Computer program, device and method for supporting circuit design

Abstract

To provide a computer program, a device and a method for supporting circuit design.SOLUTION: A computer program runs a computer to execute a process of acquiring a circuit diagram showing an extracorporeal circulation circuit, evaluating the acquired circuit diagram, and outputting the acquired circuit diagram and an evaluation result.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a computer program, a circuit design assistance device, and a circuit design assistance method. [Background technology]

[0002] Extracorporeal circulation circuits have been used to assist the circulation of blood in patients during open-heart surgery for heart disease or to temporarily maintain life in patients experiencing rapidly progressing circulatory failure or cardiac arrest (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2003-299729 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The circuit configuration of an extracorporeal circulation circuit is designed individually according to the requirements of each hospital or clinical engineer. Manufacturers who manufacture and sell extracorporeal circulation circuits must design the circuit configuration of extracorporeal circulation circuits according to the requirements of each hospital or clinical engineer, which places a heavy burden on them.

[0005] In one aspect, an object of the present invention is to provide a computer program, a circuit design support device, and a circuit design support method that can reduce the workload when designing the circuit configuration of an extracorporeal circulation circuit. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] (1) The computer program disclosed herein is a computer program for causing a computer to execute a process of acquiring a circuit diagram representing an extracorporeal circulation circuit, evaluating the acquired circuit diagram, and outputting the evaluation results together with the acquired circuit diagram.

[0007] (2) In the computer program of (1) above, it is preferable to cause the computer to execute a process of evaluating a relationship between a plurality of circuit elements included in the circuit diagram.

[0008] (3) In the computer program of (1) or (2) above, it is preferable to have the computer execute the following processes: obtain information on the filling volume for each of a plurality of circuit elements included in the circuit diagram; obtain information on the flow path length and flow path diameter of a flow path connecting the circuit elements; calculate the filling volume of a flow path portion based on the obtained information on the flow path length and flow path diameter; calculate a total filling volume of the extracorporeal circulation circuit shown in the circuit diagram based on the obtained information on the filling volume of each of the circuit elements and the calculated filling volume of the flow path portion; estimate the circulating blood volume of a patient; and evaluate the hemodilution rate in the extracorporeal circulation circuit based on the calculated total filling volume of the extracorporeal circulation circuit and the estimated circulating blood volume of the patient.

[0009] (4) In the computer program described in any one of (1) to (3) above, it is preferable to cause the computer to execute a process of acquiring information related to a thrombosis index for a specified type of circuit element included in the circuit diagram, counting the number of the circuit elements, and evaluating a risk of thrombosis in the extracorporeal circulation circuit shown in the circuit diagram based on the acquired information related to the thrombosis index and the counted number of the circuit elements.

[0010] (5) In the computer program according to any one of (1) to (4) above, it is preferable to cause the computer to execute a process of acquiring information about the extracorporeal circulation circuit and generating a circuit diagram of an object to be evaluated based on the acquired information.

[0011] (6) In the computer program described in (5) above, it is preferable to cause the computer to execute a process of acquiring, as information regarding the extracorporeal circulation circuit, a schematic diagram that typically represents the extracorporeal circulation circuit, identifying from the acquired schematic diagram a plurality of circuit elements that constitute the extracorporeal circulation circuit and flow paths that connect the plurality of circuit elements, and generating the circuit diagram by connecting the plurality of circuit elements based on the identified flow paths.

[0012] (7) In the computer program described in (5) above, it is preferable to cause the computer to execute a process of acquiring information representing a use of the extracorporeal circulation circuit as information relating to the extracorporeal circulation circuit, and generating the circuit diagram based on the acquired information on the use.

[0013] (8) In the computer program according to any one of (1) to (4) above, a circuit diagram to be evaluated is obtained from one or more circuit diagrams generated in advance. The processing is preferably carried out by the computer.

[0014] (9) In the computer program according to any one of (1) to (8) above, it is preferable to cause the computer to execute a process of simulating the operation of the extracorporeal circulation circuit based on the circuit diagram and evaluating the circuit diagram based on the results of the simulation of the operation.

[0015] (10) In the computer program according to any one of (1) to (9) above, it is preferable to cause the computer to execute a process of accepting a correction to the circuit diagram, evaluating the corrected circuit diagram, and outputting a result of the evaluation.

[0016] (11) A circuit design assistance device according to the present disclosure includes at least one processor, which acquires a circuit diagram representing an extracorporeal circulation circuit, evaluates the acquired circuit diagram, and outputs the evaluation results together with the acquired circuit diagram.

[0017] (12) The circuit design support method disclosed herein includes a process performed by a computer to acquire a circuit diagram representing an extracorporeal circulation circuit, evaluate the acquired circuit diagram, and output the evaluation result together with the acquired circuit diagram. Effect of the Invention

[0018] In one aspect, the workload involved in designing the circuit configuration of an extracorporeal circulation circuit can be reduced. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0019] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a configuration example of a circuit design support system according to an embodiment; [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an internal configuration of a circuit design assistance device. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the internal configuration of a terminal device. [Figure 4] FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram for explaining an example of creating a rough sketch. [Diagram 5] FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram for explaining an example of generating a circuit diagram; [Figure 6] 1 is a flowchart illustrating a procedure of a process executed by a circuit design assistance device. [Figure 7] FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing a display example on a terminal device. [Figure 8] FIG. 13 is a conceptual diagram showing an example of a filling amount table. [Figure 9] 11 is a flowchart illustrating a procedure of a process executed by a circuit design assistance device according to the second embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 13 is a conceptual diagram showing an example of a thrombus occurrence index table. [Figure 11] 13 is a flowchart illustrating a procedure of a process executed by a circuit design assistance device according to the third embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram illustrating an example of a circuit diagram database. [Figure 13] 13 is a flowchart illustrating a procedure of a process executed by a circuit design support system according to the fourth embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0020] The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the drawings showing embodiments thereof. (Embodiment 1) 1 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration example of a circuit design support system according to an embodiment. The circuit design support system according to the embodiment includes a circuit design support device 10 and a terminal device 20. The circuit design support device 10 and the terminal device 20 are communicably connected to each other via a communication network NW. The circuit design support device 10 is, for example, a server computer installed by a manufacturer that produces and sells extracorporeal circulation circuits, and the terminal device 20 is, for example, a client computer used by a doctor or a clinical engineer.

[0021] The terminal device 20 receives information on the extracorporeal circulation circuit to be constructed from a doctor, a clinical engineer, or the like. Hereinafter, the doctor or the clinical engineer will be referred to as a user, and the information on the extracorporeal circulation circuit received by the terminal device 20 will be referred to as circuit information. The circuit information includes data on a schematic diagram that shows the circuit configuration of the extracorporeal circulation circuit. The data on the schematic diagram is created using drawing software or CAD (Computer Aided Design) software installed in the terminal device 20. The schematic diagram may be a rough sketch (conceptual diagram) that roughly shows the circuit configuration. The terminal device 20 may obtain the data on the schematic diagram by capturing an image of the schematic diagram drawn on paper by the user.

[0022] The circuit information received by the terminal device 20 is not limited to schematic diagram data, and may be text information or audio information indicating the purpose of the extracorporeal circulation circuit. The purpose of the extracorporeal circulation circuit includes a specific flow rate range, pediatric use, open heart surgery, ECMO (extracorporeal membrane oxygenation), etc. The terminal device 20 can receive information indicating the purpose of the extracorporeal circulation circuit through an input interface such as a keyboard, a touch panel, or a microphone.

[0023] The terminal device 20 transmits the received circuit information to the circuit design assistance device 10. The circuit information transmitted from the terminal device 20 reaches the circuit design assistance device 10 via the communication network NW.

[0024] The circuit design support device 10 receives circuit information transmitted from the terminal device 20 via the communication network NW. Based on the received circuit information, the circuit design support device 10 generates a circuit diagram representing an extracorporeal circulation circuit. The circuit diagram is expressed by various circuit elements used in the extracorporeal circulation circuit and flow paths connecting the circuit elements. The circuit elements include, for example, an oxygenator, a centrifugal pump, a three-way stopcock, and various connectors. The circuit elements are not limited to the above, and may include various devices and sensors such as a blood reservoir, a blood sending filter, an oxygen blender, a blood removal adjustment circuit, a pressure sensor, a flow rate sensor, a temperature sensor, and an air bubble sensor. The flow path is composed of a connection tube. A priming solution and blood flow through the connection tube. The flow path length and flow path diameter of the flow path are appropriately determined according to the circuit scale of the extracorporeal circulation circuit and the circuit elements used.

[0025] The circuit design support device 10 evaluates the generated circuit diagram and outputs the evaluation result. For example, the circuit design support device 10 evaluates the relationship between two circuit elements connected to both ends of a connection tube, and if the connection relationship is inappropriate, notifies the user of that fact. Alternatively, the circuit design support device 10 may evaluate the hemodilution rate based on information on the filling amount in the circuit element, and notify the user of the evaluated hemodilution rate. Furthermore, the circuit design support device 10 may evaluate the thrombus occurrence risk based on information on the thrombus occurrence index in the circuit element, and notify the user of the evaluated thrombus occurrence risk.

[0026] The configurations of the circuit design assistance device 10 and the terminal device 20 that constitute the circuit design assistance system will be described below.

[0027] 2 is a block diagram showing the internal configuration of the circuit design assistance device 10. The circuit design assistance device 10 is a dedicated or general-purpose computer, and includes a control unit 11, a storage unit 12, a communication unit 13, an operation unit 14, and a display unit 15.

[0028] The control unit 11 includes, for example, a central processing unit (CPU), a read only memory (ROM), and a random access memory (RAM). The ROM included in the control unit 11 stores a control program for controlling the operation of each hardware unit included in the circuit design assistance device 10. The CPU in the control unit 11 reads and executes the control program stored in the ROM and a computer program (described below) stored in the storage unit 12, and controls the operation of each hardware unit, thereby causing the entire device to function as the circuit design assistance device 10 of the present disclosure. The RAM included in the control unit 11 temporarily stores data used during the execution of calculations and control.

[0029] In the embodiment, the control unit 11 is configured to include a CPU, a ROM, and a RAM, but the configuration of the control unit 11 is not limited to the above. The control unit 11 may be, for example, one or more control circuits or arithmetic circuits including a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), a DSP (Digital Signal Processor), a quantum processor, a volatile or non-volatile memory, etc. The control unit 11 may also include functions such as a clock that outputs date and time information, a timer that measures the elapsed time from when a measurement start instruction is given to when a measurement end instruction is given, and a counter that counts numbers.

[0030] The storage unit 12 includes a storage device such as a hard disk drive (HDD), a solid state drive (SSD), etc. In the storage unit 12, various computer programs executed by the control unit 11 and various data used by the control unit 11 are stored.

[0031] The computer program (program product) stored in the storage unit 12 includes a design support program PG for causing a computer to execute a process of acquiring information (circuit information) about an extracorporeal circulation circuit to be constructed, generating a circuit diagram representing the extracorporeal circulation circuit based on the acquired circuit information, evaluating the generated circuit diagram representing the extracorporeal circulation circuit, and outputting the evaluation result. The design support program PG may be a single computer program, or may be a program group consisting of multiple computer programs. The design support program PG may be executed by multiple computers in cooperation. The design support program PG may also partially use an existing library.

[0032] A computer program including the design support program PG is provided by a non-transitory recording medium RM on which the computer program is readably recorded. The recording medium RM is a portable memory such as a CD-ROM, a USB memory, a Secure Digital (SD) card, a micro SD card, or a Compact Flash (registered trademark). The control unit 11 reads various computer programs from the recording medium RM using a reading device not shown in the figure, and stores the various computer programs thus read in the storage unit 12. The computer program including the design support program PG may be provided by communication. In this case, the control unit 11 acquires the computer program including the design support program PG by communication via the communication unit 13, and stores the acquired computer program in the storage unit 12.

[0033] The communication unit 13 includes a communication interface for transmitting and receiving various data to and from an external device. As the communication interface of the communication unit 13, a communication interface conforming to a communication standard such as WiFi (registered trademark), LAN (Local Area Network), Bluetooth (registered trademark), ZigBee (registered trademark), 3G, 4G, 5G, or LTE (Long Term Evolution) can be used. When data to be transmitted is input from the control unit 11, the communication unit 13 transmits the data to a destination external device, and when data transmitted from an external device is received, the communication unit 13 outputs the received data to the control unit 11. In this embodiment, an example of an external device is a terminal device 20.

[0034] The operation unit 14 includes operation devices such as a touch panel, a keyboard, and switches, and receives various operations and settings from a user, etc. The control unit 11 performs appropriate control based on various pieces of operation information provided by the operation unit 14, and stores setting information in the storage unit 12 as necessary.

[0035] The display unit 15 includes a display device such as a liquid crystal display or an organic EL (Electro-Luminescence) display, and displays information to be presented in response to an instruction from the control unit 11.

[0036] In this embodiment, the circuit design assistance device 10 may be a single computer, or may be a computer system configured with multiple computers and peripheral devices, etc. Furthermore, the circuit design assistance device 10 may be a virtual machine whose entity is virtualized, or may be a cloud.

[0037] 3 is a block diagram showing the internal configuration of the terminal device 20. The terminal device 20 is a computer such as a smartphone, a tablet terminal, or a personal computer, and includes a control unit 21, a storage unit 22, a communication unit 23, an operation unit 24, a display unit 25, an imaging unit 26, and an audio input unit 27.

[0038] The control unit 21 includes, for example, a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, etc. The CPU of the control unit 21 expands various programs stored in advance in the ROM or the storage unit 22 into the RAM and executes them to control the operation of the various hardware described above, and causes the entire device to function as the terminal device 20 in the present disclosure.

[0039] The control unit 21 is not limited to the above configuration, and may be configured as a single piece of hardware (SoC: System On a Chip) that integrates a processor, memory, storage, communication interface, etc. The control unit 21 may also have functions such as a clock that outputs date and time information, a timer that measures the elapsed time from when a measurement start instruction is given to when a measurement end instruction is given, and a counter that counts numbers.

[0040] The storage unit 22 includes storage such as a memory and a hard disk. The storage unit 22 stores various computer programs executed by the control unit 21, data necessary for executing the computer programs, and the like. The computer programs stored in the storage unit 22 include drawing software and CAD software.

[0041] The programs stored in the storage unit 22 may be provided by a non-transitory recording medium on which the programs are readably recorded. The recording medium is, for example, a portable memory such as a CD-ROM, a USB memory, or an SD card. The control unit 21 reads the various programs from the recording medium using a reading device (not shown), and installs the read various programs in the storage unit 22. The programs stored in the storage unit 22 may also be provided by communication. In this case, the control unit 21 acquires the various programs through the communication unit 23, and installs the acquired various programs in the storage unit 22.

[0042] The communication unit 23 includes a communication interface for connecting to the communication network NW. The communication interface included in the communication unit 23 is, for example, a communication interface conforming to a communication standard such as WiFi (registered trademark), LAN, Bluetooth (registered trademark), ZigBee (registered trademark), 3G, 4G, 5G, LTE, etc. The communication unit 23 transmits various information to be notified to the outside, and receives various information transmitted from the outside to the device itself.

[0043] The operation unit 24 is equipped with input devices such as a touch panel and operation buttons, and receives various types of operation information and setting information. The operation unit 24 outputs the received operation information and setting information to the control unit 21. The control unit 21 performs appropriate control based on the operation information input from the operation unit 24, and stores the setting information in the storage unit 22 as necessary.

[0044] The display unit 25 includes a display device such as a liquid crystal display or an organic EL display, and displays information to be presented to the user based on a control signal output from the control unit 21.

[0045] The imaging unit 26 includes an imaging element such as a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) or a charge-coupled device (CCD), and generates digital image data based on the output of the imaging element when an image of an object is captured. The image data obtained by the imaging unit 26 is stored in the storage unit 22. Alternatively, the image data may be transmitted to the outside via the communication unit 23, and an image based on the image data may be displayed on the display unit 25.

[0046] The audio input unit 27 includes an input device such as a microphone, and generates digital audio data by converting an analog audio signal input through the input device into a digital format. The audio data generated by the audio input unit 27 is stored in the storage unit 22. Alternatively, the audio data may be transmitted to the outside via the communication unit 23, and audio based on the audio data may be reproduced by an audio output unit (not shown).

[0047] The operation of the circuit design support system will now be described. When creating a circuit diagram of an extracorporeal circulation circuit using the circuit design support system according to the present embodiment, the user prepares a rough sketch of the desired extracorporeal circulation circuit. The rough sketch of the extracorporeal circulation circuit is created, for example, using drawing software or CAD software installed in the terminal device 20. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram for explaining an example of creating a rough sketch. The user starts drawing software or the like on the terminal device 20 and uses various tools (such as a straight line tool or a freehand tool) of the drawing software to draw the circuit configuration of the extracorporeal circulation circuit. In the example of FIG. 4, an extracorporeal circulation circuit is drawn that includes an oxygenator, a centrifugal pump, a three-way stopcock, and a connector as parts (circuit elements) and connects each part with a line. The lines connecting each part represent flow paths through which a priming solution or blood flows. In this example, the centrifugal pump and the oxygenator are connected to the blood withdrawal side and blood supply side lines, respectively, and a three-way stopcock is provided in the middle of each line. In addition, a connector is provided on the blood supply side line. In the example of Figure 4, the existence of each part is made clear by giving the part name as text information, but the text information is not required, and each part may be drawn using a circuit symbol, icon, etc. to represent the part.

[0048] In the example of Figure 4, an example of creating a rough sketch using drawing software or the like has been described, but image data of the rough sketch may also be obtained by capturing an image of the rough sketch of the extracorporeal circulation circuit drawn on paper with the imaging unit 26.

[0049] The image data of the rough sketch of the extracorporeal circulation circuit prepared by the terminal device 20 is transmitted to the circuit design support device 10. The circuit design support device 10 generates a circuit diagram based on the acquired image data of the rough sketch of the extracorporeal circulation circuit.

[0050] FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram for explaining an example of generating a circuit diagram. When the control unit 11 of the circuit design support device 10 acquires image data of a rough sketch of an extracorporeal circulation circuit, the control unit 11 identifies parts included in the rough sketch and the positional relationship of each part from the image data. The control unit 11 applies OCR (Optical Character Recognition) technology to the image data of the rough sketch to perform character recognition, and can identify parts by reading characters drawn in the rough sketch. The control unit 11 also identifies the positional relationship of each part in the image by grasping the positions of characters drawn in the rough sketch (or the positions of figures corresponding to parts). When each part is drawn with a circuit symbol, an icon, or the like, the control unit 11 may identify parts included in the rough sketch and the positional relationship of each part using an existing image recognition technology such as template matching. The control unit 11 also applies Hough transform or edge detection technology to the image data of the rough sketch to identify lines corresponding to flow paths.

[0051] The control unit 11 generates a circuit diagram representing the extracorporeal circulation circuit based on the parts identified from the rough sketch, the positional relationship of each part, and the lines corresponding to the flow paths. Specifically, the control unit 11 generates the circuit diagram of the extracorporeal circulation circuit by connecting the identified parts with flow paths (lines). The control unit 11 may also present on the circuit diagram parts that are not included in the rough sketch but should be connected.

[0052] Taking the rough sketch in Figure 4 as an example, the rough sketch identifies the centrifugal pump CP, the oxygenator OX, the three-way stopcocks TC1 and TC2, and the connector (one-touch connector) C3 as parts, and recognizes that the centrifugal pump CP is connected to the blood removal line, and the oxygenator OX is connected to the blood supply line. Each recognized part is drawn using an icon prepared in advance. Although not drawn in the rough sketch, the three-way stopcock TC1 is provided in the middle of the blood removal line, so there is a T-shaped connector C1 to connect the three-way stopcock TC1, and there should be a blood removal connector BRC at the end of the blood removal line, so these parts are presented. These parts are also drawn using icons prepared in advance. The centrifugal pump CP and the T-shaped connector C1 located upstream of the centrifugal pump CP are connected by a flow path L11, and the T-shaped connector C1 and the blood removal connector BRC located upstream of the T-shaped connector C1 are connected by a flow path L12. The T-shaped connector C1 and the three-way stopcock TC1 are connected by a flow path L13 that branches off from the blood removal line.

[0053] The same is true for the blood feed line. Although not drawn in the rough sketch, a three-way stopcock TC2 is provided in the middle of the blood feed line, so a T-shaped connector C2 is provided to connect the three-way stopcock TC2, and a blood feed connector BTC should be provided at the end of the blood removal line, so these parts are presented. The oxygenator OX is connected to the connector C3 located downstream of the oxygenator OX by a flow path L21, the connector C3 is connected to the T-shaped connector C2 located downstream of the connector C3 by a flow path L22, and the T-shaped connector C2 is connected to the blood feed connector BTC located downstream of the T-shaped connector C2 by a flow path L23. The T-shaped connector C2 and the three-way stopcock TC2 are connected by a flow path L24 branching off from the blood removal line. The oxygenator OX is connected to the centrifugal pump CP located downstream of the oxygenator OX by a flow path L30.

[0054] As a result of the above, a circuit diagram of an extracorporeal circulation circuit as shown in Fig. 5 is generated. In the example of Fig. 5, a luer cap RC is connected between the blood removal side connector BRC and the blood delivery side connector BTC. The luer cap RC is removed prior to use, and the blood removal side connector BRC and the blood delivery side connector BTC are connected to the blood removal cannula and the blood delivery cannula, respectively.

[0055] 6 is a flowchart for explaining the procedure of the process executed by the circuit design assistance device 10. The control unit 11 of the circuit design assistance device 10 acquires image data of a rough sketch of an extracorporeal circulation circuit (step S101). The rough sketch of the extracorporeal circulation circuit is prepared in the terminal device 20. The control unit 11 acquires the image data of the rough sketch of the extracorporeal circulation circuit through the communication unit 13.

[0056] The control unit 11 identifies parts included in the rough sketch based on the acquired image data (step S102). The control unit 11 identifies parts such as a centrifugal pump, an oxygenator, a three-way stopcock, and a connector from the image data using existing techniques such as OCR and template matching.

[0057] The control unit 11 specifies the positional relationship of the parts specified in step S102 (step S103). The control unit 11 specifies the positional relationship of each part in the image by grasping the positions of characters (or the positions of figures corresponding to the parts) drawn in the rough sketch.

[0058] The control unit 11 identifies a line corresponding to the flow path based on the acquired image data (step S104). The control unit 11 identifies a line corresponding to the flow path from the image data using a Hough transform or edge detection technology. At this time, the control unit 11 determines the direction of the flow path so that the blood removal side is upstream and the blood supply side is downstream.

[0059] The control unit 11 generates a circuit diagram representing the extracorporeal circulation circuit based on the parts identified from the rough sketch, the positional relationship of each part, and the lines corresponding to the flow paths (step S105). The control unit 11 generates the circuit diagram of the extracorporeal circulation circuit by connecting the parts with flow paths (lines) while referring to the information on the positional relationship of the parts. At this time, the control unit 11 may automatically incorporate parts that are not included in the rough sketch but should be connected into the circuit diagram.

[0060] The control unit 11 evaluates the circuit diagram of the extracorporeal circulation circuit generated in step S105 (step S106). The control unit 11 evaluates the relationship between the multiple parts included in the circuit diagram according to a rule set in advance. For example, in order to prevent air bubbles from being generated in the oxygenator, it is necessary to prevent negative pressure from being applied to the oxygenator. For this reason, a rule is set that a centrifugal pump should not be connected downstream of the oxygenator. If a centrifugal pump is connected downstream of the oxygenator in the circuit diagram generated in step S105, the control unit 11 evaluates the relationship as inappropriate.

[0061] In addition, if the blood supply side connector is connected to the blood removal side in the circuit diagram generated in step S105, there is a possibility of reverse circulation due to incorrect connection at the site, so the control unit 11 may evaluate the relationship as inappropriate. Furthermore, if the circuit diagram includes a reverse flow prevention part and the reverse flow prevention part is connected in the opposite direction, there is a possibility that blood will not circulate, so the control unit 11 may evaluate the relationship as inappropriate.

[0062] The control unit 11 may evaluate the relationship between a plurality of parts included in a circuit diagram according to a rule set in advance, not limited to the above example.

[0063] The control unit 11 outputs the evaluation result of the circuit diagram together with the generated circuit diagram (step S107). The control unit 11 transmits the circuit diagram and the evaluation result to the terminal device 20 through the communication unit 13. The control unit 21 of the terminal device 20 displays the received circuit diagram and evaluation result on the display unit 25. FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing a display example in the terminal device 20. The display unit 25 of the terminal device 20 displays the circuit diagram generated in the circuit design support device 10 and its evaluation result. In the example of FIG. 7, an alert is output to the effect that air bubbles may be generated because the arrangement of the oxygenator and the centrifugal pump is not appropriate. A software button for inquiring whether or not correction is possible is arranged at the bottom of the screen. When an instruction to make correction is received through the operation unit 24 (when the software button instructing correction is pressed), the control unit 21 notifies the circuit design support device 10 of the effect. The control unit 21 may accept correction to the circuit diagram by accepting a drag operation of a part on the screen.

[0064] The control unit 11 judges whether or not a correction instruction for the circuit diagram has been received through the communication unit 13 (step S108). If it is judged that a correction instruction has been received (S108: YES), the control unit 11 corrects the circuit diagram according to the correction instruction (step S109) and re-evaluates the corrected circuit diagram (step S110). After re-evaluating the corrected circuit diagram, the control unit 11 executes the processes from step S107 onward.

[0065] If no correction to the circuit diagram has been accepted (S108: NO), the control unit 11 ends the process according to this flowchart.

[0066] As described above, the circuit design assistance device 10 according to the first embodiment can generate a circuit diagram of an extracorporeal circulation circuit from a rough sketch drawn by a user. The circuit design assistance device 10 can also evaluate the circuit diagram based on the relationship between parts and present the evaluation result to the user together with the generated circuit diagram.

[0067] In the present embodiment, a circuit diagram is generated by identifying parts, positional relationships between parts, and lines corresponding to flow paths from image data of a rough sketch. However, a circuit diagram to be evaluated may be acquired from one or more circuit diagrams generated in advance. For example, the circuit design support device 10 may import a circuit diagram created in advance by a user. The circuit design support device 10 can evaluate the imported circuit diagram by identifying parts, positional relationships between parts, and lines corresponding to flow paths. In this case, the circuit design support device 10 evaluates the imported circuit diagram without generating a circuit diagram from a rough sketch, so that the process of step S105 in the flowchart in FIG. 6 can be omitted.

[0068] In this embodiment, a circuit diagram is generated by identifying parts, the positional relationships between the parts, and lines corresponding to flow paths from a rough sketch, but a learning model that has been trained to output a circuit diagram when image data of a rough sketch is input may be used to generate the circuit diagram. As such a learning model, for example, an image generation neural network such as GAN (Generative Adversarial Network), PGGAN (Progressive Growing of GANs), CycleGAN, or pix2pix may be used.

[0069] In the present embodiment, a rough sketch of an extracorporeal circulation circuit is input, and a circuit diagram is generated from the rough sketch. However, the purpose of the extracorporeal circulation circuit to be constructed may be specified when inputting the rough sketch. The purpose may be specified by text information in natural language, or by voice. For example, when the user specifies "for pediatric use" as the purpose of the extracorporeal circulation circuit, the circuit design support device 10 generates a circuit diagram including, for example, an oxygenator for pediatric use. When the user specifies a flow rate range for a specific flow rate range, the circuit design support device 10 generates a circuit diagram of an extracorporeal circulation circuit that can circulate in the specified flow rate range. Furthermore, when the user specifies "for open heart surgery" or "for ECMO" as the purpose of the extracorporeal circulation circuit, a circuit diagram of standard specifications used in open heart surgery or a circuit diagram of standard specifications used in ECMO may be generated.

[0070] In addition, when generating a circuit diagram, the circuit design support device 10 may determine whether or not a part necessary for achieving the purpose is included, and if it is determined that the part is not included, an alert may be output. For example, in the case of creating a circuit diagram having a function of removing air bubbles to prevent air bubbles from entering the patient's body, the circuit design support device 10 determines whether or not the generated circuit includes a part for removing air bubbles. Parts that can remove air bubbles include an arterial filter and a bubble trap. Icons of parts such as an arterial filter and a bubble trap are registered in advance in the circuit design support device 10, and the circuit design support device 10 may determine whether or not a part for removing air bubbles is included by determining whether or not the icon is included in the generated circuit diagram. If it is determined that the part for removing air bubbles is not included, the circuit design support device 10 may output an alert and present parts such as an arterial filter and a bubble trap to the user as recommended parts to be incorporated into the circuit diagram.

[0071] Furthermore, when generating a circuit diagram, the circuit design support device 10 may use an existing simulator to simulate the operation of the circuit diagram and determine whether a desired treatment is possible. If the desired treatment is not possible, the circuit design support device 10 may suggest changing parts. For example, if the simulator shows that a predetermined flow rate range is not reached, the circuit design support device 10 may suggest changing parts or connecting tubes to increase the flow rate.

[0072] In the present embodiment, a system for supporting circuit design by transmitting and receiving information between the circuit design support device 10 and the terminal device 20 has been described, but the circuit design support may be performed by using the circuit design support device 10 or the terminal device 20 alone. For example, drawing software or CAD software may be installed in the circuit design support device 10, and a rough sketch of the extracorporeal circulation circuit may be drawn using these software. The circuit design support device 10 may generate a circuit diagram of the extracorporeal circulation circuit based on the rough sketch drawn, and display the circuit diagram and an evaluation of the circuit diagram on the display unit 15. In addition, a design support program PG may be installed in the terminal device 20, and the terminal device 20 may generate and evaluate the circuit diagram, and display it on the display unit 25.

[0073] (Embodiment 2) In the second embodiment, a configuration for evaluating a blood dilution rate in an extracorporeal circuit will be described. The overall configuration of the circuit design support system and the internal configuration of each device are the same as those in the first embodiment, and therefore description thereof will be omitted.

[0074] The circuit design assistance device 10 according to the second embodiment includes a filling amount table in which information on the filling amount of each part is registered. Fig. 8 is a conceptual diagram showing an example of the filling amount table. The filling amount indicates the maximum amount of liquid (priming liquid or blood) that can be filled into a part. It is assumed that the filling amount of each part is known (i.e., a manufacturer design value or a pre-measured value exists).

[0075] When the control unit 11 of the circuit design assistance device 10 generates a circuit diagram from a rough sketch by a user, the control unit 11 reads out information on the filling amount of each part included in the circuit diagram from a filling amount table. The control unit 11 also determines the flow path length and flow path diameter of the flow path included in the circuit diagram. The flow path length and flow path diameter of the flow path used in the circuit diagram may be values ​​set in advance. Alternatively, the flow path length between specific parts (for example, between an oxygenator and a centrifugal pump) may be known, and the flow path length between other parts may be measured from the circuit diagram based on the flow path length. Furthermore, when a part is identified, the standard of the connection port equipped with that part is known, so the flow path diameter of the connection tube may be determined to match the standard of the connection port.

[0076] The control unit 11 calculates the total filling volume of the extracorporeal circulation circuit shown in the generated circuit diagram by adding together the sum of the filling volumes of the part parts and the filling volume of the flow path part calculated from the flow path length and flow path diameter.

[0077] Furthermore, the control unit 11 estimates the circulating blood volume of the assumed patient. For example, if the patient's weight is W kg, the circulating blood volume can be estimated as W × 0.08 kg (if the specific gravity of blood is approximately 1, then W × 0.08 L).

[0078] The control unit 11 evaluates the hemodilution rate based on the calculated total filling volume of the extracorporeal circulation circuit and the estimated circulating blood volume of the patient. If the evaluated hemodilution rate is lower than a set value, it is considered that the patient will be less invasive. On the other hand, if the evaluated hemodilution rate is higher than the set value, the patient will be more invasive. Therefore, it is required to improve the extracorporeal circulation circuit by reducing the number of parts used in the extracorporeal circulation circuit or shortening the overall flow path length in the extracorporeal circulation circuit to reduce the invasiveness of the patient.

[0079] 9 is a flowchart for explaining the procedure of the process executed by the circuit design assistance device 10 in the embodiment 2. The control unit 11 of the circuit design assistance device 10 generates a circuit diagram representing an extracorporeal circulation circuit from a rough sketch drawn by a user in the same procedure as in the embodiment 1 (steps S201 to S205).

[0080] The control unit 11 reads out the filling amount for each of the parts included in the circuit diagram from the filling amount table (step S206), and calculates the total filling amount of the extracorporeal circuit (step S207).

[0081] The control unit 11 estimates the circulating blood volume of the assumed patient (step S208). The assumed patient is specified by, for example, a user. The control unit 11 acquires physical information (weight) of the assumed patient from the outside, and estimates the circulating blood volume based on the acquired physical information.

[0082] The control unit 11 evaluates the hemodilution rate based on the total filling volume of the extracorporeal circuit calculated in step S207 and the circulating blood volume estimated in step S208 (step S209). Specifically, the control unit 11 can evaluate the hemodilution rate by calculating (total filling volume) / (total filling volume+circulating blood volume).

[0083] The control unit 11 outputs the evaluation result of the hemodilution rate (step S210). The control unit 11 may notify the terminal device 20 of the hemodilution rate evaluated in step S209, or may display it on the display unit 25. The control unit 11 may also compare the hemodilution rate evaluated in step S209 with a set value, and if the evaluated hemodilution rate is higher than the set value, may suggest to the user to modify the extracorporeal circulation circuit. For example, the control unit 11 may suggest changing to parts with a smaller filling amount, or changing to a connecting tube with a shorter flow path length.

[0084] As described above, in the second embodiment, the blood dilution rate can be evaluated based on the generated circuit diagram, and therefore, based on the evaluated blood dilution rate, it is possible to suggest to the user changes to parts or connecting tubes.

[0085] (Embodiment 3) In the third embodiment, a configuration for evaluating the risk of thrombus formation in an extracorporeal circulation circuit will be described. The overall configuration of the circuit design support system and the internal configuration of each device are the same as those in the first embodiment, and therefore description thereof will be omitted.

[0086] The circuit design assistance device 10 according to the third embodiment includes a thrombus occurrence index table in which information on the thrombus occurrence index of specific parts (oxygenator, centrifugal pump, three-way stopcock, and connector) is registered. Fig. 10 is a conceptual diagram showing an example of the thrombus occurrence index table. The thrombus occurrence index indicates the likelihood of thrombus occurrence. It is assumed that the thrombus occurrence index of a specific part is known (i.e., a manufacturer design value or a pre-measured value exists).

[0087] When a circuit diagram is generated from a rough sketch by a user, the control unit 11 of the circuit design assistance device 10 identifies parts included in the circuit diagram and reads out information on the thrombus occurrence index registered in the thrombus occurrence index table. The control unit 11 evaluates the thrombus occurrence risk of the entire circuit based on the number of specific parts and the information on the thrombus occurrence index read out from the thrombus occurrence index table.

[0088] 11 is a flowchart for explaining the procedure of the process executed by the circuit design assistance device 10 in the embodiment 3. The control unit 11 of the circuit design assistance device 10 generates a circuit diagram representing an extracorporeal circulation circuit from a rough sketch drawn by a user in the same procedure as in the embodiment 1 (steps S301 to S305).

[0089] The control unit 11 reads out the thrombus occurrence index for the specific parts included in the circuit diagram from the thrombus occurrence index table (step S306). The control unit 11 evaluates the thrombus occurrence risk of the entire circuit based on the number of specific parts included in the circuit diagram and the thrombus occurrence index information read out from the thrombus occurrence index table (step S307).

[0090] The control unit 11 outputs the evaluation result of the thrombus occurrence risk (step S308). The control unit 11 may notify the terminal device 20 of the thrombus occurrence risk evaluated in step S307, or may display it on the display unit 25. The control unit 11 may also compare the thrombus occurrence risk evaluated in step S307 with a set value, and when the evaluated thrombus occurrence risk exceeds the set value, may suggest to the user to modify the extracorporeal circulation circuit. For example, it may suggest changing to parts with a smaller thrombus occurrence index, or suggest removing some parts (reducing the number of parts).

[0091] As described above, in the third embodiment, the risk of thrombus formation can be evaluated based on the generated circuit diagram, and it is therefore possible to suggest to the user the modification or deletion of parts based on the evaluated risk of thrombus formation.

[0092] (Embodiment 4) In the fourth embodiment, a configuration will be described in which an image of an extracorporeal circulation circuit desired by a user is received as circuit information by text information or voice, and a circuit diagram of the extracorporeal circulation circuit is proposed based on the received text information or voice.

[0093] In the fourth embodiment, a circuit diagram database is prepared in advance to store keywords characterizing an extracorporeal circulation circuit and circuit diagrams of the extracorporeal circulation circuit in association with each other. FIG. 12 is a conceptual diagram showing an example of the circuit diagram database. In the circuit diagram database of FIG. 12, keywords such as for pediatric use, for open heart surgery, and for ECMO are stored in association with circuit diagrams used for the respective purposes (in the example of FIG. 12, the file names of the circuit diagrams). In the example of FIG. 12, for simplicity, an example is shown in which one circuit diagram is stored in association with one keyword, but one circuit diagram may be stored in association with multiple keywords, or multiple circuit diagrams may be stored in association with one keyword. The circuit diagram database may be provided inside the circuit design support device 10 or may be provided outside the circuit design support device 10. In the latter case, the circuit design support device 10 may access the circuit diagram database through the communication unit 23 and read out necessary information.

[0094] 13 is a flow chart for explaining the procedure of the process executed by the circuit design support system in the fourth embodiment. The control unit 21 of the terminal device 20 receives an image of an extracorporeal circulation circuit desired by the user (step S401). The image here is not a schematic diagram but represents an outline of the extracorporeal circulation circuit desired by the user. The control unit 21 may receive the image of the extracorporeal circulation circuit as natural language (text information) through the operation unit 24, or may receive the image of the extracorporeal circulation circuit as voice through the voice input unit 27. The control unit 21 transmits the received image of the extracorporeal circulation circuit to the circuit design support device 10 (step S402).

[0095] The control unit 11 of the circuit design assistance device 10 receives an image of the extracorporeal circulation circuit through the communication unit 13 (step S403). The control unit 11 extracts one or more keywords required for configuring the extracorporeal circulation circuit from the received image of the extracorporeal circulation circuit (step S404). The control unit 11 registers keywords to be extracted, such as for pediatric use, for open heart surgery, and for ECMO, in advance in the storage unit 12, and when the control unit 11 receives an image in step S403, it extracts keywords by determining whether the image contains any of the preregistered keywords.

[0096] The control unit 11 searches the circuit diagram database using the keyword extracted in step S404 as a search key (step S405), and reads out the circuit diagram stored in association with the keyword (step S406). At this time, the control unit 11 may calculate the association between the extracted keyword and multiple circuit diagrams registered in the circuit diagram database, rank the multiple circuit diagrams, and read out a predetermined number of circuit diagrams with the highest ranks from the circuit diagram database. The control unit 11 transmits the circuit diagrams read out in step S406 to the terminal device 20 (step S407).

[0097] The control unit 21 of the terminal device 20 receives the circuit diagram transmitted from the circuit design assistance device 10 through the communication unit 23 (step S408). The control unit 21 displays the received circuit diagram on the display unit 25 (step S409) and accepts the selection of a circuit diagram desired by the user (step S410). When displaying the circuit diagrams on the display unit 25, the control unit 21 may display the circuit diagrams in descending order of ranking. Also, similar to the first embodiment, the control unit 21 may accept corrections from the user to the circuit diagram selected by the user.

[0098] As described above, in the fourth embodiment, the image of the extracorporeal circulation circuit desired by the user is received by text information or voice, and the circuit design assistance device 10 can pick up the one closest to the user's image and present it to the user.

[0099] The embodiments disclosed herein are illustrative in all respects and should not be considered as limiting. The scope of the present invention is defined by the claims, not by the above meaning, and is intended to include all modifications within the scope and meaning equivalent to the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0100] 10 Circuit design support equipment 11 Control section 12 Storage section 13. Communications Department 14 Control section 15 Display 20 Terminal Equipment 21 Control section 22 Memory section 23 Communications Department 24 Control section 25 Display section 26 Imaging unit 27 Audio input section PG Design Support Program

Claims

1. Obtain a circuit diagram showing the extracorporeal circulation circuit; Evaluate the obtained schematics, Output the evaluation results along with the acquired circuit diagram A computer program for causing a computer to execute a process.

2. Evaluate the relationship between multiple circuit elements included in the circuit diagram 2. The computer program product according to claim 1, for causing a computer to execute a process.

3. acquiring information on a filling amount for each of a plurality of circuit elements included in the circuit diagram; acquiring information on the length and diameter of a flow path connecting the circuit elements; Calculating the filling amount of the flow path portion based on the acquired information on the flow path length and flow path diameter; Calculating a total filling volume of the extracorporeal circuit shown in the circuit diagram based on the acquired information on the filling volume of each of the circuit elements and the calculated filling volume of the flow path portion; Estimate the patient's circulating blood volume; Evaluating a blood dilution rate in the extracorporeal circuit based on the calculated total filling volume of the extracorporeal circuit and the estimated circulating blood volume of the patient.

2. The computer program product according to claim 1, for causing a computer to execute a process.

4. obtaining information related to a thrombosis index for a specified type of circuit element included in the circuit diagram; Counting the number of said circuit elements; Based on the acquired information on the thrombus occurrence index and the number of the counted circuit elements, a risk of thrombus occurrence in the extracorporeal circulation circuit shown in the circuit diagram is evaluated.

2. The computer program product according to claim 1, for causing a computer to execute a process.

5. Acquire information about the extracorporeal circulation circuit; Based on the acquired information, generate a circuit diagram to be evaluated 5. A computer program product according to claim 1, for causing a computer to execute a process.

6. acquiring, as information regarding the extracorporeal circulation circuit, a schematic diagram that typically represents the extracorporeal circulation circuit; Identifying a plurality of circuit elements constituting the extracorporeal circulation circuit and a flow path connecting the plurality of circuit elements from the obtained schematic diagram; The circuit diagram is generated by connecting the plurality of circuit elements based on the identified flow paths.

6. A computer program product according to claim 5, for causing a computer to execute a process.

7. acquiring information representing a use of the extracorporeal circulation circuit as information regarding the extracorporeal circulation circuit; Generate the circuit diagram based on the acquired application information 6. A computer program product according to claim 5, for causing a computer to execute a process.

8. A circuit diagram to be evaluated is selected from one or more circuit diagrams that have been generated in advance.

5. A computer program product according to claim 1, for causing a computer to execute a process.

9. simulating the operation of the extracorporeal circulation circuit based on the circuit diagram; Evaluating the circuit diagram based on the results of simulating the operation 5. A computer program product according to claim 1, for causing a computer to execute a process.

10. Accepting modifications to the circuit diagram; Evaluate the revised schematic; Output the evaluation result 5. A computer program product according to claim 1, for causing a computer to execute a process.

11. At least one processor; The processor, Obtain a circuit diagram showing the extracorporeal circulation circuit; Evaluate the obtained schematics, Output the evaluation results along with the acquired circuit diagram Circuit design support device.

12. Obtain a circuit diagram showing the extracorporeal circulation circuit; Evaluate the obtained schematics, Output the evaluation results along with the acquired circuit diagram A circuit design support method in which processing is executed by a computer.

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