Dose management device, program, dose management system, and dose management method

Abstract

To provide a dose management device, etc. capable of performing dose management by specifying an imaging site from dose information of RDSR transmitted from an imaging device.SOLUTION: A dose management device for managing dose information of radiation to be applied to subjects, the dose management device includes an acquisition unit that acquires an EIt value included in the dose information, a specification unit that specifies an imaging site associated with the EIt value acquired by the acquisition unit and specifies a subject thickness associated with the specified imaging site, and a calculation unit that calculates an incident surface dose, the exposure dose, using the subject thickness specified by the specification unit.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 10

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a dose management device, a program, a dose management system, and a dose management method. [Background technology]

[0002] Dose management systems use diagnostic reference levels (DRLs), which are guidelines indicating standard values ​​for radiation exposure doses from medical exposure. DRLs indicate the optimum radiation dose for patients with a standard physique for each type or content of examination. Dose management systems calculate the entrance surface dose based on the imaging site information contained in the RDSR, a standard for dose information, and manage patient doses by comparing the calculated entrance surface dose with the DRLs.

[0003] Patent Document 1 describes a browsing system that allows a user to specify an examination region from a predetermined protocol item included in DICOM information. Patent Document 2 describes an X-ray diagnostic device that specifies a region of a subject based on a comparison between model data stored in a storage unit and camera image data captured by an imaging unit. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-3386 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2014-144118 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, Patent Documents 1 and 2 have the following problems: In Patent Document 1, the examination region is identified using DICOM information in the RDSR, but if information related to the protocol in the RDSR is insufficient, the examination region cannot be identified. In Patent Document 2, camera image data conforming to the DICOM standard is required, so the imaging region cannot be identified from dose information.

[0006] Therefore, in order to solve the above problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a dose management device, a program, a dose management system, and a dose management method that can identify the imaging area from the dose information of the RDSR transmitted from the imaging device and perform dose management. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The radiation dose management device according to the present invention comprises: A dose management device that manages dose information of radiation irradiated to a subject, an acquisition unit that acquires an EIt value included in the dose information; an identification unit that identifies an imaging region associated with the EIt value acquired by the acquisition unit and identifies a subject thickness associated with the identified imaging region; a calculation unit that calculates an incident surface dose, which is an exposure dose, using the subject thickness identified by the identification unit; Equipped with.

[0008] The program according to the present invention comprises: a computer that is a dose management device that manages dose information of radiation irradiated to a subject; an acquisition unit that acquires an EIt value included in the dose information; an identification unit that identifies an imaging region associated with the EIt value acquired by the acquisition unit and identifies a subject thickness associated with the identified imaging region; a calculation unit that calculates an incident surface dose, which is an exposure dose, using the subject thickness identified by the identification unit; Function as.

[0009] The dose management system according to the present invention comprises: A dose management system that manages dose information of radiation irradiated to a subject, the dose information being transmitted from an examination device, an acquisition unit that acquires an EIt value included in the dose information; an identification unit that identifies an imaging region associated with the EIt value acquired by the acquisition unit and identifies a subject thickness associated with the identified imaging region; a calculation unit that calculates an incident surface dose, which is an exposure dose, using the subject thickness identified by the identification unit; Equipped with.

[0010] The dose management method according to the present invention comprises: A dose management method for managing dose information of radiation irradiated to a subject, comprising: an acquisition step of acquiring an EIt value included in the dose information; a step of identifying an imaging region associated with the acquired EIt value and identifying a subject thickness associated with the identified imaging region; a calculation step of calculating an incident surface dose, which is an exposure dose, using the identified subject thickness; It has. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to the present invention, even if information about the imaging region is not entered in the RDSR, the information about the imaging region can be obtained from the EIt value contained in the RDSR. This makes it possible to calculate the entrance surface dose based on the obtained imaging region, and by comparing the calculated entrance surface dose with a reference value, it is possible to determine whether the exposure dose is appropriate. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a schematic configuration of a medical information management system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of EIt values ​​set for each imaging region according to the present embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a radiation dose management device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4]FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a client terminal according to the present embodiment. [Figure 5] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of a processing flow for linking an EIt value with an imaging region, linking an imaging region with a subject thickness, and calculating a reference value of an incident surface dose according to the present embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a first setting screen for setting an imaging region corresponding to an EIt value, which is displayed on a display unit of the client terminal according to the present embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a second setting screen for setting a subject thickness corresponding to an imaging region, which is displayed on the display unit of the client terminal according to the present embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a third setting screen for setting a reference value of an incident surface dose for an imaging region, which is displayed on a display unit of the client terminal according to the present embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a table T according to the present embodiment. [Figure 10] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the radiation dose management device according to the present embodiment when determining whether the radiation dose of a patient is appropriate. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of an examination information output screen displayed on a display unit of the client terminal according to the present embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a reset screen for resetting a body part to be imaged, which is displayed on a display unit of the client terminal according to the present embodiment. [Figure 13] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the radiation dose management device according to the present embodiment when re-determining whether or not the radiation dose of a patient is appropriate. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] A dose management apparatus, a program, a dose management system, and a dose management method according to preferred embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0014] [Configuration example of medical information management system 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a schematic configuration of a medical information management system 1 according to this embodiment. The medical information management system 1 includes an examination device 10, a medical image storage device 20, a dose management device 30, and a client terminal 40. The examination device 10, the medical image storage device 20, the dose management device 30, and the client terminal 40 are communicably connected via a network N. Examples of the network N include a LAN, the Internet, and a WAN. LAN is an abbreviation for Local Area Network. WAN is an abbreviation for Wide Area Network. The communication method of the network N may be wired communication or wireless communication. Each device constituting the medical information management system 1 conforms to the DICOM standard, and communication between the devices is performed in accordance with the DICOM standard. DICOM is an abbreviation for Digital Image and Communications in Medicine.

[0015] The inspection device 10 is a modality of a general X-ray imaging device such as DR or CR. The inspection device 10 captures images of a predetermined imaging region of a subject based on imaging conditions set by a console (not shown). The imaging includes still image imaging and dynamic imaging. The inspection device 10 generates image data of a radiographic image based on the detection results of radiation irradiated to the patient (subject). The inspection device 10 generates a DICOM image file by attaching additional information to the radiographic image. The additional information includes patient information, examination information, image information, etc. Patient information is information about the patient. Patient information includes patient ID, patient name, date of birth, gender, height, weight, age, BMI, etc. Image information is information about the image. Image information includes SOP instance UID, image date, image time, image number, etc.

[0016] The examination apparatus 10 generates a Radiation Dose Structured Report (RDSR) that handles dose information related to the examination. RDSR is an abbreviation for Radiation Dose Structured Report. The examination apparatus 10 transmits image data of the generated radiographic image to the medical image storage apparatus 20, and transmits the RDSR to the medical image storage apparatus 20, the dose management apparatus 30, and the like. Here, the RDSR is information conforming to the DICOM standard and includes dose information related to the radiation dose (amount of energy) of radiation received by the subject during the examination. The dose information includes an EIt value, which is an index indicating the radiation dose at each imaging region and indicates the standard exposure dose for each imaging region. The EIt value is tag information that is required to be input into the RDSR. EIt is an abbreviation for Target Exposure Index. Figure 2 is a diagram showing an example of the EIt value set for each imaging region according to this embodiment. For example, an EIt value of "48" is set for the imaging region "front chest." For the imaging region "abdomen upright frontal", an EIt value of "337" is set. For the imaging region "cervical spine frontal", an EIt value of "276" is set. For the imaging region "thoracic spine frontal", an EIt value of "180" is set. For the imaging region "lumbar spine frontal", an EIt value of "145" is set. Other information included in the RDSR includes information such as the tube voltage and tube current applied for irradiating radiation, and radiation exposure time.

[0017] The inspection device 10 generates an RDSR for each radiation irradiation event. An irradiation event is a set of radiation irradiation operations on a subject. An irradiation event is usually a series of irradiation operations under the same irradiation conditions. In each irradiation event, one or more radiation images are generated according to the radiation irradiation. An irradiation event occurs each time a new radiation irradiation is started. For example, an irradiation event occurs when the radiation irradiation conditions are changed, or when the imaging region of the subject is changed.

[0018] The medical image storage device 20 stores and manages the image data of the radiation images generated by the examination device 10 and the dose information included in the RDSR for each patient and each examination. For example, a PACS or the like can be used as the medical image storage device 20. PACS is an abbreviation for Picture Archiving and Communication System.

[0019] [Configuration example of dose management device 30] The dose management device 30 is configured by a computer and manages patient dose information when capturing a radiological image. Fig. 3 is a block diagram of the dose management device 30 according to this embodiment. The dose management device 30 includes a control unit 31, a storage unit 32, and a communication unit 33. The control unit 31, the storage unit 32, and the communication unit 33 are connected to each other via wiring such as a bus 34.

[0020] The control unit 31 includes a processor such as a CPU and a memory such as a RAM. CPU is an abbreviation for Central Processing Unit. RAM is an abbreviation for Random Access Memory. The control unit 31 comprehensively controls the processing operations of each unit of the dose management device 30. Specifically, the CPU executes a program P (described later) stored in the memory unit 32 to perform processing related to dose management, etc.

[0021] In this embodiment, the control unit 31 functions as an acquisition unit, an identification unit, a calculation unit, a determination unit, and an output unit. A processor such as a CPU of the control unit 31 executes a program P stored in the storage unit 32, for example, to realize various functions such as the acquisition unit, identification unit, calculation unit, determination unit, and output unit. The acquisition unit acquires the EIt value included in the dose information transmitted from the examination apparatus 10. The identification unit identifies the imaging region associated with the EIt value acquired by the acquisition unit, for example, by referring to Table T. The identification unit further identifies the subject thickness associated with the identified imaging region by referring to Table T, and acquires the identified subject thickness. The calculation unit calculates the incident surface dose, which is the radiation exposure dose, using the subject thickness identified by the identification unit and the dose information included in the RDSR. The determination unit determines whether the incident surface dose calculated by the calculation unit is appropriate based on a comparison result between the incident surface dose calculated by the calculation unit and a preset reference value for the incident surface dose of the corresponding imaging region.

[0022] The output unit outputs the determination information determined by the determination unit to, for example, the client terminal 40. For example, if the calculated incident surface dose exceeds a reference value, the output unit outputs determination information indicating that the radiation dose is inappropriate. If the calculated incident surface dose is equal to or less than the reference value, the output unit outputs determination information indicating that the radiation dose is appropriate. If there are two or more imaging regions that can be linked to the EIt value acquired by the acquisition unit, the output unit outputs the two or more imaging regions to, for example, the screen of the display unit 42 of the client terminal 40. If a specific imaging region is selected on the screen of the display unit, the calculation unit calculates the incident surface dose based on the selected imaging region.

[0023] The storage unit 32 includes at least one arbitrary storage module selected from, for example, HDD, SSD, ROM, RAM, etc. HDD is an abbreviation for Hard Disk Drive. SSD is an abbreviation for Solid State Drive. ROM is an abbreviation for Read Only Memory. The storage unit 32 stores a program P for executing dose management, various data, etc. The storage unit 32 stores a table T for identifying the imaging region associated with the EIt value obtained from the examination device 10. Table T will be described later.

[0024] The communication unit 33 is configured with a network interface, etc. The communication unit 33 transmits and receives data and signals to and from external devices such as the examination device 10 and the client terminal 40 connected via the network N. For example, the communication unit 33 receives an RDSR including image data of a radiographic image obtained by capturing an image of a patient and dose information at the time of capturing the image, transmitted from the examination device 10.

[0025] 3 does not include a display unit or an operation unit, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the dose management device 30 may include a display unit and an operation unit. In this case, the display unit and the operation unit of the dose management device 30 may be used to create the table T, or the display unit may display the determination result of whether the patient's radiation dose during the examination is appropriate.

[0026] [Configuration example of client terminal 40] The client terminal 40 is configured, for example, by a personal computer or the like. The client terminal 40 is used by a user, such as a doctor or radiologist, and displays radiographic images and dose information related to an examination in response to a viewing request from the user. FIG. 4 is a block diagram of the client terminal 40 according to this embodiment. The client terminal 40 includes a control unit 41, a display unit 42, an operation unit 43, a communication unit 44, and a storage unit 45. The control unit 41, the display unit 42, the operation unit 43, the communication unit 44, and the storage unit 45 are connected to one another by wiring such as a bus 46.

[0027] The control unit 41 has a processor such as a CPU, RAM, etc. The control unit 41 comprehensively controls the processing operations of each unit of the client terminal 40. Specifically, the CPU reads out various processing programs stored in the ROM, loads them into the RAM, and performs various processes in cooperation with the programs.

[0028] The display unit 42 has a display such as an LCD or organic EL. LCD is an abbreviation for Liquid Crystal Display. EL is an abbreviation for Electro Luminescence. The display unit 42 displays various screens according to instructions of display signals supplied from the control unit 41. The operation unit 43 has a keyboard including various function keys, a pointing device such as a mouse, etc. The operation unit 43 receives instructions such as key operations and mouse operations by the user, and outputs operation signals according to the received instructions to the control unit 41. The operation unit 43 may be a touch panel combined with the display unit 42.

[0029] The communication unit 44 is configured by a network interface or the like. The communication unit 44 transmits and receives data, signals, and the like to and from external devices such as the dose management device 30 via the network N. The storage unit 45 includes any storage module such as an HDD, SSD, ROM, RAM, or the like. Various types of data are stored in the storage unit 45.

[0030] [Procedure for linking EIt values ​​with imaging areas] 5 is a flowchart showing an example of a processing flow for linking the EIt value with the imaging region, linking the imaging region with the subject thickness, and linking the reference value of the incident surface dose to the imaging region according to this embodiment. The linking of the EIt value with the imaging region and the like is performed by a user such as a radiologist before the start of an actual examination. The following describes a case where the linking operations are performed using, for example, the client terminal 40.

[0031] The user sets the imaging region corresponding to the EIt value (step S10). FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a first setting screen 100 for setting the imaging region corresponding to the EIt value, which is displayed on the display unit 42 of the client terminal 40 according to this embodiment. For example, when the user selects an operation button or the like for performing a linking operation, the control unit 31 causes the display unit 42 to display the first setting screen 100. On the left side of the first setting screen 100, an EIt value display unit 110 for displaying a list of EIt values ​​is provided. As shown in FIG. 6, the EIt values ​​are, for example, "48," "337," "276," etc.

[0032] A selection unit 120 for selecting an imaging region corresponding to an EIt value is provided on the right side of the first setting screen 100. A list of imaging regions is displayed on the selection unit 120. For example, the user can set an imaging region corresponding to an EIt value by selecting the imaging region corresponding to the EIt value on the selection unit 120. The control unit 31 associates the EIt value selected on the EIt value display unit 110 with the imaging region selected on the selection unit 120 and stores the associated values ​​in the storage unit 32. For example, if an EIt value of "48" is selected on the EIt value display unit 110 of the first setting screen 100, the user selects "chest" on the selection unit 120. The control unit 31 associates "48" selected on the EIt value display unit 110 with "chest" set on the selection unit 120 and stores the associated values ​​in the storage unit 32. The user can also associate other EIt values ​​with corresponding imaging regions. The control unit 31 of the dose management device 30 may acquire data such as the correspondence table shown in FIG. 2, and automatically perform the task of linking the EIt value with the imaging region based on the acquired data.

[0033] The user sets the subject thickness corresponding to the set imaging region (step S11). FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of a second setting screen 200 for setting the subject thickness corresponding to the imaging region, which is displayed on the display unit 42 of the client terminal 40 according to this embodiment. For example, when the setting on the first setting screen 100 is completed, the second setting screen 200 is displayed on the display unit 42 of the client terminal 40. The second setting screen 200 is provided with a setting unit 210 for setting body thickness information. The user can input body thickness information corresponding to the imaging region set on the first setting screen 100 in the setting unit 210 by operating the operation unit 43.

[0034] The body thickness information includes, for example, the FFD (Focus Film Distance), the FSD (Focus Surface Distance), and the subject thickness. The FFD is the distance between the radiation source and the radiation detector constituting the examination apparatus 10. The FSD is the distance between the radiation source and the body surface of the subject constituting the examination apparatus 10. The subject thickness is the value obtained by subtracting the FSD from the FFD. The control unit 31 may automatically calculate the subject thickness when the FFD and FSD are input. The user may obtain information regarding the FFD and the like in advance, for example, from the positional relationship between the radiation source and the radiation detector placed in the radiography room. The control unit 31 obtains the subject thickness corresponding to the radiographed region based on the body thickness information, such as the FFD and FSD, set by the user in the setting unit 210. For example, if the radiographed region is the "chest," the FFD is "120," and the FSD is "97.98," the control unit 31 obtains "22.02" as the subject thickness of the chest. The control unit 31 also calculates the subject thickness for other radiographed regions based on the input operation of the FFD and the like.

[0035] The control unit 31 sets a reference value of the incident surface dose corresponding to the imaging region, associates the set reference value of the incident surface dose with the imaging region, and stores the set reference value of the incident surface dose in the storage unit 32 (step S12). The reference value of the incident surface dose is a radiation dose that serves as a guideline for an examination set, for example, in a DRL (Diagnostic Reference Level), and is used to determine whether the patient's exposure dose during the examination is appropriate. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of a third setting screen 300 for setting a reference value of the incident surface dose corresponding to the imaging region, which is displayed on the display unit 42 of the client terminal 40 according to this embodiment. For example, after completing the setting on the second setting screen 200, the third setting screen 300 is displayed on the display unit 42 of the client terminal 40. On the third setting screen 300, the user can input, in the reference value setting unit 320, a reference value of the incident surface dose for the imaging region selected in the common protocol item 310.

[0036] The control unit 31 sets the numerical value input on the third setting screen 300 as the reference value of the entrance surface dose. The control unit 31 associates the set reference value of the entrance surface dose with the imaging region set in step S10 and stores them in the storage unit 32. Specifically, when the acquired imaging region is the "front chest," the control unit 31 associates the reference value of the entrance surface dose of "0.4" for the dose information of the "front chest" with the corresponding imaging region, "front chest," and stores them in the storage unit 32. Similarly, the control unit 31 sets corresponding reference values ​​of the entrance surface dose for other imaging regions, and associates the set reference value of the entrance surface dose with each imaging region and stores them in the storage unit 32.

[0037] In this case, the control unit 31 may create a table T that associates the EIt value with the imaging region, the subject thickness, and the reference value of the entrance surface dose. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of the table T according to this embodiment. For example, the table T stores an EIt value of "48," an imaging region of "front chest," a subject thickness of "22.02," and a reference value of the entrance surface dose of "0.4," all of which are associated with each other. The contents of the table T can be updated at any time. When determining whether the radiation exposure dose in an examination is appropriate, the control unit 31 refers to the table T, identifies the corresponding imaging region from the EIt value, and identifies the corresponding subject thickness from the identified imaging region. Furthermore, the control unit 31 reads from the table T a reference value corresponding to the entrance surface dose calculated from the identified subject thickness, and compares the entrance surface dose with the reference value.

[0038] [Example of operation of Medical Information Management System 1] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the dose management device 30 according to this embodiment when determining whether the radiation dose of a patient is appropriate. A processor such as a CPU of the control unit 31 executes a program P stored in the storage unit 32, thereby realizing each process including an acquisition step, a specification step, a calculation step, etc.

[0039] When imaging of a predetermined imaging region is completed, an RDSR including dose information related to the examination is transmitted from the examination apparatus 10 to the dose management apparatus 30. The communication unit 33 of the dose management apparatus 30 receives the RDSR from the examination apparatus 10. The control unit 31 acquires the EIt value included in the received RDSR (step S20). For example, if the imaging region during the actual examination is the "front chest," the numerical value "48" associated with the "front chest" is transmitted from the examination apparatus 10 to the dose management apparatus 30 as the EIt value. As described above, the RDSR includes information regarding the tube voltage, tube current, radiation exposure time, etc. in addition to the EIt value.

[0040] The control unit 31 determines whether or not the imaging region associated with the acquired EIt value and the subject thickness associated with this imaging region are present in table T (step S21). If the control unit 31 determines that the imaging region associated with the acquired EIt value is present in table T and that the subject thickness associated with the imaging region is present in table T, the control unit 31 proceeds to step S22. In this case, the control unit 31 identifies the imaging region associated with the EIt value using table T, and obtains the subject thickness associated with the identified imaging region using table T.

[0041] The control unit 31 calculates the incident surface dose, which indicates the radiation dose to which the patient will be exposed during the examination, using the subject thickness acquired from the table T and the tube current and tube voltage included in the received RDSR (step S22). The incident surface dose can be calculated based on the following formula (1). The incident surface dose is also called the patient's skin surface absorbed dose. Entrance surface dose (mGy) = NDD-M(f) × mAs × (1 / SSD) 2 …(1) NDD-M(f): Coefficient based on tube voltage and total filtration (inverter) mAs: tube current x exposure (photography) time SSD: Focal skin distance (m)

[0042] The control unit 31 determines whether or not a reference value to be compared with the calculated entrance surface dose of the imaging region exists in table T (step S23). If the control unit 31 determines that a reference value corresponding to the calculated entrance surface dose of the imaging region exists in table T, the process proceeds to step S24. In this case, the control unit 31 acquires the reference value corresponding to the calculated entrance surface dose of the imaging region from table T. Note that the process of acquiring the reference value in step S23 may be performed before the process of calculating the entrance surface dose in step S22.

[0043] The control unit 31 compares the calculated incident surface dose, which indicates the radiation dose of the patient during the examination, with the reference value of the incident surface dose acquired from the table T, and determines whether the incident surface dose, which indicates the radiation dose, is appropriate based on the comparison result (step S24). That is, the control unit 31 determines whether the incident surface dose, which indicates the radiation dose of the patient, is equal to or less than the reference value. For example, if the calculated incident surface dose exceeds the reference value, the control unit 31 generates determination information indicating that the radiation dose is inappropriate. If the calculated incident surface dose is equal to or less than the reference value, the control unit 31 generates determination information indicating that the radiation dose is appropriate.

[0044] The control unit 31 outputs each dose information included in the RDSR and the generated judgment information to the client terminal 40 (step S25). The communication unit 44 of the client terminal 40 receives the RDSR, the judgment information, etc. The control unit 41 displays the RDSR, the judgment information, etc. on the screen of the display unit 42. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of an examination information output screen 400 displayed on the display unit 42 of the client terminal 40 according to this embodiment. The examination information output screen 400 displays various dose information, the imaging region identified from the EIt value, and a judgment result indicating whether the patient's radiation exposure dose is appropriate. For example, if the imaging region identified from the EIt value is "chest," the word "chest" is displayed in the imaging protocol item 410 on the examination information output screen 400. If the calculated entrance surface dose, which indicates the patient's radiation exposure dose during the examination, is equal to or less than the reference value, the word "OK" is displayed in the judgment item 420 on the examination information output screen 400.

[0045] On the other hand, in step S21, if the control unit 31 determines that the imaging region, etc. associated with the acquired EIt value does not exist in table T, the process proceeds to step S26. Similarly, in step S23, if the control unit 31 determines that the reference value corresponding to the calculated entrance surface dose of the imaging region does not exist in table T, the process proceeds to step S26.

[0046] The control unit 31 outputs the dose information included in the RDSR received from the examination device 10 (step S26). For example, the display unit 42 of the client terminal 40 displays the irradiation time, tube voltage, tube current, etc. on the examination information output screen 400 based on the RDSR received from the dose management device 30. In this case, the examination information output screen 400 does not display the entrance surface dose indicating the patient's exposure dose, the determination result indicating whether the entrance surface dose is equal to or less than the reference value, etc.

[0047] [When there are multiple imaging area candidates linked to the EIt value] In this embodiment, as described above, the imaging site associated with the EIt value obtained from the RDSR is identified, and the incident surface dose is calculated based on the identified imaging site. However, depending on the EIt value, there may be multiple candidate imaging sites associated with the EIt value. In this case, the control unit 31 identifies the imaging site associated with the EIt value from among the multiple imaging sites based on conditions such as default settings and imaging frequency. However, the identified imaging site may differ from the imaging site actually used during imaging. In this case, the incident surface dose is calculated based on an imaging site different from the imaging site actually used during imaging, which may prevent appropriate radiation management for the patient. Therefore, in this embodiment, if the imaging site associated with the EIt value is incorrectly identified, the user manually inputs the correct imaging site, and the dose management device 30 recalculates the incident surface dose based on the correct imaging site.

[0048] FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of a reset screen 500 for resetting the imaging region displayed on the display unit 42 of the client terminal 40 according to this embodiment. When there are multiple candidates for the imaging region associated with the EIt value acquired from the RDSR, the control unit 31 causes the reset screen 500 to be displayed on the display unit 42 of the client terminal 40. For example, the imaging protocol item 510 on the reset screen 500 displays "chest" as the first identified imaging region. Clicking the imaging protocol item 510 displays a drop-down list, displaying "abdomen" as another candidate imaging region associated with the EIt value. In other words, when there are multiple candidates for the imaging region associated with the EIt value, multiple imaging regions are displayed in the imaging protocol item 510. In this embodiment, it is assumed that "chest" is initially identified as the imaging region associated with the EIt value, and the entrance surface dose for the "chest" is calculated.

[0049] If the imaging site during actual imaging is "abdomen," the user operates the operation unit 43 to select "abdomen" from the drop-down list displayed below "chest" in the imaging protocol item 510. The control unit 41 of the client terminal 40 generates change information according to the user's selection and outputs the generated change information to the dose management device 30. The control unit 31 of the dose management device 30 acquires the change information regarding the imaging site from the client terminal 40, and calculates the entrance surface dose based on the acquired change information for "abdomen." In other words, the control unit 31 recalculates the entrance surface dose.

[0050] 13 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the dose management device 30 according to this embodiment when re-determining whether the radiation dose of a patient is appropriate. A processor such as a CPU of the control unit 31 executes a program P stored in the storage unit 32, thereby realizing each process including an acquisition step, a specification step, a calculation step, etc.

[0051] The control unit 31 determines whether or not change information for changing the imaging region linked to the EIt value has been received from the client terminal 40 (step S30). If the control unit 31 determines that change information for changing the imaging region has been received, the process proceeds to step S31. On the other hand, if the control unit 31 determines that change information for changing the imaging region has not been received, the control unit 31 continues to check the input of change information, etc. in step S30.

[0052] Based on the received change information regarding the imaging region, the control unit 31 determines whether or not the subject thickness associated with the acquired changed imaging region exists in the table T (step S31). If the control unit 31 determines that the subject thickness associated with the changed imaging region exists in the table T, the process proceeds to step S32.

[0053] The control unit 31 calculates the incident surface dose, which indicates the radiation dose to which the patient will be exposed during the examination, using the subject thickness acquired from the table T and the tube current and tube voltage included in the RDSR received from the examination apparatus 10 (step S32). The incident surface dose can be calculated based on the above formula (1).

[0054] The control unit 31 determines whether or not a reference value corresponding to the calculated incident surface dose of the imaging region exists in the table T (step S33). If the control unit 31 determines that a reference value corresponding to the calculated incident surface dose of the imaging region exists in the table T, the process proceeds to step S34.

[0055] The control unit 31 compares the calculated incident surface dose, which indicates the radiation dose of the patient during the examination, with a reference value of the incident surface dose acquired from the table T, and determines whether the incident surface dose, which indicates the radiation dose, is appropriate based on the comparison result (step S34). For example, if the calculated incident surface dose exceeds the reference value, the control unit 31 generates determination information indicating that the radiation dose is inappropriate. If the calculated incident surface dose is equal to or less than the reference value, the control unit 31 generates determination information indicating that the radiation dose is appropriate.

[0056] The control unit 31 outputs various information included in the RDSR and the generated judgment information to the client terminal 40. The communication unit 44 of the client terminal 40 receives the RDSR, the judgment information, etc. The control unit 41 displays the RDSR, the judgment information, etc. received by the communication unit 44 on the screen of the display unit 42 (step S35).

[0057] On the other hand, in step S31, if the control unit 31 determines that the subject thickness associated with the acquired imaging region does not exist in table T, the process proceeds to step S36. Similarly, in step S33, if the control unit 31 determines that the reference value corresponding to the calculated incident surface dose of the imaging region does not exist in table T, the process proceeds to step S36.

[0058] The control unit 31 outputs the dose information included in the RDSR received from the examination device 10 (step S36). For example, the display unit 42 of the client terminal 40 displays dose information such as the irradiation time, tube voltage, and tube current on the examination information output screen 400 based on the information received from the dose management device 30.

[0059] According to this embodiment, even if information about the imaging region is not directly input into the RDSR transmitted from the inspection apparatus 10, information about the imaging region can be obtained from the EIt value included in the RDSR. That is, the imaging region can be obtained by using the EIt value information that is essential to be included in the RDSR. This makes it possible to obtain information about the subject thickness based on the acquired imaging region, and to calculate the incident surface dose, which is the radiation dose, based on the acquired subject thickness. As a result, by comparing the calculated incident surface dose with a reference value, it is possible to determine whether the radiation dose is appropriate even if information about the imaging region is not directly input into the RDSR.

[0060] Here, the DICOM image file can be used to identify the radiographed region. However, this poses a problem in that additional memory capacity is required to store the DICOM image. In contrast, according to this embodiment, the radiographed region can be identified based on the EIt value that is essential to the RDSR, so there is no need to use a DICOM image. This prevents an increase in memory capacity in the dose management device 30, thereby suppressing cost increases.

[0061] Although the preferred embodiments of the present disclosure have been described in detail above with reference to the accompanying drawings, the technical scope of the present disclosure is not limited to such examples. A person skilled in the art of the present disclosure would understand that various modifications and improvements made within the scope of the technical ideas set forth in the claims would naturally fall within the technical scope of the present disclosure.

[0062] The steps in the dose management method of the above-described embodiment do not necessarily have to be processed in the order described. For example, the steps may be processed in a different order as appropriate. Furthermore, instead of being processed in chronological order, the steps may be partially processed in parallel or individually. Furthermore, the processing of each step does not necessarily have to be processed in the manner described; for example, the steps may be processed in a different manner by another functional unit. [Explanation of symbols]

[0063] 30 Dose control device 31 control unit (acquisition unit, identification unit, calculation unit, determination unit, output unit) 40 client terminals 42 Display section 43 Operation section

Claims

1. A dose management device that manages dose information of radiation irradiated to a subject, an acquisition unit that acquires an EIt value included in the dose information; an identification unit that identifies an imaging region associated with the EIt value acquired by the acquisition unit and identifies a subject thickness associated with the identified imaging region; a calculation unit that calculates an incident surface dose, which is an exposure dose, using the subject thickness identified by the identification unit; A dose management device comprising:

2. a determination unit that determines whether the incident surface dose is appropriate based on a comparison result between a preset reference value of the incident surface dose of the imaging region and the incident surface dose calculated by the calculation unit, The dose management device according to claim 1 .

3. an output unit that outputs determination information determined by the determination unit; The radiation dose management device according to claim 2 .

4. a storage unit that stores an imaging region corresponding to an EIt value, a subject thickness corresponding to the imaging region, and a reference value of an incident surface dose calculated based on the subject thickness, in association with each other; The dose management device according to claim 1 .

5. When there are two or more imaging regions that can be linked to the EIt value acquired by the acquisition unit, the output unit outputs the two or more imaging regions on a screen of a display unit. The radiation dose management device according to claim 3 .

6. when a predetermined imaging region is selected on the screen of the display unit, the calculation unit calculates an incident surface dose based on the selected imaging region. The radiation dose management device according to claim 5 .

7. a computer that is a dose management device that manages dose information of radiation irradiated to a subject; an acquisition unit that acquires an EIt value included in the dose information; an identification unit that identifies an imaging region associated with the EIt value acquired by the acquisition unit and identifies a subject thickness associated with the identified imaging region; a calculation unit that calculates an incident surface dose, which is an exposure dose, using the subject thickness identified by the identification unit; A program to function as a

8. The computer a determination unit that determines whether the incident surface dose calculated by the calculation unit is appropriate based on a comparison result between a preset reference value of the incident surface dose of the imaging region and the incident surface dose calculated by the calculation unit; The program according to claim 7, which causes the program to function as follows:

9. The computer an output unit that outputs determination information determined by the determination unit; The program according to claim 8, which causes the program to function as follows:

10. When there are two or more imaging regions that can be linked to the EIt value acquired by the acquisition unit, the output unit outputs the two or more imaging regions on a screen of a display unit. The program according to claim 9.

11. when a predetermined imaging region is selected on the screen of the display unit, the calculation unit calculates an incident surface dose based on the selected imaging region. The program according to claim 10.

12. A dose management system that manages dose information of radiation irradiated to a subject, the dose information being transmitted from an examination device, an acquisition unit that acquires an EIt value included in the dose information; an identification unit that identifies an imaging region associated with the EIt value acquired by the acquisition unit and identifies a subject thickness associated with the identified imaging region; a calculation unit that calculates an incident surface dose, which is an exposure dose, using the subject thickness identified by the identification unit; A dose management system comprising:

13. A dose management method for managing dose information of radiation irradiated to a subject, comprising: an acquisition step of acquiring an EIt value included in the dose information; a specifying step of specifying an imaging region associated with the acquired EIt value and specifying a subject thickness associated with the specified imaging region; a calculation step of calculating an incident surface dose, which is an exposure dose, using the identified subject thickness; A dose management method comprising:

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