Medical information processing device and program

Abstract

To enable efficient referencing of a medical image in inspecting a medical image acquisition device for acquiring a medical image of a subject.SOLUTION: A medical information processing device includes an acquisition unit and a display control unit. The acquisition unit acquires a medical image of a subject that is acquired by a medical image acquisition device. The display control unit displays the medical image on a display unit while corresponding to information relating to imaging of the medical image that is recorded by the medical image acquisition device.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The embodiments disclosed in the present specification and drawings relate to a medical information processing device and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, ultrasonic diagnostic devices have been developed that use ultrasonic waves to capture images of the inside of a subject and display the captured images in chronological order. However, with conventional ultrasonic diagnostic devices, it is sometimes difficult to find images related to a malfunction when investigating a malfunction, making it difficult to carry out an investigation efficiently. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Special Publication No. 2015-532607 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The problem to be solved by the embodiments disclosed in this specification and the drawings is to enable efficient reference to medical images when investigating a medical image acquisition device that acquires medical images of a subject. However, the problem to be solved by the embodiments disclosed in this specification and the drawings is not limited to the above problem. Problems corresponding to the effects of each configuration shown in the embodiments described below can also be positioned as other problems. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The medical image processing apparatus of the embodiment includes an acquisition unit and a display control unit. The acquisition unit acquires medical images of a subject acquired by a medical image acquisition device. The display control unit causes the display unit to display the medical images in association with information related to the capture of the medical images recorded by the medical image acquisition device. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0006] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of an ultrasound diagnostic apparatus according to an embodiment; [Figure 2] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a diagnostic screen displayed on the diagnostic terminal device. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a survey screen displayed on the survey terminal device. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of a survey screen display function. [Figure 5A] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of an investigation screen display process executed by the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus according to the embodiment. [Figure 5B] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of an investigation screen display process executed by the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus according to the embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of an investigation screen in a multiple log mode. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of an investigation screen in a log search mode. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a first example of an investigation screen when an error occurs. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a second example of an investigation screen when an error occurs. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a third example of an investigation screen when an error occurs. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0007] Hereinafter, a medical image processing apparatus and a program according to an embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0008] The medical image diagnostic apparatus of the embodiment is a medical apparatus that captures medical images of a subject. Examples of the medical image diagnostic apparatus include an ultrasound diagnostic apparatus, an X-ray CT (Computed Tomography) apparatus, a PET (Positron Emission Tomography)-CT apparatus, and an MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) apparatus. In the following description, the medical image diagnostic apparatus will be described as an ultrasound diagnostic apparatus.

[0009] [Configuration of ultrasound diagnostic equipment] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of an ultrasound diagnostic device 1 according to an embodiment. The ultrasound diagnostic device 1 is placed in, for example, a medical institution such as a hospital. The ultrasound diagnostic device 1 is operated by an operator, such as a technician or doctor, and captures images of the inside of a patient's body using ultrasound to obtain ultrasound images showing the state of the inside of the body of the patient. The ultrasound diagnostic device 1 transmits the obtained ultrasound images to a diagnostic terminal device 2. The diagnostic terminal device 2 is a terminal device used by a doctor D to refer to the ultrasound images of the patient. By operating the diagnostic terminal device 2, the doctor D can specify the ultrasound images to be displayed and the display method of the ultrasound images.

[0010] The ultrasound diagnostic device 1 includes, for example, an ultrasound probe 10 and a main unit 100. The ultrasound probe 10 is connected to the main unit 100 via a communication cable, and inputs and outputs electrical signals to and from the main unit 100. For example, the ultrasound probe 10 is pressed against a part of a subject (a region to be examined or diagnosed) by an operator, and irradiates the subject with ultrasound waves in synchronization with the control of the main unit 100. When the ultrasound probe 10 receives reflected waves (echoes) of the irradiated ultrasound waves, it generates signal data of the received echoes (hereinafter referred to as "echo data") and outputs the signal data to the main unit 100.

[0011] The main device 100 is connected to the diagnostic terminal device 2 and the investigation terminal device 3 via the network NW so as to be able to communicate information with them. The investigation terminal device 3 is a terminal device used by maintenance personnel of the ultrasound diagnostic device 1 for maintenance, inspection, and recovery work of the ultrasound diagnostic device 1. The network NW is an information communication network that uses electrical communication technology. The network NW may be a LAN (Local Area Network) or a WAN including the Internet network, a telephone communication network, a mobile communication network, etc. Furthermore, the network NW may be configured as a wired network connected by optical fiber, metal cable, etc., or as a wireless network such as a wireless LAN or LTE (Long Term Evolution), or may be configured as a combination of these.

[0012] The main device 100 includes, for example, a communication interface 110, an input interface 120, a display 130, a processing circuit 140, and a memory 150. The communication interface 110 is, for example, a network interface card (NIC) such as Ethernet (registered trademark) or wireless LAN. The communication interface 110 communicates with external devices such as the diagnostic terminal device 2 via a network NW.

[0013] The input interface 120 accepts various inputs of operations for the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus 1, converts the input operations into electrical signals, and outputs the electrical signals to the processing circuitry 140. For example, the input interface 120 includes input devices such as a mouse, keyboard, trackball, switch, button, joystick, and touch panel. The input interface 120 may also include an audio input device such as a microphone and be configured to accept input of operations via audio input. Furthermore, if the input interface 120 includes a touch panel, the input interface 120 may be configured integrally with the display 130.

[0014] In this specification, the input interface 120 is not limited to an input device configured as a part of the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus 1. For example, the input interface 120 may be configured as a communication interface that inputs an electrical signal indicating an operation on the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus 1 from an external device configured separately from the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus 1.

[0015] The display 130 is a display device that displays various types of information. For example, the display 130 displays images generated by the processing circuit 140, a GUI (Graphical User Interface) for receiving inputs of various operations by an operator, etc. For example, the display 130 is an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display), a CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) display, an organic EL (Electro Luminescence) display, etc.

[0016] The processing circuitry 140 includes, for example, an acquisition function 141, an imaging control function 142, an image generation function 143, a log function 144, a diagnosis screen display function 145, and an investigation screen display function 146. The processing circuitry 140 realizes these functions by, for example, a hardware processor (computer) executing a program stored in a memory 150 (storage circuit).

[0017] The hardware processor refers to a circuit such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), a programmable logic device (e.g., a Simple Programmable Logic Device (SPLD) or a Complex Programmable Logic Device (CPLD), or a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA)). Instead of storing the program in memory 150, the program may be directly embedded in the circuit of the hardware processor. In this case, the hardware processor realizes its function by reading and executing the program embedded in the circuit. The program may be stored in memory 150 in advance, or may be stored in a non-transitory storage medium such as a DVD or CD-ROM, and installed in memory 150 from the non-transitory storage medium when the non-transitory storage medium is attached to a drive device (not shown) of ultrasound diagnostic apparatus 1. The hardware processor is not limited to being configured as a single circuit, but may be configured as a single hardware processor by combining multiple independent circuits to realize each function, or multiple components may be integrated into a single hardware processor to realize each function.

[0018] The acquisition function 141 acquires echo data output by the ultrasonic probe 10. The imaging control function 142 sets imaging conditions based on an operation by an operator via the input interface 120, and controls the ultrasonic probe 10 based on the set imaging conditions, thereby causing the ultrasonic probe 10 to output echo data.

[0019] The imaging conditions include various parameters related to image adjustment. The parameters include, for example, whether the zoom function is on or off, the frame rate value, the image quality level, the dynamic range value, whether a function for capturing images at a high frame rate is on or off, the brightness value, and the protocol. A protocol is the procedure for performing an examination on a subject (examination procedure). A protocol is created according to the purpose of the examination, the area to be examined, etc., and is represented by a combination of one or more steps. The imaging conditions also include information such as the type of ultrasound probe 10 used for imaging and whether or not a stress echo examination is performed.

[0020] The image generation function 143 generates an ultrasound image showing the state inside the subject based on the echo data acquired by the acquisition function 141. The image generation function 143 displays the generated ultrasound image on the display 130 and stores the image in the memory 150 in association with information about the subject, imaging conditions, etc. Hereinafter, the data of the ultrasound image stored in the memory 150 in association with information about the subject, imaging conditions, etc. will be referred to as ultrasound image data 151. The ultrasound image data 151 stores image data of the ultrasound image in association with the imaging time of the ultrasound image.

[0021] The log function 144 is a function that records various events detected in the main device 100. The log function 144 records, for example, an error log 153, an operation log 155, and an apparatus status log 157, and stores them in the memory 150. The error log 153 is a log in which errors that occur in the ultrasound diagnostic device 1 are recorded. The operation log 155 is a log in which operations input to the ultrasound diagnostic device 1 are recorded. The apparatus status log 157 is a log in which the status of the ultrasound diagnostic device 1 is recorded.

[0022] The diagnostic screen display function 145 is a function that displays an ultrasound image on the diagnostic terminal device 2 in order to assist the doctor D in diagnosing the subject. For example, the diagnostic screen display function 145 receives a display request for an ultrasound image from the diagnostic terminal device 2, and in response to the received display request, generates control information for displaying a diagnostic screen (hereinafter referred to as "display control information") and supplies it to the diagnostic terminal device 2. The diagnostic screen is a user interface that displays an ultrasound image on the diagnostic terminal device 2.

[0023] For example, HTML (Hypertext Markup Language) data is an example of the display control information. In this case, the diagnostic screen display function 145 is configured as, for example, an HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) server and receives an HTTP request from the diagnostic terminal device 2 requesting the display of an ultrasound image. The diagnostic screen display function 145 determines a target image based on the content of the received HTTP request, generates HTML data for displaying a diagnostic screen displaying the determined target image on the diagnostic terminal device 2, and supplies the HTML data to the diagnostic terminal device 2. In the diagnostic terminal device 2, the web browser interprets the HTML data received from the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus 1 and performs display processing, thereby displaying a diagnostic screen on the web browser. Note that the diagnostic screen may be configured to include a user interface that not only displays an ultrasound image but also accepts input of various operations related to the display of the ultrasound image.

[0024] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a diagnostic screen displayed on the diagnostic terminal device 2. The diagnostic screen G9 shown in FIG. 2 includes, for example, an ultrasound image display area G11, a playback menu G12, and a seek bar G13. The ultrasound image display area G11 is an area where the ultrasound image to be displayed is displayed. The playback menu G12 is an operation menu for playing back ultrasound images acquired continuously in chronological order as video. The playback menu G12 includes, for example, a play button B1, a stop button B2, a pause button B3, a rewind button B4, and a fast-forward button B5.

[0025] The play button B1 is a button for instructing the main device 100 to play back an ultrasound image. The stop button B2 is a button for instructing the main device 100 to stop playing back an ultrasound image. The pause button B3 is a button for instructing the main device 100 to pause playing back an ultrasound image. The rewind button B4 is a button for instructing the main device 100 to rewind playing back an ultrasound image. The fast-forward button B5 is a button for instructing the main device 100 to fast-forward playing back an ultrasound image.

[0026] The seek bar G13 is a user interface that accepts input of an operation to specify a playback position for playback of an ultrasound image. The seek bar G13 includes, for example, a playback position operation unit S and a reduced image M. The playback position operation unit S instructs the main unit 100 to change the playback position according to its own display position. For example, in the example of FIG. 2, the left end of the seek bar G13 corresponds to the playback start position, and the right end corresponds to the playback end position. By changing the position of the playback position operation unit S within this range, the operator can change the playback position to any timing between the playback start position and the playback end position. In addition, the reduced image M1 is a reduced image (so-called thumbnail image) of the ultrasound image at each playback position. The operator can efficiently find the desired ultrasound image by using the reduced image M to find the desired ultrasound image.

[0027] [Survey screen display function] Returning to the explanation of Figure 1, the investigation screen display function 146 is a function that displays ultrasound images on the investigation terminal device 3 for the purpose of assisting the maintenance worker M in investigating the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus 1. More specifically, the investigation screen display function 146 causes the investigation terminal device 3 to display an investigation screen that displays ultrasound images stored in the memory 150 in association with events recorded in various logs. For example, the investigation screen display function 146 accepts a request to display an investigation screen from the investigation terminal device 3, and generates display control information for displaying the investigation screen in response to the accepted display request and supplies the display control information to the investigation terminal device 3.

[0028] Similarly to the diagnosis screen, the investigation screen may have display control information generated as HTML data. Similarly to the diagnosis screen, the investigation screen may be configured to display ultrasound images and include a user interface that accepts input of various operations related to the display of ultrasound images.

[0029] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of an investigation screen displayed on the investigation terminal device 3. For example, the investigation screen G1 shown in FIG. 3 is configured as a screen having a first display area G10, a second display area G20, a third display area G30, and a fourth display area G40. The first display area G10 is a display area of ​​a user interface that accepts input of an operation to select a log to be displayed. The second display area G20 is an area where the contents of the log selected to be displayed are displayed. The third display area G30 is a display area of ​​a user interface that accepts input of a keyword (hereinafter referred to as a "search key") for searching the selected log. Note that when a search key is entered, the second display area G20 displays the search results of each selected log. The fourth display area G40 is an area where an ultrasound image selected to be displayed is displayed. FIG. 3 shows a case where an ultrasound image is displayed in the fourth display area G40 using a user interface similar to that of the diagnosis screen of FIG. 2.

[0030] In this case, the target image is selected by specifying an arbitrary entry from the log information displayed in the second display area G20. FIG. 3 shows an example of the display of the investigation screen when an error log is selected as the log to be displayed, and the entry for 15:01:01 on February 5, 2021 is selected from the error log. In this case, the investigation screen display function 146 selects the ultrasound image captured at 15:01:01 on February 5, 2021 as the target image from the ultrasound images stored in the memory 150, and generates display control information for displaying the selected target image in the fourth display area G40 and supplies the display control information to the investigation terminal device 3, thereby causing the investigation screen illustrated in FIG. 3 to be displayed on the investigation terminal device 3.

[0031] The investigation screen display function 146 may be configured to highlight an entry selected as a display target to visually facilitate the correspondence between the ultrasound image displayed on the investigation screen and the corresponding entry. For example, in FIG. 3, the target entry is highlighted by enclosing it with an object EM1, but the highlighting method is not limited to this example. For example, highlighting may be achieved by underlining the target entry, making it bold, or changing the background color.

[0032] FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the investigation screen display function 146. The investigation screen display function 146 includes, for example, a display mode determination function 161, a target image acquisition function 162, a log search function 163, and a display control function 164. The display mode determination function 161 is a function that determines the display mode of an ultrasound image on the investigation screen. The display mode determination function 161 determines the display mode to be one of, for example, single log mode, multiple log mode, and log search mode. The single log mode is a display mode that displays an ultrasound image in association with a single log. The multiple log mode is a display mode that displays an ultrasound image in association with multiple logs. The log search mode is a display mode that displays an ultrasound image in association with the search results of the logs. The display mode determination function 161 accepts input of an operation related to the display of the investigation screen via the investigation terminal device 3 and determines the display mode based on the content of the input operation.

[0033] The target image acquisition function 162 extracts an ultrasound image (target image) to be displayed on the investigation screen from among the ultrasound images stored in the memory 150, based on the display mode of the investigation screen determined by the display mode determination function 161. The target image acquisition function 162 outputs the extracted target image to the display control function 164.

[0034] If the display mode of the investigation screen determined by the display mode determination function 161 is the log search mode, the log search function 163 searches for the target log using the specified search key. The log search function 163 outputs the search results to the display control function 164.

[0035] The display control function 164 generates display control information for the investigation screen based on the display mode determined by the display mode determination function 161, the target image extracted by the target image acquisition function 162, and the search results of the target log acquired by the log search function 163, and supplies the generated display control information to the investigation terminal device 3.

[0036] [Survey screen display processing] 5A and 5B are flowcharts showing an example of the flow of processing (hereinafter referred to as "survey screen display processing") in which the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus 1 of the embodiment displays a survey screen on the survey terminal device 3. First, the display control function 164 determines whether or not a display request for the survey screen has been received from the survey terminal device 3 (step S11). Here, if it is determined that a display request for the survey screen has not been received from the survey terminal device 3 (step S11-NO), the display control function 164 repeatedly executes step S11 until a display request for the survey screen is received from the survey terminal device 3.

[0037] On the other hand, if it is determined in step S11 that a display request for the investigation screen has been received from the investigation terminal device 3 (step S11-YES), the display control function 164 generates display control information for displaying the investigation screen in an initial state and transmits it to the investigation terminal device 3, thereby causing the investigation terminal device 3 to display the investigation screen in an initial state (step S12). For example, the display control function 164 causes the investigation terminal device 3 to display, as the investigation screen in an initial state, a screen that displays a user interface that accepts an input for an operation to select a log to be displayed (hereinafter referred to as a "target log selection UI") and a user interface that accepts an input of a search key for the selected log (hereinafter referred to as a "search key input UI") on the investigation screen G1 exemplified in FIG. 3. By displaying such an investigation screen in an initial state, the investigation terminal device 3 accepts an input for an operation to select a target log and transmits the input operation information to the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus 1.

[0038] Next, the display mode determination function 161 determines the display mode of the ultrasound image on the investigation screen based on the operation information received from the investigation terminal device 3 (step S13). Here, it is assumed that any one of the single log mode, the multiple log mode, and the log search mode is designated by the operation information. For example, the display control function 164 can determine that the display mode is the single log mode when the operation information indicates that any one of the error log, the operation log, and the device status log has been selected in the target log selection UI. Furthermore, for example, the display control function 164 can determine that the display mode is the multiple log mode when the operation information indicates that multiple logs of the error log, the operation log, and the device status log have been selected in the target log selection UI. Furthermore, for example, the display control function 164 can determine that the display mode is the log search mode when the operation information indicates that one or more logs of the error log, the operation log, and the device status log have been selected in the target log selection UI and that a search key has been entered in the search key input UI.

[0039] Here, if it is determined that the display mode is the single log mode (step S13: single log mode), the display control function 164 generates display control information for an investigation screen that displays an ultrasound image in the single log mode and transmits it to the investigation terminal device 3, thereby causing the investigation terminal device 3 to display the investigation screen in the single log mode (step S14). The investigation screen G1 shown in Fig. 3 is an example of an investigation screen in the single log mode, in which an error log is selected as the target log.

[0040] For example, when the investigation screen G1 is displayed on the investigation terminal device 3, the target image acquisition function 162 first refers to the error log selected as the target log and determines the imaging time of the ultrasound image to be displayed on the investigation screen G1 as the target image from the times when each of the listed log entries was recorded. Hereinafter, the imaging time determined here is referred to as the "target time," and the log entry recorded at the target time is referred to as the "target entry." The target time may be determined based on the target entry specified by the maintenance worker M, or may be determined based on predetermined conditions in the initial display or the like when no target entry is specified.

[0041] 3 is an example of the display of the investigation screen in the initial display, in which the recording time of the entry written at the beginning of the error log is determined as the target time. In this case, the target image acquisition function 162 extracts an ultrasound image captured at the target time from the ultrasound image data 151 as the target image (step S141) and outputs the extracted target image to the display control function 164. The display control function 164 acquires the error log 153 as a single target log from the memory 150 (step S142). The display control function 164 generates display control information for displaying the contents of the acquired error log 153 in the second display area G20 and for displaying the acquired target image in the fourth display area G40, and transmits the display control information to the investigation terminal device 3 (step S143).

[0042] On the other hand, if it is determined that the display mode is the multi-log mode (step S13: single-log mode), the display control function 164 generates display control information for an investigation screen that displays an ultrasound image in the multi-log mode and transmits it to the investigation terminal device 3, thereby causing the investigation terminal device 3 to display an investigation screen in the multi-log mode (step S15).

[0043] 6 is a diagram showing an example of an investigation screen in the multiple log mode. The investigation screen G2 shown in FIG. 6 shows an example of the display of the investigation screen in the multiple log mode when all of the error log, operation log, and device status log are selected as target logs. In this case, the display control function 164 generates display control information for displaying, in the second display area G20, a first log display area G21 that displays the contents of the error log, a second log display area G22 that displays the contents of the operation log, and a third log display area G23 that displays the contents of the device status log, and transmits the display control information to the investigation terminal device 3. As a result, the display control function 164 can display the investigation screen G2 on the investigation terminal device 3.

[0044] 3, the display control function 164 may be configured to highlight a log entry corresponding to a displayed target image on the investigation screen G2 in multiple log mode. For example, FIG. 6 shows an example of the investigation screen G2 on which objects EM2 to EM4 are displayed, highlighting the log entry recorded at "February 5, 2021, 15:01:02," corresponding to the capture time of the target image displayed in the fourth display area G40, "February 5, 2021, 15:01:02." By highlighting the log entry corresponding to the target image on the investigation screen in multiple log mode, the maintenance worker M can easily check the event that occurred when the target image was captured.

[0045] For example, when the investigation screen G2 is displayed on the investigation terminal device 3, the target image acquisition function 162 first determines one target time by referring to the error log, operation log, and device status log selected as the target log. The target time may be determined based on the target entry specified by the maintenance technician M, or, in the case of the initial display where the target entry is not specified, may be determined based on predetermined conditions. For example, the investigation screen G2 in FIG. 6 is an example of the initial display of the investigation screen, in which the recording time of the entry written at the beginning of each log, "February 5, 2021, 15:01:02," is determined as the target time. Note that if the recording times of the entries written at the beginning of each log are different, the target image acquisition function 162 may select the target time from among those different recording times based on any criteria (e.g., the most recent time). Furthermore, the target time does not necessarily have to be a time written in all of the target logs; it may be a time written in at least one of the target logs.

[0046] In this case, the target image acquisition function 162 extracts an ultrasound image captured at a target time from the ultrasound image data 151 as a target image (step S151), and outputs the extracted target image to the display control function 164. The display control function 164 acquires the error log 153, the operation log 155, and the device status log 157 as multiple target logs from the memory 150 (step S152). The display control function 164 generates display control information for displaying the contents of the acquired error log 153 in the first log display area G21, the contents of the operation log 155 in the second log display area G22, and the contents of the device status log 157 in the third log display area G23, and transmits the display control information to the investigation terminal device 3 (step S153).

[0047] 5A and 5B , on the other hand, if it is determined that the display mode is the log search mode (step S13: log search mode), the display control function 164 generates display control information for an investigation screen that displays an ultrasound image in the log search mode and transmits it to the investigation terminal device 3, thereby causing the investigation terminal device 3 to display the investigation screen in the log search mode (step S16).

[0048] 7 is a diagram showing an example of an investigation screen in log search mode. The investigation screen G3 shown in FIG. 7 shows an example of the display of the investigation screen in log search mode when an operation log and a device status log are selected as target logs and the character string "PW" is entered as a search key. In this case, the display control function 164 generates display control information for displaying, in the second display area G20, a first log display area G24 that displays the search results of the operation log using the search key and a second log display area G25 that displays the search results of the device status log using the same search key, and transmits the display control information to the investigation terminal device 3. This enables the display control function 164 to display the investigation screen G3 on the investigation terminal device 3.

[0049] 3, the display control function 164 may be configured to highlight a log entry corresponding to a displayed target image on the investigation screen G3 in log search mode. For example, FIG. 7 shows an example of the investigation screen G3 on which objects EM5 and EM6 are displayed, highlighting the log entry recorded at "February 5, 2021, 3:01 PM, 3:03 PM" in association with the capture time of the target image displayed in the fourth display area G40, "February 5, 2021." By highlighting the log entry corresponding to the target image on the investigation screen in log search mode, the maintenance worker M can easily confirm the event that occurred when the target image was captured.

[0050] For example, when the investigation screen G3 is displayed on the investigation terminal device 3, the log search function 163 first searches the operation log and device status log using the input search key “PW” and outputs the respective search results to the display control function 164. Next, the target image acquisition function 162 determines a single target time by referring to the operation log and device status log selected as the target log. The target time may be determined based on the target entry specified by the maintenance technician M, or, in the case of an initial display where no target entry is specified, it may be determined based on predetermined conditions. For example, the investigation screen G3 in FIG. 7 is an example of the initial display of the investigation screen, in which the recording time of the first entry of the search results for each log, “February 5, 2021, 3:01:02 PM,” is determined as the target time. Note that if the recording times of the first entries of each search result are different, the target image acquisition function 162 may select the target time from among those different recording times based on any criteria (e.g., the most recent time). Furthermore, the target time does not necessarily have to be a time included in the search results of all the target logs, but may be a time included in at least one of the search results.

[0051] In this case, the target image acquisition function 162 extracts an ultrasound image captured at a target time from the ultrasound image data 151 as a target image (step S161) and outputs the extracted target image to the display control function 164. Meanwhile, the log search function 163 acquires the operation log 155 and the device status log 157 as target logs from the memory 150 (step S162). The log search function 163 searches the acquired operation log 155 and device status log 157 using a common search key ("PW" in FIG. 7) and outputs the search results to the display control function 164 (step S163). The display control function 164 generates display control information for displaying the search results of the operation log 155 in the first log display area G24 and the search results of the device status log 157 in the second log display area G25, and transmits the display control information to the investigation terminal device 3 (step S164).

[0052] 5A and 5B. Next, the display control function 164 determines whether or not an operation to change the target image on the investigation screen displayed on the investigation terminal device 3 (hereinafter referred to as a "target change operation") has been input (step S17). The target change operation includes, for example, an operation to designate an ultrasound image different from the ultrasound image currently being displayed as the target image, or an operation to designate a log entry different from the log entry corresponding to the target image currently being displayed as the target entry.

[0053] For example, the target change operation may be an operation to change the target entry in the second display area G20 or an operation to change the search key in the third display area G30. Also, for example, the target change operation may be an operation to change the playback position of the ultrasound image using the playback menu G12, seek bar G13, or the like in the fourth display area G40 of the investigation screen. For example, the display control function 164 can determine, based on the operation information received from the survey terminal device 3, whether or not a target change operation has been input.

[0054] Here, if it is determined that a target change operation has been input (step S17-YES), the display control function 164 executes a target change process to update the display of the investigation screen (step S18). Specifically, the display control function 164 generates display control information for displaying an investigation screen that displays an ultrasound image after the target change operation, and transmits the display control information to the investigation terminal device 3. For example, if an operation to change the search key is input as the target change operation, the log search function 163 performs a re-search of the target log using the changed search key. In this case, the display control function 164 generates display control information for displaying the results of the re-search using the new search key in the second display area G20, and transmits the display control information to the investigation terminal device 3.

[0055] Furthermore, for example, when an operation to specify a new target entry is input as a target change operation, the target image acquisition function 162 recognizes the new target time based on the recording time of the specified target entry, and extracts, as the target image, the ultrasound image captured at the recognized target time from the ultrasound image data 151. In this case, the display control function 164 generates display control information for displaying the newly acquired target image in the fourth display area G40, and transmits the display control information to the survey terminal device 3.

[0056] On the other hand, if it is determined in step S17 that a target change operation has not been input (step S17-NO), the display control function 164 skips step S18 and determines whether to terminate the display of the investigation screen (step S19). For example, the investigation terminal device 3 accepts input of an operation to terminate the display of the investigation screen (hereinafter referred to as an "termination operation") and transmits the input operation information to the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus 1. The display control function 164 can determine whether to terminate the display of the investigation screen depending on whether operation information indicating the termination operation has been received from the investigation terminal device 3.

[0057] Here, if it is determined that the display of the investigation screen should not be ended (step S19-NO), the display control function 164 returns the process to step S13 and repeatedly executes the display mode change process (steps S13 to S16) and the target image change process (steps S17 and S18).On the other hand, if it is determined in step S19 that the display of the investigation screen should be ended (step S19-YES), the display control function 164 ends the investigation screen display process.

[0058] By executing such an investigation screen display process, the ultrasound diagnostic device 1 of the embodiment can display ultrasound images corresponding to various logs on the investigation terminal device 3. According to the ultrasound diagnostic device 1 of the embodiment configured in this manner, if an abnormality occurs in the ultrasound diagnostic device 1, the maintenance worker M can easily check the ultrasound screen at the time of the abnormality occurrence.

[0059] For example, FIGS. 8 to 10 are diagrams illustrating an example of an investigation screen when an error occurs. The investigation screen G1′ shown in FIG. 8 illustrates a display example when a target change operation is input on the investigation screen G1 shown in FIG. 3 to change the target entry to the entry at “February 5, 2021, 15:01:03” where the error occurred. In this case, the display control function 164 sets the recording time of the entry designated as the changed target entry as the target time and extracts an ultrasound image captured at the target time from the ultrasound image data 151 as the target image. The display control function 164 generates display control information for displaying the extracted target image in the fourth display area G40 and transmits it to the investigation terminal device 3. The display example in FIG. 8 illustrates that the newly selected target image could not be obtained as a normal ultrasound image due to an error. Thus, according to the ultrasound diagnostic device 1 of the embodiment, the maintenance worker M can refer to the corresponding ultrasound image simply by selecting an entry in the target log displayed on the investigation screen, thereby efficiently investigating an abnormality that occurred in the ultrasound diagnostic device 1.

[0060] Next, the investigation screen G1'' shown in Figure 9 shows an example of the display when the search key "ERROR" is further entered in the investigation screen G1' shown in Figure 8. In this case, only entries containing the string "ERROR" can be displayed in the second display area G20, so that the maintenance worker M can more easily find the ultrasound image when an abnormality occurs, and can easily compare the ultrasound image when the abnormality being investigated occurred with ultrasound images taken at different times when a similar abnormality occurred, thereby more efficiently investigating the abnormality.

[0061] Next, the investigation screen G3′ shown in FIG. 10 represents an example of a display when an entry in an error log recorded when an abnormality occurred is selected on the investigation screen G3 shown in FIG. 6. In this case, the display control function 164 displays an ultrasound image at the time of the abnormality in the fourth display area G40 and highlights corresponding entries in the display areas of each log. For example, in the example of the investigation screen G3′, the display control function 164 highlights the selected error log entry with an object EM7 and highlights corresponding entries in the operation log and device status log with objects EM8 and EM9. Such highlighting allows the maintenance worker M to easily understand other events that occurred when the abnormality occurred, thereby enabling more efficient investigation of the abnormality.

[0062] Furthermore, the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus 1 of the embodiment can use the log function 144 to record an operation log and an apparatus status log in addition to an error log, and can display ultrasound images in association with these log information. Therefore, the maintenance personnel M can check the ultrasound images based on the operations performed on the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus 1 during an examination of a subject or the status of the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus 1 during the examination. For example, the operator may be prompted to input a specific key operation at any timing during the examination, and this key operation may be recorded in the operation log by the log function 144. In this way, the operator can notify the maintenance personnel M of any timing during the examination that he or she found concerning by performing a specific key operation. The maintenance personnel M can then refer to the operation log on the investigation screen and easily check the ultrasound images captured at the timing notified by the operator.

[0063] (Variation) In the above embodiment, a case has been described in which logs and ultrasound images are displayed in correspondence with each other on an investigation screen used by maintenance worker M, but a method for displaying ultrasound images based on such correspondence may be provided not only for investigation screens but also for displaying diagnostic screens.

[0064] In the above embodiment, the case where the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus 1 is provided with the display control function for the diagnostic screen and the investigation screen has been described, but some or all of this display control function may be provided in the diagnostic terminal device 2 or the investigation terminal device 3. For example, the diagnostic terminal device 2 may be provided with the diagnostic screen display function 145, the investigation terminal device 3 may be provided with the investigation screen display function 146, and the present terminal device 100 may be configured to transmit ultrasound image data 151, error log 153, operation log 155, and device status log 157 stored in memory 150 to the diagnostic terminal device 2 and the investigation terminal device 3, instead of the diagnostic screen display function 145 and the investigation screen display function 146.

[0065] In the above embodiment, the case where the diagnostic terminal device 2 and the investigation terminal device 3 are configured as separate devices has been described. However, the investigation terminal device 3 may be configured integrally with the diagnostic terminal device 2.

[0066] The above-described embodiment can be expressed as follows. processing circuitry; The processing circuitry Acquire a medical image of the subject acquired by a medical image acquisition device; displaying the medical image and information relating to the imaging of the medical image recorded in the medical image acquisition device in association with each other on a display unit; Medical information processing equipment.

[0067] The above-described embodiment can be expressed as follows. an imaging unit that captures an image of a subject and generates a medical image; processing circuitry; Equipped with the processing circuitry causes a display unit to display the medical image in association with information recorded regarding the capture of the medical image. Medical imaging diagnostic equipment.

[0068] According to at least one of the embodiments described above, by having an acquisition unit that acquires medical images of a subject acquired by a medical image acquisition device, and a display control unit that associates the medical images with information related to the capture of the medical images recorded in the medical image acquisition device and displays them on a display unit, it is possible to efficiently refer to medical images when investigating a medical image acquisition device that acquires medical images of a subject.

[0069] Although several embodiments have been described, these embodiments are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are included within the scope and spirit of the invention, as well as within the scope of the invention and its equivalents as defined in the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0070] 1...ultrasound diagnostic device, 10...ultrasound probe, 100...main body device, 110...communication interface, 120...input interface, 130...display, 140...processing circuit, 141...acquisition function, 142...shooting control function, 143...image generation function, 144...log function, 145...diagnosis screen display function, 146...investigation screen display function, 161...display mode determination function, 162...target image acquisition function, 163...log search function, 164...display control function, 150...memory, 151...ultrasound image data, 153...error log, 155...operation log, 157...device status log, 2...diagnosis terminal device, 3...investigation terminal device

Claims

1. an acquisition unit that acquires medical images of a subject acquired by a medical image acquisition device; a display control unit that causes a display unit to display the medical image in association with log information recorded at the time of capturing the medical image, the log information being information relating to capturing the medical image and recorded in the medical image acquisition device; a log search unit that searches the log information for an input character string; Equipped with the display control unit associates the medical image captured at a timing corresponding to the recording timing of the entry with the entry of the log information, and displays the medical image in association with a search result of the log information. Medical information processing equipment.

2. An acquisition unit that acquires medical images of a subject acquired by a medical image acquisition device; a display control unit that causes a display unit to display the medical image in association with log information recorded at the time of capturing the medical image, the log information being information relating to capturing the medical image and recorded in the medical image acquisition device; Equipped with the display control unit associates the medical image captured at a timing corresponding to the recording timing of the entry with an entry of the log information, and when a plurality of logs are selected as the log information, displays an entry recorded at a timing corresponding to the recording timing of the medical image, among the entries included in the plurality of logs, in association with the medical image. Medical information processing equipment.

3. the information related to the imaging of the medical image is log information recorded when the medical image is imaged, the display control unit associates the medical image with an entry of the log information recorded at a timing corresponding to an imaging timing of the medical image; The medical information processing device according to claim 1 or 2.

4. the log information is a chronological record of events recognized by the medical image acquisition device, the display control unit causes the display unit to display, in association with the content of the event recorded in the log information, the medical image captured at a timing corresponding to the timing at which the event occurred. The medical information processing device according to claim 1 .

5. the log information includes an operation log in which operations performed on the medical image acquisition device are recorded; the display control unit displays the details of the operation recorded in the operation log in association with the medical image captured at a timing corresponding to the timing at which the operation was performed. The medical information processing device according to claim 4 .

6. the log information includes an error log in which errors that have occurred in the medical image acquisition device are recorded; the display control unit displays the details of the error recorded in the error log in association with the medical image captured at a timing corresponding to the timing at which the error occurred. The medical information processing device according to claim 4 or 5.

7. the log information includes an apparatus status log in which state transitions of the medical image acquisition apparatus are recorded; the display control unit displays the state of the medical image acquisition device recorded in the device state log in association with the medical image captured at a timing corresponding to the timing when the medical image acquisition device entered the state. The medical information processing device according to claim 4 .

8. On the computer, an acquisition process for acquiring a medical image of a subject acquired by a medical image acquisition device; a display control process for displaying the medical image and log information recorded at the time of capturing the medical image, which is information related to capturing the medical image and recorded in the medical image acquisition device, in association with each other on a display unit; a log search process for searching the log information using an input character string; A program for executing the display control process includes associating the medical image captured at a timing corresponding to the recording timing of the entry of the log information with the entry of the log information, and displaying the medical image in association with a search result of the log information. program.

9. A computer comprising: an acquisition process for acquiring a medical image of a subject acquired by a medical image acquisition device; a display control process for displaying the medical image and log information recorded at the time of capturing the medical image, which is information related to capturing the medical image and recorded in the medical image acquisition device, in association with each other on a display unit; A program for executing The display control process includes associating the medical image captured at a timing corresponding to the recording timing of the entry with an entry of the log information, and when a plurality of logs are selected as the log information, displaying an entry recorded at a timing corresponding to the recording timing of the medical image, among the entries included in the plurality of logs, in association with the medical image. Medical information processing equipment.

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