Image processing device, image processing method, image processing system and program

Abstract

To further improve area accuracy of a lung field region.SOLUTION: An image processing device (console 3 for diagnosis) includes: an acquisition unit (control unit 31) for acquiring a side surface image of a lung field radiographed from a side surface of a subject; a region specification unit (control unit 31) for specifying a first side surface lung field region and a second side surface lung field region from the side surface image; a display control unit (control unit 31) for displaying at least one of the specified first side surface lung field region and the specified second side surface lung field region in a display unit; a changing unit (operation unit 33) capable of changing the side surface lung field region of at least one of the first side surface lung field region and the second side surface lung field region by a user operation; and an area calculation unit (control unit 31) for calculating at least one of an area of the first side surface lung field region and an area of the second side surface lung field region on the basis of the first side surface lung field region and / or the second side surface lung field region.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an image processing device, an image processing method, an image processing system, and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] Traditionally, tests that are extremely important for assessing a patient's respiratory function, such as total lung capacity (TLC) and residual volume (RV), have required the use of a body box, which is expensive due to the high cost of installation, test time, and consumables required for the test.

[0003] In addition, a technique has been proposed for calculating parameters equivalent to TLC and RV by calculating the volume of a patient's lung field using an X-ray image analyzer, which has lower testing costs than body box testing (Patent Document 1, Patent Document 2). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-122449 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-171427 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, the invention described in Patent Document 1 does not have the concept of recognizing left and right lung field regions in a lateral lung field image. Also, the invention described in Patent Document 2 recognizes left and right lung field regions in a lateral lung field image by referring only to the diaphragm, and does not recognize the ventral or dorsal borders, resulting in low accuracy in the calculated areas of the left and right lungs.

[0006] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to further improve the accuracy of the area of ​​the lung field region. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above problems, the image processing device of the present invention comprises: an acquisition unit that acquires a side image of the lung field radiographed from the side of the subject; a region specifying unit for specifying a first lateral lung field region and a second lateral lung field region from the lateral image; a display control unit that causes at least one of the identified first lateral lung field region and the identified second lateral lung field region to be displayed on a display unit; At least one of the first lateral lung field region and the second lateral lung field region on the fringes A change section that can be changed by a user operation; an area calculation unit that calculates at least one of an area of ​​the first lateral lung field region and an area of ​​the second lateral lung field region based on the first lateral lung field region and / or the second lateral lung field region; The present invention is characterized by comprising:

[0008] Further, the image processing method of the present invention comprises: an acquisition step of acquiring a radiographic lateral image of the lung field from a lateral side of the subject; a region specifying step of specifying a first lateral lung field region and a second lateral lung field region from the lateral image; a display control step of displaying at least one of the identified first lateral lung field region and the identified second lateral lung field region on a display unit; At least one of the first lateral lung field region and the second lateral lung field region on the fringes A change step that can be changed by user operation, an area calculation step of calculating at least one of an area of ​​the first lateral lung field region and an area of ​​the second lateral lung field region based on the first lateral lung field region and / or the second lateral lung field region; The present invention is characterized by comprising:

[0009] The image processing system of the present invention further comprises: An image processing system including an imaging device that acquires a lateral image of a lung field by performing radiography from the side of a subject, and an image processing device connected to the imaging device, an acquisition unit that acquires the side image; a region specifying unit for specifying a first lateral lung field region and a second lateral lung field region from the lateral image; a display control unit that causes at least one of the identified first lateral lung field region and the identified second lateral lung field region to be displayed on a display unit; At least one of the first lateral lung field region and the second lateral lung field region on the fringes A change section that can be changed by a user operation; an area calculation unit that calculates at least one of an area of ​​the first lateral lung field region and an area of ​​the second lateral lung field region based on the first lateral lung field region and / or the second lateral lung field region; The present invention is characterized by comprising:

[0010] The program of the present invention also includes: The image processing device computer, an acquisition unit for acquiring a lateral image of the lung field radiographed from the side of the subject; a region specifying unit for specifying a first lateral lung field region and a second lateral lung field region from the lateral image; a display control unit that displays at least one of the identified first lateral lung field region and the identified second lateral lung field region on a display unit; At least one of the first lateral lung field region and the second lateral lung field region on the fringes A change section that can be changed by user operation, an area calculation unit that calculates at least one of an area of ​​the first lateral lung field region and an area of ​​the second lateral lung field region based on the first lateral lung field region and / or the second lateral lung field region; Function as. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to the present invention, the accuracy of the area of ​​the lung field can be further improved. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of an image processing system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] 10 is a flowchart showing a shooting control process. [Figure 3] 10 is a flowchart showing a lung field area and volume calculation process. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing extraction processing of a lung field region. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing extraction processing of a lung field region. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an overlap region, a non-overlapping region, and a whole region. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a lung field region change screen. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a lung field region change screen. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a lung field region change screen. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a lung field region change screen. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a lung field region change screen. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings, but the scope of the invention is not limited to the illustrated examples.

[0014] [Configuration of image processing system 100] First, the configuration of this embodiment will be described. FIG. 1 shows the overall configuration of an image processing system 100 according to this embodiment. 1, the image processing system 100 is configured such that an imaging device 1 and an imaging console 2 are connected by a communication cable or the like, and the imaging console 2 and a diagnostic console 3 are connected via a communication network NT such as a LAN (Local Area Network). Each device constituting the image processing system 100 conforms to the DICOM (Digital Image and Communications in Medicine) standard, and communication between the devices is performed in accordance with DICOM.

[0015] [Configuration of the imaging device 1] The imaging device 1 is an imaging means for capturing (dynamic imaging) the dynamics of a living body, such as changes in the shape of lung expansion and contraction due to breathing, heartbeat, etc. Dynamic imaging refers to obtaining multiple images showing the dynamics of a subject by repeatedly irradiating the subject with pulsed radiation such as X-rays at predetermined time intervals (pulse irradiation) or by continuously irradiating the subject with a low dose rate without interruption (continuous irradiation). A series of images obtained by dynamic imaging is called a dynamic image (medical image). Each of the multiple images constituting a dynamic image is called a frame image. Dynamic images include moving images, but do not include images obtained by capturing still images while displaying a moving image. In the following embodiment, an example of dynamic imaging of the chest using pulse irradiation will be described.

[0016] The radiation source 11 is disposed at a position facing the radiation detection unit 13 across the subject M (examinee), and irradiates the subject M with radiation (X-rays) under the control of the radiation irradiation control device 12. The radiation irradiation control device 12 is connected to the imaging console 2 and controls the radiation source 11 to perform radiation imaging based on radiation irradiation conditions input from the imaging console 2. The radiation irradiation conditions input from the imaging console 2 include, for example, a pulse rate, a pulse width, a pulse interval, the number of imaging frames per imaging, the value of the X-ray tube current, the value of the X-ray tube voltage, and the type of additional filter. The pulse rate is the number of radiation irradiations per second and corresponds to the frame rate described below. The pulse width is the radiation irradiation time per radiation irradiation. The pulse interval is the time from the start of one radiation irradiation to the start of the next radiation irradiation and corresponds to the frame interval described below.

[0017] The radiation detection unit 13 is composed of a semiconductor image sensor such as an FPD (Flat Panel Detector). The FPD has, for example, a glass substrate or the like, and a plurality of detection elements (pixels) are arranged in a matrix at predetermined positions on the substrate. The detection elements detect radiation emitted from the radiation source 11 and transmitted through at least the subject M according to its intensity, and convert the detected radiation into an electrical signal and store it. Each pixel is equipped with a switching unit such as a TFT (Thin Film Transistor). FPDs can be of an indirect conversion type, in which X-rays are converted into an electrical signal by a photoelectric conversion element via a scintillator, or a direct conversion type, in which X-rays are directly converted into an electrical signal, and either type may be used. The radiation detection unit 13 is disposed opposite the radiation source 11 with the subject M interposed therebetween.

[0018] The reading control device 14 is connected to the imaging console 2. The reading control device 14 controls the switching units of each pixel of the radiation detection unit 13 based on the image reading conditions input from the imaging console 2, switches the reading of the electrical signals accumulated in each pixel, and acquires image data by reading the electrical signals accumulated in the radiation detection unit 13. This image data is a frame image. The pixel signal values ​​of the frame image represent density values. The reading control device 14 then outputs the acquired frame images to the imaging console 2. The image reading conditions include, for example, the frame rate, frame interval, pixel size, image size (matrix size), etc. The frame rate is the number of frame images acquired per second and coincides with the pulse rate. The frame interval is the time from the start of acquisition of one frame image to the start of acquisition of the next frame image and coincides with the pulse interval.

[0019] The radiation irradiation control device 12 and the reading control device 14 are connected to each other and exchange synchronization signals with each other to synchronize the radiation irradiation operation and the image reading operation.

[0020] [Configuration of imaging console 2] The imaging console 2 outputs radiation irradiation conditions and image reading conditions to the imaging device 1 to control the radiation imaging and radiation image reading operations by the imaging device 1, and also displays dynamic images acquired by the imaging device 1 so that the imaging technician or other person performing the imaging can check the positioning and whether the images are suitable for diagnosis. As shown in FIG. 1, the radiography console 2 comprises a control unit 21, a storage unit 22, an operation unit 23, a display unit 24, and a communication unit 25, and each unit is connected by a bus .

[0021] The control unit 21 is composed of a CPU (Central Processing Unit), RAM (Random Access Memory), etc. In response to an operation of the operation unit 23, the CPU of the control unit 21 reads out a system program and various processing programs stored in the storage unit 22 and loads them into the RAM, and executes various processes including an imaging control process described below in accordance with the loaded programs, thereby centrally controlling the operation of each unit of the imaging console 2 and the radiation irradiation operation and reading operation of the imaging device 1.

[0022] The storage unit 22 is configured with a non-volatile semiconductor memory, a hard disk, etc. The storage unit 22 stores various programs executed by the control unit 21, parameters required for executing processes by the programs, data such as processing results, etc. For example, the storage unit 22 stores a program for executing the imaging control process shown in FIG. 2. The storage unit 22 also stores radiation irradiation conditions and image reading conditions in association with the region to be examined (here, the chest). The various programs are stored in the form of readable program code, and the control unit 21 sequentially executes operations in accordance with the program code.

[0023] The operation unit 23 is configured with a keyboard having cursor keys, numeric input keys, various function keys, etc., and a pointing device such as a mouse, and outputs instruction signals input by operating the keys on the keyboard or the mouse to the control unit 21. The operation unit 23 may also have a touch panel on the display screen of the display unit 24, and in this case, outputs instruction signals input via the touch panel to the control unit 21.

[0024] The display unit 24 is composed of a monitor such as an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) or CRT (Cathode Ray Tube), and displays input instructions and data from the operation unit 23 according to instructions of a display signal input from the control unit 21.

[0025] The communication unit 25 includes a LAN adapter, a modem, a TA (Terminal Adapter), etc., and controls data transmission and reception between each device connected to the communication network NT.

[0026] [Configuration of Diagnostic Console 3] The diagnostic console 3 is an image processing device that acquires dynamic images from the radiography console 2, performs image processing on the acquired dynamic images, displays them, and calculates the area of ​​the lung field, etc. As shown in FIG. 1, the diagnostic console 3 comprises a control unit 31, a storage unit 32, an operation unit 33, a display unit , and a communication unit , and each unit is connected by a bus .

[0027] The control unit 31 is composed of a CPU, RAM, etc. In response to operations on the operation unit 33, the CPU of the control unit 31 reads out system programs and various processing programs stored in the storage unit 32 and loads them into the RAM, and executes various processes including a report creation process (to be described later) according to the loaded programs, thereby centrally controlling the operation of each unit of the diagnostic console 3. The control unit 31 functions as an acquisition unit, a region identification unit, a display control unit, an area calculation unit, a volume calculation unit, an extraction unit, a complementation unit, and a tracking unit.

[0028] The storage unit 32 is configured with a non-volatile semiconductor memory, a hard disk, etc. The storage unit 32 stores various programs, including programs for executing various processes in the control unit 31, parameters required for executing processes by the programs, data such as processing results, etc. These various programs are stored in the form of readable program code, and the control unit 31 sequentially executes operations in accordance with the program code.

[0029] Additionally, the memory unit 32 stores dynamic images captured in the past in association with an identification ID, patient information (subject information, such as patient ID, patient (subject) name, height, weight, age, gender, etc.), examination information (such as examination ID, examination date, examination target area (here, chest), respiratory status, etc.), etc.

[0030] The operation unit 33 is configured with a keyboard having cursor keys, numeric input keys, various function keys, etc., and a pointing device such as a mouse, and outputs instruction signals input by the user through key operations on the keyboard or mouse operations to the control unit 31. The operation unit 33 may also be provided with a touch panel on the display screen of the display unit 34, and in this case, outputs instruction signals input via the touch panel to the control unit 31.

[0031] The display unit 34 is configured with a monitor such as an LCD or CRT, and performs various displays according to instructions of a display signal input from the control unit 31.

[0032] The communication unit 35 includes a LAN adapter, a modem, a TA, etc., and controls data transmission and reception between each device connected to the communication network NT.

[0033] [Operation of Image Processing System 100] Next, the operation of the image processing system 100 in this embodiment will be described.

[0034] (Operation of imaging device 1 and imaging console 2) First, the imaging operation performed by the imaging device 1 and the imaging console 2 will be described. 2 shows an imaging control process executed in the control unit 21 of the imaging console 2. The imaging control process is executed by the control unit 21 in cooperation with a program stored in the storage unit 22.

[0035] First, the person performing the imaging (radiographer) operates the operation unit 23 of the imaging console 2 to input patient information and examination information of the subject (subject M) (step S1). The patient information and examination information are collectively referred to as order information.

[0036] Next, the radiation irradiation conditions are read out from the storage unit 22 and set in the radiation irradiation control device 12, and the image reading conditions are read out from the storage unit 22 and set in the reading control device 14 (step S2).

[0037] Next, the process waits for an instruction to irradiate radiation via operation of the operation unit 23 (step S3). Here, the person performing the imaging performs positioning by placing the subject M between the radiation source 11 and the radiation detection unit 13. The person performing the imaging also instructs the subject (subject M) on their breathing state (for example, quiet breathing). When preparations for imaging are complete, the person performing the imaging operates the operation unit 23 to input an instruction to irradiate radiation.

[0038] When a radiation irradiation instruction is input via the operation unit 23 (step S3; YES), an imaging start instruction is output to the radiation irradiation control device 12 and the reading control device 14, and dynamic imaging is started (step S4). That is, radiation is irradiated from the radiation source 11 at pulse intervals set in the radiation irradiation control device 12, and frame images are acquired by the radiation detection unit 13.

[0039] When the predetermined number of frames have been captured, the control unit 21 outputs an instruction to end the capture to the radiation irradiation control device 12 and the reading control device 14, and the capture operation is stopped. The number of frames to be captured is the number that can capture at least one respiratory cycle.

[0040] The frame images acquired by imaging are sequentially input to the imaging console 2, and are stored in the memory unit 22 in association with numbers (frame numbers) indicating the imaging order (step S5), and are also displayed on the display unit 24 (step S6). The imaging operator checks the positioning, etc., based on the displayed dynamic images, and determines whether an image suitable for diagnosis has been acquired by imaging (imaging OK) or whether reimaging is necessary (imaging NG). Then, the operator operates the operation unit 23 to input the determination result.

[0041] When a determination result indicating that imaging is OK is input by a predetermined operation of the operation unit 23 (step S7; YES), information such as an identification ID for identifying the dynamic image, patient information, examination information, radiation irradiation conditions, image reading conditions, and a number indicating the imaging order (frame number) is attached to each of the series of frame images acquired by dynamic imaging (for example, written in the header area of ​​the image data in DICOM format), and transmitted to the diagnostic console 3 via the communication unit 25 (step S8). Then, this process ends. On the other hand, when a determination result indicating that imaging is NG is input by a predetermined operation of the operation unit 23 (step S7; NO), the series of frame images stored in the memory unit 22 are deleted (step S9), and this process ends. In this case, re-imaging is required.

[0042] (Diagnostic console 3 operation) Next, the analysis operation of the dynamic image by the diagnostic console 3 will be described. The diagnostic console 3 executes the lung field area and volume calculation process shown in Fig. 3 in cooperation with the control unit 31 and a program stored in the storage unit 32. Hereinafter, the lung field area and volume calculation process will be described with reference to Fig. 3. It is assumed that prior to the lung field area and volume calculation process, Unet has been trained to distinguish between the overlapping area A11 and the entire area A2 (overlapping area A11 + overlapping exclusion area A12) described below from a series of frame images of lateral dynamic images of the lung field, and to distinguish between the first lateral lung field area A3 and the second lateral lung field area A4 described below from the overlapping area A11 and the entire area A2.

[0043] First, the control unit 31 receives (acquires) a series of frame images of lateral dynamic images and front dynamic images of the lung field from the imaging console 2 via the communication unit 35 (step S11). The received series of frame images of dynamic images are stored in the storage unit 32 in association with an identification ID, patient information, examination information, etc. At this time, the control unit 31 functions as an acquisition unit.

[0044] Next, when a dynamic image is selected by the operation unit 33 from among the dynamic images (lateral dynamic image and frontal dynamic image) stored in the storage unit 32 and an instruction to calculate the lung field area is given, the control unit 31 analyzes the dynamic image selected by the operation unit 33 (step S12). Specifically, a process of identifying the lung field area is performed. At this time, the control unit 31 functions as an area identification unit.

[0045] Here, the process of identifying the lung field region performed by the control unit 31 will be described using a dynamic lateral image. An outline of the lung field region specification process is shown in Fig. 4. As shown in Fig. 4, the lung field region specification process is performed in two steps, step S121 and step S122.

[0046] First, the control unit 31 performs deep learning on a series of frame images of the lateral dynamic image of the lung field using, for example, a convolutional neural network (CNN) as shown in Fig. 5, to distinguish an overlap region A11 and an entire region A2 of the lung field (step S121). An example of the CNN is Unet. Here, the overlapping area A11, the non-overlapping area A12, and the entire area A2 are shown in FIG. 6. The overlapping area A11 refers to the overlapping area of ​​the left and right lateral lung field areas. The non-overlapping area A12 refers to the lateral lung field area that includes only one of the left and right areas. The entire area A2 refers to the lateral lung field area that includes at least one of the left and right areas. In other words, the entire area A2 is the area that combines the overlapping area A11 and the non-overlapping area A12.

[0047] Next, the control unit 31 performs deep learning using Unet on the overlap region A11 and the entire region A2 determined in step S121, for example, as shown in Fig. 5, to determine a first lateral lung field region A3 and a second lateral lung field region A4 (step S122). The first lateral lung field region A3 and the second lateral lung field region A4 refer to the left and right lateral lung field regions, respectively, in the lateral dynamic lung field image. When a frontal dynamic image is used, the control unit 31 similarly determines the frontal lung field regions (first frontal lung field region, second frontal lung field region).

[0048] Returning to the lung field area and volume calculation process, next, controller 31 displays at least one of first lateral lung field region A3 and second lateral lung field region A4, which are the analysis results of step S12, on display unit 34. Specifically, a lung field region display distinguishing between the left and right lung fields is performed, as shown in the lung field region change screen of Fig. 7 (step S13). At this time, controller 31 functions as a display controller. The control unit 31 may display the overlapping area A11, the non-overlapping area A12, and the entire area A2 on the display unit .

[0049] Next, a user such as the person performing the imaging or a doctor checks the lung field region displayed on the display unit 34, and the control unit 31 receives a notification via the operation unit 33 that the region needs to be changed (step S14; YES) or that the region does not need to be changed (step S14; NO) (step S14). If the control unit 31 receives a notification that the region does not need to be changed (step S14; NO), the process proceeds to step S16. If the control unit 31 receives a notification that the region needs to be changed (step S14; YES), the process proceeds to step S15, where the region is changed. It is also possible to set the control unit 31 so that the user does not need to check the area, and to perform a flow in which steps S14 and S15 are never performed.

[0050] Next, the user changes the lung field area displayed on the display unit 34 using the operation unit 33, and the control unit 31 receives the change result of the lung field area (step S15). Here, the operation unit 33 functions as a change unit. The results of the changes can also be repeatedly learned by the CNN used in the lung field region identification process.

[0051] Here, the change of the lung field region performed by the control unit 31 will be described. Fig. 7 shows a modification screen displayed on display unit 34 when modifying first lateral lung field region A3. Controller 31 places point a on the curve of first lateral lung field region A3, which is the target of modification. The radiographer can move point a using operation unit 33. In the example of Fig. 7, point a has been moved to the inside of the lung field, as indicated by the right arrow, and first lateral lung field region A3 is the region to which point a has been moved to the inside of the lung field.

[0052] Returning to the lung field area and volume calculation process, next, the controller 31 calculates at least one lateral lung field area based on the finally received areas (first lateral lung field area A3 and second lateral lung field area A4) (step S16). Similarly, the control unit 31 calculates the frontal lung field area based on the frontal lung field areas (first frontal lung field area, second frontal lung field area). Here, the control unit 31 functions as an area calculation unit. The area can be calculated using methods such as those described in Patent Documents 1 and 2.

[0053] Next, the control unit 31 calculates the volume of the lung field (step S17). Specifically, the control unit 31 calculates the volume of each lung field of the first lateral lung field area A3 and the second lateral lung field area A4 based on the front lung field area (first front lung field area, second front lung field area) and the lateral lung field area (first lateral lung field area A3, second lateral lung field area A4). At this time, the control unit 31 functions as a volume calculation unit. The volume can be calculated by the methods described in Patent Documents 1 and 2.

[0054] In the above description, the control unit 31 functions as an area calculation unit to calculate the lung field area from a dynamic lateral image or a dynamic frontal image of the lung field, but the lung field area may also be calculated from a still lateral image or a still frontal image of the lung field in a similar manner. In this case, the imaging device 1 functions as an imaging means for capturing still images.

[0055] The controller 31 may also calculate an average area of ​​the front side of the lung field from the first frontal lung field region and the second frontal lung field region. Similarly, the controller 31 may calculate an average area of ​​the lateral side of the lung field from the first lateral lung field region A3 and the second lateral lung field region A4. The volume of the lung field can be calculated based on the area of ​​the lung field region in the front image of the lung field (area of ​​the first frontal lung field region, area of ​​the second frontal lung field region, average area) and the area of ​​the lung field region in the lateral image (area of ​​the first lateral lung field region A3, area of ​​the second lateral lung field region A4, average area).

[0056] In the above embodiment, the area is changed by moving the point a as in the change screen shown in FIG. 7, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, as shown in FIG. 8, it is also possible to change the region using something like a brush tool B1. As shown in the left diagram of FIG. 8, by moving the brush tool B1 from the inside to the outside, the first lateral lung field region A3 to be changed can be changed in a direction that widens it. Conversely, as shown in the right diagram of FIG. 8, by moving the brush tool B1 from the outside to the inside, the first lateral lung field region A3 to be changed can be changed in a direction that narrows it. Note that using a round brush tool B1 makes the frame indicating the region smooth. Furthermore, the brush tool B1 is not limited to a round shape and may be a square.

[0057] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 9, when the edges of the first lateral lung field region A3 and the second lateral lung field region A4 around the diaphragm (areas surrounded by dashed lines) are unclear, the two edges of the first lateral lung field region A3 and the second lateral lung field region A4 may overlap, so the region may be changed by specifying a location to match the region information of one of them. In the left diagram of Figure 9, the first lateral lung field region A3 and the second lateral lung field region A4 do not overlap at the edges around the diaphragm (areas surrounded by dashed lines), but in the right diagram of Figure 9, the second lateral lung field region A4 has been changed to overlap with the first lateral lung field region A3. The dotted line in the right diagram of Figure 9 indicates the second lateral lung field region A4 before the region change.

[0058] Furthermore, if the control unit 31 determines that only the edges around the diaphragm of the first lateral lung field region A3 and the second lateral lung field region A4 are reversed, as in Figure 10, it is also possible to reverse only the edges around the diaphragm of the first lateral lung field region A3 and the second lateral lung field region A4. Note that although Figure 10 shows the edges around the diaphragm as an example, any other edges can also be specified and reversed.

[0059] Also, as shown in Figure 11, when the object of analysis is a dynamic image, a series of frame images exist, and when the control unit 31 performs a region change on one frame image F1, it may automatically perform region changes on the other frame images in the series as well.

[0060] Furthermore, when the analysis target is a dynamic image and some of the frame images contain noise, defects, etc., the control unit 31 may complement the noise, defects, etc. by, for example, using the average pixel values ​​from the frame images before and / or after the frame image containing the noise, defects, etc. In this case, the control unit 31 functions as a complementing unit. Note that when machine learning is used for complementation, the control unit 31 needs to learn in advance how to remove noise, defects, etc.

[0061] Furthermore, the control unit 31 may extract a lateral image in which the areas of the first lateral lung field region A3 and the second lateral lung field region A4 are maximum or minimum. In this case, the control unit 31 functions as an extraction unit. The control unit 31 may display the extracted lateral image in which the areas are maximum or minimum on the display unit 34.

[0062] Furthermore, when the analysis target is a dynamic image, the control unit 31 may track the area change for at least one of the first lateral lung field area A3 and the second lateral lung field area A4 for each frame image, and determine whether the first or second area is left or right based on the characteristics of the area change. For example, since the heart is located on the left lung side, there will be a difference in movement between the left and right lungs. In this case, the control unit 31 functions as a tracking unit. Note that it is possible to set the determination to be automatic by using machine learning.

[0063] Furthermore, the first lateral lung field region and the second lateral lung field region are considered to be a single lung field region on the left and right sides, but for example, the left and right lateral lung field regions may be divided into two halves (upper lobe, lower lobe) and each region may be identified.

[0064] (Effects, etc.) From the above, the image processing device (diagnostic console 3) can further improve the area accuracy of the lung field by including an acquisition unit (control unit 31) that acquires a lateral image of the lung field radiographed from the side of the subject, a region identification unit (control unit 31) that identifies a first lateral lung field region and a second lateral lung field region from the lateral image, a display control unit (control unit 31) that displays at least one of the identified first lateral lung field region and the second lateral lung field region on the display unit, a change unit (operation unit 33) that can change at least one of the first lateral lung field region and the second lateral lung field region through user operation, and an area calculation unit (control unit 31) that calculates at least one of the area of ​​the first lateral lung field region and the area of ​​the second lateral lung field region based on the first lateral lung field region and / or the second lateral lung field region. In other words, the area accuracy can further be improved by automatically setting the region and then correcting the region through user operation. If the region is not changed, the region is automatically set and the area is automatically calculated, which can reduce the effort required to set the region. Furthermore, by repeatedly training the CNN used in the lung field region identification process with the results of the changes, the accuracy of region identification can be improved, and the area accuracy can be further improved.

[0065] Also, for example, the first lateral lung field region is the left lateral lung field region, and the second lateral lung field region is the right lateral lung field region.

[0066] In addition, the acquisition unit (control unit 31) acquires a frontal image of the lung field radiographed from the front of the subject, the area identification unit (control unit 31) identifies the frontal lung field area from the frontal image, the area calculation unit (control unit 31) calculates the area of ​​the frontal lung field area, and the image processing device (diagnostic console 3) is equipped with a volume calculation unit (control unit 31) that calculates the volume of the lung field based on the area of ​​the frontal lung field area and the area of ​​at least one of the first lateral lung field area and the second lateral lung field area, thereby further improving the area accuracy of the lung field area.

[0067] In addition, the volume calculation unit (control unit 31) calculates the average lateral area of ​​the lung field from the area of ​​the first lateral lung field area and the area of ​​the second lateral lung field area, and calculates the volume of the lung field based on the area of ​​the frontal lung field area and the average lateral area of ​​the lung field, thereby further improving the volume accuracy of the lung field area.

[0068] In addition, the area calculation unit (control unit 31) calculates the area of ​​the first frontal lung field region and the area of ​​the second frontal lung field region based on the frontal image of the lung field, thereby further improving the area accuracy of the lung field region even in the frontal image of the lung field.

[0069] In addition, the volume calculation unit (control unit 31) calculates the average front area of ​​the lung field from the area of ​​the first front lung field area and the area of ​​the second front lung field area, and calculates the volume of the lung field based on the average front area, thereby further improving the volume accuracy of the lung field area.

[0070] Furthermore, the volume calculation unit (control unit 31) can further improve the volume accuracy of each lung field region by calculating the volume of at least one lung field corresponding to each of the first lateral lung field region and the second lateral lung field region.

[0071] Furthermore, the area calculation unit (control unit 31) calculates at least one of the areas of the first lateral lung field region and the second lateral lung field region based on an overlap exclusion region in which the first lateral lung field region and the second lateral lung field region do not overlap, thereby improving the accuracy of lung field region setting by deep learning. In other words, by determining the overlap exclusion region and then setting the first lateral lung field region and the second lateral lung field region, the accuracy of region setting can be improved.

[0072] Furthermore, the area specifying unit (control unit 31) uses machine learning to specify de-duplication areas, thereby determining de-duplication areas and then setting the areas, thereby improving the accuracy of setting the areas.

[0073] Furthermore, the area calculation unit (control unit 31) can improve the accuracy of lung field area setting by deep learning by calculating at least one of the area of ​​the first lateral lung field area and the area of ​​the second lateral lung field area based on an overlapping area where the first lateral lung field area and the second lateral lung field area overlap. In other words, by determining the overlapping area and then setting the first lateral lung field area and the second lateral lung field area, the accuracy of area setting can be improved.

[0074] Furthermore, the area specifying unit (control unit 31) uses machine learning to specify the overlapping area, thereby determining the overlapping area and then setting the area, thereby improving the accuracy of setting the area.

[0075] In addition, the acquisition unit (control unit 31) can acquire frontal dynamic images of the lung field by performing radiographic dynamic imaging from the front of the subject, and lateral dynamic images of the lung field by performing radiographic dynamic imaging from the side of the subject, thereby allowing the use of dynamic images from both the front and side.

[0076] Furthermore, the image processing device (diagnostic console 3) includes an extraction unit (control unit 31) that extracts frame images of lung fields with the largest or smallest areas of the first and second lateral lung fields from the frame images of the lateral dynamic images, making it possible to calculate the largest and smallest lung field areas, diaphragm displacement, etc. This makes it possible to substitute for a body box examination.

[0077] In addition, the display control unit (control unit 31) displays a side image of the largest or smallest lung field extracted by the extraction unit, allowing the person performing the imaging to check the largest lung field area, smallest lung field area, diaphragm displacement, etc. on the display unit 34.

[0078] In addition, the image processing device (diagnostic console 3) is equipped with a complementing unit that complements one of the frame images of the lateral dynamic image using the previous and / or next frame images, so that even if some of the series of frame images of the lateral dynamic image contain noise or defects, they can be complemented from the previous and next frame images.

[0079] In addition, the image processing device (diagnostic console 3) is equipped with a tracking unit (control unit 31) that tracks at least one of the area of ​​the first lateral lung field region and the area of ​​the second lateral lung field region for each frame image, making it possible to track lungs that have large changes in area, and making it easy to distinguish between the left and right lungs.

[0080] Furthermore, the display control unit (control unit 31) displays the first lateral lung field region and the second lateral lung field region on the same screen, allowing the person performing the imaging to check the regions on the display unit .

[0081] Furthermore, the display control unit (control unit 31) displays the borders of the first lateral lung field region and the second lateral lung field region, allowing the person performing the imaging to check the borders of the regions on the display unit .

[0082] Furthermore, the image processing method includes an acquisition step of acquiring a lateral image of the lung field radiographed from the side of the subject, an area identification step of identifying a first lateral lung field area and a second lateral lung field area from the lateral image, a display control step of displaying at least one of the identified first lateral lung field area and the second lateral lung field area on a display unit, a modification step of allowing the lateral lung field area of ​​at least one of the first lateral lung field area and the second lateral lung field area to be modified by a user operation, and an area calculation step of calculating at least one of the area of ​​the first lateral lung field area and the area of ​​the second lateral lung field area based on the first lateral lung field area and / or the second lateral lung field area, thereby further improving the area accuracy of the lung field area.

[0083] Furthermore, the image processing system (image processing system 100) is an image processing system that includes an imaging device that acquires a lateral image of the lung field by performing radiography from the side of the subject, and an image processing device connected to the imaging device, and includes an acquisition unit that acquires the lateral image, an area identification unit that identifies a first lateral lung field area and a second lateral lung field area from the lateral image, a display control unit that displays at least one of the identified first lateral lung field area and the second lateral lung field area on a display unit, a modification unit that can modify at least one of the first lateral lung field area and the second lateral lung field area by user operation, and an area calculation unit that calculates at least one of the area of ​​the first lateral lung field area and the area of ​​the second lateral lung field area based on the first lateral lung field area and / or the second lateral lung field area, thereby further improving the area accuracy of the lung field area.

[0084] In addition, the program causes the computer of the image processing device (diagnostic console 3) to function as an acquisition unit that acquires a lateral image of the lung field radiographed from the side of the subject, an area identification unit that identifies the first lateral lung field area and the second lateral lung field area from the lateral image, a display control unit that displays at least one of the identified first lateral lung field area and the second lateral lung field area on a display unit, a modification unit that can modify at least one of the first lateral lung field area and the second lateral lung field area by user operation, and an area calculation unit that calculates at least one of the area of ​​the first lateral lung field area and the area of ​​the second lateral lung field area based on the first lateral lung field area and / or the second lateral lung field area, thereby further improving the area accuracy of the lung field area.

[0085] The above-described embodiment is a preferred example of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to this.

[0086] In the above description, examples have been disclosed in which a hard disk or a semiconductor nonvolatile memory is used as a computer-readable medium for the program according to the present invention, but the present invention is not limited to these examples. Portable recording media such as CD-ROMs can also be used as other computer-readable media. Furthermore, carrier waves can also be used as a medium for providing the program data according to the present invention via a communication line.

[0087] In addition, the detailed configuration and detailed operation of each device constituting the image processing system can be modified as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0088] 100 Image Processing System 1. Imaging device 11 Radiation source 12 Radiation exposure control device 13 Radiation detection unit 14 Reading control device 2. Filming console 21 Control section 22 Memory section 23 Control section 24 Display 25 Communications Department 26 Bus 3 Diagnostic Console 31 control unit (acquisition unit, region identification unit, area calculation unit, volume calculation unit, display control unit, extraction unit, completion unit, tracking unit) 32 Storage section 33 Operation section (change section) 34 Display section 35 Communications Department 36 Bus

Claims

1. an acquisition unit that acquires a side image of the lung field radiographed from the side of the subject; a region specifying unit for specifying a first lateral lung field region and a second lateral lung field region from the lateral image; a display control unit that causes at least one of the identified first lateral lung field region and the identified second lateral lung field region to be displayed on a display unit; a change unit that can change the edge of at least one of the first lateral lung field area and the second lateral lung field area by a user operation; an area calculation unit that calculates at least one of an area of ​​the first lateral lung field region and an area of ​​the second lateral lung field region based on the first lateral lung field region and / or the second lateral lung field region; An image processing device comprising:

2. 2. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first lateral lung field region is a left lateral lung field region, and the second lateral lung field region is a right lateral lung field region.

3. the acquisition unit acquires a front image of a lung field obtained by radiography from a front side of the subject; the region specifying unit specifies a front lung field region from the front image; the area calculation unit calculates the area of ​​the frontal lung field region; a volume calculation unit that calculates the volume of the lung field based on the area of ​​the frontal lung field region and the area of ​​at least one of the first lateral lung field region and the second lateral lung field region; 3. The image processing device according to claim 1, further comprising:

4. 4. The image processing device according to claim 3, wherein the volume calculation unit calculates an average lateral area of ​​the lung field from the area of ​​the first lateral lung field region and the area of ​​the second lateral lung field region, and calculates the volume of the lung field based on the area of ​​the frontal lung field region of the lung field and the average lateral area.

5. 5. The image processing device according to claim 3, wherein the area calculation unit calculates the area of ​​the first frontal lung field region and the area of ​​the second frontal lung field region based on the frontal image of the lung field.

6. 6. The image processing device according to claim 5, wherein the volume calculation unit calculates an average area of ​​the front of the lung field from the area of ​​the first front lung field region and the area of ​​the second front lung field region, and calculates the volume of the lung field based on the average area of ​​the front.

7. 7. The image processing device according to claim 3, wherein the volume calculation unit calculates the volume of at least one of the lung fields corresponding to the first lateral lung field region and the second lateral lung field region.

8. An image processing device as described in any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the area identification unit identifies an overlap exclusion area in which the first lateral lung field area and the second lateral lung field area do not overlap, and then identifies the first lateral lung field area and the second lateral lung field area.

9. The image processing device according to claim 8 , wherein the area specifying unit uses machine learning to specify the de-duplication area.

10. An image processing device as described in any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the area identification unit identifies an overlapping area where the first lateral lung field area and the second lateral lung field area overlap, and then identifies the first lateral lung field area and the second lateral lung field area.

11. The image processing device according to claim 10 , wherein the region specifying unit uses machine learning to specify the overlapping region.

12. The image processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that the acquisition unit acquires a frontal dynamic image of the lung field by performing radiographic dynamic imaging from the front of the subject, and a lateral dynamic image of the lung field by performing radiographic dynamic imaging from the side of the subject.

13. an extraction unit that extracts a frame image of the lung field in which the area of ​​the first lateral lung field region and the area of ​​the second lateral lung field region are maximum or minimum from among the frame images of the lateral dynamic image; The image processing device according to claim 12, further comprising:

14. The image processing device according to claim 13 , wherein the display control unit displays the side image of the largest or smallest lung field extracted by the extraction unit.

15. a complementing unit that complements one of the frame images of the side dynamic image by using a previous and / or subsequent frame image; 15. The image processing device according to claim 12, further comprising:

16. a tracking unit that tracks at least one of the area of ​​the first lateral lung field region and the area of ​​the second lateral lung field region for each frame image; 16. The image processing device according to claim 12, further comprising:

17. 17. The image processing device according to claim 1, wherein the display control unit displays the first lateral lung field region and the second lateral lung field region on the same screen.

18. 18. The image processing device according to claim 1, wherein the display control unit displays the edge of the first lateral lung field region and the edge of the second lateral lung field region.

19. an acquisition step of acquiring a radiographic lateral image of the lung field from a lateral side of the subject; a region specifying step of specifying a first lateral lung field region and a second lateral lung field region from the lateral image; a display control step of displaying at least one of the identified first lateral lung field region and the identified second lateral lung field region on a display unit; a modifying step for modifying the edge of at least one of the first lateral lung field region and the second lateral lung field region by a user operation; an area calculation step of calculating at least one of an area of ​​the first lateral lung field region and an area of ​​the second lateral lung field region based on the first lateral lung field region and / or the second lateral lung field region; An image processing method comprising:

20. An image processing system including an imaging device that acquires a lateral image of a lung field by performing radiography from the side of a subject, and an image processing device connected to the imaging device, an acquisition unit that acquires the side image; a region specifying unit for specifying a first lateral lung field region and a second lateral lung field region from the lateral image; a display control unit that causes at least one of the identified first lateral lung field region and the identified second lateral lung field region to be displayed on a display unit; a change unit that can change the edge of at least one of the first lateral lung field area and the second lateral lung field area by a user operation; an area calculation unit that calculates at least one of an area of ​​the first lateral lung field region and an area of ​​the second lateral lung field region based on the first lateral lung field region and / or the second lateral lung field region; An image processing system comprising:

21. The image processing device computer, an acquisition unit for acquiring a lateral image of the lung field radiographed from the side of the subject; a region specifying unit for specifying a first lateral lung field region and a second lateral lung field region from the lateral image; a display control unit that displays at least one of the identified first lateral lung field region and the identified second lateral lung field region on a display unit; a change unit that changes the edge of at least one of the first lateral lung field area and the second lateral lung field area through a user operation; an area calculation unit that calculates at least one of an area of ​​the first lateral lung field region and an area of ​​the second lateral lung field region based on the first lateral lung field region and / or the second lateral lung field region; A program that functions as a

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