20a First camera 20b Second camera 30 Retainer (retention part) 40 Fixtures 41 tails 50 syringe 201 Straight section 202 Bending section 204, 205 points (two points) 206 Line (a line passing through two points) 207 Syringe needle 505 Calculation Unit 506 Adjustment section 507 Puncture site 701 Needle tip 1101 Mouse 1102 Image 1 1201 Second image c1p1 First point c1p2 Second point c2l1 First epipolar line c2l2 Second epipolar line c2p1 Third point c2p2 Fourth point

Claims

1. a calculation unit that calculates the position of the tail vein based on an image of the tail; an adjustment unit that adjusts the position and attitude of the injection needle based on the calculated information; a puncture unit that punctures the tail vein using the injection needle after the adjustment. Information processing device.

2. Further comprising a calibration unit that calibrates the position of the injection needle. The information processing device according to claim 1 .

3. When the injection needle is replaced, the calibration unit calibrates the position of the injection needle after replacement. The information processing device according to claim 2 .

4. The calibration unit is capable of performing at least a first calibration process and a second calibration process; the calibration unit executes the second calibration process without executing the first calibration process when the injection needle is replaced; the second calibration process is a process for calibrating a smaller number of components than the first calibration process; The information processing device according to claim 3 .

5. The first calibration process is a process of calibrating the positions of two or more of a fixture for fixing the tail, a position adjustment mechanism, or the injection needle, and camera parameters of a camera for capturing the image. The information processing device according to claim 4 .

6. The calibration unit executes the first calibration process after starting use of the information processing device and before executing the second calibration process. The information processing device according to claim 4 .

7. The calibration unit is capable of calibrating camera parameters. The information processing device according to claim 2 .

8. The calibration unit calibrates the position of the injection needle using an image of the needle tip of the injection needle. The information processing device according to claim 2 .

9. The puncture unit detects the pressure of the medicinal solution to be injected after puncture, and controls the injection of the medicinal solution based on the detected pressure. The information processing device according to claim 1 .

10. The puncture unit stops injecting the medicinal solution when the detected pressure exceeds a threshold value. The information processing device according to claim 9 .

11. The puncture unit determines whether the injection needle has been inserted into the tail vein based on the results of recognizing the blood in the syringe using an image. The information processing device according to claim 1 .

12. The calculation unit calculates the three-dimensional positions of two points on the tail vein based on two or more images of the tail taken under conditions in which at least one of the position and the direction is different. The information processing device according to claim 1 .

13. The adjustment unit adjusts the position and attitude of the injection needle so that the injection needle is inserted along a line passing through the two points. The information processing device according to claim 12.

14. The calculation unit: determining a first point and a second point on the tail vein using a first image of the tail taken with a first camera; calculating a first epipolar line connecting the first camera and the first point and a second epipolar line connecting the first camera and the second point in a second image of the tail taken by a second camera; calculating three-dimensional positions of a third point where the tail vein intersects with the first epipolar line and a fourth point where the tail vein intersects with the second epipolar line in the second image; The information processing device according to claim 12.

15. Further comprising an image acquisition unit that acquires the image using two or more cameras, The camera is a visible light camera. The information processing device according to claim 1 .

16. An information processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 15; A position adjustment mechanism; A syringe and and a tail fastener. Tail vein injection system.

17. The position adjustment mechanism has five or more degrees of freedom, The adjustment unit adjusts the position and attitude of the injection needle using the position adjustment mechanism.

17. The tail vein injection system of claim 16.

18. The fixing device has a straight portion that keeps the shape of a part of the tail straight, and a bent portion that keeps the shape of another part of the tail so that the curvature is greater than that of a straight line.

17. The tail vein injection system of claim 16.

19. The puncture section starts the puncture from the other part of the tail bent by the bending section, and advances the injection needle along a line passing through two points on the part of the tail.

19. The tail vein injection system of claim 18.

20. The fixing device has the straight portion on the base side of the tail and the bent portion on the tip side of the tail.

19. The tail vein injection system of claim 18.

21. The fixture uses suction to keep the portion of the tail straight.

19. The tail vein injection system of claim 18.

22. The fixture has a hole through which light can be irradiated, The image is an image taken when the light is irradiated through the hole.

17. The tail vein injection system of claim 16.

23. Further comprising a holding part for holding the body of the animal having a tail, The holding part is cylindrical and has an opening at the front of the animal.

17. The tail vein injection system of claim 16.

24. The method of claim 16, wherein the injection needle is inserted into the tail using the tail vein injection system. Tail vein injection method.

25. A program that causes a tail vein injection system to execute the tail vein injection method described in claim 24.

Images