Information processing device, method for operating information processing device, and program

Abstract

To provide an information processing device capable of achieving display control of a medical image according to an interpretation report creation state, a method for operating the information processing device, and a program.SOLUTION: An information processing device (22) accepts a close instruction for one or more medical images displayed on a display device (40), collects status information representing a first status according to the newest interpretation report creation status and representing that an interpretation report is already created, a second status representing that the interpretation report is incomplete, or a third status which does not apply to either of the first status and the second status for a first medical image (44), and determines processing according to status information about the first medical image (46).SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing device, an operating method for an information processing device, and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] When interpreting or diagnosing an image of a subject, an image diagnostician Multiple images, including not only the subject's current image but also previous images and images from other phases, are displayed on the screen. It may be displayed.

[0003] Patent Document 1 describes a medical image display system that displays past lesion information superimposed on a current image. Patent Document 2 describes a system for acquiring CAD information that is stored in association with a medical image. The present invention describes an image display system that acquires CAD information and displays the acquired CAD information in stages. CAD is an abbreviation for Computer Aided Diagnosis. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2016-202722 A [Patent Document 2] JP 2011-097983 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, when a large number of images are displayed, it may be difficult to determine which images have already been created as reports or which images need to be created as reports. A user interface that uses marks and colors to distinguish between images has the disadvantages that the marks are small and difficult to see, and that the user must remember the meanings of the marks and colors. The above-mentioned disadvantages impose a burden on the user, such as a doctor, and are insufficient in terms of the functionality of the user interface.

[0006] In addition, there are user interfaces that display a pop-up message confirming whether or not to close the most recent image when the most recent image is closed, but such user interfaces are not suitable for comparing multiple images and creating a report.

[0007] The system described in Patent Document 1 is for assisting image interpretation, but does not take into consideration the situation in which the image interpretation report is created. The same is true for the system described in Patent Document 2.

[0008] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and has an object to provide an information processing device, an operating method for an information processing device, and a program that realize display control of medical images according to the creation status of an image interpretation report. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] An information processing device according to a first aspect of the present disclosure includes one or more processors and one or more memories in which instructions to be executed by the one or more processors are stored, wherein the one or more processors receive an instruction to close one or more medical images displayed on a display device, collect status information which is a status corresponding to the status of creation of a latest interpretation report for a first medical image that is the subject of the instruction, and which indicates either a first status indicating that the latest interpretation report has been created, a second status indicating that the latest interpretation report is incomplete, or a third status which does not correspond to either the first status or the second status, and determines processing for the first medical image corresponding to the status information.

[0010] According to the information processing device according to the first aspect of the present disclosure, for the instruction target medical image that is the target of the close instruction, status information indicating a status according to the creation status of the radiology report is collected, and processing is determined according to the collected status information. This allows processing of the first medical image according to the creation status of the radiology report to be performed.

[0011] The medical images displayed on the display device may include past medical images captured and generated earlier than the medical image for which the latest radiology report is to be created. The medical images displayed on the display device may also include medical images referenced in the creation of the latest radiology report.

[0012] The medical image displayed on the display device may be a two-dimensional reconstructed image or a three-dimensional reconstructed image. The two-dimensional reconstructed image may be a reconstructed image group including a plurality of two-dimensional reconstructed images.

[0013] The incomplete image reading report may include the latest image reading report that is to be created before it is created.

[0014] In the information processing device of the second aspect, in the information processing device of the first aspect, one or more processors may execute a process of notifying a confirmation of whether to close as a process according to the status information when the status information of the first medical image represents the first status or the second status.

[0015] According to this aspect, during the creation of the latest image interpretation report, the execution of a process of erroneously closing a first medical image corresponding to an image interpretation report for which an image interpretation report has been created or an image interpretation report for which an image interpretation report is incomplete is suppressed.

[0016] The notification for confirming whether or not to close may be applied in the form of text information, sound, or voice.

[0017] In an information processing device according to a third aspect, in the information processing device according to the first or second aspect, one or more processors may execute a process of continuing the open state as a process according to the status information when the status information of the first medical image represents the first status or the second status.

[0018] According to this aspect, during the creation of the latest image interpretation report, the execution of a process of erroneously closing a first medical image corresponding to an image interpretation report for which an image interpretation report has been created or an image interpretation report for which an image interpretation report is incomplete is suppressed.

[0019] In an information processing device according to a fourth aspect, in an information processing device according to any one of the first to third aspects, one or more processors may, when the status information of the first medical image represents the third status, execute a closing process as a process according to the status information without performing a process of notifying a confirmation of whether to close.

[0020] According to this aspect, the reference images and the like that are not directly involved in the creation of the latest radiology report are immediately closed in response to a close instruction.

[0021] In an information processing device according to a fifth aspect, in an information processing device according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, one or more processors may accept a process of closing a group of examination images including one or more medical images as an instruction to close one or more medical images displayed on a display device.

[0022] According to this aspect, for an instruction to close a group of examination images including one or more medical images, the same processing as for an instruction to close a medical image can be executed.

[0023] In an information processing device according to a sixth aspect, in the information processing device according to the fifth aspect, one or more processors may receive a close instruction for the examination image group, and when status information of a first medical image included in the examination image group represents the first status or the second status, execute a process of notifying a confirmation of whether to close as a process corresponding to the status information for all medical images included in the examination image group, and when a close instruction for the examination image group is received and status information of a first medical image included in the examination image group represents the third status, execute a close process for all medical images included in the examination image group without executing a process of notifying a confirmation of whether to close as a process corresponding to the status information.

[0024] According to this aspect, the same processing is performed on all medical images included in the group of examination images that are targets of the closing processing.

[0025] In an information processing device according to a seventh aspect, in the information processing device according to the fifth or sixth aspect, one or more processors may receive an instruction to close the examination image group, and when status information of a first medical image included in the examination image group represents the first status or the second status, execute a process of keeping all medical images included in the examination image group open as a process according to the status information, and when an instruction to close the examination image group is received, and when status information of a target medical image included in the examination image group represents the third status, execute a process of closing all medical images included in the examination image group without executing a process of notifying a confirmation of whether to close.

[0026] According to this aspect, the same processing is performed on all medical images included in the examination that is the target of the closing processing.

[0027] In an information processing device according to an eighth aspect, in an information processing device according to any one of the first to seventh aspects, one or more processors may determine the status of the first medical image based on information represented by a character string entered when creating the latest radiology report.

[0028] According to this aspect, the status of the first medical image is determined according to the content of the latest image interpretation report.

[0029] The string may contain one or more numbers.

[0030] An information processing device according to a ninth aspect may be the information processing device according to the eighth aspect, and may determine the status for the first medical image by applying a trained learning model that has been trained to use the latest interpretation report, the first medical image, and status information for the first medical image as learning data, the interpretation report for the first medical image and the first medical image as input, and the status information for the first medical image as output.

[0031] According to this aspect, it is expected that the processing time for determining the status can be shortened and the accuracy can be improved.

[0032] In an information processing device according to a 10th aspect, in an information processing device according to any one of the first to ninth aspects, one or more processors may determine whether or not an interpretation report corresponding to a first medical image exists, and if an interpretation report corresponding to the first medical image exists, determine the status information for the first medical image to be a first status, and if an interpretation report corresponding to the first medical image does not exist, determine the status information for the first medical image to be a second status.

[0033] According to this aspect, the status of the first medical image can be determined depending on whether or not there is an interpretation report for the first medical image.

[0034] In an information processing device according to an eleventh aspect, in an information processing device according to any one of the first to tenth aspects, one or more processors determine whether or not a character string is present in an interpretation report for an anatomical structure included in a first medical image, and if a character string is present in the interpretation report for an anatomical structure included in the first medical image, determine that status information for the first medical image is a first status, and if a character string is not present in the interpretation report for an anatomical structure included in the first medical image, determine that status information for the first medical image is a second status.

[0035] According to this aspect, the status of the first medical image can be determined depending on the presence or absence of text for each anatomical structure in the image interpretation report.

[0036] An information processing device according to a 12th aspect may, in an information processing device according to any one of the 1st to 11th aspects, receive an input indicating completion of report creation, and when an input indicating completion of the interpretation report corresponding to the first medical image is received, determine that the status information for the first medical image is the third status.

[0037] According to this aspect, the status of the first medical image can be determined depending on whether or not an input indicating completion of the image interpretation report has been received.

[0038] In an information processing device according to a 13th aspect, in the information processing device according to the 12th aspect, when it is determined that the status information for the first medical image represents the third status, one or more processors may execute a closing process as a process corresponding to the status information, without performing a process of notifying confirmation of whether to close.

[0039] According to this aspect, it is possible to simplify the process in response to the reception of a close process for a first medical image for which an interpretation report has been completed.

[0040] In an information processing device according to a 14th aspect, in an information processing device according to any one of the 1st to 13th aspects, one or more processors may determine the status of a first medical image based on the examination date and time at which the first medical image was generated.

[0041] According to this aspect, if the examination date and time when the first medical image was generated is the latest, the status of the first medical image can be determined to be the first status or the second status. Also, if the examination date and time when the first medical image was generated is earlier than the latest examination date and time, the status information of the first medical image can be determined to be the third status.

[0042] An operation method of an information processing device according to a fifteenth aspect of the present disclosure is a method of operation of an information processing device that performs information processing on medical images to which a computer is applied, in which the information processing device accepts a close instruction for one or more medical images displayed on a display device, collects status information that is a status corresponding to the creation status of the latest interpretation report for a first medical image that is the subject of the instruction, and indicates either a first status indicating that the interpretation report has been created, a second status indicating that the interpretation report is incomplete, or a third status that does not correspond to either the first status or the second status, and determines processing for the first medical image corresponding to the status information.

[0043] According to the method for operating an information processing device according to the fifteenth aspect of the present disclosure, it is possible to obtain the same operational effects as those of the information processing device according to the first aspect of the present disclosure.

[0044] In the method of operating an information processing device according to the fifteenth aspect, it is possible to appropriately combine the same items as those specified in the second to fourteenth aspects. In this case, the components performing the processes or functions specified in the information processing device can be understood as the components of the method of operating an information processing device performing the corresponding processes or functions.

[0045] A program relating to a sixteenth aspect of the present disclosure is a program that enables a computer to perform the following functions: accept a close instruction for one or more medical images displayed on a display device; collect status information that corresponds to the status of creation of an interpretation report for a first medical image that is the subject of the instruction, and that corresponds to either a first status indicating that the interpretation report has been created, a second status indicating that the interpretation report is incomplete, or a third status that does not correspond to either the first status or the second status; and determine processing for the first medical image according to the status information.

[0046] According to the program according to the sixteenth aspect of the present disclosure, it is possible to obtain the same advantageous effects as those of the information processing device according to the first aspect of the present disclosure.

[0047] In the program according to the 16th aspect, the same items as those specified in the 2nd to 14th aspects can be appropriately combined. In this case, the components performing the processes or functions specified in the information processing device can be understood as the components of the program performing the corresponding processes or functions. Effect of the Invention

[0048] According to the present invention, for the first medical image to be closed, status information indicating a status according to the creation status of the image interpretation report is collected, and processing is determined according to the collected status information. This allows processing of the first medical image according to the creation status of the image interpretation report to be performed. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0049] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of a hospital information system. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram showing an electrical configuration of the server device shown in FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of the server device illustrated in FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the procedure of the information processing method according to the embodiment. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen applied to display a medical image. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of a group of inspection images. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing a first display example of a plurality of medical images. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram showing a second display example of a plurality of medical images. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram showing a third display example of a plurality of medical images. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing another example of a display screen on which a plurality of medical images are displayed. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of an image interpretation report. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a pop-up. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing a first example of the state in which an image interpretation report is created. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a schematic diagram showing a second example of the creation state of the image interpretation report. [Figure 15]FIG. 15 is a schematic diagram showing a third example of the creation state of the image interpretation report. [Figure 16] FIG. 16 is a schematic diagram showing a fourth example of the creation state of the image interpretation report. [Figure 17] FIG. 17 is a flowchart showing the procedure of the status information collecting method. [Figure 18] FIG. 18 is a schematic diagram showing a modified example of status information collection. [Figure 19] FIG. 19 is a schematic diagram of a learning model for carrying out status information collection. [Figure 20] FIG. 20 is a schematic diagram showing a first example of how to determine a process in response to a close instruction. [Figure 21] FIG. 21 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a pop-up. [Figure 22] FIG. 22 is a schematic diagram showing another example of the pop-up. [Diagram 23] FIG. 23 is a schematic diagram showing a second example of how to determine a process in response to a close instruction. [Figure 24] FIG. 24 is a schematic diagram showing a third example of determining a process in response to a close instruction. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0050] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In this specification, the same components are given the same reference numerals, and duplicated descriptions will be omitted as appropriate.

[0051] [Example of hospital information system configuration] Fig. 1 is an overall configuration diagram of a hospital information system. The various systems constituting the hospital system 10 shown in the figure are equipped with one or more computers, and the one or more computers execute various programs stored in computer-readable media, which are tangible objects, to realize one or more functions of the various systems.

[0052] The hospital system 10 includes various types of inspection devices 12. The inspection devices 12 capture images of subjects to be examined, and generate medical images. In the figure, the inspection devices 12 are exemplified by a CT device 12A, an MRI device 12B, and a PETCT device 12C. Other examples of the inspection devices 12 include an X-ray device, an ultrasound device, and a CR device using a flat X-ray detector.

[0053] In addition, CT is an abbreviation for Computed Tomography, MRI is an abbreviation for Magnetic Resonance Imaging, PET is an abbreviation for Positron Emission Tomography, and CR is an abbreviation for Computed Radiography. Furthermore, the examination apparatus 12 may be referred to as a modality.

[0054] The hospital system 10 includes a radiology information system 14. The radiology information system 14 mainly manages everything from reservations for examinations and treatments that use radiation equipment to examination results. The radiology information system 14 stores medical images generated during examinations, past image interpretation reports, and a current image interpretation report generated during the current examination. The radiology information system 14 can be expressed using RIS, which is an abbreviation for Radiology Information Systems.

[0055] The hospital system 10 includes a hospital information system 16. The hospital information system 16 is a general term for various information systems within the hospital. In general, the hospital information system 16 may include an automated reception system 16A, an electronic medical record system 16B, an admission and discharge management system 16C, a medical accounting system 16D, a pharmacy management system 16E, and a medical appointment system 16F.

[0056] All information related to the hospital is stored in the hospital information system 16. For example, the electronic medical record system 16B stores the operation history and treatment history of each patient as an electronic medical record. The hospital information system 16 can be expressed by using the abbreviation HIS for Hospital Information Systems.

[0057] The hospital system 10 includes an image archiving and communication system 18. The image archiving and communication system 18 includes a server device 22 and a display terminal 24. The server device 22 includes a database 23. The display terminal 24 includes a display device 26.

[0058] The image archiving and communication system 18 receives medical images transmitted from the inspection device 12. The received medical images are stored in a database 23. The image archiving and communication system 18 reads out the medical images stored in the database 23. The read out medical images are displayed on a display device 26 of a display terminal 24. DICOM is applied as a standard for storage and communication of medical images managed using the server device 22, the database 23 and the display terminal 24. DICOM is an abbreviation for Digital Imaging and COmmunications in Medicine. The server device 22 may be referred to as a DICOM server.

[0059] The radiologist can view medical images of the diagnosis target using the display terminal 24. The radiologist can also check the contents of orders sent from various medical departments using the display terminal 24. Furthermore, the radiologist can understand the purpose of the examination based on the orders sent from various medical departments. The image archiving and communication system 18 can be expressed by using PACS, which is an abbreviation for Picture Archiving and Communication Systems.

[0060] The hospital system 10 includes a report creation system 20. The report creation system 20 includes a report creation terminal device 21 that is operated by a radiologist to create an image interpretation report. The report creation terminal device 21 may store a program that supports the creation of an image interpretation report and may execute the program that supports the creation of an image interpretation report.

[0061] The testing devices 12 and other components of the hospital system 10 are electrically connected to each other so as to be able to communicate freely through an intra-hospital network. A LAN may be used as the intra-hospital network. The intra-hospital network may be either wired or wireless.

[0062] The hospital network may be connected to a public line network such as the Internet via a router (not shown). That is, the hospital system 10 may be electrically connected to an external device such as a cloud server via the hospital network and the public line network so as to be able to communicate freely. Note that LAN is an abbreviation for Local Area Network.

[0063] [Example of the configuration of a server device included in an image storage and communication system] Fig. 2 is a functional block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the server device shown in Fig. 1. A computer is applied to the server device 22. The server device 22 executes a specified program to realize various functions. The server device 22 may be a physical server or a virtual server.

[0064] The server device 22 includes an image acquisition unit 30. The image acquisition unit 30 acquires medical images stored in the database 23. The image acquisition unit 30 may acquire an examination image set including one or more medical images. The examination image set is illustrated in FIG. 6 using reference numerals such as 130.

[0065] The server device 22 includes an image processing unit 32. The image processing unit 32 performs various types of image processing on the medical image acquired using the image acquisition unit 30. Examples of the various types of image processing include processing corresponding to the display conditions of the display device 26, such as resolution conversion processing and size conversion processing. The server device 22 includes a display signal output unit 34. The display signal output unit 34 transmits a display signal representing the medical image that has been subjected to image processing using the image processing unit 32 to the display device 26 of the display terminal 24.

[0066] The server device 22 includes an input information receiving unit 40. The input information receiving unit 40 receives an input signal representing input information corresponding to an operation of the input device 27 of the display terminal 24. The input device 27 may be a keyboard, a mouse, or a touch panel type display device 26. An example of the input information is input information representing an instruction to close a medical image displayed on the display device 26 of the display terminal 24.

[0067] The server device 22 includes an image analysis unit 41. The image analysis unit 41 analyzes the medical image acquired using the image acquisition unit 30. Examples of the analysis of the medical image include analysis of the examination date and time, analysis of the examination device, and analysis of organs included in the medical image to be analyzed.

[0068] The analysis of the examination date and time and the analysis of the examination device may be performed based on the additional information attached to the medical image to be analyzed. The analysis of the organs included in the medical image to be analyzed may be performed by applying a region of interest extraction process. Note that, if the medical image to be analyzed includes multiple organs, each of the multiple organs is extracted.

[0069] The image analysis unit 41 may apply a learned learning model. The learning model applied to the image analysis unit 41 is a recognition model that recognizes one or more anatomical structures from one medical image, and may apply a learning model that outputs a recognition result of an anatomical structure when a medical image is input, using a pair of a medical image and a recognition result of the anatomical structure as learning data. Deep learning may be applied to the learning model applied to the image analysis unit 41.

[0070] The server device 22 includes an image interpretation report analysis unit 42. The image interpretation report analysis unit 42 refers to the report creation system 20 and analyzes the creation status of an image interpretation report for a medical image to be interpreted, for a medical image acquired using the image acquisition unit 30. An example of the image interpretation report analysis is keyword extraction, which extracts keywords such as date and time, examination device name, organ name, and preset terms such as comparison.

[0071] For example, when analyzing an abdominal radiology report, the radiology report analysis unit 42 analyzes whether or not all of the organs included in the abdomen, such as the liver, gallbladder, pancreas, and spleen, are described.

[0072] The image interpretation report analysis unit 42 may analyze the correspondence between the CAD result of the medical image for which the image interpretation report is to be created and the contents described in the image interpretation report. For example, when the CAD result describes a pulmonary nodule, it may analyze whether or not there is a description about the lungs in the image interpretation report.

[0073] The radiology report analysis unit 42 may apply a learning model that has already been trained. The learning model applied to the radiology report analysis unit 42 may apply an extraction model that extracts examination date and time, anatomical structures of organs, etc., and specific terms such as comparisons when one or more sentences of the radiology report are input. The learning model applied to the radiology report analysis unit 42 may apply a learning model that uses pairs of sentences included in the radiology report and examination date and time to be extracted as learning data, and outputs predetermined character strings such as examination date and time when a sentence included in the radiology report is input. The learning model applied to the image analysis unit 41 may apply deep learning.

[0074] The server device 22 includes a status information collecting unit 44. The status information collecting unit 44 collects status information representing a status according to the creation status of the image interpretation report for the medical image acquired using the image acquiring unit 30, based on the analysis result of the medical image and the analysis result of the image interpretation report. The status for each medical image will be described in detail later.

[0075] The server device 22 includes a processing decision unit 46 and a processing execution unit 48. The processing decision unit 46 decides processing for the target medical image for which a close instruction has been issued, based on the status information for each medical image. The processing execution unit 48 executes processing for the target medical image decided by the processing decision unit 46. The processing execution unit 48 reflects the processing on the medical image displayed on the display device 26 via the display signal output unit 34. The target medical image described in the embodiment is an example of a first medical image.

[0076] Fig. 3 is a block diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of the server device shown in Fig. 2. The server device 22 includes one or more processors 52 and one or more memories 62. The server device 22 includes a communication interface 56 and an input / output interface 58.

[0077] The processor 52 executes various programs stored in a memory 62 of the computer-readable medium 54 to realize various functions of the server device 22. The processor 52 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The processor 52 may include a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit). The processor 52 is connected to the computer-readable medium 54, a communication interface 56, and an input / output interface 58 via a bus 60.

[0078] The computer-readable medium 54 includes a memory 62 which is a main storage device and a storage 64 which is an auxiliary storage device. The computer-readable medium 54 may be a semiconductor memory, a hard disk drive, a solid-state drive device, or the like. The computer-readable medium 54 may be any combination of a plurality of devices.

[0079] A hard disk device may be referred to as an HDD, which is an abbreviation of the English term Hard Disk Drive, and a solid state drive device may be referred to as an SSD, which is an abbreviation of the English term Solid State Drive.

[0080] The memory 62 of the computer-readable medium 54 stores an image acquisition program 70, an image processing program 72, and a display signal output program 74. The memory 62 also stores an input information receiving program 80, an image interpretation report analysis program 82, an image analysis program 83, a status information collection program 84, a processing decision program 86, and a processing execution program 88.

[0081] 2, and realizes an image acquisition function. The image processing program 72 is applied to the image processing unit 32, and realizes an image processing function using the processing result of the image acquisition program 70. The display signal output program 74 is applied to the display signal output unit 34, and realizes a display signal output function using the processing result of the image processing program 72.

[0082] The input information receiving program 80 is applied to the input information receiving unit 40 and realizes an input information receiving function. The radiology report analysis program 82 is applied to the radiology report analysis unit 42 and realizes a radiology report analysis function. The image analysis program 83 is applied to the image analysis unit 41 and realizes an image analysis function.

[0083] The status information collection program 84 is applied to the status information collection unit 44, and realizes a status information collection function using the processing results of the radiology report analysis program 82 and the processing results of the image analysis program 83. The processing decision program 86 is applied to the processing decision unit 46, and realizes the processing decision function using the processing results of the input information receiving program 80 and the processing results of the status information collection program 84. The processing execution program 88 is applied to the processing execution unit 48, and realizes the processing execution function using the processing results of the processing decision program 86.

[0084] Various programs stored in the computer-readable medium 54 include one or more instructions. Various data, various parameters, etc. are stored in the computer-readable medium 54. Note that the term program is synonymous with the term software.

[0085] The hardware structure of the processor 52 is various processors as shown below. The various processors include a CPU (Central Processing Unit), which is a general-purpose processor that executes software (programs) and acts as various functional units, a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), which is a processor specialized for image processing, a PLD (Programmable Logic Device), which is a processor whose circuit configuration can be changed after manufacture such as an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), and a dedicated electric circuit, which is a processor having a circuit configuration designed specifically for executing specific processing such as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit).

[0086] A processing unit may be configured with one of these various processors, or may be configured with two or more processors of the same or different types (for example, multiple FPGAs, or a combination of a CPU and an FPGA, or a combination of a CPU and a GPU). Also, multiple functional units may be configured with one processor. As an example of configuring multiple functional units with one processor, first, as represented by a computer such as a client or a server, there is a form in which one processor is configured with a combination of one or more CPUs and software, and this processor acts as multiple functional units. Second, as represented by a SoC (System On Chip), there is a form in which a processor is used that realizes the functions of the entire system including multiple functional units with one IC (Integrated Circuit) chip. In this way, the various functional units are configured using one or more of the above various processors as a hardware structure.

[0087] Furthermore, the hardware structure of these various processors is, more specifically, an electric circuit that combines circuit elements such as semiconductor elements.

[0088] The memory 62 stores instructions to be executed by the processor 52. The memory 62 includes a RAM (Random Access Memory) and a ROM (Read Only Memory), not shown. The processor 52 uses the RAM as a working area, executes software using various programs and parameters, including image processing programs, including an image acquisition program 70, etc., stored in the ROM, and executes various processes of the server device 22 by using the parameters stored in the ROM, etc.

[0089] The display terminal 24 shown in Fig. 1 may realize the information processing function of the server device 22. That is, the display terminal 24 may include various processing units such as the image acquisition unit 30 shown in Fig. 3, and may realize the functions of the various processing units. Furthermore, the hospital system 10 shown in Fig. 1 may include an information processing device that includes various processing units such as the image acquisition unit 30 shown in Fig. 3, in addition to the server device 22 and the display terminal 24.

[0090] [Procedure of information processing method according to embodiment] 4 is a flowchart showing the procedure of an information processing method according to an embodiment of the present invention. The information processing method described below can be understood as a method for operating an information processing device to which a computer including one or more processors is applied.

[0091] 2 acquires one or more medical images from the database 23. In the image acquisition step S10, a desired medical image can be acquired from the database 23 in response to an operation by an operator of the display terminal 24.

[0092] The medical image acquired in the image acquisition step S10 is subjected to image processing such as processing corresponding to the display conditions of the display device 26 shown in Fig. 1, converted into a display signal, and transmitted to the display device 26. The display device 26 displays the medical image corresponding to the received display signal. After the image acquisition step S10, the process proceeds to the image interpretation report analysis step S12.

[0093] In the image interpretation report analysis step S12, the image interpretation report analysis unit 42 refers to the report creation system 20 and analyzes the creation status of the image interpretation report for the medical image acquired in the image acquisition step S10. In the image interpretation report analysis step S12, the analysis result of the image interpretation report may be stored. After the image interpretation report analysis step S12, the image analysis step S13 is performed.

[0094] In the image analysis step S13, the image analysis unit 41 analyzes the medical image acquired in the image acquisition step S10. In the image analysis step S13, the analysis result of the medical image may be stored. After the image analysis step S13, the process proceeds to a status information collection step S14. Note that the image interpretation report analysis step S12 and the image analysis step S13 may be executed in parallel, or their orders may be interchanged.

[0095] In the status information collecting step S14, the status information collecting unit 44 collects status information representing the status of each medical image acquired in the image acquiring step S10 based on the creation status of the interpretation report for each medical image and the analysis result of the medical image. After the status information collecting step S14, the process proceeds to an input information acceptance determining step S16.

[0096] In the input information reception determination step S16, the input information reception unit 40 determines whether or not input information corresponding to a process for closing the medical image displayed on the display device 26 has been received. If the input information reception unit 40 determines that no input information has been received, the determination is No. If the determination is No, the process proceeds to the end determination step S24. If the determination is No, the process may wait for the reception of input information, and if no input information is received even after a certain period of time has passed, the process may proceed to the end determination step S24.

[0097] On the other hand, if it is determined in the input information reception determination step S16 that the input information reception unit 40 has received the input information, the determination is Yes. If the determination is Yes, the process proceeds to the process determination step S18.

[0098] In the input information reception determination step S16, during the period waiting for reception of the input information, the image obtaining step S10, the image interpretation report analyzing step S12, and the status information collecting step S14 may be newly executed.

[0099] In the process determination step S18, the process determination unit 46 determines the process for the medical image for which the input information of the instruction for the closing process has been accepted, based on the status of the medical image collected in the status information collection step S14. After the process determination step S18, the process proceeds to a process execution step S20.

[0100] In the process execution step S20, the process execution unit 48 executes the process for the medical image for which the input information of the instruction for the closing process has been accepted. After the process execution step S20, the process proceeds to a display signal output step S22.

[0101] In the display signal output step S22, the display signal output unit 34 outputs a display signal corresponding to the processing of the medical image to be displayed on the display device 26. The display device 26 executes a display corresponding to the processing of the medical image. One example of a display corresponding to the processing of the medical image is a pop-up display for confirming whether to close the pop-up. After the display signal output step S22, the process proceeds to a termination determination step S24.

[0102] In the termination determination step S24, the server device 22 performs a termination determination of the information processing method. That is, in the termination determination step S24, the server device 22 determines whether or not a termination condition of the information processing method is satisfied.

[0103] In the termination determination step S24, if the server device 22 determines that the termination condition of the information processing method is not satisfied, the determination is No. In the case of a No determination, the process proceeds to the input information reception determination step S16, and each step from the input information reception determination step S16 to the termination determination step S24 is repeatedly executed until the determination is Yes in the termination determination step S24.

[0104] On the other hand, in the termination determination step S24, if the server device 22 determines that the termination condition of the information processing method is satisfied, a Yes determination is made. If the determination is Yes, a prescribed termination process is executed, and the server device 22 terminates the information processing method. An example of the termination condition of the information processing method is the completion of creation of an interpretation report for a medical image displayed on the display device 26 of the display terminal 24.

[0105] [Example of medical image display screen] Fig. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen applied to displaying medical images. This figure illustrates a display screen 100 on which four medical images are displayed. Note that the display screen 100 may be configured as a window displayed on the display device 26 shown in Fig. 1. Note that Fig. 5 illustrates an arbitrary character as an example of a character. Also, a character string including a plurality of arbitrary characters is illustrated as a character string.

[0106] The display screen 100 includes a title bar 102 in which the title of the screen is displayed, an information bar 104 in which various information is displayed, a toolbar 106 in which icons corresponding to various tools are displayed, and an image display area 108 in which medical images are displayed.

[0107] The information bar 104 displays an examination image group list 110 including the medical image displayed in the image display area 108. The examination image groups displayed in the examination image group list 110 correspond to the examination image groups including the medical image displayed in the image display area 108.

[0108] Further, thumbnail images 112 of medical images included in any one of the examination image groups are displayed in the information bar 104. The thumbnails displayed in the information bar 104 correspond to medical images included in the medical image group selected in the examination image group list 110.

[0109] One or more medical images are displayed in the image display area 108. Fig. 5 illustrates an example in which two medical images 120 and 122 included in a first examination image group are displayed, and two medical images 126 and 128 included in a second examination image group are displayed. Note that Fig. 5 illustrates an example in which the image display area 108 is divided into four, but the number of divisions of the image display area 108 can be determined according to the number of medical images to be displayed.

[0110] The first examination and the second examination are examinations performed on the same examination subject at different dates and times. For example, the first examination is the most recent examination, and an example of the first examination is the current examination. The first examination image group includes one or more medical images generated by performing the first examination.

[0111] The second examination is a past examination performed before the first examination, and an example of the second examination is a previous examination. The second examination image group includes one or more medical images generated by performing the second examination.

[0112] 5 illustrates an example in which two examination image groups are displayed, but the number of examination image groups displayed may be one or more, and the number of examination image groups displayed may be three or more. When multiple examination image groups are displayed, they may be a combination of the latest examination and one or more past examinations.

[0113] [Specific examples of medical image management] 6 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of an examination image group. In this figure, a configuration example of a folder for an arbitrary patient A is illustrated. As shown in this figure, a folder 130A is generated for each patient. The folder 130A includes one or more examination image groups. In this figure, an example is shown in which four examination image groups, namely, examination image group 130, examination image group 132, examination image group 134, and examination image group 136, are stored in the folder 130A.

[0114] 1 shows an example in which the examination dates and times of examination image group 130, examination image group 132, examination image group 134, and examination image group 136 are different. The examination image group 130 includes one or more medical images. For example, the examination image group 130 includes medical image 140, medical image 142, medical image 144, medical image 146, medical image 148, and medical image 150.

[0115] Fig. 7 is a schematic diagram showing a first display example of a plurality of medical images. This figure shows a schematic layout of a plurality of medical images displayed in the image display area 108 shown in Fig. 5. The same applies to Figs. 8 and 9.

[0116] 7, the examination image group 130 is displayed, and medical images 140, 142, 144, 146, 148, and 150 included in the examination image group 130 are displayed. That is, one or more medical images displayed in the image display area 108 shown in FIG. 5 may include multiple medical images in the same examination image group.

[0117] Fig. 8 is a schematic diagram showing a second display example of a plurality of medical images. In the layout example of a plurality of medical images shown in the figure, a medical image 140 included in the examination image group 130, a medical image 146 included in the examination image group 130, a medical image 160 included in the examination image group 132, and a medical image 180 included in the examination image group 134 are displayed. That is, one or more medical images displayed in the image display area 108 shown in Fig. 5 may be medical images included in different examination image groups, or may be multiple medical images in one examination image group. In the example shown in Fig. 8, a display mode with a different background color or the like may be applied to each of the different medical image groups.

[0118] 9 is a schematic diagram showing a third display example of a plurality of medical images. The layout example of a plurality of medical images shown in the figure shows a case where a medical image 140 included in the examination image group 130 is displayed, and examination image group 132 and examination image group 134 are stored. For example, FIG. 9 corresponds to a case where there are a plurality of examination image groups, a medical image that should be displayed is not displayed, and a medical image included in a past examination image group is displayed.

[0119] 7 to 9 are displayed, it may be difficult to know which image or group of examination images to close. Therefore, when an instruction to close a medical image or an instruction to close a group of examination images is received, a process for the close instruction is determined according to the creation status of the image interpretation report for each medical image.

[0120] [Specific examples of information processing methods] Fig. 10 is a diagram showing another example of a display screen on which a plurality of medical images are displayed. In this figure, an example is shown in which nine medical images are displayed. In this figure, two-dimensional reconstructed images representing axial sections are illustrated as medical image 200, medical image 202, medical image 204, medical image 206, medical image 208, and medical image 210. In addition, in this figure, two-dimensional reconstructed images representing coronal sections are illustrated as medical image 212 and medical image 214. In addition, in this figure, a two-dimensional reconstructed image representing a sagittal section is illustrated as medical image 216.

[0121] 10 is a latest image generated in a latest examination. The latest image may be a current image generated in a current examination. Each of medical images 202 to 216 is a past image generated in a past examination.

[0122] Fig. 11 is a diagram showing an example of an image interpretation report. This diagram illustrates a part of an image interpretation report 300 that is created when the medical image 200 shown in Fig. 10 is the image interpretation target. The image interpretation report 300 includes a statement to the effect that the medical image 200, which is the latest image, is compared with a past image. The image interpretation report 300 also includes the date 20ab, cd, ef as the date of the past examination when the past image was generated. Note that a to f represent arbitrary numbers.

[0123] In such a case, the medical image 200 to be interpreted corresponds to the first status indicating that the latest interpretation report has been created, or corresponds to the second status indicating that the latest interpretation report is incomplete.

[0124] The past image corresponding to the date of the past examination described above is assumed to be a medical image 208. The past image, the medical image 208, is not the subject of interpretation in the latest examination, but is a medical image to be compared in the interpretation report 300 shown in Fig. 11. In this case, the medical image 208, like the medical image 200, corresponds to either the first status or the second status.

[0125] On the other hand, past medical images such as the medical image 202 that do not correspond to the comparison target in the image interpretation report 300 in the latest examination correspond to a third status indicating that they do not correspond to either the first status or the second status.

[0126] Examples of medical images that fall into the third status include past images that are simply displayed for reference, past images that were determined to be normal in a past examination, and past images that did not produce any CAD detection results in a past examination.

[0127] Another example of a medical image that falls under the third status is a past image that was generated by capturing an area different from the area to be reported in the latest radiology report. For example, when creating a report on the abdomen in the latest radiology report, it is considered that no problem will occur even if the latest image of the head and the past image of the head are closed.

[0128] Fig. 12 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a pop-up. When a close instruction is received for the medical image 200 shown in Fig. 10, a process is executed to display a pop-up 320 for confirming whether or not to close before the process to close is executed. The same applies to the medical image 208.

[0129] When the pop-up 320 shown in Fig. 12 is displayed on the display device 26 shown in Fig. 1, the doctor or other operator can select Yes if it is OK to close it, or select No if it is not OK to close it. In other words, when an important image related to the creation of the latest radiology report is likely to be closed, the pop-up 320 for confirming whether to close it is displayed, which reduces the occurrence of omissions and mistakes in the radiology report.

[0130] On the other hand, when a close instruction is received for the medical image 202 etc. corresponding to the third status, the pop-up 320 for confirming whether to close is not displayed, and the close process is executed for the medical image 202 etc. The medical image 202 etc. that has acquired the third status information is regarded as an unimportant image that has little contribution to the creation of the latest radiology report, and the close process is executed promptly in response to the close instruction.

[0131] FIG. 12 shows an example of a pop-up 320 that uses text information to notify the user when confirming whether or not to close the door. However, the notification when confirming whether or not to close the door may alternatively use a sound such as a beep, or a voice message indicating whether or not to close the door may alternatively be used.

[0132] [Correspondence between interpretation report creation status and status] FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing a first example of the creation status of an image interpretation report. The figure shows an example of an image interpretation report for which an image interpretation report has been created, which corresponds to the first status. When an analysis result is obtained that the image interpretation report contains text related to the examination device used in the examination, text related to all specified parts, and text related to all organs for each part, for a medical image with an examination date and time for which the latest image interpretation report should be created, the creation status of the image interpretation report is determined to be image interpretation report created. Image interpretation report created means that text exists for all organs for all parts of the image interpretation report.

[0133] On the other hand, the "image reading report created" may include cases where text may be changed and text may be added. The "image reading report created" is distinguished from the "image reading report completed" in which no text may be changed or added. The "image reading report completed" will be described later. The organs referred to here may be anatomical structures such as blood vessels, nerves, bones, and tendons.

[0134] When the creation status of the latest radiology report is determined to be "radiology report created," all medical images in the examination image group including the medical image to be most recently interpreted correspond to the first status indicating that the radiology report has been created.

[0135] The medical images for the examination date and time for which the latest interpretation report should be created are medical images generated in the latest examination, and may include the medical image to be interpreted and past medical images to be compared with the medical image generated in the latest examination.

[0136] 13, a head CT image interpretation report 360 is generated when the head is photographed using a CT device, and contains text for all the organs contained in the head. Similarly, a chest CT image interpretation report 362 is generated when the chest is photographed using a CT device, and contains text for all the organs contained in the chest. An abdominal CT image interpretation report 364 is generated when the abdomen is photographed using a CT device, and contains text for all the organs contained in the abdomen.

[0137] The letter n in the head CT image interpretation report 360, the letter m in the chest CT image interpretation report 362, and the letter l in the abdominal CT image interpretation report 364 are any integers equal to or greater than 1 that are applied to dates. The letters n, m, and l may be the same value or may be different values. The same applies to the letter n shown in FIG. 14 and the letters n and l shown in FIG. 15.

[0138] Moreover, aaaaa etc. in the head CT image interpretation report 360, chest CT image interpretation report 362, and abdominal CT image interpretation report 364 are character strings expressing sentences for organs H1 etc. The same applies to aaaaa etc. shown in Figs. 14 and 15.

[0139] Fig. 14 is a schematic diagram showing a second example of the creation status of the image interpretation report. This figure shows a modified example of the image interpretation report when it is determined that the image interpretation report has been created. The image interpretation report 370 of the head CT shown in Fig. 14 has information about all the organs. On the other hand, the image interpretation report 372 of the chest CT and the image interpretation report 374 of the abdominal CT are left blank.

[0140] In such a case, the chest CT image interpretation report 372 and the abdominal CT image interpretation report 374 are incomplete, and the image interpretation report as a whole is incomplete, but the first status indicating that the image interpretation reports have been created may be acquired for all medical images of the head CT. For example, the image interpretation report shown in Fig. 14 may be created when only the head is examined using a CT device in the latest examination.

[0141] Fig. 15 is a schematic diagram showing a third example of the image interpretation report creation status. This figure shows an example of an image interpretation report corresponding to an incomplete image interpretation report. When there are any items left blank for at least one of the examination device, site, and organ for a medical image of an examination date and time for which the latest image interpretation report should be created, the image interpretation report creation status is determined to be an incomplete image interpretation report.

[0142] 15, the head CT image interpretation report 380 has a blank column for the item related to organ H2. Also, the chest CT image interpretation report 382 has incomplete text related to organ C1. Meanwhile, the abdominal CT image interpretation report 384 has text for all organs. In such a case, the image interpretation report as a whole is incomplete, and a second status indicating that the image interpretation report is incomplete is acquired for all medical images included in the examination.

[0143] 16 is a schematic diagram showing a fourth example of the creation status of the image interpretation report, which shows an example of the image interpretation report in a case where the image interpretation report is neither completed nor incomplete.

[0144] Among past images, medical images that are judged to be normal, medical images that are not subject to comparative reading, and medical images of areas other than those that should be described in the latest reading report do not fall under either the category of "image reading report already prepared" or "image reading report incomplete."

[0145] The medical images judged to be normal may be judged by a doctor or by a CAD. CAD is an abbreviation for Computer Aided Diagnosis. An example of a medical image that is not the subject of comparative reading is a medical image generated in an examination at a date and time different from the examination date and time of the medical image that is the subject of comparative reading. An example of a medical image of a part different from the part that should be described in the reading report is a medical image of a chest CT or abdominal CT generated in a past examination when the medical image generated in the latest examination is only for a head CT.

[0146] 16, the latest head CT image interpretation report 390 indicates that the image should be compared with a head CT image generated on the previous examination date, 20gh, kl, mn. In this case, the head CT image generated in the examination on 20gh, kl, mn corresponds to the medical image that should be described in the image interpretation report.

[0147] On the other hand, the chest CT image and abdominal CT image generated in a past examination on kl / mn / 20gh are the referenced medical images, and do not correspond to either a completed image reading report or an incomplete image reading report. Note that g, h, k, l, m, and n shown in FIG. 16 are any integers equal to or greater than the integers applicable to the date. g, etc. may be the same value, or each may be a different value.

[0148] [How to obtain status information] Fig. 17 is a flowchart showing the steps of the status information collecting method. Status information of medical images displayed on the display device 26 is collected according to the following procedure. In the latest examination determination step S100, the status information collecting unit 44 shown in Fig. 2 determines whether or not each of one or more medical images acquired using the image acquiring unit 30 is included in the examination image group of the latest examination. That is, in the latest examination determination step S100, it is determined whether or not the photographing date and time of each of the acquired medical images matches the date and time of the latest examination.

[0149] A medical image with an imaging date and time that does not match the date and time of the latest examination is determined as No, and the procedure proceeds to the interpretation target determination step S102. On the other hand, a medical image with a date and time that matches the date and time of the latest examination in the latest examination determination step S100 is determined as Yes, and the procedure proceeds to the interpretation report comparison determination step S104.

[0150] In the interpretation target determination step S102, the status information collecting unit 44 determines whether or not the medical image for which the status information is to be collected is the medical image for which the interpretation target is to be determined, by referring to the analysis result of the interpretation report output from the interpretation report analyzing unit 42. That is, in the interpretation target determination step S102, it is determined whether or not the referenced interpretation report contains any description of a comparison image such as date and time.

[0151] In the image interpretation target determination step S102, if it is determined that the image is not the medical image to be interpreted, the result is No, and the medical image corresponding to the No result corresponds to a third status that corresponds to other that does not correspond to either the image interpretation report created or the image interpretation report incomplete. On the other hand, in the image interpretation target determination step S102, if the image is the medical image to be interpreted, the result is Yes, and the process proceeds to the image interpretation report comparison determination step S104. The image interpretation target here includes a past image to be compared with the current image.

[0152] In the radiology report comparison and judgment process S104, the status information collection unit 44 refers to the analysis results of the radiology report output from the radiology report analysis unit 42 and judges whether there is a description of the examination device, whether there is a description of all parts for which the report is to be created, and whether there is a description of all organs for each part.

[0153] In the image interpretation report comparison and judgment step S104, if there is no description for the examination device, if there is no description for some of the parts that are the subject of the report creation, or if there is no description for some of the organs for each part, the judgment is No. If the judgment is No, it corresponds to the second status that indicates that the image interpretation report is incomplete.

[0154] On the other hand, if there is a description of the examination device, if there is a description of all parts that are the subject of report creation, and if there is a description of all organs for each part, the result is Yes. If the result is Yes, it corresponds to the first status, which indicates that the image interpretation report has been completed.

[0155] 17 illustrates an example in which status information is collected for all acquired medical images, but status information may be collected for some of the acquired medical images. For example, status information may be collected for medical images for which a close instruction has been received, and status information may not be collected for medical images for which a close instruction has not been received. The medical images for which a close instruction has been received may be medical images included in a group of examination images for which a close instruction has been received.

[0156] [Variation of status information acquisition] FIG. 18 is a schematic diagram showing a modified example of status information collection. The status information collection unit 44 shown in the figure may receive an input signal indicating the completion of the image interpretation report, and collect status information of the medical image based on the input signal indicating the completion of the image interpretation report. For example, when a report creation completion button 45 is displayed on the display screen 100 shown in FIG. 5 and the report creation completion button 45 is operated, an input signal indicating the completion of the image interpretation report is transmitted to the status information collection unit 44. The completion of the image interpretation report indicates that the latest image interpretation report contains text about all organs in all parts, and is stored as a completed image interpretation report. The completion of the image interpretation report may indicate that processing such as corrections and additions to the latest image interpretation report is prohibited.

[0157] When the status information collection unit 44 receives an input signal indicating completion of creation of the radiology report, it collects status information indicating the third status in a status information collection step S14 shown in FIG. 4, and in a processing decision step S18, it decides to close without performing a process to confirm whether to close.

[0158] On the other hand, if the status information collecting unit 44 has not received an input signal indicating completion of the report, status information for the medical image for which a close instruction has been received is collected according to the procedure shown in FIG.

[0159] According to the modified example of the status information collection, the number of steps in collecting the status information can be reduced, and the processing time for collecting the status information can be shortened and the processing load can be reduced.

[0160] [Acquisition of status information using learning models] Fig. 19 is a schematic diagram of a learning model for acquiring status information. The learning model 400 shown in the figure is a trained classification model trained to acquire status information according to the first status definition shown in Fig. 13 and Fig. 14, the second status definition shown in Fig. 15, and the third status definition shown in Fig. 16. Deep learning or the like is applied as the learning method of the learning model 400.

[0161] In other words, learning model 400 is a trained learning model that uses medical images and interpretation reports as input data and status information as correct answer data, and has been trained to output status information when medical images and interpretation reports are input.

[0162] The learning model of the learning model 400 may be generated by performing learning using learning data in which the analysis results of medical images and the analysis results of the latest radiology report are input data and status information is output.

[0163] The status information collecting unit 44 shown in Fig. 2 may apply the trained learning model 400 shown in Fig. 19. The status information collecting unit 44 shown in Fig. 2 may be re-trained using the medical images and interpretation reports input to the status information collecting unit 44 and the status information output as training data.

[0164] [Specific example of the process to be determined when a close instruction is accepted] Fig. 20 is a schematic diagram showing a first example of a process decision in response to a close instruction. The first display example 407 shown in Fig. 20 is a mode in which one examination image group 130 shown in Fig. 7 is displayed, and multiple medical images 140 etc. included in the examination image group 130 are displayed.

[0165] The second display example 408 is an aspect in which a plurality of examination image groups 130 etc. shown in Fig. 8 are displayed, and one or more medical images 140 etc. in each examination image group are displayed. The third display example 409 is an aspect in which one or more medical images 140 etc. included in one examination image group 130 shown in Fig. 9 are displayed, and other examination image groups 134 etc. are saved without being displayed.

[0166] When an instruction to close one of the medical images is given, and the medical image for which the instruction to close is accepted corresponds to the first status or the second status, a process to notify confirmation of whether to close is determined, and the determined process is executed.

[0167] On the other hand, if the medical image for which a close instruction has been accepted corresponds to the third status, the process of closing is determined without performing the process of notifying the user of the confirmation of whether or not to close, and the determined process is performed.

[0168] Fig. 21 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a pop-up. The pop-up 410 shown in Fig. 21 is displayed when a close instruction is received for a medical image that corresponds to a first status indicating that a report has been created. The user may click Yes to execute the close instruction, or click No to cancel the close instruction.

[0169] Fig. 22 is a schematic diagram showing another example of a pop-up. The pop-up 420 shown in Fig. 22 is displayed when a close instruction is received for a medical image corresponding to the second status. As in the case where the pop-up 410 shown in Fig. 21 is displayed, the user can select to execute the close process or to cancel the close process. When a close instruction is received for a medical image corresponding to the second status, the pop-up 320 shown in Fig. 12 may be displayed.

[0170] 23 is a schematic diagram showing a second example of determining a process for a close instruction. This figure shows an example of a process when a close instruction for an examination image group is accepted. When a close instruction for an examination image group is accepted, the same process is determined and executed for all medical images included in the examination image group.

[0171] If any of the medical images included in the examination image group for which the closing process has been accepted corresponds to the first status or the second status, the process of notifying the user of the closing confirmation is determined, and the determined process is executed. On the other hand, if any of the medical images included in the examination image group for which the closing process has been accepted corresponds to the third status, the process of notifying the user of the closing confirmation is determined, and the determined process is executed.

[0172] For multiple medical images included in the same examination image group, if there is at least one medical image corresponding to a first status and / or a medical image corresponding to a second status, and also a medical image corresponding to a third status, the first status or the second status is given priority.

[0173] For example, if a group of examination images for which a closing process has been accepted contains a medical image corresponding to the first status and a medical image corresponding to the third status, the first status is given priority, and a process is determined and executed to notify confirmation of whether or not to close all medical images included in the group of examination images.

[0174] In addition, if the examination image group for which the closing process has been accepted contains a medical image corresponding to the second status and a medical image corresponding to the third status, a process is determined and executed to notify confirmation of whether or not to close all medical images included in the examination image group, similar to the above case.

[0175] Furthermore, if the examination image group for which the closing process has been accepted contains a medical image corresponding to the first status, a medical image corresponding to the second status, and a medical image corresponding to the third status, a process is determined and executed to notify confirmation of whether or not to close all medical images included in the examination image group, as in the above case.

[0176] Fig. 24 is a schematic diagram showing a third example of the determination of the process in response to a close instruction. This figure shows another example of the process when a close instruction for an examination image group is accepted. In the process shown in this figure, if the status of any of the medical images included in the examination image group for which the close process has been accepted is the first status or the second status, the non-close process is determined and the determined process is executed. In such a case, a pop-up may be displayed indicating that the non-close process has been determined. Also, a button for selecting whether or not to execute the process notified in the pop-up may be added, as in the pop-up 410 shown in Fig. 21.

[0177] On the other hand, if the status of any of the medical images included in the examination image group for which the close process has been accepted is the third status, the close process is determined without performing the process of notifying the user of the confirmation of whether to close, and the determined process is executed, as in the case shown in Fig. 23 etc. Note that the non-close process described in the embodiment is an example of a process of continuing the open state.

[0178] [Variations of medical images displayed on a display device] In the above embodiment, a two-dimensional slice image reconstructed from three-dimensional raw data is exemplified as a medical image displayed on the display device 26, but a three-dimensional reconstructed image may also be displayed.

[0179] [Effects of the embodiment] The information processing device and the information processing method according to the embodiment can provide the following advantageous effects.

[0180] [1] Status information indicating the creation status of the image interpretation report in the latest examination is collected for the medical image for which a close instruction has been received. The status information includes a first status indicating that the image interpretation report has been created, a second status indicating that the image interpretation report is incomplete, or a third status that does not correspond to either the first status or the second status. If the medical image for which a close instruction has been received corresponds to the first status or the second status, a process of notifying confirmation of whether to close is determined and executed. This prevents the execution of a process of erroneously closing a medical image for which an image interpretation report in the latest examination is to be created.

[0181] [2] When the medical image for which the close instruction has been received corresponds to the third status, the close instruction is executed without notifying the user whether to close the medical image. This allows medical images that are not important for creating an image interpretation report in the latest examination to be quickly closed.

[0182] [3] When a close process is accepted for an examination image group including one or more medical images, and any of the medical images included in the examination image group corresponds to the first status or the second status, a process of notifying confirmation of whether to close is determined and executed. This prevents the execution of an erroneous close process for a medical image for which an image interpretation report is to be created in the latest examination.

[0183] [4] When a close process is received for an examination image group including one or more medical images, and any of the medical images included in the examination image group corresponds to the first status or the second status, a non-close process is determined and executed. This prevents the execution of an erroneous close process for a medical image for which an image interpretation report is to be created in the latest examination.

[0184] [5] If any of the medical images included in the examination image group corresponds to the third status, the instruction to close is determined and executed without processing to notify confirmation of whether to close. This allows medical images that are not important in creating an image interpretation report for the latest examination to be quickly closed.

[0185] [6] The latest image, which is a medical image generated in the latest examination, corresponds to the first status or the second status, thereby preventing the latest image from being erroneously closed.

[0186] [7] Among past images, which are medical images generated in past examinations, past images to be compared with the latest image correspond to the first status or the second status. This prevents the execution of a process to erroneously close the medical images to be compared with the latest image among the past images.

[0187] [8] The image interpretation report of the latest examination is analyzed, and the status of the medical image for which a close instruction is to be accepted is determined based on the examination date and time, the part, and the organ contained in the image interpretation report of the latest examination. In this way, status information reflecting the creation status of the image interpretation report of the latest examination is obtained.

[0188] [9] When an instruction indicating the completion of the image interpretation report for the latest examination is received, the medical image for which the instruction indicating the completion of the image interpretation report is received corresponds to the third status. This makes it possible to reduce the number of steps in collecting status information, thereby shortening the processing time for collecting status information and reducing the processing load.

[0189]

[10] The status information of the medical image for which a close instruction is accepted is collected using a trained learning model 400 that has been trained to collect status information according to the first status definition, the second status definition, and the third status definition. This realizes high accuracy in the process of acquiring the status information.

[0190] The technical scope of the invention is not limited to the scope described in the above embodiments. The configurations and the like in each embodiment can be appropriately combined with each other without departing from the spirit of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0191] 10. Hospital Systems 12 Inspection equipment 12A CT device 12B MRI machine 12C PETCT device 14 Radiology Information System 16 Hospital Information Systems 16A Automated Reception System 16B Electronic medical record system 16C Hospital admission and discharge management system 16D Medical accounting system 16E Pharmacy Management System 16F Medical appointment system 18 Image storage and communication system 20 Report Creation System 21 Report creation terminal device 22 Server equipment 23 Database 24 Display terminal 26 Display device 27 Input Devices 30 Image acquisition unit 32 Image processing section 34 Display signal output section 40 Input information reception section 41 Image Analysis Unit 42 Radiography Report Analysis Department 44 Status Information Collection Department 45 Report creation completion button 46 Processing Decision Unit 48 Processing Execution Unit 52 processors 54 Computer-readable media 56 Communication Interface 58 Input / Output Interface 60 Bus 62 Memory 64 Storage 70 Image Acquisition Program 72 Image Processing Programs 72 74 Display signal output program 80 Input information reception program 80 82 Image interpretation report analysis program 83 Image Analysis Program 84 Status information collection program 86 Processing Decision Program 88 Processing Execution Program 88 100 display screens 102 Title Bar 104 Information Bar 106 Toolbar 108 Image display area 110 Inspection image group list 112 thumbnail images 120 Medical Imaging 122 Medical Imaging 124 Medical Imaging 126 Medical Imaging 130 Inspection images 130A Folder 132 Inspection images 134 Inspection images 136 Inspection images 140 Medical Imaging 142 Medical Imaging 144 Medical Imaging 146 Medical Imaging 148 Medical Imaging 150 Medical Images 200 Medical Images 202 Medical Imaging 204 Medical Imaging 206 Medical Imaging 208 Medical Imaging 210 Medical Imaging 212 Medical Imaging 214 Medical Imaging 216 Medical Imaging 300 Image Reading Report 320 Popup 360 Head CT Reading Report 362 Chest CT Reading Report 364 Abdominal CT Reading Report 370 Head CT Reading Report 372 Chest CT Reading Report 374 Abdominal CT Reading Report 380 Head CT Reading Report 382 Chest CT Reading Report 384 Abdominal CT Reading Report 390 Head CT Reading Report 400 Learning Model 407 First display example 408 Second display example 409 Third display example 410 Popup 420 Popup S10 to S24: Each step of the information processing method S100 to S104: Status information collection method steps

Claims

1. One or more processors, One or more memories in which instructions to be executed by the one or more processors are stored, Equipped with, The one or more processors described above are: The system accepts a command to close one or more medical images displayed on the display device. The system collects status information corresponding to the status of the latest image interpretation report for the first medical image subject to the aforementioned instruction, which is one of the following: a first status indicating that the latest image interpretation report has been completed, a second status indicating that the latest image interpretation report is incomplete, or a third status that does not fall under either the first or second status. An information processing device that determines the processing of the first medical image according to the status information.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein if the status information of the first medical image represents a first status or a second status, the one or more processors execute a process to notify whether to close or not as a process corresponding to the status information.

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein one or more processors, when the status information of the first medical image represents the first status or the second status, execute a process to continue the open state as a process corresponding to the status information.

4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, if the status information of the first medical image represents the third status, one or more processors perform a closing process without performing a process to notify whether to close or not, as a process corresponding to the status information.

5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the one or more processors receive an instruction to close a group of examination images containing the one or more medical images as an instruction to close one or more medical images displayed on the display device.

6. The one or more processors described above are: When a closing instruction is received for the group of examination images, and the status information of the first medical image included in the group of examination images represents the first status or the second status, a process is executed for all medical images included in the group of examination images to notify whether or not to close them, as a process corresponding to the status information. The information processing device according to claim 5, which receives a closing instruction for the group of examination images, and when the status information of the first medical image included in the group of examination images represents the third status, it performs a closing process for all medical images included in the group of examination images without performing a process to notify whether to close them, as a process corresponding to the status information.

7. The one or more processors described above are: When a closing instruction is received for the group of examination images, and the status information of the first medical image included in the group of examination images represents the first status or the second status, a process is executed for all medical images included in the group of examination images to maintain the open state, as a process corresponding to the status information. The information processing device according to claim 5, which receives a closing instruction for the group of examination images, and when the status information of the first medical image included in the group of examination images represents the third status, it performs a closing process for all medical images included in the group of examination images without performing a process to notify whether to close them, as a process corresponding to the status information.

8. The information processing device according to claim 1, wherein one or more processors determine the status of the first medical image based on information represented by a string of characters entered when creating the latest image interpretation report.

9. The one or more processors described above are: The information processing device according to claim 7, which determines the status of the first medical image by applying a trained model that has been trained to take the latest image interpretation report and the first medical image as inputs and output the status information of the first medical image as training data, with the latest image interpretation report, the first medical image and the status information of the first medical image as training data.

10. The one or more processors described above are: Determine whether or not an interpretation report exists for the first medical image. If an image interpretation report exists corresponding to the first medical image, the status information for the first medical image is determined to be the first status. The information processing device according to claim 1, wherein if there is no image interpretation report corresponding to the first medical image, the status information for the first medical image is determined to be the second status.

11. The one or more processors described above are: Regarding the anatomical structures included in the first medical image, it is determined whether or not text is present in the image interpretation report. If a string of characters exists in the image interpretation report for an anatomical structure included in the first medical image, the status information for the first medical image is determined to be the first status. The information processing device according to claim 1, wherein if no string of characters exists in the image interpretation report for an anatomical structure included in the first medical image, the status information for the first medical image is determined to be the second status.

12. The one or more processors described above are: We accept input indicating the completion of the image interpretation report creation. The information processing device according to claim 1, which, when it receives input indicating completion of the image interpretation report corresponding to the first medical image, determines the status information for the first medical image to be the third status.

13. The information processing device according to claim 11, wherein when one or more processors determine that the status information for the first medical image represents the third status, they perform a closing process as a process corresponding to the status information, without performing a process to notify whether to close or not.

14. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein one or more processors determine the status of the first medical image based on the examination date and time on which the first medical image was generated.

15. A method for operating an information processing device that performs information processing on medical images to which a computer is applied, The aforementioned information processing device is The system accepts a close command for one or more medical images displayed on the display device. The system collects status information corresponding to the status of the latest image interpretation report for the first medical image subject to the aforementioned instruction, which is one of the following: a first status indicating that the image interpretation report has been completed, a second status indicating that the image interpretation report is incomplete, or a third status that does not fall under either the first or second status. A method for operating an information processing device that determines processing according to the status information for the first medical image.

16. Computers A function that accepts a closing command for one or more medical images displayed on a display device. A function to collect status information corresponding to the status of the creation of the image interpretation report for the first medical image to which the above instruction applies, which represents one of the following: a first status indicating that the image interpretation report has been created, a second status indicating that the image interpretation report is incomplete, or a third status that does not fall under either the first or second status, and A program that implements a function to determine the processing of the first medical image according to the status information.

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