Medical diagnostic device, control method of medical diagnostic device and control program of medical diagnostic device

Abstract

To provide a medical diagnostic device for placing a subject on a bed and performing an examination, the medical diagnostic device capable of reducing an amount of radiation exposure of the subject and improving a workflow of the examination as compared with the conventional one.SOLUTION: A medical diagnostic device includes a processor, where the processor acquires subject information of a subject to be placed on a bed, acquires a positioning image based on at least any of the optical image of the subject, with the subject placed on the bed or the scanogram image of the subject, on the basis of the subject information, and projects the acquired positioning image onto the bed or the space on the bed.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a medical diagnostic apparatus, a control method for a medical diagnostic apparatus, and a control program for a medical diagnostic apparatus.

Background Art

[0002] Techniques for X-ray medical diagnostic apparatuses have been disclosed that can set a more preferable scan plan while reducing the X-ray exposure dose of a subject and can simplify the work of an operator (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 to 3).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Patent Document 3

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In a medical diagnostic apparatus that places a subject on a hospital bed for examination, the time related to positioning the subject on the hospital bed inhibits the inspection throughput. Further, in a medical diagnostic apparatus that places a subject on a hospital bed for examination, exposure of the subject occurs during imaging for an imaging plan after positioning the subject on the hospital bed.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made in view of the above points, and an object of the present disclosure is to provide a medical diagnostic apparatus, a control method for a medical diagnostic apparatus, and a control program for a medical diagnostic apparatus that can reduce the exposure dose of a subject and improve the inspection workflow compared to the conventional case in a medical diagnostic apparatus that places a subject on a hospital bed for examination.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The medical diagnostic device according to the first aspect of the present disclosure includes a processor. The processor acquires subject information of a subject placed on a hospital bed, and acquires a positioning image based on at least one of an optical image of the subject in a state of being placed on the hospital bed or a scanogram image of the subject, based on the subject information, and projects the acquired positioning image onto the hospital bed or a space on the hospital bed.

[0007] The medical diagnostic device according to the second aspect of the present disclosure is the medical diagnostic device according to the first aspect, wherein the processor changes the positioning image projected onto the hospital bed or the space on the hospital bed before and after the subject is placed on the hospital bed.

[0008] The medical diagnostic device according to the third aspect of the present disclosure is the medical diagnostic device according to the first aspect, wherein the processor recognizes the color of the clothes worn by the subject, and processes the positioning image into a color that can recognize the positioning image when the positioning image is projected onto the clothes.

[0009] The medical diagnostic device according to the fourth aspect of the present disclosure is the medical diagnostic device according to the first aspect, wherein the positioning image is the optical image of the subject or the scanogram image of the subject itself.

[0010] The medical diagnostic device according to the fifth aspect of the present disclosure is the medical diagnostic device according to the first aspect, wherein the positioning image is a reference image generated by cutting out a predetermined reference part from the optical image of the subject or the scanogram image of the subject.

[0011] The medical diagnostic device according to the sixth aspect of the present disclosure is the medical diagnostic device according to the fifth aspect, wherein the positioning image is an image in which the reference image is superimposed on the optical image of the subject or the scanogram image of the subject itself.

[0012] The medical diagnostic device according to the seventh aspect of the present disclosure is the medical diagnostic device according to the first aspect, wherein the processor generates a scanogram image of the subject and generates a scanogram image of only the reference site corresponding to the reference image.

[0013] The medical diagnostic device according to the eighth aspect of the present disclosure is the medical diagnostic device according to the first aspect, wherein the processor generates a scanogram image of the subject and skips generating the scanogram image when the positioning image is projected onto the bed or the space on the bed.

[0014] The medical diagnostic device according to the ninth aspect of the present disclosure is the medical diagnostic device according to the first aspect, wherein the processor detects the degree of coincidence between the subject placed on the bed and the positioning image.

[0015] The medical diagnostic device according to the tenth aspect of the present disclosure is the medical diagnostic device according to the ninth aspect, wherein the processor notifies regarding the placement position of the subject on the bed according to the determined degree of coincidence.

[0016] The medical diagnostic device according to the eleventh aspect of the present disclosure is the medical diagnostic device according to the tenth aspect, wherein the processor notifies the adjustment amount of the placement position of the subject on the bed.

[0017] The medical diagnostic device according to the twelfth aspect of the present disclosure is the medical diagnostic device according to the ninth aspect, wherein the processor controls the inspection sequence of the subject according to the determined degree of coincidence.

[0018] The medical diagnostic device according to the thirteenth aspect of the present disclosure is the medical diagnostic device according to the ninth aspect, wherein the processor changes the projection position of the positioning image according to the determined degree of coincidence.

[0019] The medical diagnostic apparatus according to the 14th aspect of the present disclosure is the medical diagnostic apparatus according to the 1st aspect, wherein when the scannerogram image of the subject is used as the positioning image, the processor controls the irradiation dose of X-rays to the subject using the dose data of X-rays when the scannerogram image is generated.

[0020] The medical diagnostic apparatus according to the 15th aspect of the present disclosure is the medical diagnostic apparatus according to the 14th aspect, wherein when the noise amount of the inspection image of the subject obtained by controlling the irradiation dose of X-rays to the subject exceeds a predetermined allowable amount, the processor performs denoising.

[0021] The control method of the medical diagnostic apparatus according to the 16th aspect of the present disclosure is such that the processor acquires the subject information of the subject, and acquires a positioning image based on at least one of the optical image of the subject in a state where the subject is placed on a bed on which the subject is placed or the scannerogram image of the subject based on the subject information, and executes a process of projecting the positioning image onto the bed or the space on the bed.

[0022] The control program of the medical diagnostic apparatus according to the 17th aspect of the present disclosure causes a computer to acquire the subject information of the subject, acquire a positioning image based on at least one of the optical image of the subject in a state where the subject is placed on a bed on which the subject is placed or the scannerogram image of the subject based on the subject information, and execute a process of projecting the positioning image onto the bed or the space on the bed.

Advantages of the Invention

[0023] According to the present disclosure, there can be provided a medical diagnostic apparatus, a control method of a medical diagnostic apparatus, and a control program of a medical diagnostic apparatus that can reduce the exposure amount of a subject and improve the inspection workflow as compared with the conventional case in a medical diagnostic apparatus that inspects a subject placed on a bed.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0024]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0025] Hereinafter, an example of an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In each drawing, the same or equivalent components and parts are given the same reference numerals. Also, the dimensional ratios in the drawings are exaggerated for convenience of explanation and may be different from the actual ratios.

[0026] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the schematic configuration of the medical diagnostic apparatus according to the present embodiment. In the present embodiment, the configuration of an embodiment of an X-ray CT apparatus is shown as the medical diagnostic apparatus. Note that the medical diagnostic apparatus of the present disclosure is not limited to an X-ray CT apparatus and can be applied to other medical diagnostic apparatuses as long as the hospital bed moves up and down.

[0027] The medical diagnostic apparatus according to the present embodiment includes a scanner 1, a hospital bed 3, and a console 4.

[0028] Scanner 1 is the part that performs CT scans. Scanner 1 includes a gantry 11, a rotating plate 12 having an opening in the central part and rotatably supported by the gantry 11, an X-ray tube device 13 fixed to the rotating plate 12, a collimator 14 provided at the X-ray emission port part of the X-ray tube device 13, an X-ray detector 15 disposed opposite to the X-ray tube device 13 with the opening of the rotating plate 12 therebetween, and a rotating plate drive device 17 provided on the gantry 11. Further, the rotating plate 12 of the scanner 1 includes a collimator control device 18 that controls the collimator 14 to change the X-ray irradiation field, a rotating plate drive control device 19 that performs drive control of the rotating plate drive device 17, an X-ray high voltage generator 20 that supplies power for X-ray generation to the X-ray tube device 13 and controls X-ray generation conditions, a data collection device 16 that collects the output of the X-ray detector 15, and a data transmission device 21 that transmits the data collected by the data collection device 16. Note that the supply of power and control signals to each unit provided on the rotating plate 12 and the extraction of data from each unit provided on the rotating plate 12 are performed via a slip ring (not shown) provided between the gantry 11 and the rotating plate 12.

[0029] The examination table 3 moves the subject between the imaging preparation position and the imaging position. The subject is placed on the top plate 31. It has a vertical movement mechanism and a front-back movement mechanism of the top plate 31, which are not shown in the figure. And, on the examination table 3, an examination table control device 32, a top plate vertical movement control device 33, and a top plate front-back movement control device 34 are provided to control the operations of the vertical movement mechanism and the front-back movement mechanism of the top plate 31.

[0030] The console 4 controls a medical diagnostic device that is an X-ray CT device. The console 4 is an example of the computer of the present disclosure. The console 4 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 41, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 42, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 43, and a storage 44. Further, the console 4 may further include an input unit 45 and a display unit 46.

[0031] One example of a processor, the CPU 41, is a central processing unit that executes various programs and controls each part. That is, the CPU 41 reads a program from the ROM 42 or the storage 44 and executes the program using the RAM 43 as a work area. The CPU 41 performs control of each of the above configurations and various arithmetic processes according to the program recorded in the ROM 42 or the storage 44. In the present embodiment, the ROM 42 or the storage 44 stores a control program for a medical diagnostic apparatus that projects a positioning image onto the examination table 3 of the medical diagnostic apparatus and controls the operation of the medical diagnostic apparatus.

[0032] The positioning image is an image based on at least one of an optical image of the subject in a state placed on the examination table 3 or a scanogram image of the subject. The positioning image may be the optical image of the subject or the scanogram image of the subject itself, or may be a reference image generated by cutting out a predetermined reference part from the optical image of the subject or the scanogram image of the subject. The reference part refers to a part that serves as a reference for positioning when the subject is placed on the examination table 3, such as around the shoulders or around the pelvis. The reference image may be an image of the entire part that serves as a landmark such as a human shoulder or waist, or may be a useful part for positioning, such as the contour or tip of the part, or may be a line extracted from the contour or tip of the part. The optical image of the subject may be taken by one or more imaging devices provided around the ceiling, wall surface, and gantry 11 of the examination room.

[0033] Further, the positioning image may be an image in which the above-described reference image is superimposed on the optical image of the subject or the scanogram image of the subject itself.

[0034] The ROM 42 stores various programs and various data. The RAM 43 temporarily stores programs or data as a working area. The storage 44 is composed of a storage device such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), an SSD (Solid State Drive), or a flash memory, and stores various programs including an operating system and various data.

[0035] The input unit 45 includes a pointing device such as a mouse and a keyboard, and is used to perform various inputs. The input unit 45 includes a bed operation unit for operating the height of the bed 3.

[0036] The display unit 46 is, for example, a liquid crystal display and displays various information. The display unit 46 may adopt a touch panel method and function as the input unit 45.

[0037] In this embodiment, the console 4 is connected to the hospital information system 5 of the hospital where the X-ray CT apparatus is installed. The hospital information system 5 includes a patient information management system 51 and an examination reservation system 52.

[0038] The patient information management system 51 is a database of personal information, medical data, examination image data, examination data, medication data, etc. of patients who have received medical treatment in the past at that hospital. The personal information of the patient includes personal identification information such as name, ID, date of birth, age, gender, etc., as well as physical information such as height and weight, and past examination dates. These personal information are input into the system when the subject visits the hospital as a patient and receives medical treatment. Note that the height and weight of the patient are collected by the patient's self-report on the questionnaire or by actual measurement and input into the patient information management system 51. Also, medical data, examination image data, examination data, and medication data are input into the patient information management system each time the patient receives medical treatment, and an in-hospital patient database is created.

[0039] The examination reservation system 52 creates the examination schedule for the day based on the information stored or written in the patient information management system for each system of the medical diagnostic devices equipped in the hospital, and distributes the created examination schedule to each system as data. The examination schedule includes the order of patients who will undergo the examination on that day in the medical diagnostic device, as well as the personal identification information and physical information of each patient. Note that the content of the examination reservation system 52 is sequentially updated according to the progress of the medical treatment on that day, and each time it is updated, the updated data is sent to each system.

[0040] The console 4 causes the positioning image to be projected from the projection device 7 onto the hospital bed 3 or above the hospital bed 3. By causing the positioning image to be projected from the projection device 7 onto the hospital bed 3 or above the hospital bed 3, the console 4 can smoothly proceed with the placement of the subject on the hospital bed 3 and improve the examination throughput of the subject compared to the case where the projection is not performed. Note that the projection device 7 may be a projector that projects an image, may be a display device that displays the positioning image on the hospital bed 3 or above the hospital bed 3 by AR (Augmented Reality), or may be VR (Virtual Reality) goggles used by a technician. The projector may be installed on the ceiling, wall surface, inside the gantry 11, outside surface of the gantry 11, etc. of the imaging room equipped with the medical diagnostic device. Also, the number of projectors is not limited to one, and a plurality of projectors may be installed.

[0041] When executing the control program of the above medical diagnostic device, the console 4 realizes various functions using the above hardware resources. The functional configuration realized by the console 4 will be described.

[0042] Figure 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the console 4.

[0043] As shown in FIG. 2, the console 4 includes, as functional components, a subject information acquisition unit 401, an image acquisition unit 402, a projection control unit 403, an image processing unit 404, a scanogram image generation unit 405, a position detection unit 406, a notification unit 407, an examination control unit 408, an irradiation control unit 409, a noise removal unit 410, and a bed control unit 411. Each functional component is realized by the CPU 41 reading and executing a control program of a medical diagnostic device stored in the ROM 42 or the storage 44.

[0044] The subject information acquisition unit 401 acquires information of a subject who undergoes an examination using the medical diagnostic device. The subject information acquisition unit 401 acquires the subject information from, for example, a patient information management system 51. The subject information acquisition unit 401 acquires the subject information by, for example, image recognition of an optical image of the subject captured by an imaging device. In this case, the pre-registered subject image may be registered in advance in an arbitrary location, for example, the patient information management system 51. The subject information acquisition unit 401 acquires the subject information by, for example, recognizing voice recorded by a microphone. In this case, the pre-registered subject voice may be registered in advance in an arbitrary location, for example, the patient information management system 51. The subject information acquisition unit 401 may also acquire the subject information by reading, for example, a bar code or an IC tag for patient identification used in a hospital or the like.

[0045] The image acquisition unit 402 acquires a positioning image based on the subject information acquired by the subject information acquisition unit 401. The storage location of the positioning image may be a recording medium provided inside the console 4, an external recording device connected to the console 4, or a patient information management system 51 connected to the console 4 through a network. Note that when the subject undergoes an examination for the first time, there is no positioning image, so the image acquisition unit 402 does not acquire a positioning image.

[0046] In the case of a subject who undergoes an examination for the first time, the image acquisition unit 402 may search the patient information management system 51 to obtain a positioning image of a subject with a body shape similar to that of the subject. For example, the image acquisition unit 402 may obtain a positioning image of another subject whose height, weight, abdominal circumference, etc. are within a predetermined difference from those of the subject who undergoes an examination for the first time.

[0047] The projection control unit 403 performs control to project the positioning image acquired by the image acquisition unit 402 onto the top plate 31 of the bed 3 or the space above the bed 3. The projection of the positioning image may be performed by a projector that projects the image, or may be performed by a display device that displays the positioning image on the top plate 31 of the bed 3 or above the bed 3 by AR, or may be performed by VR goggles used by a technician. Note that the projection onto the space above the bed 3 may include projection onto the clothes of the subject placed on the bed 3.

[0048] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a state in which the positioning image 501 is projected onto the bed 3. In FIG. 3, a state is shown in which a scanogram image acquired from the subject information is projected onto the bed 3 as the positioning image 501.

[0049] Note that the projection control unit 403 may change the projection method according to the part of the subject to be aligned. For example, if the part to be aligned is the head, since the rotation direction or inclination of the head is also important, the projection control unit 403 may project in two directions or may project three-dimensionally. If the part to be aligned is the head, the positioning image may be the eyes, nose, ears, top of the head, etc. Also, for example, if the part to be aligned is the abdomen, the positioning image may be the constricted part of the subject's waist or the protruding part of the pelvis. Also, for example, if the part to be aligned is the lower limb, the positioning image may be the thigh part, knee part, or toe part.

[0050] Before the subject is placed on the bed 3, the positioning image projected onto the bed 3 is easy to see. However, after the subject is placed on the bed 3, the positioning image becomes difficult to see. Therefore, the projection control unit 403 may change the positioning image projected onto the bed 3 or above the bed 3 before and after the subject is placed on the bed 3. For example, before the subject is placed on the bed 3, the projection control unit 403 projects a normal planar image, and after the subject is placed on the bed 3, the projection control unit 403 may perform control such as projecting a stereoscopic image, projecting onto the space per unit area on the body surface of the subject in consideration of the body thickness of the subject, or projecting onto the clothing of the subject.

[0051] In addition, in order to avoid the positioning image being hidden by the subject and becoming difficult to see, the projection control unit 403 may perform control to further project a reference mark at a position not hidden by the subject. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a state in which the positioning image 501 and the reference mark 502 are projected onto the bed 3. FIG. 4 shows a state in which the reference mark 502 is projected so as to match the vertical length of the positioning image 501.

[0052] The projection control unit 403 may project an image obtained by cutting out a part that serves as a landmark such as a human shoulder or waist as the positioning image. FIGS. 5 and 6 are diagrams showing a state in which the positioning image 501 is projected onto the bed 3. FIG. 5 shows a state in which an optical image obtained by cutting out the shoulder portion of the subject is projected as the positioning image 501. FIG. 6 shows a state in which a scanogram image obtained by cutting out the shoulder portion of the subject is projected as the positioning image 501. In addition to these images, the projection control unit 403 may further project the reference mark 502 shown in FIG. 4.

[0053] The projection control unit 403 may project a line indicating the contour of a part such as a human shoulder or waist, which is cut out from an image serving as a positioning image, onto the image. FIGS. 7 and 8 are diagrams showing a state in which the positioning image 501 and the line 503 indicating the contour are projected onto the hospital bed 3. In FIG. 7, a state is shown in which an optical image obtained by cutting out the shoulder part of the subject as the positioning image 501 and the line 503 indicating the contour of the shoulder are projected. In FIG. 8, a state is shown in which a scanogram image obtained by cutting out the shoulder part of the subject as the positioning image 501 and the line 503 indicating the contour of the shoulder are projected. In addition to these images, the projection control unit 403 may further project the reference mark 502 shown in FIG. 4.

[0054] The image processing unit 404 performs image processing on the positioning image acquired by the image acquisition unit 402. For example, the image processing unit 404 recognizes the color of the clothes worn by the subject, and performs a process of processing the positioning image into a color that can recognize the positioning image when the positioning image is projected onto the clothes. For example, if the color of the clothes worn by the subject is blue, the image processing unit 404 may perform a processing process of converting the positioning image into a red-based color.

[0055] The scanogram image generation unit 405 executes a process of generating a scanogram image of the subject based on the irradiation of the subject with X-rays controlled by an irradiation control unit 409 described later. The scanogram image can be obtained by detecting the X-rays transmitted through the subject with the X-ray detector 15. When using the reference image as the positioning image, the scanogram image generation unit 405 may generate a scanogram image only of the reference part corresponding to the reference image. For example, if the reference part is around the shoulder, the scanogram image generation unit 405 executes a process of generating a scanogram image of the subject based on the X-rays irradiated only around the shoulder. By generating a scanogram image only of the reference part corresponding to the reference image, the medical diagnostic apparatus can suppress the radiation dose of the subject.

[0056] The scanogram image generation unit 405 may execute a process of generating a scanogram image for a part different from the part to be imaged in the current imaging. For example, if the part to be imaged in the current imaging is the chest and abdomen, the scanogram image generation unit 405 may execute a process of generating a scanogram image focusing only on the shoulders. By generating a scanogram image for a part different from the part to be imaged in the current imaging, the medical diagnostic apparatus can reduce the radiation dose to the subject as compared with the case of generating a scanogram image including the part to be imaged in the current imaging.

[0057] Further, when the positioning image is projected onto the bed 3 or the space above the bed 3, the scanogram image generation unit 405 may perform control to skip the generation of the scanogram image. By skipping the generation of the scanogram image, the medical diagnostic apparatus can reduce the radiation dose to the subject as compared with the case of generating a scanogram image.

[0058] The position detection unit 406 determines whether the subject is correctly placed on the bed 3 by determining the degree of coincidence between the subject placed on the bed 3 and the positioning image projected by the projection control unit 403. For example, the position detection unit 406 may determine the degree of coincidence by obtaining the overlapping degree between the contour portion of the body part in the positioning image and the contour portion of the same part of the subject placed on the bed 3. Specifically, if the ratio of the area where the two overlap is less than 80%, the position detection unit 406 determines that the subject is not correctly placed on the bed 3, and if it is 80% or more, the position detection unit 406 may determine that the subject is correctly placed on the bed 3. Further, for example, the position detection unit 406 may determine the degree of coincidence by obtaining the distance between the tip of the contour portion of the body part in the positioning image and the tip of the contour portion of the same part of the subject placed on the bed 3. Specifically, if the two are separated by 10 millimeters or more, the position detection unit 406 determines that the subject is not correctly placed on the bed 3, and if the distance between the two is less than 10 millimeters, the position detection unit 406 may determine that the subject is correctly placed on the bed 3. It should be noted that all the above-mentioned numerical values are examples, and it goes without saying that the present disclosure is not limited to such examples.

[0059] When the subject is a critically ill patient, an elderly person, a person with a disability, etc., even if the subject lies in a position deviated from the position of the projected positioning image, it may be difficult to change the position of the subject later, or there may be pain associated with the movement of the subject. Therefore, the projection control unit 403 may control the projection position of the positioning image projected on the bed 3 based on the detection result of the deviation amount by the position detection unit 406. For example, if the position detection unit 406 detects that the position of the subject is deviated 50 millimeters downward and 30 millimeters to the right from the projection position of the positioning image, the projection control unit 403 may project the positioning image shifted 50 millimeters downward and 30 millimeters to the right. Also in this case, the deviation amount and the deviation direction of the projection of the positioning image may be applied to the irradiation control by the irradiation control unit 409 described later.

[0060] The notification unit 407 performs notification regarding the placement position of the subject on the hospital bed 3 based on the degree of match determined by the position detection unit 406. The notification unit 407 may perform notification regarding the placement position by projection display on the hospital bed 3, by display on an operation panel or the like, or by voice announcement. Further, when the technician is wearing VR goggles, the notification unit 407 may perform notification regarding the placement position by displaying it on the VR goggles worn by the technician.

[0061] Specifically, when the position detection unit 406 determines that the subject is not correctly placed on the hospital bed 3, the notification unit 407 notifies that "positioning is insufficient" or the like regarding the placement position of the subject on the hospital bed 3. When the position detection unit 406 determines that the subject is correctly placed on the hospital bed 3, the notification unit 407 may notify that "positioning is appropriate" or the like regarding the placement position of the subject on the hospital bed 3.

[0062] The notification unit 407 may notify the adjustment amount of the placement position of the subject on the hospital bed 3. Specifically, when the position detection unit 406 determines that the subject is not correctly placed on the hospital bed 3, the notification unit 407 may notify the adjustment amount of the placement position of the subject on the hospital bed 3. For example, the notification unit 407 may notify that "moving the patient 28 mm to the right with the shoulder tip as a reference will result in a good positioning position" or the like regarding the adjustment amount of the placement position of the subject on the hospital bed 3. Further, for example, the notification unit 407 may notify that "it is shifted 17 mm upward from the reference position. Please move 17 mm downward with the shoulder tip as a reference" or the like regarding the adjustment amount of the placement position of the subject on the hospital bed 3.

[0063] The inspection control unit 408 controls the inspection sequence of the subject by the medical diagnostic device. For example, the inspection control unit 408 controls the inspection sequence of the subject by the medical diagnostic device based on the degree of coincidence determined by the position detection unit 406. For example, when the position detection unit 406 determines that the subject is correctly placed on the bed 3, the inspection control unit 408 may simplify the shooting of the pre-inspection scanogram image or skip the shooting of the pre-inspection scanogram image as the control of the inspection sequence.

[0064] The irradiation control unit 409 controls the irradiation dose of X-rays from the X-ray tube device 13 to the subject. For example, the shoulder requires a relatively large dose, but the lungs are filled with air and have little attenuation, so a small dose is sufficient, and the liver has a large attenuation, so a dose is also required. The irradiation control unit 409 controls the irradiation dose of X-rays to the subject according to the part of the subject. In the present embodiment, when the scanogram image of the subject is used as the positioning image, the irradiation control unit 409 controls the irradiation dose of X-rays to the subject based on the X-ray dose data when the scanogram image is generated. The required image quality level is different between the scanogram image and the image obtained by the inspection (the main captured image), and the main captured image is required to have higher image quality than the scanogram image. Therefore, the irradiation control unit 409 may multiply the dose data at the time of the scanogram image by a coefficient or perform table conversion to obtain the irradiation dose of X-rays to the subject. By controlling the irradiation dose of X-rays to the subject using the X-ray dose data when the scanogram image is generated, the irradiation control unit 409 can obtain an inspection image of the subject with the noise amount desired by the operator.

[0065] When the amount of noise in the inspection image obtained by irradiating the subject with X-rays exceeds the allowable amount with respect to the desired amount of noise, the noise removal unit 410 performs noise removal (denoising) processing on the inspection image. For example, in dose modulation based on dose data of the subject associated with a past scanogram image due to an increase in the weight of the subject, the desired image quality index (e.g., image noise) is not achieved, and when the image noise increases, the noise removal unit 410 increases the intensity level of the denoising process to suppress the image noise and automatically performs reconstruction so as to obtain the desired image quality index similar to that at the time of past inspections.

[0066] The bed control unit 411 controls the height of the bed 3. The bed control unit 411 may control the height of the bed 3 based on an operation by a technician, or may control the height of the bed 3 based on data at the time of the subject's most recent inspection. The data at the time of the subject's most recent inspection is recorded, for example, in the patient information management system 51 and may be acquired by the subject information acquisition unit 401.

[0067] Next, the operation of the console 4 will be described.

[0068] FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing the control flow of the medical diagnostic apparatus by the console 4. The CPU 41 reads out the control program of the medical diagnostic apparatus from the ROM 42 or the storage 44, expands it in the RAM 43, and executes it, thereby performing the control process of the medical diagnostic apparatus. The flowchart shown in FIG. 9 is executed when the subject undergoes an inspection with the medical diagnostic apparatus.

[0069] In step S101, the CPU 41 acquires subject information. The CPU 41 acquires the subject information from, for example, the patient information management system 51.

[0070] Subsequent to step S101, in step S102, the CPU 41 acquires a positioning image of the subject based on the acquired subject information. Note that when the subject is being examined for the first time, there is no positioning image. Thus, the CPU 41 may skip all subsequent processes related to the positioning image. In the case of a subject being examined for the first time, the CPU 41 may search the patient information management system 51 and acquire a positioning image of a subject with a body shape similar to that of the subject.

[0071] Subsequent to step S102, in step S103, the CPU 41 projects the acquired positioning image onto the examination table 3.

[0072] When the subject is placed on the examination table 3 to match the projected positioning image, subsequent to step S103, in step S104, the CPU 41 moves the examination table 3 into the gantry 11.

[0073] Subsequent to step S104, in step S105, the CPU 41 irradiates X-rays to generate a scanogram image of the subject. Note that when the subject is placed on the examination table 3 to match the projected positioning image, the CPU 41 may skip the process of generating a scanogram image of the subject, or may generate a scanogram image of the subject only for a part different from that during the main imaging described later.

[0074] Subsequent to step S105, in step S106, the CPU 41 irradiates X-rays to perform the main examination of the subject.

[0075] As described above, according to the embodiment of the present disclosure, in a medical diagnostic apparatus that places a subject on an examination table for examination, the examination workflow can be improved compared to the prior art. Further, according to the embodiment of the present disclosure, in a medical diagnostic apparatus that places a subject on an examination table for examination, the exposure dose to the subject can be reduced compared to the prior art.

[0076] The embodiments of the present disclosure have been described in detail above with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the technical scope of the present disclosure is not limited to such examples. It is obvious that those having ordinary knowledge in the technical field of the present disclosure can conceive of various modification examples or correction examples within the scope of the technical idea described in the claims. Naturally, these modification examples or correction examples are also understood to belong to the technical scope of the present disclosure.

[0077] In addition, the effects described in the above embodiments are illustrative or exemplary and are not limited to those described in the above embodiments. That is, the technology according to the present disclosure may exhibit other effects obvious to those having ordinary knowledge in the technical field of the present disclosure from the description in the above embodiments, together with or instead of the effects described in the above embodiments.

[0078] Note that, in each of the above embodiments, the control process of the medical diagnostic device in which the CPU reads and executes software (program) may be executed by various processors other than the CPU. Examples of the processor in this case include a PLD (Programmable Logic Device) whose circuit configuration can be changed after manufacturing, such as an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), and a dedicated electric circuit such as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) having a circuit configuration designed specifically to execute a specific process. Further, the control process of the medical diagnostic device may be executed by one of these various processors, or may be executed by a combination of two or more processors of the same type or different types (for example, a plurality of FPGAs, and a combination of a CPU and an FPGA, etc.). Further, the hardware structure of these various processors is, more specifically, an electric circuit combining circuit elements such as semiconductor elements.

[0079] Also, in each of the above embodiments, although the mode in which the control program of the medical diagnostic apparatus is pre-stored (installed) in the ROM or the storage has been described, it is not limited thereto. The program may be provided in a form recorded on a non-transitory recording medium such as a CD-ROM (Compact Disk Read Only Memory), a DVD-ROM (Digital Versatile Disk Read Only Memory), and a USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory. Further, the program may be in a form downloaded from an external device via a network.

Explanation of Signs

[0080] 1 Scanner 11 Gantry 12 Rotating plate 13 X-ray tube device 14 Collimator 15 X-ray detector 17 Rotating plate drive device 18 Collimator control device 19 Rotating plate drive control device 20 X-ray high voltage generator 21 Data transmission device 3 Bed 31 Top plate 32 Bed control device 33 Top plate vertical movement control device 34 Top plate forward and backward movement control device 4 Console 5 Hospital information system

Claims

1. A medical diagnostic apparatus comprising a processor, wherein the processor acquires subject information of a subject placed on a hospital bed, acquires a positioning image based on at least one of an optical image of the subject or a scanogram image of the subject in a state of being placed on the hospital bed, based on the subject information, and projects the acquired positioning image onto the hospital bed or a space on the hospital bed.

2. The medical diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processor changes the positioning image projected onto the hospital bed or the space on the hospital bed before and after the subject is placed on the hospital bed.

3. The medical diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processor recognizes the color of clothes worn by the subject, and processes the positioning image into a color that can recognize the positioning image when the positioning image is projected onto the clothes.

4. The medical diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the positioning image is the optical image of the subject or the scanogram image of the subject itself.

5. The medical diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the positioning image is a reference image generated by cutting out a predetermined reference part from the optical image of the subject or the scanogram image of the subject.

6. The medical diagnostic apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the positioning image is an image obtained by superimposing the reference image on the optical image of the subject or the scanogram image of the subject itself.

7. The medical diagnostic apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the processor generates a scanogram image of the subject, and generates a scanogram image of only the reference part corresponding to the reference image.

8. The medical diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processor generates a scanogram image of the subject, and skips generating the scanogram image when the positioning image is projected onto the hospital bed or the space on the hospital bed.

9. The medical diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processor determines a degree of coincidence between the subject placed on the hospital bed and the positioning image.

10. The medical diagnostic apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the processor notifies regarding the placement position of the subject on the hospital bed according to the determined degree of coincidence.

11. ​ The medical diagnostic apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the processor notifies an adjustment amount of a placement position of the subject on the bed.

12. The medical diagnostic apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the processor controls an inspection sequence of the subject according to a determined degree of match.

13. The medical diagnostic apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the processor changes a projection position of the positioning image according to a determined degree of match.

14. The medical diagnostic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the processor uses a scanogram image of the subject as the positioning image, the processor controls an X-ray irradiation amount to the subject using X-ray dose data at the time of generating the scanogram image.

15. The medical diagnostic apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the processor performs denoising when a noise amount of an inspection image of the subject obtained by controlling an X-ray irradiation amount to the subject exceeds a predetermined allowable amount.

16. A processor acquires subject information of a subject, acquires a positioning image based on at least one of an optical image of the subject or a scanogram image of the subject in a state where the subject is placed on a bed on which the subject is placed, based on the subject information, projects the positioning image onto the bed or a space on the bed A control method for a medical diagnostic apparatus that executes a process.

17. A computer acquires subject information of a subject, acquires a positioning image based on at least one of an optical image of the subject or a scanogram image of the subject in a state where the subject is placed on a bed on which the subject is placed, based on the subject information, projects the positioning image onto the bed or a space on the bed A control program for a medical diagnostic apparatus that causes the process to be executed.

Images