ULTRASONIC DIAGNOSTIC SYSTEM, ULTRASONIC DIAGNOSTIC APPARATUS, ULTRASONIC DIAGNOSTIC METHOD, AND PROGRAM

Abstract

The ultrasound diagnostic device (100) is connected to an ultrasound probe (50) that transmits ultrasound to a subject and generates a probe signal based on a reflected wave from the subject, the ultrasound diagnostic device (100) comprising: an ultrasound image generating unit (120) that generates an ultrasound image based on the probe signal received from the ultrasound probe (50); a storage unit (190) that stores a plurality of trained models (194) used for diagnostic processing of the subject; a diagnostic processing unit (130) that executes the diagnostic processing using one of the plurality of trained models (194) based on the ultrasound image; a communication unit (110) that transmits the ultrasound image to another ultrasound diagnostic device (200); and a determination unit (140) that determines whether the diagnostic processing is to be executed by the ultrasound diagnostic device (100) or the other ultrasound diagnostic device (200) depending on a degree of confidentiality of a diagnostic result obtained by the diagnostic processing.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an ultrasound diagnostic system, an ultrasound diagnostic apparatus, an ultrasound diagnostic method, and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] Previously, systems that used AI (Artificial Intelligence) to automate patient diagnoses For example, Patent Document 1 proposes a medical information processing system that estimates the disease or symptoms of a person to be diagnosed by inputting medical examination data of the person to be diagnosed into a trained model of an AI (Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2023-33182 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, when a plurality of diagnostic processes are executed in parallel by a plurality of diagnostic devices, the conventional medical information processing system may not be able to appropriately allocate the plurality of diagnostic processes.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and one of its objects is to provide an ultrasound diagnostic system, an ultrasound diagnostic apparatus, an ultrasound diagnostic method, and a program that can appropriately allocate multiple diagnostic processes. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] One aspect of the present invention is an ultrasound diagnostic system including an ultrasound probe that transmits ultrasound to a subject and generates a probe signal based on a reflected wave from the subject, a first ultrasound diagnostic device connected to the ultrasound probe, and a second ultrasound diagnostic device capable of communicating with the first ultrasound diagnostic device via a network, the first ultrasound diagnostic device including an ultrasound image generating unit that generates an ultrasound image based on the probe signal received from the ultrasound probe, a first storage unit that stores a plurality of trained models used in diagnostic processing of the subject, and a first diagnostic processor that executes the diagnostic processing using one of the plurality of trained models based on the ultrasound image. and a first communication unit that transmits the ultrasound image to the second ultrasound diagnostic device, the second ultrasound diagnostic device comprising a second communication unit that receives the ultrasound image from the first ultrasound diagnostic device, a second storage unit that stores a plurality of trained models used for diagnostic processing of the subject, and a second diagnostic processing unit that executes the diagnostic processing using one of the plurality of trained models based on the ultrasound image, and the first ultrasound diagnostic device further comprising a determination unit that determines whether the diagnostic processing is to be executed by the first ultrasound diagnostic device or the second ultrasound diagnostic device depending on a degree of confidentiality of a diagnostic result obtained by the diagnostic processing. Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to one aspect of the present invention, it is possible to provide an ultrasound diagnostic system, an ultrasound diagnostic apparatus, an ultrasound diagnostic method, and a program capable of appropriately allocating a plurality of diagnostic processes. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 illustrates an example of an ultrasound diagnostic system 10. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a first ultrasonic diagnostic device 100. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a second ultrasonic diagnostic device 200. [Figure 4]1 is a diagram showing an example of the flow of diagnostic processing by the first ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 100. FIG. [Diagram 5] 10 is a diagram showing an example of the flow of diagnostic processing by the second ultrasonic diagnostic device 200. FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a first example of a judgment table 192. [Figure 7] 13 is a flowchart showing an example of a first determination process executed by a determination unit 140. [Figure 8] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a second example of the judgment table 192. [Figure 9] 13 is a flowchart showing an example of a second determination process executed by a determination unit 140. [Figure 10] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a third example of the judgment table 192. [Figure 11] 13 is a flowchart showing an example of a third determination process executed by a determination unit 140. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments of an ultrasound diagnostic system, an ultrasound diagnostic apparatus, an ultrasound diagnostic method, and a program according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0010] [Ultrasound diagnostic system] 1 is a diagram showing an example of an ultrasound diagnostic system 10. The ultrasound diagnostic system 10 includes an ultrasound probe 50, a first ultrasound diagnostic device 100, and a second ultrasound diagnostic device 200. The ultrasound probe 50 is communicatively connected to the first ultrasound diagnostic device 100 via a network NW. The first ultrasound diagnostic device 100 is communicatively connected to the second ultrasound diagnostic device 200 via a network NW. The network NW includes, for example, the Internet, a LAN (Local Area Network), a wireless base station, a provider device, and the like.

[0011] The ultrasonic probe 50 is a device used for ultrasonic (echo) examination. The ultrasonic probe 50 is, for example, a one-dimensional array linear probe in which a plurality of ultrasonic transducers are arranged along a predetermined direction. The ultrasonic probe 50 performs an ultrasonic scan of a scan region in a living body P, which is a subject, under the control of the first ultrasonic diagnostic device 100. In the ultrasonic scan, the ultrasonic probe 50 transmits ultrasonic waves to the living body P and generates a probe signal based on the reflected wave from the subject. The ultrasonic probe 50 transmits the generated probe signal to the first ultrasonic diagnostic device 100.

[0012] The first ultrasonic diagnostic device 100 is, for example, a portable computer such as a smartphone or a tablet terminal, but may also be a notebook computer or a desktop computer. The first ultrasonic diagnostic device 100 is a computer provided at the end (edge) of a network. The first ultrasonic diagnostic device 100 is used, for example, by a doctor in a hospital. The first ultrasonic diagnostic device 100 generates an ultrasonic image (echo image) based on a probe signal received from an ultrasonic probe 50. The ultrasonic image may be a still image or a video. The first ultrasonic diagnostic device 100 also performs diagnostic processing using AI (Artificial Intelligence) based on the ultrasonic image. The diagnostic processing is carried out to determine the state of a living body P. This is a process for diagnosing the presence or absence of a condition or disease.

[0013] The second ultrasonic diagnostic device 200 is a server computer with higher specifications than the first ultrasonic diagnostic device 100. The second ultrasonic diagnostic device 200 performs diagnostic processing using AI in response to a request from the first ultrasonic diagnostic device 100. In the example shown in FIG. 1, one first ultrasonic diagnostic device 100 is connected to the second ultrasonic diagnostic device 200 for the sake of simplicity of explanation, but a plurality of first ultrasonic diagnostic devices 100 may be connected to the second ultrasonic diagnostic device 200.

[0014] [First Ultrasound Diagnostic Device] 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the first ultrasonic diagnostic device 100. The first ultrasonic diagnostic device 100 includes, for example, a first communication unit 110, an ultrasonic image generating unit 120, a first diagnostic processing unit 130, a judgment unit 140, a decision unit 150, a download unit 160, an input unit 170, a display unit 180, and a first storage unit 190.

[0015] The first communication unit 110 includes a communication module for communicating with the second ultrasonic diagnostic device 200 via the network NW. The first communication unit 110 also includes a communication interface for communicating with the ultrasonic probe 50 via a wire. The first communication unit 110 may also include a communication module for communicating with the ultrasonic probe 50 wirelessly.

[0016] The ultrasound image generating unit 120, the first diagnosis processing unit 130, the judging unit 140, the deciding unit 150, and the downloading unit 160 are implemented by hardware such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), for example. These components are implemented by a hardware processor running a program (software). Some or all of these components are implemented using LSI (Large Scale Integration) or ASIC. The program may be realized by hardware such as an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA), or a Graphics Processing Unit (GPU), or may be realized by a combination of software and hardware. The program may be stored in advance in a storage device (non-transient storage medium) such as a Hard Disk Drive (HDD) or a flash memory. The program may be stored in a storage device having a removable storage medium (a non-transitory storage medium) such as a DVD or CD-ROM, and may be installed in the storage device by inserting the storage medium into a drive device.

[0017] The input unit 170 and the display unit 180 are realized by, for example, a touch panel display. Note that the configuration of the input unit 170 and the display unit 180 is not limited to this. For example, the input unit 170 may include a keyboard and a mouse, and the display unit 180 may be a display device such as a CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) display, a liquid crystal display, or an organic EL (Electro-Luminescence) display.

[0018] The first storage unit 190 is a HDD, a flash memory, a RAM (Random Access Memory), or the like. The first storage unit 190 may be a NAS (Network Attached Storage) device accessible by the first ultrasound diagnostic device 100 via the network NW. The first storage unit 190 stores information such as a judgment table 192 and the first trained model 194-1 to the N-th trained model 194-N, where N is a natural number of 2 or more. Each of the first trained model 194-1 to the N-th trained model 194-N is a model generated in advance by machine learning teacher data, and is information used when the diagnostic process is executed.

[0019] [Second ultrasound diagnostic device] 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the second ultrasonic diagnostic device 200. The second ultrasonic diagnostic device 200 includes, for example, a second communication section 210, a second diagnostic processing section 230, and a second storage section 290.

[0020] The second communication unit 210 is a communication interface for communicating with the first ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 100 via the network NW. The second communication unit 210 is, for example, a network interface card.

[0021] The second diagnostic processing unit 230 is realized, for example, by a hardware processor such as a CPU executing a program (software). Some or all of these components may be realized by hardware such as an LSI, ASIC, FPGA, or GPU, or may be realized by a combination of software and hardware. The program may be stored in advance in a storage device such as an HDD or flash memory (a storage device having a non-transient storage medium), or may be stored in a removable storage medium (non-transient storage medium) such as a DVD or CD-ROM, and installed in the storage device by mounting the storage medium in a drive device.

[0022] The second storage unit 290 is a HDD, a flash memory, a RAM, or the like. The second storage unit 290 may be a NAS device accessible by the second ultrasonic diagnostic device 200 via the network NW. Information such as the first trained model 294-1 to the N-th trained model 294-N is stored in the second storage unit 290. The first trained model 294-1 to the N-th trained model 294-N stored in the second storage unit 290 are the same models as the first trained model 194-1 to the N-th trained model 194-N stored in the first storage unit 190.

[0023] The first ultrasonic diagnostic device 100 and the second ultrasonic diagnostic device 200 each have a function of performing diagnostic processing based on an ultrasonic image (echo image). The diagnostic results obtained by the diagnostic processing include low confidentiality information such as pulse rate and blood flow rate, and highly confidential information such as cancer diagnosis results. In particular, information related to a person's life and death is highly confidential information that patients do not want others to know. Since the second ultrasonic diagnostic device 200 is a server-side computer, it has a faster processing speed than the first ultrasonic diagnostic device 100, which is an edge-side computer. However, when performing diagnostic processing with the second ultrasonic diagnostic device 200, it is necessary to exchange information via a network NW including the Internet, so there is a possibility that information may leak. Therefore, when the diagnostic result includes highly confidential information, it is not preferable to perform diagnostic processing on the second ultrasonic diagnostic device 200 side. Therefore, the ultrasonic diagnostic system of this embodiment is designed to appropriately determine whether the diagnostic processing is to be performed by the first ultrasonic diagnostic device 100 or the second ultrasonic diagnostic device 200. Below, the diagnostic processing by the first ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus and the diagnostic processing by the second ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus will be described, and then the determination processing for determining whether the diagnostic processing will be performed by the first ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 100 or the second ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 200 will be described.

[0024] [Diagnosis processing by the first ultrasonic diagnostic device] Fig. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the flow of diagnostic processing by the first ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 100. The example shown in Fig. 4 shows the flow of processing when the determination unit 140 determines that the first ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 100 should execute diagnostic processing.

[0025] First, the ultrasonic probe 50 transmits ultrasonic waves to a living body P that is a subject, and generates a probe signal based on the reflected wave from the living body P. Thereafter, the ultrasonic probe 50 transmits the probe signal to the first ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 100.

[0026] The ultrasound image generating unit 120 of the first ultrasound diagnostic device 100 generates an ultrasound image (echo image) based on a probe signal received from the ultrasound probe 50. For example, the ultrasound image generating unit 120 generates a two-dimensional ultrasound image composed of pixels by performing coordinate transformation according to the ultrasound scanning form of the ultrasound probe 50. The ultrasound image generating unit 120 outputs the generated ultrasound image to the determination unit 140.

[0027] On the other hand, the determination unit 150 determines the diagnostic processing to be executed. For example, a doctor examining the living body P may input the contents of the diagnostic processing using the input unit 170, and the determination unit 150 may determine the diagnostic processing to be executed based on the contents input by the doctor. For example, the display unit 180 may display a selection of multiple diagnostic processing, and the doctor may select the diagnostic processing to be executed using the input unit 170. The determination unit 150 outputs a diagnostic ID corresponding to the determined diagnostic processing to the judgment unit 140. The diagnostic ID is identification information for identifying the diagnostic processing.

[0028] Next, the determination unit 140 determines whether the diagnostic process is to be performed by the first ultrasonic diagnostic device 100 or the second ultrasonic diagnostic device 200, depending on the degree of confidentiality of the diagnostic result obtained by the diagnostic process. For example, the determination unit 140 may determine whether the diagnostic process is to be performed by the first ultrasonic diagnostic device 100 or the second ultrasonic diagnostic device 200, based on a determination table 192 stored in the first storage unit 190. The contents of the determination table 192 and the specific contents of the determination process by the determination unit 140 will be described later. When the determination unit 140 determines that the diagnostic process is to be performed by the first ultrasonic diagnostic device 100, the determination unit 140 outputs the ultrasound image (echo image) generated by the ultrasound image generation unit 120 and a diagnosis ID for identifying the diagnostic process determined by the determination unit 150 to the first diagnostic processing unit 130.

[0029] Next, the first diagnostic processing unit 130 executes a diagnostic process using any one of the first trained model 194-1 to the N-th trained model 194-N based on the ultrasound image (echo image). For example, the first diagnostic processing unit 130 reads out from the first storage unit 190 a trained model corresponding to the diagnostic ID output from the decision unit 150, and inputs the ultrasound image into the read trained model, thereby obtaining a diagnostic result. As a specific example, when the ultrasound image is an image of the heart of the living body P, and the diagnostic ID output from the decision unit 150 indicates a diagnostic process for valvular disease, the first diagnostic processing unit 130 reads out from the first storage unit 190 a trained model corresponding to the diagnostic process for valvular disease, and inputs the ultrasound image into the read trained model, thereby obtaining a diagnostic result of whether or not the living body P has developed valvular disease. Thereafter, the first diagnostic processing unit 130 outputs the diagnostic result to the display unit 180.

[0030] The display unit 180 displays the diagnosis result output from the first diagnosis processing unit 130. By checking the diagnosis result displayed on the display unit 180, the doctor can understand the condition of the living body P or the disease that the living body P is suffering from.

[0031] According to the process flow shown in Fig. 4, highly confidential information can be protected since information will not be leaked to the outside via the network NW. However, since the first ultrasonic diagnostic device 100 on the edge side takes longer to perform diagnostic processing than the second ultrasonic diagnostic device 200 on the server side, it is not preferable to perform all diagnostic processing by the first ultrasonic diagnostic device 100. For this reason, when the confidentiality of the diagnostic result is low or when the diagnostic processing takes a long time, it may be preferable to perform the diagnostic processing by the second ultrasonic diagnostic device 200.

[0032] [Diagnosis processing by the second ultrasound diagnostic device] Fig. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the flow of diagnostic processing by the second ultrasonic diagnostic device 200. The example shown in Fig. 5 shows the flow of processing when the determination unit 140 determines that diagnostic processing is to be executed by the second ultrasonic diagnostic device 200. Note that the operations of the ultrasonic probe 50, the ultrasonic image generating unit 120, and the deciding unit 150 are the same as those in Fig. 4, and therefore description thereof will be omitted.

[0033] The determination unit 140 determines whether the diagnostic process is to be executed by the first ultrasonic diagnostic device 100 or the second ultrasonic diagnostic device 200, depending on the degree of confidentiality of the diagnostic result obtained by the diagnostic process. As described above, the determination unit 140 may determine whether the diagnostic process is to be executed by the first ultrasonic diagnostic device 100 or the second ultrasonic diagnostic device 200, based on the determination table 192 stored in the first storage unit 190. When the determination unit 140 determines that the diagnostic process is to be executed by the second ultrasonic diagnostic device 200, it outputs the ultrasound image (echo image) generated by the ultrasound image generation unit 120 and a diagnosis ID for identifying the diagnostic process determined by the determination unit 150 to the first communication unit 110.

[0034] The first communication unit 110 transmits the ultrasound image (echo image) and the diagnosis ID to the second ultrasound diagnostic device 200 via the network NW. When transmitting information via the network NW, there is a possibility that the information may be leaked to the outside. For this reason, the determination unit 140 may encrypt the information to be transmitted (ultrasound image and diagnosis ID) using a method predetermined between the first ultrasound diagnostic device 100 and the second ultrasound diagnostic device 200, and the first communication unit 110 may transmit the encrypted information. This makes it possible to more reliably prevent information leakage.

[0035] Next, the second communication unit 210 of the second ultrasonic diagnostic device 200 receives the ultrasonic image (echo image) and the diagnosis ID from the first ultrasonic diagnostic device 100 via the network NW. The second communication unit 210 then outputs the ultrasonic image (echo image) and the diagnosis ID to the second diagnosis processing unit 230.

[0036] Next, the second diagnostic processing unit 230 executes a diagnostic process using any one of the first trained model 294-1 to the N-th trained model 294-N based on the ultrasound image (echo image). For example, the second diagnostic processing unit 230 reads out from the second storage unit 290 a trained model corresponding to the diagnostic ID output from the second communication unit 210, and inputs the ultrasound image into the read trained model, thereby obtaining a diagnostic result. Thereafter, the second diagnostic processing unit 230 outputs the diagnostic result to the second communication unit 210.

[0037] The second communication unit 210 transmits the diagnosis result to the first ultrasonic diagnostic device 100 via the network NW. When transmitting information via the network NW, there is a possibility that the information may be leaked to the outside. For this reason, the second diagnostic processing unit 230 may encrypt the information to be transmitted (diagnosis result) by a method predetermined between the first ultrasonic diagnostic device 100 and the second ultrasonic diagnostic device 200, and the second communication unit 210 may transmit the encrypted information. This makes it possible to more reliably prevent information leakage.

[0038] Next, the first communication unit 110 of the first ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 100 receives the diagnosis result from the second ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 200 via the network NW. The first communication unit 110 then outputs the diagnosis result to the display unit 180.

[0039] The display unit 180 displays the diagnosis result output from the first communication unit 110. By checking the diagnosis result displayed on the display unit 180, the doctor can understand the condition of the living body P or the disease with which the living body P is suffering.

[0040] The above describes the case where the first ultrasonic diagnostic device 100 executes the diagnostic process (FIG. 4) and the case where the second ultrasonic diagnostic device 200 executes the diagnostic process (FIG. 5). As described above, the determination unit 140 determines whether the diagnostic process is to be executed by the first ultrasonic diagnostic device 100 or the second ultrasonic diagnostic device 200, depending on the degree of confidentiality of the diagnostic result obtained by the diagnostic process. Three examples (first determination process to third determination process) of the determination process by the determination unit 140 will be described below.

[0041] [First judgment process] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a first example of the determination table 192. The first storage unit 190 stores a determination table 192 in which information indicating either the first ultrasonic diagnostic device 100 or the second ultrasonic diagnostic device 200 is associated with each of a plurality of diagnostic processes corresponding to the first trained model 194-1 to the N-th trained model 194-N. As shown in FIG. 6, the determination table 192 is a table in which a diagnostic ID, a diagnostic process, a diagnostic target, and diagnostic device information are associated with each other. The diagnostic ID is identification information for identifying the diagnostic process. The diagnostic process is information indicating the contents of the diagnostic process. The diagnostic target is information indicating a diagnostic target (such as an organ) of the living body P. The diagnostic device information is information for identifying the ultrasonic diagnostic device that should execute the diagnostic process.

[0042] The determination table 192 is a table that is preset according to the degree of confidentiality of the diagnostic result obtained by the diagnostic process. For example, when the first diagnostic process is a diagnostic process related to the heart rate, the diagnostic result of the first diagnostic process is information with low confidentiality, so it is recommended to execute the first diagnostic process by the second ultrasonic diagnostic device 200. Also, when the second diagnostic process is a diagnostic process related to cancer, the diagnostic result of the second diagnostic process is information with high confidentiality, so it is recommended to execute the second diagnostic process by the first ultrasonic diagnostic device 100. In this way, the determination table 192 is set according to the degree of confidentiality of the diagnostic result obtained by the diagnostic process.

[0043] 7 is a flowchart showing an example of the first determination process executed by the determination unit 140. First, the determination unit 140 acquires an ultrasound image (echo image) from the ultrasound image generating unit 120 (S101). Next, the determination unit 140 acquires a diagnosis ID from the determination unit 150 (S102). As described above, the acquired diagnosis ID is identification information for identifying the diagnosis process to be executed.

[0044] Next, the determination unit 140 obtains diagnostic device information linked to the diagnostic ID obtained in S102 from the determination table 192 (S103). For example, as shown in Fig. 6, when the diagnostic ID obtained in S102 is "D001", the determination unit 140 obtains information indicating the second ultrasonic diagnostic device 200 as the diagnostic device information. On the other hand, when the diagnostic ID obtained in S102 is "D002", the determination unit 140 obtains information indicating the first ultrasonic diagnostic device 100 as the diagnostic device information.

[0045] Next, the determination unit 140 determines whether or not the diagnostic device information acquired in S103 indicates the first ultrasonic diagnostic device 100 (S104). If the diagnostic device information acquired in S103 indicates the first ultrasonic diagnostic device 100, the determination unit 140 determines to cause the first ultrasonic diagnostic device 100 to execute diagnostic processing (S105). In this case, as shown in Fig. 4, the first diagnostic processing unit 130 executes the diagnostic processing determined by the determination unit 150, and the diagnostic result is displayed on the display unit 180.

[0046] On the other hand, when the diagnostic device information acquired in S103 indicates the second ultrasonic diagnostic device 200, the determination unit 140 determines to cause the second ultrasonic diagnostic device 200 to execute diagnostic processing (S106). In this case, as shown in Fig. 5, the second diagnostic processing unit 230 executes the diagnostic processing determined by the determination unit 150, and the diagnostic result is displayed on the display unit 180.

[0047] As described above, according to the first determination process, the determination unit 140 determines whether the diagnostic process is to be executed by the first ultrasonic diagnostic device 100 or the second ultrasonic diagnostic device 200, based on the determination table 192. This allows the determination unit 140 to appropriately determine whether the diagnostic process is to be executed by the first ultrasonic diagnostic device 100 or the second ultrasonic diagnostic device 200, depending on the degree of confidentiality of the diagnostic result obtained by the diagnostic process.

[0048] For example, when multiple diagnostic processes are performed based on one ultrasound image, the determination unit 140 distributes the multiple diagnostic processes to the first ultrasound diagnostic device 100 and the second ultrasound diagnostic device 200 according to the degree of confidentiality of the diagnostic results obtained by the diagnostic processes. For example, when the ultrasound image is an echo moving image of the heart, and diagnostic processes of heart rate, blood flow, valvular disease, and cardiomyopathy are performed based on this echo moving image of the heart, the determination unit 140 distributes the diagnostic processes with low confidentiality such as heart rate and blood flow to the second ultrasound diagnostic device 200, and distributes the diagnostic processes with high confidentiality such as valvular disease and cardiomyopathy to the first ultrasound diagnostic device 100. This allows the determination unit 140 to appropriately distribute the multiple diagnostic processes.

[0049] [Second judgment process] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a second example of the judgment table 192. The first storage unit 190 stores the judgment table 192 in which information (edge ​​priority) indicating the priority of executing the diagnostic process in the first ultrasonic diagnostic device 100 is associated with each of a plurality of diagnostic processes corresponding to the first trained model 194-1 to the N-th trained model 194-N. As shown in FIG. 8, the judgment table 192 is a table in which a diagnostic ID, a diagnostic process, a diagnostic target, and an edge priority are associated with each other. The diagnostic ID is identification information for identifying the diagnostic process. The diagnostic process is information indicating the content of the diagnostic process. The diagnostic target is information indicating the diagnostic target (such as an organ) of the living body P. The edge priority is information indicating the priority of executing the diagnostic process in the first ultrasonic diagnostic device 100, which is an edge-side computer. The smaller the value of the edge priority, the higher the priority of executing the diagnostic process in the first ultrasonic diagnostic device 100. For example, the value of the edge priority may be an integer from 1 to 9, and the closer the edge priority value is to "1", the higher the priority is.

[0050] The judgment table 192 is a table that is preset according to the degree of confidentiality of the diagnostic result obtained by the diagnostic process. For example, a low edge priority is set for a diagnostic process with low confidentiality (such as heart rate) that can be seen by others, and a high edge priority is set for a diagnostic process with high confidentiality (such as cancer diagnosis) that should not be seen by others. In this way, the judgment table 192 is set according to the degree of confidentiality of the diagnostic result obtained by the diagnostic process.

[0051] 9 is a flowchart showing an example of the second determination process executed by the determination unit 140. First, the determination unit 140 acquires an ultrasound image (echo image) from the ultrasound image generating unit 120 (S201). Next, the determination unit 140 acquires a diagnosis ID from the determination unit 150 (S202). As described above, the acquired diagnosis ID is identification information for identifying the diagnosis process to be executed.

[0052] Next, the judgment unit 140 acquires the edge priority associated with the diagnostic ID acquired in S202 from the judgment table 192 (S203). For example, as shown in Fig. 8, when the diagnostic ID acquired in S202 is "D001", the judgment unit 140 acquires "9" as the edge priority value. On the other hand, when the diagnostic ID acquired in S202 is "D002", the judgment unit 140 acquires "2" as the edge priority value.

[0053] Next, the determination unit 140 determines whether the edge priority acquired in S203 is less than a first threshold value (S204). The first threshold value may be a preset value, and may be changeable by input from the input unit 170. If the edge priority acquired in S203 is less than the first threshold value, the determination unit 140 determines to cause the first ultrasonic diagnostic device 100 to execute diagnostic processing (S205). In this case, as shown in Fig. 4, the first diagnostic processing unit 130 executes the diagnostic processing determined by the determination unit 150, and the diagnostic result is displayed on the display unit 180.

[0054] On the other hand, when the edge priority acquired in S203 is equal to or greater than the first threshold, the determination unit 140 determines to cause the second ultrasonic diagnostic device 200 to execute diagnostic processing (S206). In this case, as shown in Fig. 5, the second diagnostic processing unit 230 executes the diagnostic processing determined by the determination unit 150, and the diagnostic result is displayed on the display unit 180.

[0055] As described above, according to the second determination process, the determination unit 140 determines whether the diagnostic process is to be performed by the first ultrasonic diagnostic device 100 or the second ultrasonic diagnostic device 200, based on the determination table 192. This allows the determination unit 140 to appropriately determine whether the diagnostic process is to be performed by the first ultrasonic diagnostic device 100 or the second ultrasonic diagnostic device 200, depending on the degree of confidentiality of the diagnostic result obtained by the diagnostic process. Furthermore, by making the first threshold value changeable depending on the input from the input unit 170, it is possible to easily adjust the allocation of the diagnostic process to the first ultrasonic diagnostic device 100 and the second ultrasonic diagnostic device 200.

[0056] [Third Judgment Process] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a third example of the determination table 192. The first storage unit 190 stores a determination table 192 in which information indicating the degree of confidentiality of a diagnostic result and information indicating the processing time required for a diagnostic process are associated with each other for each of a plurality of diagnostic processes corresponding to the first trained model 194-1 to the N-th trained model 194-N. As shown in FIG. 10, the determination table 192 is a table in which a diagnostic ID, a diagnostic process, a diagnostic target, confidentiality, and a processing time are associated with each other. The diagnostic ID is identification information for identifying a diagnostic process. The diagnostic process is information indicating the contents of the diagnostic process. The diagnostic target is information indicating a diagnostic target (such as an organ) of the living body P. The confidentiality is information indicating the degree of confidentiality of a diagnostic result. For example, the confidentiality may be information indicating one of three levels (high, medium, and low). The processing time is information indicating the time required to execute a diagnostic process in the first ultrasonic diagnostic device 100.

[0057] The judgment table 192 is a table that is preset according to the degree of confidentiality of the diagnostic result obtained by the diagnostic process. For example, "low" is set in the confidentiality column for a diagnostic process with low confidentiality (such as heart rate) that can be seen by others, and "high" is set in the confidentiality column for a diagnostic process with high confidentiality (such as cancer diagnosis) that should not be seen by others. "Medium" is an intermediate level between "high" and "low". In this way, the judgment table 192 is set according to the degree of confidentiality of the diagnostic result obtained by the diagnostic process.

[0058] 11 is a flowchart showing an example of the third determination process executed by the determination unit 140. First, the determination unit 140 acquires an ultrasound image (echo image) from the ultrasound image generating unit 120 (S301). Next, the determination unit 140 acquires a diagnosis ID from the determination unit 150 (S302). As described above, the acquired diagnosis ID is identification information for identifying the diagnosis process to be executed.

[0059] Next, the determination unit 140 obtains the confidentiality and processing time associated with the diagnosis ID obtained in S302 from the determination table 192 (S303). For example, as shown in Fig. 10, when the diagnosis ID obtained in S302 is "D001", the determination unit 140 obtains "high" as the confidentiality and 500 seconds as the processing time. On the other hand, when the diagnosis ID obtained in S302 is "D002", the determination unit 140 obtains "low" as the confidentiality and 90 seconds as the processing time.

[0060] Next, the determination unit 140 calculates a judgment score indicating the degree of recommendation to have the first ultrasonic diagnostic device 100 execute the diagnostic process based on the information indicating the degree of confidentiality of the diagnostic result and the processing time required for the diagnostic process (S304). As described above, it is preferable that diagnostic processes requiring high confidentiality are executed by the first ultrasonic diagnostic device 100, and it is preferable that diagnostic processes requiring long processing times are executed by the second ultrasonic diagnostic device 200, which has a high processing speed. For this reason, the determination unit 140 calculates the judgment score so that the higher the confidentiality, the higher the judgment score, and the shorter the processing time, the higher the judgment score.

[0061] Next, the determination unit 140 determines whether the determination score calculated in S304 is greater than a second threshold value (S305). The second threshold value may be a preset value, and may be changeable by input from the input unit 170. If the determination score calculated in S304 is greater than the second threshold value, the determination unit 140 determines to cause the first ultrasonic diagnostic device 100 to execute diagnostic processing (S306). In this case, as shown in Fig. 4, the first diagnostic processing unit 130 executes the diagnostic processing determined by the determination unit 150, and the diagnostic result is displayed on the display unit 180.

[0062] On the other hand, when the judgment score calculated in S304 is equal to or less than the second threshold, the judgment unit 140 judges to cause the second ultrasonic diagnostic device 200 to execute the diagnostic process (S307). In this case, as shown in Fig. 5, the second diagnostic processing unit 230 executes the diagnostic process determined by the determination unit 150, and the diagnostic result is displayed on the display unit 180.

[0063] As described above, according to the third determination process, the determination unit 140 calculates a determination score based on the determination table 192, and determines whether the first ultrasonic diagnostic device 100 or the second ultrasonic diagnostic device 200 will execute the diagnostic process based on the calculated determination score. This allows the determination unit 140 to appropriately determine whether the first ultrasonic diagnostic device 100 or the second ultrasonic diagnostic device 200 will execute the diagnostic process depending on the degree of confidentiality of the diagnostic result obtained by the diagnostic process. Furthermore, by making the second threshold variable depending on the input from the input unit 170, it is possible to easily adjust the allocation of the diagnostic process to the first ultrasonic diagnostic device 100 and the second ultrasonic diagnostic device 200.

[0064] The determination unit 140 executes any one of the first to third determination processes, but is not limited to these determination processes. For example, the determination unit 140 may determine that only one diagnostic process designated by a user (such as a doctor) using the input unit 170 is to be executed by the first ultrasonic diagnostic device 100 on the edge side, and that the other diagnostic processes are to be executed by the second ultrasonic diagnostic device 200. As a specific example, when three diagnostic processes (heart rate, blood flow, valvular disease) are performed based on an ultrasonic image of the heart, if a user (such as a doctor) designates a highly confidential diagnostic process for valvular disease using the input unit 170, the determination unit 140 may determine that only the diagnostic process for valvular disease is to be executed by the first ultrasonic diagnostic device 100 on the edge side, and that the diagnostic processes for the heart rate and blood flow are to be executed by the second ultrasonic diagnostic device 200. This allows the ultrasonic diagnostic system 10 of this embodiment to appropriately allocate a plurality of diagnostic processes.

[0065] [Download process] The second ultrasonic diagnostic device 200 is a high-spec server, and the capacity of the second storage unit 290 is also large. Therefore, the second storage unit 290 stores all trained models required for multiple diagnostic processes. On the other hand, if the first ultrasonic diagnostic device 100 is a portable computer such as a smartphone or a tablet terminal, the capacity of the first storage unit 190 may be small. In such a case, it may not be possible to store all trained models in the first storage unit 190.

[0066] Therefore, the download unit 160 of the first ultrasonic diagnostic device 100 may download the trained model used in the diagnostic processing from the second ultrasonic diagnostic device when the trained model is not stored in the first storage unit 190. Furthermore, when the diagnostic processing by the first diagnostic processing unit 130 is completed, the trained model used may be deleted from the first storage unit 190. This allows the first diagnostic processing unit 130 to execute various diagnostic processing even when the capacity of the first storage unit 190 is small.

[0067] In addition, when it takes a long time to download the trained model, the download unit 160 may have the second ultrasound diagnostic device 200 execute the diagnostic process without downloading. For example, when the second ultrasound diagnostic device 200 is connected to the same local network (e.g., an in-hospital network) as the first ultrasound diagnostic device 100, the download is completed in a short time. On the other hand, when the second ultrasound diagnostic device 200 is connected to an external network (e.g., a network different from the in-hospital network), the download takes a long time. Therefore, when the second ultrasound diagnostic device 200 is connected to the same local network (e.g., an in-hospital network) as the first ultrasound diagnostic device 100, the download unit 160 may download the trained model from the second ultrasound diagnostic device 200. On the other hand, when the second ultrasound diagnostic device 200 is connected to an external network (e.g., a network different from the in-hospital network), the download unit 160 may transmit an ultrasound image to the second ultrasound diagnostic device 200 to cause the second ultrasound diagnostic device 200 to execute the diagnostic process. The download unit 160 may cause the second ultrasonic diagnostic device 200 to execute the diagnostic process only when the confidentiality of the diagnostic result obtained by the diagnostic process is low. This can prevent a long time from being required to obtain the diagnostic result.

[0068] Furthermore, the download unit 160 may download the trained model from the second ultrasound diagnostic device 200 when the size of the trained model is less than a predetermined threshold, and may transmit an ultrasound image to the second ultrasound diagnostic device 200 when the size of the trained model is equal to or greater than the predetermined threshold, thereby causing the second ultrasound diagnostic device 200 to execute diagnostic processing. In this case as well, the download unit 160 may cause the second ultrasound diagnostic device 200 to execute diagnostic processing only when the confidentiality of the diagnostic result obtained by the diagnostic processing is low. This makes it possible to prevent a long time from being required to obtain the diagnostic result.

[0069] In the above embodiment, the determination unit 150 determines the diagnostic processing to be performed based on the input from the doctor using the input unit 170, but this is not limited thereto. For example, the determination unit 150 may automatically determine the diagnostic processing to be performed based on an ultrasound image. Specifically, the determination unit 150 may identify an organ to be diagnosed based on an ultrasound image, and determine the contents of the diagnostic processing based on the identified organ. In this case, a trained model for organ determination may be stored in the first storage unit 190, and the determination unit 150 may input an ultrasound image to the trained model for organ determination to identify the organ to be diagnosed. For example, when the determination unit 150 identifies the organ to be diagnosed as the heart, it may automatically determine a diagnostic processing related to the heart (diagnostic processing for diseases such as valvular disease, ischemic heart disease, cardiomyopathy, myocarditis, and pericarditis in addition to pulse rate and blood flow) as the diagnostic processing to be performed. This eliminates the need for the doctor to take the trouble of inputting the diagnostic processing to be performed, thereby reducing the workload of the doctor.

[0070] As described above, the ultrasound diagnostic system 10 includes the ultrasound probe 50, the first ultrasound diagnostic device 100, and the second ultrasound diagnostic device 200. The ultrasound probe 50 transmits ultrasound to a subject (living body P) and generates a probe signal based on a reflected wave from the subject. The first ultrasound diagnostic device 100 is connected to the ultrasound probe 50. The second ultrasound diagnostic device 200 can communicate with the first ultrasound diagnostic device 100 via a network NW. The first ultrasound diagnostic device 100 includes an ultrasound image generating unit 120, a first storage unit 190, a first diagnostic processing unit 130, and a first communication unit 110. The ultrasound image generating unit 120 generates an ultrasound image based on a probe signal received from the ultrasound probe 50. The first storage unit 190 stores a plurality of trained models 194-1 to 194-N used in diagnostic processing of the subject. The first diagnostic processing unit 130 executes diagnostic processing using one of the plurality of trained models 194-1 to 194-N based on the ultrasound image. The first communication unit 110 transmits the ultrasound image to the second ultrasound diagnostic device 200. The second ultrasound diagnostic device 200 includes a second communication unit 210, a second storage unit 290, and a second diagnostic processing unit 230. The second communication unit 210 receives the ultrasound image from the first ultrasound diagnostic device 100. The second storage unit 290 stores the plurality of trained models 294-1 to 294-N used in diagnostic processing of the subject. The second diagnostic processing unit 230 executes diagnostic processing using one of the plurality of trained models 294-1 to 294-N based on the ultrasound image. The first ultrasound diagnostic device 100 further includes a determination unit 140 that determines whether the diagnostic processing is executed by the first ultrasound diagnostic device 100 or the second ultrasound diagnostic device 200, depending on the degree of confidentiality of the diagnostic result obtained by the diagnostic processing. This allows the ultrasound diagnostic system 10 of this embodiment to appropriately allocate a plurality of diagnostic processes.

[0071] The above describes the form for carrying out the present invention using an embodiment, but the present invention is not limited to such an embodiment, and various modifications and substitutions can be made within the scope that does not deviate from the gist of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0072] 50 Ultrasound Probe 100 First Ultrasound Diagnostic Apparatus 110 First Communications Department 120 Ultrasound image generation unit 130 First diagnostic processing unit 140 Judgment section 150 Decision Section 160 Downloads 170 Input section 180 Display section 190 1st memory section 200 Second Ultrasound Diagnostic Device 210 2nd Communications Department 230 Second diagnostic processing unit 290 2nd memory section

Claims

1. an ultrasonic probe that transmits ultrasonic waves to a subject and generates a probe signal based on the reflected waves from the subject; a first ultrasonic diagnostic device connected to the ultrasonic probe; a second ultrasonic diagnostic device capable of communicating with the first ultrasonic diagnostic device via a network; An ultrasound diagnostic system comprising: The first ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus includes: an ultrasonic image generating unit that generates an ultrasonic image based on a probe signal received from the ultrasonic probe; A first storage unit that stores a plurality of trained models used in the diagnostic process of the subject; A first diagnosis processing unit that executes the diagnosis processing using any one of the plurality of trained models based on the ultrasound image; a first communication unit that transmits the ultrasound image to the second ultrasound diagnostic device; The second ultrasonic diagnostic device is a second communication unit that receives the ultrasound image from the first ultrasound diagnostic device; A second storage unit that stores a plurality of trained models used in the diagnostic process of the subject; A second diagnosis processing unit that executes the diagnosis processing using any one of the plurality of trained models based on the ultrasound image, the first ultrasonic diagnostic device further includes a determination unit that determines whether the first ultrasonic diagnostic device or the second ultrasonic diagnostic device should execute the diagnostic process depending on a degree of confidentiality of a diagnostic result obtained by the diagnostic process. Ultrasound diagnostic system.

2. the first storage unit stores a judgment table in which information indicating either the first ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus or the second ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus is associated with each of a plurality of diagnostic processes corresponding to the plurality of trained models; the determination unit determines whether the first ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus or the second ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus should execute the diagnostic process based on the determination table. The ultrasound diagnostic system of claim 1 .

3. the first storage unit stores a judgment table in which information indicating a priority of executing the diagnostic processing by the first ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus is associated with each of a plurality of diagnostic processing corresponding to the plurality of learned models; the determination unit determines whether the first ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus or the second ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus should execute the diagnostic process based on the determination table. The ultrasound diagnostic system of claim 1 .

4. the first storage unit stores a judgment table in which information indicating a degree of confidentiality of the diagnostic result and information indicating a processing time required for the diagnostic process are associated with each of a plurality of diagnostic processes corresponding to the plurality of trained models; the determination unit determines whether the first ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus or the second ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus should execute the diagnostic process based on the determination table. The ultrasound diagnostic system of claim 1 .

5. The determination unit is calculating a judgment score indicating a degree of recommendation for causing the first ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus to execute the diagnostic process based on information indicating a degree of confidentiality of the diagnostic result and a processing time required for the diagnostic process; determining whether the diagnostic process is to be performed by the first ultrasonic diagnostic device or the second ultrasonic diagnostic device based on the determination score; The ultrasound diagnostic system of claim 4.

6. The first ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus further includes a determination unit that determines the diagnostic processing to be executed, The first diagnostic processing unit or the second diagnostic processing unit executes the diagnostic processing determined by the determination unit. The ultrasound diagnostic system of claim 1 .

7. the determination unit identifies an organ to be diagnosed based on the ultrasound image, and determines the content of the diagnostic processing based on the identified organ. The ultrasound diagnostic system of claim 6.

8. The first ultrasonic diagnostic device further includes a download unit that downloads the trained model used in the diagnostic processing from the second ultrasonic diagnostic device when the trained model is not stored in the first storage unit. The ultrasound diagnostic system of claim 1 .

9. The download unit is When the second ultrasound diagnostic device is connected to the same local network as the first ultrasound diagnostic device, downloading the trained model from the second ultrasound diagnostic device; When the second ultrasonic diagnostic device is connected to an external network different from the local network, the ultrasonic image is transmitted to the second ultrasonic diagnostic device, thereby causing the second ultrasonic diagnostic device to execute the diagnostic process. The ultrasound diagnostic system of claim 8.

10. The download unit is If the size of the trained model is less than a predetermined threshold, downloading the trained model from the second ultrasound diagnostic device; When the size of the trained model is equal to or larger than the predetermined threshold, the ultrasound image is transmitted to the second ultrasound diagnostic device, thereby causing the second ultrasound diagnostic device to execute the diagnostic process. The ultrasound diagnostic system of claim 8.

11. An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus connected to an ultrasonic probe that transmits ultrasonic waves to a subject and generates a probe signal based on a reflected wave from the subject, an ultrasonic image generating unit that generates an ultrasonic image based on a probe signal received from the ultrasonic probe; A storage unit that stores a plurality of trained models used in the diagnostic process of the subject; A diagnosis processing unit that executes the diagnosis processing using any one of the plurality of trained models based on the ultrasound image; A communication unit that transmits the ultrasound image to another ultrasound diagnostic device; a determination unit that determines whether the diagnostic process is to be executed by the ultrasonic diagnostic device or the other ultrasonic diagnostic device depending on a degree of confidentiality of a diagnostic result obtained by the diagnostic process; An ultrasound diagnostic device comprising:

12. an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus connected to an ultrasonic probe that transmits ultrasonic waves to a subject and generates a probe signal based on a reflected wave from the subject; generating an ultrasound image based on a probe signal received from the ultrasound probe; storing a plurality of trained models to be used in a diagnostic process for the subject; The diagnostic process is performed using any one of the plurality of trained models based on the ultrasound image; Transmitting the ultrasound image to another ultrasound diagnostic device; determining whether the diagnostic process is to be executed by the ultrasonic diagnostic device or the other ultrasonic diagnostic device according to a degree of confidentiality of a diagnostic result obtained by the diagnostic process; Ultrasound diagnostic methods.

13. an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus connected to an ultrasonic probe that transmits ultrasonic waves to a subject and generates a probe signal based on the reflected waves from the subject; generating an ultrasound image based on a probe signal received from the ultrasound probe; storing a plurality of trained models to be used in a diagnostic process for the subject; performing the diagnostic process using any one of the plurality of trained models based on the ultrasound image; transmitting the ultrasound image to another ultrasound diagnostic device; determining whether the diagnostic process is to be performed by the ultrasonic diagnostic device or the other ultrasonic diagnostic device, depending on a degree of confidentiality of a diagnostic result obtained by the diagnostic process; program.

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