Mammography apparatus, display method of mammography apparatus, and medical image acquisition system

Abstract

To provide a mammography apparatus comprising a support unit configured to rotatably support a radiation source and a display unit configured to display an ultrasound image, and capable of maintaining visibility of an image displayed on the display unit even if the support unit is rotated, a display method of the mammography apparatus, and a medical image acquisition system.SOLUTION: A display unit 27 is provided on a side surface of an arm unit 42. Then, a mechanism 28 that rotates the display unit 27 in conjunction with rotation of the arm unit 42 is provided between the display unit 27 and the arm unit 42. As an example of the mechanism 28 that rotates the display unit 27 in conjunction with the rotation of the arm unit 42, a three-axis gimbal mechanism is applied to rotate the display unit 27 in conjunction with the rotation of the arm unit 42.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a mammography apparatus, a display method for a mammography apparatus, and a medical image acquisition system. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 proposes a radiographic imaging method in which radiation is irradiated to a subject from a plurality of different imaging directions by moving a radiation source and radiographic images are captured for each imaging direction by the irradiation of radiation, in which images are acquired using a modality that acquires images related to biological information of the subject other than the radiographic images while the radiation source moves from a predetermined imaging direction to the next imaging direction.

[0003] Patent document 2 proposes an information processing device that includes an acquisition unit that acquires radiographic information when a radiographic image of the breast is taken, and a generation condition setting unit that sets generation conditions for generating an ultrasound image of the breast based on the radiographic information acquired by the acquisition unit.

[0004] Patent Document 3 proposes a medical image diagnostic system including a medical imaging device that irradiates a subject with radiation to obtain a radiological image of the subject projected onto a projection surface, and transmits and receives ultrasound toward the subject to obtain an ultrasound image of the subject, and generates first image data representing an ultrasound slice image along a slice surface approximately perpendicular to the projection surface, second image data representing the radiological image, and position data representing the position of the slice surface on the projection surface, a medical image storage device that stores these data in association with each other, and a medical image display device that displays an ultrasound slice image based on the first image data, and displays a radiological image with a marker indicating the position of the slice surface on the projection surface based on the second image data and the position data.

[0005] Patent Document 4 proposes a medical computed tomography apparatus including a support structure. In detail, the support structure is adapted to support a substantially annular structure supporting X-ray imaging means, the X-ray imaging means being arranged in the substantially annular structure supporting these imaging means and being movable in the substantially annular structure supporting the imaging means, and the annular structure supporting the imaging means includes an examination opening. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] JP 2012-29785 A [Patent Document 2] JP 2020-48999 A [Patent Document 3] JP 2009-82402 A [Patent Document 4] JP 2013-534432 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] In a mammography device equipped with a support unit that rotatably supports a radiation source and a display unit that acquires and displays each of a radiological image and an ultrasound image, depending on the rotational position of the support unit, the ultrasound image displayed on the display unit may be difficult to see when the ultrasound image is acquired, so there is room for improvement. In particular, when the display unit is provided at a position that rotates together with the radiation source, the display position changes due to the rotation of the display unit.

[0008] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned facts, and aims to provide a mammography device having a support part that rotatably supports a radiation source and a display part that displays an ultrasound image, which can maintain the visibility of an image displayed on the display part even when the support part is rotated, a display method for a mammography device, and a medical image acquisition system. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, a mammography apparatus according to a first aspect of the present disclosure comprises a support unit that rotatably supports a radiation source that irradiates radiation at a plurality of shooting positions at which the angles of incidence of radiation on the subject's breast differ from one another, a display unit that is provided on the support unit and displays an ultrasound image of the breast acquired by the ultrasound probe, and a mechanism that is provided between the display unit and the support unit and rotates the display unit in conjunction with the rotation of the support unit.

[0010] A mammography apparatus according to a second aspect of the present disclosure is the mammography apparatus according to the first aspect, in which the mechanism is a gimbal mechanism.

[0011] A mammography apparatus according to a third aspect of the present disclosure is the mammography apparatus according to the first aspect, in which the mechanism is a balance-sway mechanism.

[0012] A mammography device according to a fourth aspect of the present disclosure is a mammography device according to the third aspect, in which the balance wheel mechanism has a counterweight corresponding to the weight of the display unit, and supports the counterweight at a position opposite the display unit with respect to the support point that supports the display unit, and the counterweight and display unit are rotatably supported at the support point.

[0013] A mammography apparatus according to a fifth aspect of the present disclosure is the mammography apparatus according to the first aspect, wherein the rotation axis of the support and the rotation axis of the mechanism are parallel to each other.

[0014] A mammography apparatus according to a sixth aspect of the present disclosure is a mammography apparatus according to the first aspect, in which the distance between the rotation axis of the radiation source and the rotation axis of the mechanism is shorter than the farthest position from the rotation axis of the support part of the detector that detects radiation.

[0015] A mammography apparatus according to a seventh aspect of the present disclosure is a mammography apparatus according to the second aspect, in which the gimbal mechanism includes a detection unit that detects the rotation angle of the radiation source and a rotation drive unit that rotates the display unit, and drives the rotation drive unit so that the display position of the display unit becomes a predetermined display position according to the rotation angle detected by the detection unit.

[0016] A display method for a mammography device according to an eighth aspect of the present disclosure comprises a support section that rotatably supports a radiation source that irradiates radiation at a plurality of shooting positions at which the incidence angle of radiation on the subject's breast is different, and a display section that is provided on the support section and displays an ultrasound image of the breast acquired by an ultrasound probe. Between the display section and the support section of a mammography device, a mechanism is provided that maintains the display position of the display section even when the support section rotates, and the mechanism maintains the display position of the display section even when the support section rotates.

[0017] A medical image acquisition system according to a ninth aspect of the present disclosure includes an ultrasound device equipped with an ultrasound probe for acquiring ultrasound images, and a mammography device according to any one of the first to seventh aspects. Effect of the Invention

[0018] According to the present disclosure, in a mammography device equipped with a support section that rotatably supports a radiation source and a display section that acquires and displays each of radiological images and ultrasound images, the visibility of the image displayed on the display section can be maintained even when the radiation source is rotated. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0019] [Figure 1] 1 is a configuration diagram illustrating an example of the overall configuration of a medical image acquisition system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] 1 is a side view showing an example of the appearance of a mammography apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 3] 4A and 4B are diagrams illustrating an example of a compression member according to the present embodiment. [Figure 4] 3 is a diagram showing an example of a moving mechanism of the ultrasonic probe according to the present embodiment. FIG. [Diagram 5] 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a mammography apparatus and a console of the present embodiment. [Figure 6] 2 is a diagram showing the state in which the angle of the arm part of the mammography apparatus of the present embodiment is 0 degrees. [Figure 7] 2 is a diagram showing the state in which the angle of the arm of the mammography apparatus of the present embodiment is 90 degrees. [Figure 8] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example in which a three-axis gimbal mechanism is used as a mechanism for rotating a display unit in conjunction with the rotation of an arm unit. [Figure 9] 4 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of processing performed by a control unit of the mammography apparatus according to the first embodiment. [Figure 10] 13 is a diagram showing an example in which a balance-sway mechanism is applied as a mechanism for rotating a display unit in conjunction with rotation of an arm unit. FIG. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining a mammography apparatus according to a third embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining a mammography apparatus according to a fourth embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a mammography apparatus in which a biopsy unit and a moving mechanism are omitted. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0020] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited to the embodiment.

[0021] First, an overview of an example of the overall configuration of the medical image acquisition system 2 of this embodiment will be described. Fig. 1 shows a schematic diagram of an example of the overall configuration of the medical image acquisition system 2 of this embodiment. As shown in Fig. 1, the medical image acquisition system 2 includes a mammography apparatus 10 and a console 12.

[0022] The mammography device 10 is capable of taking radiological and ultrasonic images of a subject's breast as a subject, and also capable of taking a biopsy of the breast. As an example, the mammography device 10 of this embodiment is a device in which a function of taking ultrasonic images is added to a mammography device capable of taking a biopsy.

[0023] Fig. 2 shows a side view of an example of the appearance of the mammography device 10 of this embodiment. Note that Fig. 2 is a side view of the mammography device 10 as seen from the right side of the subject. As shown in Fig. 2, the mammography device 10 includes a radiation source 36R, a radiation detector 30, an imaging stand 40 disposed between the radiation source 36R and the radiation detector 30, and a compression member 34 that compresses the breast between the imaging stand 40.

[0024] A radiation detector 30 is disposed inside the imaging table 40. The radiation detector 30 detects radiation R that has passed through the breast, which is the subject. In the mammography apparatus 10 of this embodiment, when imaging is performed, the breast of the subject is positioned on the imaging surface 40A of the imaging table 40 by an operator such as a doctor or technician. The imaging surface 40A, etc., with which the subject's breast comes into contact, is formed of, for example, carbon, etc., from the viewpoints of the transmittance and strength of radiation R.

[0025] The radiation detector 30 detects radiation R that has passed through the subject's breast and the imaging table 40, generates a radiographic image based on the detected radiation R, and outputs the generated radiographic image. The type of radiation detector 30 in this embodiment is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, an indirect conversion type radiation detector that converts radiation R into light and then converts the converted light into electric charges, or a direct conversion type radiation detector that directly converts radiation R into electric charges.

[0026] The radiation source 36R is provided in the radiation irradiation unit 36. As shown in FIG. 2, the radiation irradiation unit 36 ​​is provided on an arm 42, which is an example of a support unit, together with an imaging table 40 and a compression unit 46. As shown in FIG. 2, the mammography device 10 of this embodiment includes the arm 42, a base 44, which is an example of a support table, and an axis 45. The arm 42 is held by the base 44 so as to be movable in the vertical direction (Z-axis direction). The axis 45 connects the arm 42 to the base 44. The arm 42 rotatably supports the radiation source 36R at a plurality of imaging positions where the angles of incidence of radiation on the subject's breast are different from one another. Specifically, the arm 42 is rotatable relative to the base 44 around the axis 45 as a rotation axis by the radiation source moving unit 37 (see FIG. 5). By rotating the arm unit 42 relative to the base 44, the angle of incidence of radiation on the breast placed on the imaging surface 40A of the imaging table 40 can be changed. In this way, the mammography device 10 of this embodiment is capable of so-called stereo imaging and tomosynthesis imaging. The radiation source moving unit 37 functions as an example of a detection unit, and has a function of detecting the rotational position of the arm unit 42. For example, it may include a sensor that detects the rotational position of the arm unit 42, or the rotational position may be detected by detecting the drive amount of the radiation source moving unit 37.

[0027] 2, the compression member 34 is attached to the compression unit 46. The compression unit 46 and the arm 42 can rotate separately relative to the base 44 with the shaft 45 as a rotation axis. In this embodiment, the shaft 45, the arm 42, and the compression unit 46 are each provided with a gear (not shown), and the arm 42 and the compression unit 46 are each connected to the shaft 45 by switching between an engaged state and a non-engaged state of these gears. One or both of the arm 42 and the compression unit 46 connected to the shaft 45 rotates integrally with the shaft 45.

[0028] The compression member 34 in this embodiment is a plate-shaped member that is moved in the vertical direction (Z-axis direction) by a compression member drive section 32 (see FIG. 5) provided in the compression unit 46, and compresses the subject's breast between itself and the imaging table 40.

[0029] The compression member 34 is preferably optically transparent so that alignment and compression state can be confirmed during compression of the breast, and is made of a material with excellent transparency to radiation R. Furthermore, the compression member 34 of this embodiment is a compression member for biopsy, and as shown in Fig. 3, the compression member 34 has an opening 34B at a bottom 34A that comes into contact with the breast when compressing the breast. A biopsy needle 66 and an ultrasonic probe 70 can be inserted into the opening 34B.

[0030] As shown in FIG. 2, the mammography apparatus 10 of this embodiment includes a biopsy unit 60. The biopsy unit 60 includes a positioning mechanism 62, a biopsy needle 66, and a biopsy needle unit 64. The biopsy needle 66 is provided in the biopsy needle unit 64 and is inserted into the breast to collect tissue. The positioning mechanism 62 has a function of moving the biopsy needle 66 in the X, Y, and Z directions to position the biopsy needle 66 at the target insertion position. In this embodiment, the X direction is the left-right direction of the subject, and the Y direction is the front-back direction of the subject. The Z direction is the direction perpendicular to the XY plane and is the up-down direction of the subject. Therefore, hereinafter, the X direction will be referred to as the "left-right direction", the Y direction will be referred to as the "front-back direction", and the Z direction will be referred to as the "up-down direction".

[0031] The positioning mechanism 62 includes a needle position controller 63, and the position of the tip of the biopsy needle 66 is controlled by the needle position controller 63. When the needle position controller 63 receives position information of the target, it moves the position of the tip of the biopsy needle 66 to a target insertion position corresponding to the position of the target, and tilts the biopsy needle 66 according to the target insertion angle. The biopsy needle 66 thus positioned by the positioning mechanism 62 is caused to puncture the breast W, and the target is sampled by the biopsy needle 66, i.e., a biopsy is performed.

[0032] As shown in FIG. 2, the mammography apparatus 10 of this embodiment includes an ultrasonic probe 70 to which an acoustic matching body 71 is attached, and a movement mechanism 72.

[0033] The ultrasonic probe 70 is used to obtain an ultrasonic image of the breast by scanning the breast with ultrasonic waves. The ultrasonic probe 70 includes a plurality of ultrasonic transducers (not shown) arranged one-dimensionally or two-dimensionally. Each ultrasonic transducer transmits ultrasonic waves based on an applied drive signal, and outputs a reception signal by receiving ultrasonic echoes. The ultrasonic probe 70 is provided with an acoustic matching body 71 so as to cover at least the transmission surface of the ultrasonic waves that contacts the breast. The acoustic matching body 71 is made of a member having an acoustic impedance close to that of a living body (breast), and in this embodiment, is in the form of a gel or sheet. An acoustic coupler or the like can be used as such an acoustic matching body 71. A specific example is an acoustic coupler in which a polyurethane gel pad is fixed to the ultrasonic probe 70 by a fixing jig.

[0034] The moving mechanism 72 has a function of moving the ultrasonic probe 70 in the front-back, left-right, and up-down directions. As shown in Fig. 4, the moving mechanism 72 includes one moving rail 72X and two moving rails 72Y. The moving rail 72X is a rail that extends along the left-right direction, and the ultrasonic probe 70 is attached to the moving rail 72X. The moving mechanism 72 changes the position of the ultrasonic probe 70 in the left-right direction by moving the ultrasonic probe 70 along the moving rail 72X.

[0035] The moving rails 72Y are rails extending along the front-rear direction and provided on both ends of the imaging surface 40A of the imaging table 40. The moving mechanism 72 changes the position of the ultrasonic probe 70 along the front-rear direction by moving the moving rails 72X, to which the ultrasonic probe 70 is attached, along the front-rear direction.

[0036] Moreover, the movement mechanism 72 can also change the height of the ultrasonic probe 70 by moving the movement rails 72X and 72Y in the up and down directions.

[0037] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, the ultrasonic probe 70 can be rotated (at a rotation angle φ) by the movement mechanism 72 to change the direction in which the probe is brought into contact with the breast.

[0038] Meanwhile, the console 12 of this embodiment has a function of controlling the mammography apparatus 10 using imaging orders and various information acquired from a RIS (Radiology Information System) 5 or the like via a wireless communication LAN (Local Area Network) or the like, and instructions given by a user via an operation unit 56 (see FIG. 5 ) or the like. The console 12 is also connected to an image storage system 19 by wireless or wired communication, and has a function of transmitting radiographic images and ultrasound images obtained by the mammography apparatus 10 to the image storage system 19 such as a PACS (Picture Archiving and Communication Systems) for storage.

[0039] The configuration of the mammography apparatus 10 and the console 12 will be further described with reference to Fig. 5. Fig. 5 shows a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the mammography apparatus 10 and the console 12.

[0040] 5, the mammography apparatus 10 further includes a control unit 20, a memory unit 22, an I / F unit 24, an operation unit 26, and a display unit 27. The control unit 20, the memory unit 22, the I / F unit 24, the operation unit 26, the display unit 27, the radiation detector 30, the compression member driving unit 32, the radiation irradiation unit 36, the radiation source moving unit 37, the biopsy unit 60, the ultrasonic probe 70, and the moving mechanism 72 are connected via a bus 29 such as a system bus or a control bus so as to be able to send and receive various types of information to and from each other.

[0041] The control unit 20 of this embodiment controls the overall operation of the mammography apparatus 10. The control unit 20 includes a CPU 20A, a ROM 20B, and a RAM 20C. The ROM 20B stores in advance various programs executed by the CPU 20A, such as an imaging processing program executed during imaging control and a display processing program 21. The RAM 20C temporarily stores various data.

[0042] The storage unit 22 stores radiographic images captured using the radiation detector 30, ultrasonic images captured using the ultrasonic probe 70, and various other information. Specific examples of the storage unit 22 include an HDD and an SSD.

[0043] The operation unit 26 is used by the user to input instructions and various information related to imaging and biopsy, etc. The operation unit 26 is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include various switches, a touch panel, a touch pen, and a mouse.

[0044] The display unit 27 displays an ultrasound image of the subject's breast acquired by the ultrasound probe. In this embodiment, the display unit 27 is provided on the side of the arm unit 42 as shown in FIG. 6. In this embodiment, the display unit 27 is provided on the side of the arm unit 42 via a mechanism 28 that rotates the display unit 27 in conjunction with the rotation of the arm unit 42. Note that the display unit 27 may display other images such as radiation images other than ultrasound images. The display unit 27 may be provided on one side of the arm unit 42 or on both sides of the arm unit 42. As an example, a direct-view electronic display is used for the display unit 27.

[0045] The I / F unit 24 communicates radiological images, ultrasound images, and various types of information with the console 12 via wireless or wired communication.

[0046] 5, the console 12 includes a control unit 50, a storage unit 52, an I / F unit 54, an operation unit 56, and a display unit 58. The control unit 50, the storage unit 52, the I / F unit 54, the operation unit 56, and the display unit 58 are connected via a bus 59 such as a system bus or a control bus so as to be able to transmit and receive various information to and from each other.

[0047] The control unit 50 of this embodiment controls the overall operation of the console 12. The control unit 50 includes a CPU 50A, a ROM 50B, and a RAM 50C. The ROM 50B stores in advance various programs executed by the CPU 50A, such as a biopsy processing program 51 executed when controlling a biopsy. The RAM 50C temporarily stores various data.

[0048] The storage unit 52 stores radiographic images, ultrasound images, and various other information captured by the mammography apparatus 10. Specific examples of the storage unit 52 include an HDD and an SSD.

[0049] The operation unit 56 is used by the user to input instructions and various information related to imaging and biopsy. The operation unit 56 is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include various switches, a touch panel, a touch pen, and a mouse. The display unit 58 displays various information. The operation unit 56 and the display unit 58 may be integrated into a touch panel display.

[0050] The I / F unit 54 communicates radiological images, ultrasound images, and various information with the RIS 5, the mammography apparatus 10, and the image storage system 19 via wireless or wired communication.

[0051] However, in the mammography device 10 configured as described above, when checking the ultrasound image while checking the position of the ultrasound probe 70, depending on the position of the display unit 27 that displays the ultrasound image, the ultrasound image may be difficult to see when the arm unit 42 is rotated.

[0052] In addition, in order to make the ultrasound image easier to view, it is possible to consider providing display unit 27 on arm portion 42. However, if display unit 27 is provided on arm portion 42, the position of display unit 27 will change when arm portion 42 rotates, and the image displayed on display unit 27 will also rotate, making the ultrasound image difficult to view.

[0053] 6, in the mammography apparatus 10 according to this embodiment, the display unit 27 is provided on the side of the arm unit 42. Then, a mechanism 28 that rotates the display unit 27 in conjunction with the rotation of the arm unit 42 is provided between the display unit 27 and the arm unit 42.

[0054] 6 and 7, display unit 27 is rotated by mechanism 28 in conjunction with the rotation of arm unit 42, so that the position of display unit 27 can be maintained before and after the rotation of arm unit 42. Note that Fig. 6 is a diagram showing a state in which the angle of the arm unit of mammography device 10 is 0 degrees, and Fig. 7 is a diagram showing a state in which the angle of the arm unit of mammography device 10 is 90 degrees.

[0055] (First embodiment) Here, as a first embodiment, a specific configuration example of mechanism 28 that rotates display unit 27 in conjunction with the rotation of arm unit 42 will be described. In this embodiment, an example in which a three-axis gimbal mechanism is applied will be described as an example of mechanism 28 that rotates display unit 27 in conjunction with the rotation of arm unit 42. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example in which a three-axis gimbal mechanism is applied as mechanism 28 that rotates display unit 27 in conjunction with the rotation of arm unit 42.

[0056] The gimbal mechanism 80 shown in Fig. 8 includes a rotation drive unit 82 including a drive unit such as a bearing, a motor, etc. In the example of Fig. 8, three rotation drive units 82 are provided: a rotation drive unit 82X having an X-axis as a rotation axis, a rotation drive unit 82Y having a Y-axis as a rotation axis, and a rotation drive unit 82Z having a Z-axis as a rotation axis.

[0057] The rotary drive unit 82X and the rotary drive unit Y are connected by a first arm 84, and the rotary drive unit 82Y and the rotary drive unit 82Z are connected by a second arm. The first arm 84 and the second arm 86 are each shaped and long enough to prevent the rotary drive unit 82 and the display unit 27 from interfering with each arm even when the rotary drive unit 82 rotates. For example, the first arm 84 is shaped and long enough to prevent the rotary drive unit 82Z from interfering with the first arm 84 even when the first arm 84 is rotated by the rotary drive unit 82Y. The second arm 86 is shaped and long enough to prevent the display unit 27 from interfering with the rotary drive unit 82Z even when the display unit 27 is rotated by the rotary drive unit 82X.

[0058] Each rotation drive unit 82 is driven under the control of the control unit 20, and is driven in conjunction with the rotation of the arm unit 42 so that the attitude of the display unit 27 is a predetermined attitude. For example, the rotation position of each rotation drive unit 82 is determined in advance and stored according to the rotation position of the arm unit 42, and the control unit 20 controls each rotation drive unit 82 according to the rotation position of the arm unit 42, thereby performing control to maintain the display unit 27 in the predetermined attitude even when the arm unit 42 rotates.

[0059] The attitude of the display unit 27 may be set in advance, and the control unit 20 may control each rotation drive unit 82 to maintain the set attitude. This makes it possible to set the angle of the display unit 27 in the X-axis direction to an angle that is easy to view, for example, and maintain the set attitude of the display unit 27 even when the arm unit 42 rotates.

[0060] Next, specific processing performed by the control unit 20 of the mammography apparatus 10 according to this embodiment configured as described above will be described. Fig. 9 is a flow chart showing an example of the flow of processing performed by the control unit 20 of the mammography apparatus 10 according to this embodiment. The processing in Fig. 9 is performed by the CPU 20A executing the display processing program 21, and starts, for example, when an instruction to capture an ultrasound image is given.

[0061] In step 100, the CPU 20A detects the rotational position of the arm unit 42, and the process proceeds to step 102. For example, the rotational position of the arm unit 42 is detected by a function of the radiation source moving unit 37 for detecting the rotational position of the arm unit 42.

[0062] In step 102, the CPU 20A determines whether or not the arm portion 42 has rotated. If the determination is affirmative, the process proceeds to step 104, and if the determination is negative, the process proceeds to step 108, which will be described later.

[0063] In step 104, the CPU 20A reads out the drive amount of each rotation drive unit 82 according to the rotation position of the arm unit 42, and then the process proceeds to step .

[0064] In step 106, CPU 20A drives each rotation drive unit 82 and proceeds to step 108. As a result, display unit 27 is rotated by rotation drive unit 82 in conjunction with the rotation of arm unit 42, so that the attitude of display unit 27 can be maintained before and after the rotation of arm unit 42.

[0065] In step 108, CPU 20A judges whether or not to end the process. For example, this judges whether or not an instruction to end imaging or ultrasound imaging by mammography apparatus 10 has been issued. If the judgement is negative, the process returns to step 100 and the above-mentioned process is repeated, and if the judgement is positive, the series of processes is ended.

[0066] In this manner, in this embodiment, a three-axis gimbal mechanism is used to rotate the display unit 27 in conjunction with the rotation of the arm unit 42, so that the attitude of the display unit 27 can be maintained even when the arm unit 42 is rotated. This makes it possible to maintain the visibility of the ultrasound image displayed on the display unit 27 even when the arm unit 42 is rotated.

[0067] Furthermore, even if the arm portion 42 rotates, the position of the display portion 27 is maintained, so that the ultrasound probe can be used without losing its operability.

[0068] Second embodiment Next, as a second embodiment, a description will be given of another example of mechanism 28 for rotating display unit 27 in conjunction with the rotation of arm unit 42. In this embodiment, a description will be given of an example in which a balance-sway mechanism is applied as another example of mechanism 28 for rotating display unit 27 in conjunction with the rotation of arm unit 42. Fig. 10 is a diagram showing an example in which a balance-sway mechanism is applied as mechanism 28 for rotating display unit 27 in conjunction with the rotation of arm unit 42.

[0069] In this embodiment, the balance balance mechanism 90 has a counterweight 92 that corresponds to the weight of the display unit 27, and is a mechanism that supports the counterweight 92 at a position opposite the display unit 27 with respect to a support point 94 that supports the display unit 27, and at the support point 94, the counterweight 92 and the display unit 27 are rotatably supported.

[0070] In detail, the balance balance mechanism 90 shown in FIG. 10 has a bracket 96 with a counterweight 92 at one end and a display unit 27 at the other end, and a support point 94 is provided on the bracket 96.

[0071] In addition, a ball joint 98 is provided at the support point 94, and the ball joint 98 rotates the display unit 27 in each of the forward / backward and left / right directions (the directions of the arrows shown in Figure 10), and the rotation stops at the position where the counterweight 92 and the display unit 27 are balanced.

[0072] That is, in the first embodiment, similarly to the gimbal mechanism 80, the attitude of the display unit 27 is mechanically maintained at a predetermined attitude.

[0073] Next, the operation of the mammography apparatus 10 equipped with the balance balance mechanism 90 configured as described above will be described.

[0074] As shown in Figure 6, when arm portion 42 is rotated from the angle of 0 degrees as shown in Figure 7, for example, from the state shown by the solid line in Figure 10, display unit 27 also rotates once as shown by the dotted line in conjunction with the rotation of arm portion 42, but display unit 27 is returned to its original position with ball joint 98 as a fulcrum so as to maintain the position shown by the solid line by counterweight 92 of balance balance mechanism 90.

[0075] Therefore, since the display unit 27 rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the arm unit 42, the position of the ultrasound image displayed on the display unit 27 can be maintained even if the arm unit 42 is rotated, as in the first embodiment.

[0076] Furthermore, even if the arm portion 42 rotates, the position of the display portion 27 is maintained, so that the ultrasound probe can be used without losing its operability.

[0077] Third embodiment Next, a description will be given of a mammography apparatus according to a third embodiment. Fig. 11 is a diagram for explaining the mammography apparatus according to the third embodiment.

[0078] In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 11, the rotation axis 42J of the arm portion 42 of the mammography device 10 and the rotation axis 28J of the mechanism 28 that rotates the display unit 27 in conjunction with the rotation of the arm portion 42 are parallel to each other.

[0079] Here, "parallel" means not only completely parallel, but also does not necessarily have to be strictly parallel, and also includes errors that are generally acceptable in the technical field to which the technology of the present disclosure belongs, such as tilts that are acceptable in design.

[0080] In this embodiment, the gimbal mechanism 80 of the first embodiment or the balance wheel mechanism 90 of the second embodiment may be applied as the mechanism 28 that rotates the display unit 27 in conjunction with the rotation of the arm unit 42. That is, compared to the first or second embodiment, the rotation axis 28J and the rotation axis 42J are set parallel to each other.

[0081] When the gimbal mechanism 80 of the first embodiment is applied, it is possible to use a single-axis gimbal mechanism 80 by making the two rotation axes 28J, 42J parallel. By making the two rotation axes 28J, 42J parallel, even if the arm unit 42 rotates, the display unit 27 can be rotated in the rotation direction of the rotation axis 28J, and the simple gimbal mechanism 80 can maintain the attitude of the display unit 27 before and after the rotation of the arm unit 42.

[0082] Similarly, when the balance-sway mechanism 90 of the second embodiment is applied, a balance-sway mechanism that rotates only in the direction of the rotation axis 28J can be used, and even if the arm portion 42 rotates, the display portion 27 can be rotated in the rotation direction of the rotation axis 28J, thereby allowing the simple balance-sway mechanism 90 to maintain the posture of the display portion 27 before and after the rotation of the arm portion 42.

[0083] (Fourth embodiment) Next, a description will be given of a mammography apparatus according to a fourth embodiment. Fig. 12 is a diagram for explaining the mammography apparatus according to the fourth embodiment.

[0084] In this embodiment, the distance between the rotation axis 42J of the arm unit 42 of the mammography device 10 and the rotation axis 28J of the mechanism 28 that rotates the display unit 27 in conjunction with the rotation of the arm unit 42 is set to be shorter than the farthest position from the rotation axis 42J of the arm unit 42 of the radiation detector 30. In other words, the rotation axis 28J of the mechanism 28 is set in the vicinity of the rotation axis 42J of the arm unit 42.

[0085] If there is no mechanism 28 for rotating the display unit 27 in conjunction with the rotation of the arm portion 42, the display unit 27 will not rotate in conjunction with the rotation of the arm portion 42, and as shown in the upper part of Figure 12, the posture of the display unit 27 will change before and after the rotation of the arm portion 42.

[0086] In contrast, in the mammography apparatus 10 according to this embodiment, as shown in the lower part of Fig. 12, the display unit 27 is rotated by the mechanism 28 in conjunction with the rotation of the arm unit 42, so that the orientation of the display unit 27 can be maintained before and after the rotation of the arm unit 42. Furthermore, movement of the display unit 27 in the Z direction is also suppressed.

[0087] Furthermore, in this embodiment, by making the distance between the rotation axis 42J and the rotation axis 28J shorter than the position farthest from the rotation axis 42J, it is possible to suppress movement of the display unit 27 not only in the Z direction but also in the X direction before and after rotation of the arm unit 42. This reduces the change in the operator's line of sight before and after rotation of the arm unit 42, making the display unit 27 easier to see.

[0088] In the above embodiment, the ultrasonic probe 70 is moved by the moving mechanism 72, but the moving mechanism 72 may be omitted and the operator may manually operate the ultrasonic probe 70. The biopsy unit 60 may also be omitted. When the biopsy unit 60 is omitted, the opening 34B of the bottom 34A of the compression member 34 is also unnecessary, and the operator operates the ultrasonic probe 70 on the compression member 34 to obtain an ultrasonic image. When the opening 34B is omitted, it is desirable that the compression member 34 is formed of a material that easily propagates ultrasonic waves transmitted from the ultrasonic probe 70. For example, resins such as polymethylpentene, polycarbonate, acrylic, and polyethylene terephthalate can be used as the material of the compression member 34. In particular, polymethylpentene has low rigidity, excellent elasticity and flexibility, and has suitable values ​​for acoustic impedance that affects the reflectance of ultrasonic waves and attenuation coefficient that affects the attenuation of ultrasonic waves, and is therefore suitable as the material of the compression member 34. The material constituting the compression member 34 is not limited to the above. For example, the member constituting the compression member 34 may be a film-like member. Figure 13 shows an example of a mammography apparatus 11 in which the biopsy unit 60 and the moving mechanism 72 are omitted.

[0089] 13, in order for the operator to check the ultrasound image while operating the ultrasound probe 70, the display unit 27 is rotated by the mechanism 28 in conjunction with the rotation of the arm unit 42. This allows the position of the display unit 27 to be maintained before and after the rotation of the arm unit 42, making it easier to check the ultrasound image displayed on the display unit 27 while operating the ultrasound probe 70.

[0090] In addition, the various processes performed by the CPU executing the software (program) in the above embodiment may be executed by a computer equipped with various processors other than the CPU. In this case, examples of the processor include a PLD (Programmable Logic Device) such as an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array) whose circuit configuration can be changed after manufacture, and a dedicated electric circuit such as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) which is a processor having a circuit configuration designed exclusively for executing a specific process. In addition, the various processes may be executed by one of these various processors, or may be executed by a combination of two or more processors of the same or different types (for example, a plurality of FPGAs, a combination of a CPU and an FPGA, etc.). In addition, the hardware structure of these various processors is, more specifically, an electric circuit that combines circuit elements such as semiconductor elements.

[0091] In the above embodiment, various programs such as the display processing program are prestored (installed) in the ROM 20B, but the present invention is not limited to this. The various programs may be provided in a form recorded on a recording medium such as a CD-ROM (Compact Disk Read Only Memory), a DVD-ROM (Digital Versatile Disk Read Only Memory), or a USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory. The various programs may be downloaded from an external information processing device or the like via a network.

[0092] In addition, the configurations, operations, etc. of the medical image acquisition system 2, mammography apparatus 10, console 12, etc. described in the above embodiments are merely examples, and it goes without saying that they can be modified according to the circumstances within the scope of the gist of this disclosure.

[0093] The following supplementary notes are further disclosed regarding the above embodiment. (Appendix 1) a support unit that rotatably supports a radiation source that irradiates radiation at a plurality of imaging positions at which the radiation is incident on the breast of a subject at different angles; a display unit provided on the support unit and displaying an ultrasound image of the breast acquired by the ultrasound probe; a mechanism provided between the display unit and the support unit, the mechanism rotating the display unit in conjunction with rotation of the support unit; A mammography device equipped with

[0094] (Appendix 2) A mammography apparatus as described in Appendix 1, wherein the mechanism is a gimbal mechanism.

[0095] (Appendix 3) 2. A mammography apparatus as described in claim 1, wherein the mechanism is a balance-sway mechanism.

[0096] (Appendix 4) The balance mechanism is Corresponding to the weight of A mammography apparatus as described in Appendix 3, which has a counterweight that supports the display unit at a position opposite the display unit with respect to a support point that supports the display unit, and which is a mechanism in which the counterweight and the display unit are rotatably supported at the support point.

[0097] (Appendix 5) 5. The mammography apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a rotation axis of the support part and a rotation axis of the mechanism are parallel to each other.

[0098] (Appendix 6) A mammography device described in any one of Appendix 1 to Appendix 5, wherein the distance between the rotation axis of the radiation source and the rotation axis of the mechanism is shorter than the farthest position from the rotation axis of the support part of the detector that detects the radiation.

[0099] (Appendix 7) The mammography device of Appendix 2, wherein the gimbal mechanism includes a detection unit that detects the rotation angle of the radiation source and a rotation drive unit that rotates the display unit, and drives the rotation drive unit so that the display position of the display unit becomes a predetermined display position in accordance with the rotation angle detected by the detection unit.

[0100] (Appendix 8) a support section that rotatably supports a radiation source that irradiates radiation at a plurality of imaging positions at which the incidence angles of the radiation on the breast of a subject are different from one another, and a display section that is provided on the support section and displays an ultrasound image of the breast acquired by an ultrasound probe, the mammography apparatus comprising: a support section that rotatably supports a radiation source that irradiates the radiation at a plurality of imaging positions at which the incidence angles of the radiation on the breast of a subject are different from one another; and a display section that is provided on the support section and displays an ultrasound image of the breast acquired by an ultrasound probe, the mammography apparatus comprising: a mechanism that maintains a display position of the display section even when the support section rotates, A display method for a mammography apparatus, which maintains the display position of the display unit even when the support unit is rotated by the mechanism.

[0101] (Appendix 9) an ultrasound device having an ultrasound probe for acquiring ultrasound images; A mammography apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7, A medical image acquisition system comprising: [Explanation of symbols]

[0102] 2 Medical image acquisition system 5.RIS 10, 11 Mammography equipment 12 Console 19 Image storage system 20, 50 Control unit 20A, 50A CPU 20B, 50B ROM 20C, 50C RAM 21 Display Processing Program 22, 52 storage section 24, 54 I / F section 26, 56 Operation section 27 Display section 28 Mechanism 28J, 42J Rotating shaft 29, 59 Bus 30 Radiation detector, 30A detection surface 32 Compression member drive unit 34 compression plate, 34A bottom, 36B opening 36 Radiation irradiation section, 36R radiation source 37 Source moving part 40 Shooting table, 40A Shooting surface 42 Arm section 44 Foundation 45 Shaft 46 Compression Unit 51 Biopsy Processing Program 58 Display section 60 Biopsy Units 62 Placement mechanism 63 Needle Position Controller 64 Biopsy Needle Unit 66 Biopsy Needle 70 Ultrasound Probe 71 Acoustic matching body 72 Moving mechanism 72X, 72Y Moving rail 80 Gimbal mechanism 82, 82X, 82Y, 82Z Rotation drive unit 84 First Arm 86 Second Arm 90 Balance Mechanism 92 Balance weight 94 Support points 96 Bracket 98 Ball Joint R Radiation φ angle

Claims

1. a support unit that rotatably supports a radiation source that irradiates radiation at a plurality of imaging positions at which the radiation is incident on the breast of a subject at different angles; a display unit provided on the support unit and displaying an ultrasound image of the breast acquired by the ultrasound probe; a mechanism provided between the display unit and the support unit, the mechanism rotating the display unit in conjunction with rotation of the support unit; A mammography device equipped with

2. The mammography device of claim 1 , wherein the mechanism is a gimbal mechanism.

3. 2. The mammography apparatus of claim 1, wherein the mechanism is a balance-sway mechanism.

4. The mammography device of claim 3, wherein the balance mechanism has a counterweight corresponding to the weight of the display unit, and supports the counterweight at a position opposite the display unit with respect to a support point supporting the display unit, and the counterweight and the display unit are supported rotatably at the support point.

5. 2. The mammography apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the rotation axis of the support part and the rotation axis of the mechanism are parallel to each other.

6. 2. The mammography apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a distance between the rotation axis of the radiation source and the rotation axis of the mechanism is shorter than a position of a detector that detects the radiation farthest from the rotation axis of the support part.

7. The mammography device of claim 2, wherein the gimbal mechanism includes a detection unit that detects the rotation angle of the radiation source and a rotation drive unit that rotates the display unit, and drives the rotation drive unit so that the display position of the display unit becomes a predetermined display position in accordance with the rotation angle detected by the detection unit.

8. a support section that rotatably supports a radiation source that irradiates radiation at a plurality of imaging positions at which the incidence angles of the radiation on the breast of a subject are different from one another, and a display section that is provided on the support section and displays an ultrasound image of the breast acquired by an ultrasound probe, the mammography apparatus comprising: a support section that rotatably supports a radiation source that irradiates the radiation at a plurality of imaging positions at which the incidence angles of the radiation on the breast of a subject are different from one another; and a display section that is provided on the support section and displays an ultrasound image of the breast acquired by an ultrasound probe, the mammography apparatus comprising: a mechanism that maintains a display position of the display section even when the support section rotates, A display method for a mammography apparatus, which maintains the display position of the display unit even when the support unit is rotated by the mechanism.

9. an ultrasound device having an ultrasound probe for acquiring ultrasound images; A mammography apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7, A medical image acquisition system comprising:

Images