Ultrasonic diagnostic system

Abstract

An ultrasonic diagnostic system comprising: an ultrasonic probe that transmits ultrasonic waves to a subject and generates a probe signal based on a reflected wave from the subject; and a first ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus connected to the ultrasonic probe, wherein the first ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus includes: an ultrasonic image generation unit that generates an ultrasonic image based on the probe signal received from the ultrasonic probe; a first storage unit that stores a plurality of learned models having different characteristics for the same disease, which are used for the diagnostic process of the subject; a first diagnostic process unit that parallelly executes a plurality of diagnostic processes based on the ultrasonic image using the plurality of learned models; and a display control unit that switches between a first mode in which all of the plurality of diagnostic results obtained by the plurality of diagnostic processes are displayed on a display unit, and a second mode in which one or more of the plurality of diagnostic results are not displayed on the display unit.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an ultrasonic diagnostic system to the mucous membrane .

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, a system for automating the diagnosis of patients using AI (Artificial Intelligence) has been known. 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 the medical examination data of the person to be diagnosed into a learned model of AI (Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, the conventional medical information processing system has been unable to operate multiple diagnostic processes using a plurality of learned models with different characteristics for the same disease in parallel. For this reason, in the conventional medical information processing system, there have been cases where a plurality of diagnostic results obtained by these plurality of learned models cannot be effectively displayed to the user.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of such circumstances, and an ultrasonic diagnostic system capable of effectively displaying a plurality of diagnostic results obtained by a plurality of learned models with different characteristics for the same disease to the user to the mucous membrane is one of the objects to be provided.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] One aspect of the present invention is an ultrasonic diagnostic system comprising an ultrasonic probe that transmits ultrasonic waves to a subject and generates a probe signal based on a reflected wave from the subject, and a first ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus connected to the ultrasonic probe. The first ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus includes an ultrasonic image generation unit that generates an ultrasonic image based on the probe signal received from the ultrasonic probe, a first storage unit that stores a plurality of learned models having different characteristics for the same disease, which are used for the diagnostic process of the subject, a first diagnostic process unit that parallelly executes a plurality of diagnostic processes based on the ultrasonic image using the plurality of learned models, and a display control unit that switches between a first mode in which all of the plurality of diagnostic results obtained by the plurality of diagnostic processes are displayed on a display unit, and a second mode in which one or more of the plurality of diagnostic results are not displayed on the display unit. The display control unit switches between the first mode and the second mode based on user information, which is information about the user who uses the ultrasonic diagnostic system. The user information includes a learning level indicating the progress of the user's learning regarding diagnosis using the ultrasonic image. The display control unit sets the first mode when the user's learning level is less than a first threshold value, and sets the second mode when the user's learning level is greater than or equal to the first threshold value. It is an ultrasonic diagnostic system.

Advantages of the Invention

[0007] According to one aspect of the present invention, it is possible to provide an ultrasonic diagnostic system, an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, an ultrasonic diagnostic method, and a program that can effectively display a plurality of diagnostic results by a plurality of learned models having different characteristics for the same disease to a user.

Brief Description of the Drawings

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

[0010] [Ultrasonic Diagnostic System] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of an ultrasonic diagnostic system 10. The ultrasonic diagnostic system 10 includes an ultrasonic probe 50, a first ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 100, and a second ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 200. The ultrasonic probe 50 is connected to the first ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 100 so as to be communicable by wire or wirelessly. The first ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 100 is communicably connected to the second ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 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) examinations. 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 on a scan region in the living body P, which is the subject, in accordance with the control from the first ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 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 waves from the subject. The ultrasonic probe 50 transmits the generated probe signal to the first ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 100.

[0012] The first ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 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 apparatus 100 is a computer provided at the edge of a network. The first ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 100 is used, for example, by a doctor in a hospital. The first ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 100 generates an ultrasonic image (echo image) based on the probe signal received from the ultrasonic probe 50. The ultrasonic image may be a still image or a moving image. Further, the first ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 100 performs diagnostic processing using AI (Artificial Intelligence) based on the ultrasonic image. The diagnostic processing is processing for diagnosing the state of the living body P and the presence or absence of a disease.

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

[0014] [First Ultrasonic Diagnostic Apparatus] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the first ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 100. The first ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 100 includes, for example, a first communication unit 110, an ultrasonic image generation unit 120, a first diagnostic processing unit 130, a determination unit 140, a decision unit 150, a display control 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 apparatus 200 via the network NW. The first communication unit 110 also includes a communication interface for communicating with the ultrasonic probe 50 by wire. Note that the first communication unit 110 may include a communication module for wirelessly communicating with the ultrasonic probe 50.

[0016] The ultrasonic image generation unit 120, the first diagnostic processing unit 130, the determination unit 140, the decision unit 150, and the display control unit 160 are realized, for example, by a hardware processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) executing a program (software). Some or all of these components may be realized by hardware such as LSI (Large Scale Integration), ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), or GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), or may be realized by cooperation between software and hardware. The program may be stored in advance in a storage device (a storage device including a non-transitory storage medium) such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or a flash memory, or may be stored in a removable storage medium (a non-transitory storage medium) such as a DVD or a CD-ROM, and may be installed in the storage device by mounting the storage medium on 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 configurations of the input unit 170 and the display unit 180 are 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 an 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 ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 100 via the network NW. The first storage unit 190 stores information such as user information 191, model information 192, diagnostic result information 193, and the first learned model 194-1 to the Nth learned model 194-N. N is a natural number of 2 or more. Each of the first learned model 194-1 to the Nth learned model 194-N is a model generated by machine learning teacher data in advance and is information used when diagnostic processing is executed.

[0019] [Second Ultrasonic Diagnostic Apparatus] FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the second ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 200. The second ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 200 includes, for example, a second communication unit 210, a second diagnostic processing unit 230, and a second storage unit 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 diagnosis processing unit 230 is realized, for example, when a hardware processor such as a CPU executes 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 the cooperation of software and hardware. The program may be stored in advance in a storage device (a storage device having a non-transitory storage medium) such as an HDD or a flash memory, or may be stored in a removable storage medium (a non-transitory storage medium) such as a DVD or a CD-ROM, and may be installed in the storage device when the storage medium is mounted on a drive device.

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

[0023] The first ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 100 and the second ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 200 each have a function of performing diagnostic processing based on ultrasonic images (echo images). When determining a learned model used for disease diagnosis processing, if parameters are adjusted to reduce false detection of diseases, the omission of disease detection increases. On the other hand, if parameters are adjusted to reduce the omission of disease detection, false detection of diseases increases. For this reason, it is desirable to execute a plurality of diagnostic processes in parallel using a plurality of learned models with different characteristics for the same disease. However, since smartphones or tablets are often used as the first ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 100, if all of the plurality of diagnostic processes are to be performed by the first ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 100, there arises a problem that the processing load on the first ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 100 becomes excessive and battery consumption becomes intense. For this reason, when performing a plurality of diagnostic processes using a plurality of learned models, it is desirable to distribute the plurality of diagnostic processes between the first ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 100 and the second ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 200. However, when performing diagnostic processing with the second ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 200, since communication via the network NW is necessary, there is a possibility that it takes time for the first ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 100 to receive the diagnostic result from the second ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 200. For this reason, it is desirable to execute only the diagnostic processes with high priority by the first ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 100. Therefore, the ultrasonic diagnostic system of the present embodiment appropriately determines whether the diagnostic processing is to be performed by the first ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 100 or the second ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 200. Hereinafter, the diagnostic processing by the first ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus and the diagnostic processing by the second ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus will be described.

[0024] [Diagnostic Processing by the First Ultrasonic Diagnostic Apparatus] 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 to execute the diagnostic processing with the first ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 100.

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

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

[0027] On the other hand, the determination unit 150 determines the diagnostic process to be executed. For example, a doctor examining the living body P may input information regarding a disease using the input unit 170, and the determination unit 150 may determine the diagnostic process to be executed based on the information regarding the disease input by the doctor. For example, the determination unit 150 may display a plurality of options regarding the disease on the display unit 180, and determine the diagnostic process to be executed according to the option selected by the doctor using the input unit 170. For example, when the diagnostic target site is the heart, the determination unit may display options such as cardiomyopathy, valvular disease, and myocardial infarction on the display unit 180. Also, for example, when cardiomyopathy is selected by the doctor, the determination unit may determine a diagnostic process targeting cardiomyopathy as the diagnostic process to be executed. The determination unit 150 outputs a diagnostic ID corresponding to the determined diagnostic process to the determination unit 140. The diagnostic ID is identification information for identifying the diagnostic process.

[0028] Next, the determination unit 140 determines whether to execute the diagnostic process using the first ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 100 or the second ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 200. Details of the determination process by the determination unit 140 will be described later. When the determination unit 140 determines to execute the diagnostic process using the first ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 100, it outputs the ultrasonic image (echo image) generated by the ultrasonic image generation unit 120 and the diagnostic 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 based on the ultrasonic image (echo image) using any one of the first to Nth learned models 194-1 to 194-N. For example, the first diagnostic processing unit 130 can obtain a diagnostic result by reading out the learned model corresponding to the diagnostic ID output from the determination unit 150 from the first storage unit 190 and inputting the ultrasonic image into the read learned model. To give a specific example, when the ultrasonic image is an image of the heart of the living body P and the diagnostic ID output from the determination unit 150 indicates a diagnostic process for cardiomyopathy, the first diagnostic processing unit 130 reads out the learned model corresponding to the diagnostic process for cardiomyopathy from the first storage unit 190 and inputs the ultrasonic image into the read learned model, thereby obtaining a diagnostic result regarding whether the living body P has developed cardiomyopathy. Thereafter, the first diagnostic processing unit 130 outputs the diagnostic result to the display control unit 160.

[0030] The display control unit 160 causes the display unit 180 to display the diagnostic result output from the first diagnostic processing unit 130. By checking the diagnostic result displayed on the display unit 180, the doctor can grasp the state of the living body P or the disease that the living body P is suffering from.

[0031] According to the processing flow shown in FIG. 4, since the first ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 100 performs diagnostic processing, the diagnostic result can be displayed without being affected by the delay due to communication via the network NW. However, as described above, when it is necessary to execute a plurality of diagnostic processes, it is not preferable to perform all the diagnostic processes by the first ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 100. This is because the processing load on the first ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 100 becomes excessive and the battery consumption becomes intense. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the diagnostic process with a low priority is executed by the second ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 200. Hereinafter, the diagnostic process by the second ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 200 will be described.

[0032] [Diagnostic Process by Second Ultrasonic Diagnostic Apparatus] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the processing flow of the diagnostic process by the second ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 200. The example shown in FIG. 5 shows the processing flow when the determination unit 140 determines to execute the diagnostic process by the second ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 200. Note that the operations of the ultrasonic probe 50, the ultrasonic image generation unit 120, and the determination unit 150 are the same as those in FIG. 4, and thus the description thereof will be omitted.

[0033] The determination unit 140 determines whether to execute the diagnostic process by the first ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 100 or the second ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 200. The details of the determination process by the determination unit 140 will be described later. When the determination unit 140 determines to execute the diagnostic process by the second ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 200, the ultrasonic image (echo image) generated by the ultrasonic image generation unit 120 and the diagnostic ID for identifying the diagnostic process determined by the determination unit 150 are output to the first communication unit 110.

[0034] The first communication unit 110 transmits an ultrasonic image (echo image) and a diagnosis ID to the second ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 200 via the network NW. When transmitting information via the network NW, there is a possibility that the information may leak to the outside. For this reason, the determination unit 140 may encrypt the information to be transmitted (ultrasonic image and diagnosis ID) by a method predetermined between the first ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 100 and the second ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 200, and the first communication unit 110 may transmit the encrypted information. Thereby, information leakage can be prevented.

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

[0036] Next, the second diagnostic processing unit 230 executes diagnostic processing using any one of the first learned models 294-1 to the Nth learned models 294-N based on the ultrasonic image (echo image). For example, the second diagnostic processing unit 230 can obtain a diagnostic result by reading out the learned model corresponding to the diagnosis ID output from the second communication unit 210 from the second storage unit 290 and inputting the ultrasonic image to the read learned model. 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 diagnostic result to the first ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 100 via the network NW. When transmitting information via the network NW, there is a possibility that the information may leak to the outside. For this reason, the second diagnostic processing unit 230 may encrypt the information to be transmitted (diagnostic result) by a method predetermined between the first ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 100 and the second ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 200, and the second communication unit 210 may transmit the encrypted information. Thereby, information leakage can be more reliably prevented.

[0038] Next, the first communication unit 110 of the first ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 100 receives a diagnostic result from the second ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 200 via the network NW. Thereafter, the first communication unit 110 outputs the diagnostic result to the display control unit 160.

[0039] The display control unit 160 causes the display unit 180 to display the diagnostic result output from the first communication unit 110. By checking the diagnostic result displayed on the display unit 180, a doctor can grasp the state of the living body P or the disease that the living body P is suffering from.

[0040] As described above, the case where the first ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 100 executes the diagnostic process (FIG. 4) and the case where the second ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 200 executes the diagnostic process (FIG. 5) have been described. As described above, the determination unit 140 determines which of the first ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 100 and the second ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 200 executes the diagnostic process. Hereinafter, the user information 191 and the model information 192 used for the determination process by the determination unit 140 will be described.

[0041] [User Information] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of user information 191. The user information 191 is information about a user (such as a doctor) who uses the ultrasonic diagnostic system 10, and is stored in the first storage unit 190. As shown in FIG. 6, the user information 191 is a table in which a user ID, a name, a learning level, a proficiency level, information about a certified doctor, and information about a specialty are associated with each other. The user ID is identification information for identifying a user. The name is information indicating the name of the user. The learning level is information indicating the progress of the user's learning regarding diagnosis using ultrasonic images. Specifically, the user may take an educational program regarding diagnosis using ultrasonic images, and the learning level may be a value (for example, a value from 0 to 10) indicating the progress information of the educational program. The proficiency level is information indicating the proficiency level of the user regarding the ultrasonic diagnostic system 10. For example, the proficiency level may be a value (for example, a value from 0 to 10) corresponding to the time or number of times the user has used the ultrasonic diagnostic system 10. The information about a certified doctor may be information indicating whether the user is a certified doctor. A certified doctor is a doctor who has passed an examination determined by a predetermined academic society and is recognized as having reached the standards in related clinical knowledge and experience. The information about a specialty is information indicating the specialty of the user as a doctor. The information about a specialty may be information indicating the specialty related to the user's medical treatment, such as orthopedic surgery, cardiac surgery, thoracic surgery, and neurosurgery.

[0042] [Model Information] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of the model information 192. The model information 192 is information regarding a plurality of learned models used for a plurality of diagnostic processes, and is stored in the first storage unit 190. As shown in FIG. 7, the model information 192 is a table in which a model ID, a diagnosis ID, a target disease, and a priority are associated with each other. The model ID is identification information for identifying a learned model. The diagnosis ID is identification information for identifying a diagnostic process. The target disease is information indicating the disease to be diagnosed. The target disease may be information indicating, for example, cardiomyopathy, valvular disease, and myocardial infarction. The priority is a value (for example, a value from 0 to 10) indicating the priority of the diagnostic process executed using the learned model. Although details will be described later, the diagnostic process with a high priority will be executed by the first ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 100, and the diagnostic process with a low priority will be executed by the second ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 200.

[0043] [Diagnosis result screen] In the present embodiment, the display control unit 160 causes the display unit 180 to display, as a diagnosis result, a position where a disease may occur and a certainty degree, which is the degree of certainty of the disease, over the ultrasonic image. Note that the display control unit 160 is configured to switch between a first mode and a second mode based on user information 191, which is information regarding a user (such as a doctor) who uses the ultrasonic diagnostic system 10. The first mode is a mode in which all of a plurality of diagnostic results obtained by a plurality of diagnostic processes are displayed on the display unit 180. On the other hand, the second mode is a mode in which one or more of the plurality of diagnostic results are not displayed on the display unit 180. Hereinafter, details of the diagnosis result screen S1 in the first mode and the diagnosis result screen S2 in the second mode will be described.

[0044] (1) Diagnosis result screen in the first mode FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of the diagnostic result screen S1 in the first mode. In the example shown in FIG. 8, it is assumed that diagnostic processing has been executed using three learned models (M001, M002, M003) with different characteristics for the same disease (for example, cardiomyopathy). The diagnostic result screen S1 in the first mode includes an ultrasonic image IM and a plurality of diagnostic results. The ultrasonic image IM is an image (echo image) generated by the ultrasonic image generation unit 120. Each of the plurality of diagnostic results includes the name of the learned model (M001, M002, M003) used in the diagnostic processing, the disease name (for example, cardiomyopathy, valvular disease, etc.), and the accuracy (for example, percentage), which is the degree of certainty of the disease. Also, a circle mark is attached to the position where the disease may occur. Specifically, on the diagnostic result screen S1 in the first mode, the diagnostic results of the three learned models (M001, M002, M003) are displayed superimposed on the ultrasonic image IM. That is, the display control unit 160 is configured to display all of the plurality of diagnostic results obtained by a plurality of diagnostic processes on the display unit 180 in the first mode.

[0045] When a user with little experience in the medical field of the diagnosis target performs a diagnosis based on an ultrasonic image, there is a possibility of overlooking a disease. Therefore, the display control unit 160 displays all of the plurality of diagnostic results obtained by performing a plurality of diagnostic processes on the display unit 180 for a user with little experience in the medical field of the diagnosis target, as shown in FIG. 8. Generally, a learned model with few false detections of a disease has many undetected cases of the disease. On the other hand, a learned model with few undetected cases of a disease has many false detections of the disease. Therefore, in the first mode, the display control unit 160 is configured to display all of the plurality of diagnostic results obtained using a plurality of learned models with such different characteristics on the display unit 180. This can prevent overlooking a disease even when a user with little experience in the medical field of the diagnosis target performs a diagnosis based on an ultrasonic image.

[0046] (2) Diagnostic result screen in the second mode FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of the diagnosis result screen S2 in the second mode. Also in the example shown in FIG. 9, it is assumed that diagnostic processing has been executed using three learned models (M001, M002, M003) with different characteristics for the same disease (for example, cardiomyopathy). Different from the diagnosis result screen S1 in the first mode shown in FIG. 8, in the diagnosis result screen S2 in the second mode shown in FIG. 9, only the ultrasonic image IM and the diagnosis result of one learned model (M001) are displayed, and the diagnosis results of the other learned models (M002, M003) are not displayed. That is, the display control unit 160 is configured not to cause the display unit 180 to display one or more diagnosis results among a plurality of diagnosis results in the second mode.

[0047] For example, the display control unit 160 may obtain the priorities of a plurality of learned models associated with the diagnosis ID output from the determination unit from the model information 192, and cause the diagnosis results using the learned models with priorities equal to or higher than a predetermined value to be displayed in the second mode, and not cause the diagnosis results using the learned models with priorities lower than the predetermined value to be displayed in the second mode. As a result, in the second mode, only the diagnosis results using the learned models with priorities equal to or higher than the predetermined value will be displayed on the diagnosis result screen S2.

[0048] When an experienced user in the medical field to be diagnosed performs a diagnosis based on an ultrasonic image, since the user's own diagnostic ability is high, the possibility of overlooking a disease is low. On the other hand, if all of the multiple diagnostic results like in the first mode are displayed on the display unit 180 for an experienced user, diagnostic results with many false detections of diseases will also be displayed on the display unit 180, making the diagnostic result screen difficult to view, which is not preferable. Also, it is not preferable in that the ultrasonic image IM becomes difficult to view when all of the multiple diagnostic results are displayed on the display unit 180. For this reason, in the second mode, as shown in FIG. 9, the display control unit 160 does not cause the display unit 180 to display one or more of the multiple diagnostic results obtained by performing multiple diagnostic processes for an experienced user in the medical field to be diagnosed. Thereby, even when an experienced user in the medical field to be diagnosed performs a diagnosis based on an ultrasonic image, the visibility of the diagnostic result screen can be improved.

[0049] [Mode switching process] The display control unit 160 switches between the first mode and the second mode based on the user information 191, which is information about the user using the ultrasonic diagnostic system 10. At this time, the display control unit 160 determines, based on the user information 191, whether the user (such as a doctor) using the ultrasonic diagnostic system 10 is a user with little experience or an experienced user in the medical field to be diagnosed. As described above, the user information 191 is a table in which a user ID, a name, a learning level, a proficiency level, information about a certified doctor, and information about a specialty are associated.

[0050] For example, a user (such as a doctor) using the ultrasonic diagnostic system 10 may input a user ID using the input unit 170. Also, the display control unit 160 may acquire the user ID input by the user and acquire the user information 191 (for example, learning level, proficiency level, information about a certified doctor, information about a specialty, etc.) associated with the acquired user ID.

[0051] Specifically, the display control unit 160 may acquire the learning level associated with the user ID from the user information 191. As described above, the learning level is information indicating the progress of the user's learning regarding diagnosis using ultrasonic images (for example, a value indicating the degree of progress of the user in an educational program). The display control unit 160 may set the first mode when the user's learning level is less than the first threshold TH1, and set the second mode when the user's learning level is greater than or equal to the first threshold. For example, when the first threshold TH1 is 8, the display control unit 160 may set the first mode when the user's learning level is less than 8, and set the second mode when the user's learning level is greater than or equal to 8. Therefore, for users with a learning level less than 8, it is possible to prevent the disease from being overlooked by setting the first mode, and for users with a learning level greater than or equal to 8, it is possible to improve the visibility of the diagnosis result screen by setting the second mode. Thus, the ultrasonic diagnostic system 10 of the present embodiment can effectively display a plurality of diagnosis results by a plurality of learned models with different characteristics for the same disease to the user.

[0052] In addition, the display control unit 160 may obtain the proficiency level associated with the user ID from the user information 191. As described above, the proficiency level is information indicating the user's proficiency level regarding the ultrasonic diagnostic system 10 (for example, a value corresponding to the time or number of times the user has used the ultrasonic diagnostic system 10). When the user's proficiency level is less than the second threshold TH2, the display control unit 160 may set the first mode, and when the user's proficiency level is equal to or greater than the second threshold TH2, the display control unit 160 may set the second mode. For example, when the second threshold TH2 is 8, the display control unit 160 may set the first mode when the user's proficiency level is less than 8, and set the second mode when the user's proficiency level is 8 or more. Therefore, for users with a proficiency level less than 8, it is possible to prevent missing a disease by setting the first mode, and for users with a proficiency level of 8 or more, it is possible to improve the visibility of the diagnostic result screen by setting the second mode. Thereby, the ultrasonic diagnostic system 10 of the present embodiment can effectively display a plurality of diagnostic results by a plurality of learned models having different characteristics for the same disease to the user.

[0053] In addition, the display control unit 160 may obtain information regarding the certified doctor associated with the user ID from the user information 191. As described above, the information regarding the certified doctor may be information indicating whether the user is a certified doctor or not. When the user is not a certified doctor, the display control unit 160 may set the first mode, and when the user is a certified doctor, the display control unit 160 may set the second mode. Therefore, for users who are not certified doctors, it is possible to prevent missing a disease by setting the first mode, and for users who are certified doctors, it is possible to improve the visibility of the diagnostic result screen by setting the second mode. Thereby, the ultrasonic diagnostic system 10 of the present embodiment can effectively display a plurality of diagnostic results by a plurality of learned models having different characteristics for the same disease to the user.

[0054] Further, the display control unit 160 may acquire information regarding the field of expertise associated with the user ID from the user information 191. As described above, the information regarding the field of expertise is information indicating the user's field of expertise as a doctor. The information regarding the field of expertise may be, for example, information indicating the user's medical field of expertise such as orthopedic surgery, cardiac surgery, thoracic surgery, and neurosurgery. The display control unit 160 sets the first mode when the disease targeted by the plurality of diagnostic processes (for example, cardiomyopathy) is not a disease related to the user's field of expertise, and sets the second mode when the disease targeted by the plurality of diagnostic processes (for example, cardiomyopathy) is a disease related to the user's field of expertise. Therefore, for a user whose target disease is outside their field of expertise, it is possible to prevent the disease from being overlooked by setting the first mode, and for a user whose target disease is within their field of expertise, the visibility of the diagnostic result screen can be improved by setting the second mode. As a result, the ultrasonic diagnostic system 10 of the present embodiment can effectively display a plurality of diagnostic results by a plurality of learned models with different characteristics for the same disease to the user.

[0055] Note that the display control unit 160 may calculate a score based on at least two or more pieces of information among the user's learning level, proficiency, information about a certified doctor, and information about a specialized field, and set the first mode or the second mode based on the calculated score. For example, the display control unit 160 may calculate a first score such that the higher the user's learning level, the higher the value. Also, the display control unit 160 may calculate a second score such that the higher the user's proficiency, the higher the value. Also, the display control unit 160 may calculate a third score such that the value is high if the user is a certified doctor. Also, the display control unit 160 may calculate a fourth score such that the value is high if the diseases targeted by a plurality of diagnostic processes are diseases related to the user's specialized field. Also, the display control unit 160 may calculate a total score by summing at least two or more values among the first score to the fourth score. Further, the display control unit 160 may set the first mode when the total score is less than a predetermined value, and set the second mode when the total score is greater than or equal to the predetermined value. Thereby, the ultrasonic diagnostic system 10 of the present embodiment can effectively display a plurality of diagnostic results by a plurality of learned models having different characteristics for the same disease to the user.

[0056] [Flowchart] FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing an example of a process executed by the first ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 100. First, the ultrasonic image generation unit 120 generates an ultrasonic image (echo image) based on the probe signal received from the ultrasonic probe 50 (S101).

[0057] Next, the determination unit 150 determines the diagnostic process to be executed (S102). For example, the determination unit 150 may determine the diagnostic process to be executed based on the information about the disease input by the user (such as a doctor) using the input unit 170.

[0058] Next, the first diagnosis processing unit 130 performs a diagnosis process (S103). In the diagnosis process of S103, a plurality of diagnosis processes are executed using a plurality of trained models with different characteristics for the same disease. The detailed flow of the diagnosis process will be described later with reference to FIG. 11.

[0059] Next, the display control unit 160 determines which of the first mode and the second mode is to be set (S104). For example, the display control unit 160 may determine which of the first mode and the second mode is to be set based on the user information 191, which is information about the user who uses the ultrasonic diagnostic system 10. As described above, when the user who uses the ultrasonic diagnostic system 10 is a user with little experience in the medical field of the diagnosis target, the display control unit 160 may determine to set the first mode. On the other hand, when the user who uses the ultrasonic diagnostic system 10 is a user with rich experience in the medical field of the diagnosis target, the display control unit 160 may determine to set the second mode.

[0060] Next, when the display control unit 160 determines to set the first mode, as shown in FIG. 8, it causes the display unit 180 to display all of the plurality of diagnosis results obtained by the plurality of diagnosis processes (S105). This can prevent the user with little experience in the medical field of the diagnosis target from overlooking the disease even when performing a diagnosis based on the ultrasonic image.

[0061] On the other hand, when the display control unit 160 determines to set the second mode, as shown in FIG. 9, it does not cause the display unit 180 to display one or more of the plurality of diagnosis results obtained by the plurality of diagnosis processes (S106). This can improve the visibility of the diagnosis result screen even when a user with rich experience in the medical field of the diagnosis target performs a diagnosis based on the ultrasonic image.

[0062] FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing an example of the diagnostic process executed by the first ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 100. The diagnostic process shown in FIG. 11 details S103 in FIG. 10. First, the determination unit 140 identifies a plurality of diagnostic processes to be executed based on the diagnostic ID output from the determination unit (S201). For example, in FIG. 7 described above, when the diagnostic ID output from the determination unit is D001, the determination unit 140 identifies the diagnostic processes by three learned models (M001, M002, M003) as the plurality of diagnostic processes to be executed.

[0063] Next, the determination unit 140 determines whether to execute each of the identified plurality of diagnostic processes on the first ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 100 (S202). For example, the determination unit 140 acquires the priority of each of the identified plurality of learned models (M001, M002, M003) from the model information 192. Also, the determination unit 140 determines to execute the diagnostic process by the learned model whose acquired priority is equal to or higher than a predetermined value on the first ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, and determines to execute the diagnostic process by the learned model whose acquired priority is less than the predetermined value on the second ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus.

[0064] In this way, the determination unit 140 determines on which of the first ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 100 and the second ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 200 to execute each of the plurality of diagnostic processes. Specifically, the determination unit 140 determines to execute, on the first ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 100, the diagnostic process for obtaining the diagnostic result displayed in the second mode (the diagnostic process with a priority equal to or higher than a predetermined value) among the plurality of diagnostic processes, and determines to execute, on the second ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 200, the diagnostic process for obtaining the diagnostic result not displayed in the second mode (the diagnostic process with a priority less than a predetermined value). In this way, by dispersing the plurality of diagnostic processes between the first ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 100 and the second ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 200, it is possible to prevent the processing load on the first ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 100 from becoming excessive and the battery consumption from becoming intense.

[0065] When it is determined in S202 that the first ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 100 executes a diagnostic process, the first diagnostic processing unit 130 executes the diagnostic process (S203). After that, the first diagnostic processing unit 130 outputs the diagnostic result to the display control unit 160, and the process proceeds to S104 in FIG. 10.

[0066] On the other hand, when it is not determined in S202 that the first ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 100 executes a diagnostic process, the determination unit 140 requests the second ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 200 to execute a diagnostic process (S204). Specifically, the determination unit 140 controls the first communication unit 110 to transmit a diagnostic process request to the second ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 200. The diagnostic process request includes a model ID of a learned model used for executing the diagnostic process and an ultrasonic image. The second diagnostic processing unit 230 of the second ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 200 executes a plurality of diagnostic processes based on the ultrasonic image in parallel using a plurality of learned models stored in the second storage unit 290 in response to the diagnostic process request received from the first ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 100. Further, the second diagnostic processing unit 230 controls the second communication unit 210 to transmit the diagnostic result to the first ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 100. After that, the first communication unit 110 of the first ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 100 outputs the diagnostic result received from the second ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 200 to the display control unit 160, and the process proceeds to S104 in FIG. 10.

[0067] As described above, the ultrasonic diagnostic system 10 includes an ultrasonic probe 50 and a first ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 100. The ultrasonic probe 50 transmits ultrasonic waves to a subject (living body P) and generates a probe signal based on reflected waves from the subject. The first ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 100 is connected to the ultrasonic probe 50. The first ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 100 includes an ultrasonic image generation unit 120, a first storage unit 190, a first diagnostic processing unit 130, and a display control unit 160. The ultrasonic image generation unit 120 generates an ultrasonic image based on the probe signal received from the ultrasonic probe 50. The first storage unit 190 stores a plurality of learned models with different characteristics for the same disease, which are used for the diagnostic processing of the subject (living body P). The first diagnostic processing unit 130 uses the plurality of learned models to execute a plurality of diagnostic processes based on the ultrasonic image in parallel. The display control unit 160 switches between a first mode in which all of the plurality of diagnostic results obtained by the plurality of diagnostic processes are displayed on the display unit 180 and a second mode in which one or more of the plurality of diagnostic results are not displayed on the display unit 180. As a result, the ultrasonic diagnostic system 10 of the present embodiment can effectively display a plurality of diagnostic results by a plurality of learned models with different characteristics for the same disease to the user.

[0068] As described above, the embodiments for carrying out the present invention have been described using the embodiments. However, the present invention is not limited to such embodiments, and various modifications and substitutions can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0069] 10 Ultrasonic diagnostic system 50 Ultrasonic probe 100 First ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 110 First communication unit 120 Ultrasonic image generation unit 130 First diagnostic processing unit 140 Determination unit 150 Decision unit 160 Display control unit 170 Input unit 180 display unit 190 first memory unit 200 second ultrasonic diagnostic device 210 second communication unit 230 second diagnostic processing unit 290 second memory unit

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; 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 having different characteristics targeting the same disease, which are used in the diagnosis process of the subject; A first diagnostic processing unit that executes a plurality of diagnostic processes based on the ultrasound image in parallel using the plurality of trained models; a display control unit that switches between a first mode in which all of the plurality of diagnostic results obtained by the plurality of diagnostic processes are displayed on a display unit and a second mode in which one or more of the plurality of diagnostic results are not displayed on the display unit, the display control unit switches between the first mode and the second mode based on user information which is information about a user who uses the ultrasound diagnostic system; The user information includes a learning level indicating a learning progress of the user regarding diagnosis using the ultrasound image, The display control unit sets the first mode when the learning level of the user is less than a first threshold, and sets the second mode when the learning level of the user is equal to or greater than the first threshold. Ultrasound diagnostic system.

2. 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; 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 having different characteristics targeting the same disease, which are used in the diagnosis process of the subject; A first diagnostic processing unit that executes a plurality of diagnostic processes based on the ultrasound image in parallel using the plurality of trained models; a display control unit that switches between a first mode in which all of the plurality of diagnostic results obtained by the plurality of diagnostic processes are displayed on a display unit and a second mode in which one or more of the plurality of diagnostic results are not displayed on the display unit, the display control unit switches between the first mode and the second mode based on user information which is information about a user who uses the ultrasound diagnostic system; the user information includes a proficiency level of the user regarding the ultrasound diagnostic system; The display control unit sets the first mode when the user's proficiency level is less than a second threshold, and sets the second mode when the user's proficiency level is equal to or greater than the second threshold. Ultrasound diagnostic system.

3. 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; 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 having different characteristics targeting the same disease, which are used in the diagnosis process of the subject; A first diagnostic processing unit that executes a plurality of diagnostic processes based on the ultrasound image in parallel using the plurality of trained models; a display control unit that switches between a first mode in which all of the plurality of diagnostic results obtained by the plurality of diagnostic processes are displayed on a display unit and a second mode in which one or more of the plurality of diagnostic results are not displayed on the display unit, the display control unit switches between the first mode and the second mode based on user information which is information about a user who uses the ultrasound diagnostic system; The user information includes information indicating whether the user is a certified physician; the display control unit sets the first mode when the user is a certified doctor, and sets the second mode when the user is not a certified doctor. Ultrasound diagnostic system.

4. 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; 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 having different characteristics targeting the same disease, which are used in the diagnosis process of the subject; A first diagnostic processing unit that executes a plurality of diagnostic processes based on the ultrasound image in parallel using the plurality of trained models; a display control unit that switches between a first mode in which all of the plurality of diagnostic results obtained by the plurality of diagnostic processes are displayed on a display unit and a second mode in which one or more of the plurality of diagnostic results are not displayed on the display unit, the display control unit switches between the first mode and the second mode based on user information which is information about a user who uses the ultrasound diagnostic system; The user information includes information indicating the user's specialty as a doctor, the display control unit sets the first mode when a disease targeted by the plurality of diagnostic processes is not a disease related to the specialized field, and sets the second mode when a disease targeted by the plurality of diagnostic processes is a disease related to the specialized field. Ultrasound diagnostic system.

5. 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 having different characteristics targeting the same disease, which are used in the diagnosis process of the subject; A first diagnostic processing unit that executes a plurality of diagnostic processes based on the ultrasound image in parallel using the plurality of trained models; a display control unit that switches between a first mode in which all of the multiple diagnostic results obtained by the multiple diagnostic processes are displayed on a display unit and a second mode in which one or more of the multiple diagnostic results are not displayed on the display unit; a first communication unit that transmits the ultrasound image to the second ultrasound diagnostic device; a determination unit that determines whether the first ultrasonic diagnostic device or the second ultrasonic diagnostic device is to execute each of the plurality of diagnostic processes, 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 the plurality of trained models; A second diagnostic processing unit that executes a plurality of diagnostic processes based on the ultrasound image in parallel using the plurality of trained models, the determination unit determines that, among the plurality of diagnostic processes, a diagnostic process for obtaining a diagnostic result that is displayed in the second mode is to be executed by the first ultrasonic diagnostic device, and determines that a diagnostic process for obtaining a diagnostic result that is not displayed in the second mode is to be executed by the second ultrasonic diagnostic device. Ultrasound diagnostic system.

6. The display control unit causes the display unit to display, as the diagnosis result, a position where the disease may occur and a degree of certainty of the disease, superimposed on the ultrasound image. The ultrasound diagnostic system according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

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