Medical treatment equipment

Abstract

To show an analysis result of a structure in a heat in bird's-eye view.SOLUTION: A medical processing device according to an embodiment has a body mark acquisition unit, an analysis result acquisition unit, and a display control unit. The body mark acquisition unit acquires a body mark that diagrammatically shows a positional relation of two or more structures among the left ventricle, the left atrium, the right ventricle, and the right atrium in the heart. The analysis result acquisition unit acquires medical images relating to the two or more structures in the heart of a subject or an analysis result of analyzing the structures. The display control unit displays the body mark, to which position identification information for identifying positions of the two or more structures shown in the medical images or positions of the analyzed structures is added, on a display, together with the medical images or the analysis result.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Embodiments of the present invention relate to a medical treatment device.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, there has been an increasing demand to perform functional analysis on each of a plurality of structures in the heart (for example, the left ventricle and the right ventricle). However, in conventional cardiac function analysis, it has been common to focus on a single structure in the heart and display only the analysis results related to that structure. That is, sufficient consideration has not been given to the usability when displaying medical information related to each of a plurality of structures in the heart.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] An object is to show the analysis results of the structures in the heart in an overview.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] The medical processing apparatus according to this embodiment includes a body mark acquisition unit, an analysis result acquisition unit, and a display control unit. The body mark acquisition unit acquires body marks that schematically show the positional relationships of two or more structures among the left ventricle, left atrium, right ventricle, and right atrium in the heart. The analysis result acquisition unit acquires medical images of the two or more structures in the heart of the subject or analysis results obtained by analyzing the structures. The display control unit displays the body marks, to which position identification information identifying the positions of the two or more structures shown in the medical images or the analyzed positions of the structures has been added, together with the medical images or the analysis results on a display. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0006] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the ultrasound diagnostic apparatus according to this embodiment. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing flow for various functions in this embodiment. [Figure 3] Figure 3 shows an example of a body mark in this embodiment. [Figure 4] Figure 4 shows an example of a body mark in this embodiment. [Figure 5] Figure 5 shows an example of the display of medical information and body marks in this embodiment. [Figure 6] Figure 6 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing flow for various functions in a first modified example of this embodiment. [Figure 7] Figure 7 shows an example of a body mark in the first modified example of this embodiment. [Figure 8] Figure 8 shows an example of the display of medical information and body marks in a first modified example of this embodiment. [Figure 9] Figure 9 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing flow for various functions in a second modified example of this embodiment. [Figure 10]Figure 10 shows an example of displaying medical information (3D display) and body marks arranged in each of a plurality of divided regions in a second modified example of this embodiment. [Figure 11] Figure 11 shows an example of the layout of the analysis results for comparing the two lumens before and after drug loading, and the arrangement of body marks, in a second modified example of this embodiment. [Figure 12] Figure 12 shows an example of display in a second modified example of this embodiment, in which medical information is placed in each of the multiple divided regions and a body mark is placed in the central part of the display area. [Figure 13] Figure 13 shows an example of display in a second modified example of this embodiment, in which medical information is placed in each of the multiple divided regions and a body mark is placed in the edge region of the display area. [Figure 14] Figure 14 shows an example of the display of medical information and body marks arranged in each of the multiple divided regions in a second modified example of this embodiment. [Figure 15] Figure 15 shows an example of the display of medical information and body marks arranged in each of the multiple divided regions in a second modified example of this embodiment. [Figure 16] Figure 16 shows an example of a third modification of this embodiment, in which multiple cross-sectional images and a three-dimensional image relating to a single heart chamber are displayed together with a body mark on which the cross-sections are superimposed. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0007] The ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus according to this embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the following description, components having substantially the same configuration will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations will be given only when necessary.

[0008] FIG. 1 is a block configuration diagram showing the configuration of the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 1 includes an ultrasonic probe 11, an input interface circuit (input unit) 13, a display (display unit) 15, an electrocardiograph 17, and an apparatus main body 19.

[0009] The ultrasonic probe 11 includes a plurality of piezoelectric vibrators, a matching layer provided on the ultrasonic radiation surface side of the piezoelectric vibrators, a backing material provided on the back side of the piezoelectric vibrators, and the like. Each of the plurality of piezoelectric vibrators generates ultrasonic waves in response to a drive signal supplied from a transmission / reception circuit 23 described later. The ultrasonic probe 11 is, for example, a two-dimensional array probe in which a plurality of piezoelectric vibrators are arranged along azimuth and elevation directions orthogonal to each other. The two-dimensional array probe is, for example, a two-dimensional sector probe. Note that the ultrasonic probe 11 is not limited to a two-dimensional array probe capable of three-dimensional scanning, and may be a mechanical four-dimensional probe. Further, when the ultrasonic probe 11 is a one-dimensional array probe capable of two-dimensional scanning, a three-dimensional echo signal is acquired by an operation of an operator who swings the ultrasonic probe 11 in the elevation direction.

[0010] The input interface circuit 13 takes in various instructions, commands, information, selections, and settings from the operator into the present ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 1. The input interface circuit 13 is realized by, for example, a trackball, a switch button, a mouse, a keyboard, a touch pad that performs an input operation by touching an operation surface, and a touch panel display in which a display screen and the touch pad are integrated. The input interface circuit 13 converts an input operation received from the operator into an electrical signal. Note that in the present specification, the input interface circuit 13 is not limited to those provided with physical operation components such as a mouse and a keyboard. For example, an electrical signal processing circuit that receives an electrical signal corresponding to an input operation from an external input device provided separately from the present ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 1 and outputs the received electrical signal to the apparatus main body 19 is also included in the example of the input interface circuit 13.

[0011] The display 15 displays various images generated by an image generation circuit 29 and the like, which will be described later. The display 15 has a display circuit for realizing the display of various images. Further, the display 15 displays a graphical user interface (GUI) for an operator to input various setting requests. Note that a plurality of displays may be connected to the apparatus main body 19 of the present ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 1.

[0012] The electrocardiograph 17 is connected to the apparatus main body 19 via a communication interface circuit 31. The electrocardiograph 17 acquires an electrocardiogram (ECG) waveform of the subject P as a biological signal of the subject P to be ultrasonically scanned. The electrocardiograph 17 outputs the acquired electrocardiogram waveform to the apparatus main body 19.

[0013] The apparatus main body 19 includes a transmission / reception circuit (transmission / reception unit) 23, a B-mode data generation circuit (B-mode data generation unit) 25, a Doppler data generation circuit (Doppler data generation unit) 27, an image generation circuit (image generation unit) 29, a communication interface circuit 31, a storage circuit (storage unit) 33, a control circuit (control unit) 35, and a processing circuit (processing unit) 37.

[0014] The transmission / reception circuit 23 includes a pulse generator, a transmission delay circuit, and a pulsar circuit, and supplies drive signals to each of a plurality of piezoelectric vibrators in the ultrasonic probe 11. The pulse generator repeatedly generates rate pulses for forming transmitted ultrasonic waves at a predetermined rate frequency f r Hz (period: 1 / f r seconds). The transmission delay circuit applies a delay time necessary for converging the transmitted ultrasonic waves in a beam shape and determining the transmission directivity to each rate pulse. The pulsar circuit applies a voltage pulse as a drive signal to each piezoelectric vibrator of the ultrasonic probe 11 at a timing based on the rate pulse. Thereby, an ultrasonic beam is transmitted to the subject P.

[0015] The transmitting / receiving circuit 23 further includes a preamplifier, an analog-to-digital (A / D) converter, a receive delay circuit, and an adder, and generates a received signal based on the received echo signals generated by each piezoelectric vibrator. The preamplifier amplifies the echo signals from the subject P acquired via the ultrasonic probe 11 for each channel. The A / D converter converts the amplified received echo signals into digital signals. The receive delay circuit gives the received echo signals converted into digital signals a delay time necessary to determine the receiving directivity. The adder adds the multiple echo signals to which the delay time has been given. Through this addition, the transmitting / receiving circuit 23 generates a received signal that emphasizes the reflected component from the direction corresponding to the receiving directivity. The overall directivity of ultrasonic transmission and reception is determined by this transmission directivity and reception directivity. The ultrasonic beam (so-called "ultrasonic scanning line") is determined by this overall directivity.

[0016] The B-mode data generation circuit 25 has an envelope detector and a logarithmic converter, and generates B-mode data based on the received signal. The envelope detector performs envelope detection on the received signal. The logarithmic converter performs a logarithmic transformation on the envelope-detected signal, relatively amplifying weak signals in the envelope-detected signal. Based on the signal amplified by the logarithmic converter, the B-mode data generation circuit 25 generates signal values ​​for each depth in each scan line (referred to as B-mode data). The B-mode data generation circuit 25 generates volume data corresponding to three-dimensional B-mode data based on two-dimensional B-mode data from a two-dimensional scan or a received signal from a three-dimensional scan. For the sake of clarity, the volume data will be assumed to be generated by three-dimensional ultrasound scans of each of the multiple cardiac chambers in subject P. In this case, the generated volume data corresponds to each of the multiple structures in the heart. Structures include, for example, multiple cardiac chambers representing four chambers, multiple valves, etc. For the sake of clarity, the structures will be assumed to be cardiac chambers. The four chambers are the left atrium (LA), left ventricle (LV), right atrium (RA), and right ventricle (RV). Volume data may be generated by ultrasound scanning of the four chambers of the heart in subject P.

[0017] The Doppler data generation circuit 27 includes a mixer, a low-pass filter (LPF), etc., and generates Doppler data based on the received signal. The mixer multiplies the received signal by a reference signal having the frequency f0 of the transmitted ultrasonic wave, and generates a Doppler deviation frequency f d The signal of the component and (2f0+f d The LPF generates a signal that has frequency components of ) from the signal output from the mixer. d The signal of ) is removed. As a result, the Doppler data generation circuit 27 removes the Doppler deviation frequency f from the received signal. d Generate Doppler data with the following components.

[0018] The image generation circuit 29 includes a digital scan converter (DSC), image memory, etc., which are not shown in the diagram. The DSC converts the scan line signal sequence of the ultrasound scan, consisting of B-mode data and Doppler data, into a scan line signal sequence in video format (scan conversion). The image generation circuit 29 synthesizes various parameter character information, memory, etc., with the scan-converted B-mode data and Doppler data to generate image data. Image data is data for display, while B-mode data, volume data, and Doppler data are also called raw data. The image memory stores multiple image data corresponding to a series of frames immediately before the input of the freeze operation. The multiple image data stored in the image memory are used for the video display (cine display) of the ultrasound image.

[0019] The communication interface circuit 31 connects to external devices such as a medical image storage device via a network. The communication interface circuit 31 receives volume data of the subject P from the medical image storage device and outputs it to the storage circuit 33. The communication interface circuit 31 also transfers various data output from the image generation circuit 29, processing circuit 37, etc., to the external device.

[0020] The memory circuit 33 is composed of various types of memory, HDD (hard disk drive), SSD (solid state drive), magnetic disks (floppy disks, hard disks, etc.), optical disks (CD-ROMs, DVDs, etc.), semiconductor memory, etc. The memory circuit 33 stores programs related to ultrasonic transmission and reception, programs corresponding to various processes performed by the control circuit 35 and the processing circuit 37, etc. The memory circuit 33 also stores raw data, image data, and various medical information generated and processed by the processing circuit 37.

[0021] The control circuit 35 includes hardware resources such as a processor and memory. The control circuit 35 functions as the central hub of the ultrasound diagnostic device 1. Specifically, the control circuit 35 reads the control program stored in the memory circuit 33, loads it into memory, and controls various circuits of the ultrasound diagnostic device 1 according to the loaded control program.

[0022] The processing circuit 37 includes hardware resources such as a processor and memory. Specifically, the processing circuit 37 reads the program stored in the memory circuit 33, loads it into memory, and implements various functions according to the loaded program.

[0023] The processing circuit 37 that implements the image processing function 371 executes image processing programs that correspond to various image processing operations. Specifically, the processing circuit 37 generates a rendered image by rendering volume data. The rendered image is a three-dimensional image such as a surface rendering image or a volume rendering image. The processing circuit 37 generates a multi-planar reconstruction (MPR) image as a two-dimensional image by performing a multi-planar reconstruction (MPR) operation on the volume data. If the volume data has multiple heart chambers, the processing circuit 37 divides the volume data into volume data for each heart chamber using a predetermined method such as thresholding. At this time, the processing circuit 37 generates a three-dimensional image for each heart chamber based on the divided volume data. The processing circuit 37 that implements the image processing function 371 corresponds to the image processing unit.

[0024] The processing circuit 37, which implements the analysis function 373, analyzes time-series image data (hereinafter referred to as the medical image group) acquired by scanning subject P, targeting two or more structures in the heart of subject P. Here, the scan is the ultrasound scan described above, and the medical image group consists of time-series volume data, 3D image data, and 2D image data. When this medical processing device 20 is mounted on an X-ray computed tomography (CT) device, the above scan corresponds to an X-ray CT scan. When this medical processing device 20 is mounted on a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) device, the above scan corresponds to an MR scan. The processing circuit 37 obtains analysis results by analyzing the medical image group. Specifically, the processing circuit 37 analyzes the wall motion of each heart chamber by applying a predetermined wall motion analysis to each heart chamber in the medical image group. The predetermined wall motion analysis is, for example, two-dimensional wall motion tracking (WMT) or three-dimensional WMT, but is not limited to these. By executing the analysis program related to the analysis function 373, the processing circuit 37 sets a plurality of constituent points indicating the contour of the inner lining of the heart wall and a plurality of constituent points indicating the contour of the outer lining of the heart wall as initial contours on the image data corresponding to a predetermined cardiac phase from the medical image group. The initial contours may be set automatically by predetermined image processing, or they may be set by instructions from the operator via the input interface circuit 13. Furthermore, the initial contours can be adjusted as appropriate by instructions from the operator via the input interface circuit 13. Next, the processing circuit 37 that realizes the analysis function 373 tracks the positions of the constituent points in other image data included in the medical image group in a time series from the image data on which the initial contours have been set.

[0025] The processing circuit 37, which implements the analysis function 373, calculates the values ​​of various analysis parameters related to the wall motion of the cardiac chambers based on the results of the above tracking. The analysis parameters include, for example, various strains such as longitudinal strain, the time to reach a predetermined threshold (hereinafter referred to as peak time) such as the rate of increase in the intima-lateral wall thickness of the cardiac chambers (radial strain), and statistical values ​​of various parameters indicating cardiac function. The processing circuit 37 generates segmented surface rendering images, MPR images, polar maps, etc., with hues mapped according to the values ​​of the analysis parameters. A segment is a partial region of the cardiac wall recommended by the American Society of Echocardiography and the American Heart Association. The processing circuit 37 acquires the images generated by these mappings as analysis results of the wall motion of each cardiac chamber. The processing circuit 37 may also generate graphs showing the time change of the values ​​of the analysis parameters in each of the multiple segments as analysis results. If the structure to be analyzed is a valve, the analysis results will be analysis results related to the movement of the valve. The processing circuit 37 stores the generated analysis results in the memory circuit 33. The acquisition of analysis parameter values ​​is not limited to the method described above and may be obtained by other analysis methods. The processing circuit 37 that realizes the analysis function 373 corresponds to the analysis unit.

[0026] In the above explanation, the term "processor" refers to circuits such as CPUs (Central Processing Units), GPUs (graphics processing units), Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs), and Programmable Logic Devices (e.g., Simple Programmable Logic Devices (SPLDs), Complex Programmable Logic Devices (CPLDs), and Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs)).

[0027] The processor implements various functions by reading and executing programs stored in the memory circuit 33. Alternatively, instead of storing programs in the memory circuit 33, the processor may be configured to directly incorporate the programs into the control circuit 35 or processing circuit 37. In this case, the processor implements various functions by reading and executing the programs incorporated into the circuit.

[0028] The overall configuration of the ultrasound diagnostic device 1 in this embodiment has been described above. When various functions of this ultrasound diagnostic device are realized by a medical processing device, the medical processing device 20 has the components within the dotted frame in Figure 1. With this configuration, the ultrasound diagnostic device 1 and medical processing device 20 of this embodiment are configured to display an overview of medical information of multiple structures in the heart by means of the body mark acquisition function 375 and the display control function 377 described below. The medical information includes various analysis results generated by the processing circuit 37, various rendering images generated by the image generation circuit 29, and images of a reference cross-section of the heart. The body mark acquisition function 375 will be described below, followed by the display control function 377.

[0029] The processing circuit 37 that implements the body mark acquisition function 375 acquires a body mark that schematically shows the positional relationship of multiple structures in the heart. This body mark is used in common across different subjects, for example, in the display of medical information (analysis results). The multiple structures in the body mark include, for example, a model of the four chambers defined by the endocardium, and a model of the outer wall of the entire heart. If the medical information includes analysis results for each of the multiple valves (e.g., mitral valve, tricuspid valve, aortic valve, pulmonary valve), the body mark includes a model corresponding to the valve. Also, if the medical information includes analysis results for structures outside the heart, the multiple structures in the body mark include a model corresponding to the multiple structures outside the heart. Structures outside the heart include, for example, the coronary arteries, pulmonary arteries, pulmonary veins, aorta, and vena cava. Furthermore, the model of the cardiac chambers in the body mark may be defined by the epicardium, mid-myocardium, myocardium, or at least two combinations of the endocardium, epicardium, and mid-myocardium. The processing circuit 37 may acquire multiple body marks in a time-series order. In this case, each of the multiple body marks may be accompanied by, for example, information related to the cardiac time phase. The processing circuit 37 that realizes the body mark acquisition function 375 corresponds to the body mark acquisition unit.

[0030] Furthermore, the multiple structures in the body mark may include structures that are not being analyzed. In this case, the processing circuit 37 that implements the body mark acquisition function 375 acquires a body mark in which the display mode of the area corresponding to the structure being analyzed differs from the display mode of the area corresponding to the structure not being analyzed. This body mark is, for example, a body mark that highlights the area corresponding to the structure being analyzed. Furthermore, this body mark may be a body mark in which the area not being analyzed is semi-transparent, or a body mark in which the hue of the area not being analyzed is lighter than that of the area being analyzed.

[0031] The processing circuit 37, which implements the display control function 377, displays the acquired body marks on the display 15 along with medical information for each of the multiple structures in the heart based on the scan results of the subject P. The processing circuit 37 may also display the medical information and body marks as a video on the display 15 in chronological order, synchronized with the cardiac phase. The processing circuit 37 that implements the display control function 377 corresponds to the display control unit.

[0032] For example, multiple structures include two or more structures. The processing circuit 37 that implements the display control function 377 displays the acquired body mark on the display 15 along with the analysis results of the two or more structures. Specifically, the processing circuit 37 displays the analysis results of two or more structures in the heart of subject P in separate display areas on the display 15. More specifically, two or more structures include a first structure and a second structure. Specifically, two or more structures include two or more of the left ventricle, left atrium, right ventricle, right atrium, mitral valve, tricuspid valve, aortic valve, and pulmonary valve. In this case, the body mark includes a first region corresponding to the first structure and a second region corresponding to the second structure. The relative positional relationship between the first region and the second region in the body mark displayed on the display 15 corresponds to the arrangement of the first analysis result of the first structure and the second analysis result of the second structure displayed on the display 15.

[0033] The processing of various functions according to this embodiment will be explained in detail below using the flowchart in Figure 2. The processing in step Sa3 in Figure 2 is related to the analysis function 373. The processing in step Sa4 in Figure 2 is related to the body mark acquisition function 375. The processing in step Sa5 in Figure 2 is related to the display control function 377.

[0034] The operator inputs the name of the structure to be analyzed (e.g., heart chamber name, valve name, etc.) via the input interface circuit 13 (step Sa1). The name of the structure to be analyzed is used, for example, for setting the initial contour in the analysis function 373 and for extracting the initial contour of the heart chamber from image data. The name of the structure to be analyzed is also used, for example, for selecting and processing body mark data in the body mark acquisition function 375. Note that if the heart chamber to be analyzed is automatically identified in the collected image data by automatic shape recognition or the like, the processing in step Sa1 is unnecessary.

[0035] Image data in a time series, including the cardiac chambers to be analyzed, is collected by scanning (step Sa2). Specifically, image data in a time series is generated by transmitting and receiving ultrasound signals to each of multiple cardiac chambers for a period of one heartbeat or more. The image data may be read from the memory circuit 33 or the medical image storage device. When performing three-dimensional WMT, the image data becomes three-dimensional image data corresponding to the volume data. In this embodiment, the volume data may refer to three-dimensional image data obtained as an analysis result by the analysis function 373. In this three-dimensional image data, a hue corresponding to the value of the analysis parameter is assigned to each voxel corresponding to the analysis part. At this time, a three-dimensional image of the analysis result is generated by rendering the three-dimensional image data showing the analysis result. In addition, a polar map of the analysis result is generated by image processing of the three-dimensional image data showing the analysis result. Prior to the execution of the analysis function 373, the patient ID, cardiac chamber type, image type, analysis parameter name, etc., are set. The cardiac chamber type is the name of the cardiac chamber to be analyzed. The image type refers to the type of image to which a hue corresponding to the value of the analysis parameter is mapped, such as a surface rendering image, an MPR image, or a polar map.

[0036] Image data is analyzed in a time-series manner, and the analysis results are obtained (step Sa3). Specifically, the processing circuit 37 that implements the analysis function 373 sets multiple constituent points that indicate the initial contour in images of a predetermined cardiac phase, such as the end of diastole, from the time-series image data. Next, the processing circuit 37 tracks the multiple constituent points in the medical image group, and the values ​​of the set analysis parameters are calculated. Based on the set image characteristics and the calculated analysis parameter values, the processing circuit 37 obtains the analysis results of the wall motion of the cardiac chambers as medical information.

[0037] Body marks corresponding to the input names of cardiac chambers are acquired (step Sa4). Specifically, the processing circuit 37 that implements the body mark acquisition function 375 reads body mark data from the memory circuit 33 or a medical image storage device (not shown). The body mark data is, for example, two-dimensional body mark data. If multiple body marks depicting the position of a single structure in the heart relative to the entire heart are stored in the memory circuit 33 as body mark data for each structure, that is, if multiple body marks corresponding to multiple structures are stored in the memory circuit 33 as body mark data, the processing circuit 37 selects the body mark corresponding to the name of the cardiac chamber from the multiple body marks. The body mark data corresponds to an anatomical atlas of the heart generated without using actual measurement data and is data showing a typical cardiac structure. The body mark data may be generated in advance by statistical processing of the actual measurement data of each of the multiple subjects' hearts, or it may be generated by the execution of this statistical processing by the processing circuit 37. In this case, it is preferable that the multiple subjects are healthy.

[0038] The processing circuit 37, which implements the body mark acquisition function 375, makes the display of a portion of the body mark data corresponding to the structure being analyzed in the medical information (e.g., a cardiac chamber) different from the display of other structures. Specifically, the processing circuit 37 acquires the body mark by highlighting the region corresponding to the name of the cardiac chamber in the body mark data. For example, if the medical information contains analysis results regarding the left ventricle, the processing circuit 37 assigns information regarding highlighting, such as highlight, color, and hatching, to the region of the left ventricle in the body mark data. As a result, the processing circuit 37 acquires a body mark in which the region being analyzed is highlighted. In other words, the processing circuit 37 schematically shows the positional relationship of multiple structures in the heart and acquires a body mark in which the display of the region corresponding to at least one structure in the heart differs from the display of the regions corresponding to other structures in the heart. Note that the above highlighting is not mandatory, and any display method is acceptable as long as the operator can easily see the location of the structure.

[0039] The body mark data may be data of a three-dimensional body mark (hereinafter referred to as three-dimensional body mark data) that schematically shows the three-dimensional positional relationship of multiple structures. The three-dimensional body mark data corresponds to volume data that schematically shows the structure of a typical heart. In this case, the processing circuit 37 that realizes the body mark acquisition function 375 performs rendering processing on the three-dimensional body mark data under predetermined rendering conditions, for example, and acquires the three-dimensional body mark by the above assignment. That is, the processing circuit 37 acquires body marks that schematically show the three-dimensional positional relationship of multiple structures in the heart.

[0040] Figures 3 and 4 show examples of body marks. The body marks in Figure 3 schematically show the positional relationship of the four chambers relative to the entire heart as viewed from the front. In other words, the body marks in Figure 3 schematically show the positional relationship of the outer wall of the heart and the four chambers as viewed from the front. The body marks in Figure 4 schematically show the position of the left ventricle relative to the entire heart as viewed from the front. In other words, the body marks in Figure 4 schematically show the positional relationship of the outer wall of the heart and the left ventricle as viewed from the front. As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the body marks in this embodiment correspond to schematic diagrams that schematically show the positional relationship of multiple structures relative to the entire heart.

[0041] The processing circuit 37, which implements the display control function 377, displays the medical information acquired in step Sa3 and the body marks acquired in step Sa4 on the display 15 (step Sa5). Specifically, the processing circuit 37 reads a layout from the memory circuit 33 for arranging the medical information and body marks in the display area of ​​the display 15. This layout shows the arrangement of the medical information and body marks in multiple divided areas in the display area of ​​the display 15. Each of the multiple divided areas corresponds to the individual display area described above. Next, the processing circuit 37 arranges the medical information and body marks according to the read layout and displays them on the display 15. For example, if the medical information has multiple analysis results for a single cardiac chamber such as the left ventricle, the processing circuit 37 highlights the area in the body marks corresponding to the left ventricle and displays it on the display 15 along with the multiple analysis results. In this case, other structures in the body mark (left atrium, right ventricle, right atrium, etc.) will not be highlighted. The processing circuit 37 may also hide other structures in the body mark.

[0042] Figure 5 shows examples of the display of medical information and body marks placed in each of the multiple divided regions. In divided region 5-1 of Figure 5, a 3D image of the left ventricle (LV) (analysis result 5LV), with hues corresponding to the values ​​of the analysis parameters mapped, is displayed as a video from a front view of the heart (3D display). In divided region 5-2 of Figure 5, a polar map of the left ventricle (LV) (analysis result 5PL), with hues corresponding to the values ​​of the analysis parameters mapped, is displayed as a video (polar map display). In divided region 5-3 of Figure 5, a graph 5GP showing the time-varying curve of the analysis parameter values ​​of the left ventricle (LV) is displayed (time-varying curve display). In divided region 5-4 of Figure 5, the acquired body mark 5BM is displayed in a front view of the heart. Furthermore, since all the medical information in Figure 5 is the analysis result related to the left ventricle, the area corresponding to the left ventricle in body mark 5BM is highlighted, for example, with hatching.

[0043] The three-dimensional display shown in Figure 5 may be generated by rendering the three-dimensional image data representing the analysis results, or by mapping hues corresponding to the values ​​of the analysis parameters onto the rendered image. Similarly, the polar map display shown in Figure 5 may be generated by image processing the three-dimensional image data representing the analysis results, or by mapping hues corresponding to the values ​​of the analysis parameters onto the polar map. Furthermore, the medical information analysis results 5LV and 5PL shown in Figure 5 are displayed as a video according to the cardiac phase. In this case, the body mark 5BM may also be displayed as a video in accordance with the cardiac phase of the displayed medical information.

[0044] The configuration described above can be used to obtain the following effects. According to the ultrasound diagnostic device 1 and medical processing device 20 of this embodiment, body marks schematically showing the positional relationships of multiple structures in the heart can be displayed on the display 15 together with medical information for each of the multiple structures in the heart based on the results of the scan of the subject P. That is, according to this embodiment, body marks schematically showing the positional relationships of multiple structures in the heart can be acquired, image data acquired by scanning the subject P can be analyzed with two or more structures in the heart of the subject P as the analysis targets, and the body marks can be displayed on the display together with the analysis results for the two or more structures. Furthermore, according to this embodiment, image data acquired by scanning the subject P can be analyzed with structures in the heart of the subject P as the analysis targets. At this time, a body mark is acquired in which the display mode of the region corresponding to at least one structure in the heart differs from the display mode of the region corresponding to other structures in the heart, and the acquired body mark can be displayed on the display 15 together with medical information about at least one structure based on the results of the scan of the subject P. Furthermore, according to this embodiment, multiple body marks in a time series can be acquired, and the acquired body marks can be displayed in correspondence with the cardiac time phase of the medical information.

[0045] Based on the above, according to this embodiment, a body mark that provides an overview of the medical information (analysis results) of structures in the heart can be displayed together with the medical information (analysis results) related to the structures. This allows the operator to grasp the analysis results of the functional analysis of the structures from an overview perspective. In addition, even if the heart of subject P is deformed due to a disease such as cardiac hypertrophy, the operator can easily grasp the position of the structures in relation to the analysis results of the entire heart. Furthermore, by displaying the body mark in a video along with a 3D image (rendered image) showing the analysis results in chronological order, it is possible, for example, to compare the schematic shape of the body mark with the rendered image at each time phase. From these points, according to this embodiment, for example, cardiac function analysis can be performed from an overview perspective, improving usability when displaying medical information on multiple structures of the heart simultaneously, and as a result improving diagnostic efficiency.

[0046] (First variation) The difference from the above-described embodiment is that body marks are acquired according to the orientation (posture) of the analysis results in the 3D-displayed medical information, and the acquired body marks are displayed on the display 15 together with the medical information.

[0047] The processing circuit 37, which implements the image processing function 371, generates a rendered image of the volume data acquired as an analysis result. The rendering conditions used in the rendered image are used when the body mark acquisition function 375 is executed.

[0048] The processing circuit 37, which implements the body mark acquisition function 375, acquires body marks according to the rendering conditions used to generate the rendered image. Specifically, it aligns the volume data and the 3D body mark data. That is, the processing circuit 37 associates the 3D body mark data with the volume data based on the position of the structure in the volume data and the position of the structure in the 3D body mark data. Next, the processing circuit 37 acquires the 3D body marks as body marks by rendering the associated 3D body mark data according to the rendering conditions. That is, the processing circuit 37 acquires body marks (3D body marks) by rendering the aligned 3D body mark data under conditions corresponding to the rendering conditions. The processing circuit 37 may also select a 3D body mark corresponding to the rendering conditions from a plurality of 3D body marks pre-stored in the memory circuit 33. In this case, the plurality of 3D body marks correspond to multiple viewing directions in the rendering conditions. The plurality of 3D body marks are, for example, two types of 3D body marks: a 3D body mark viewed from the front of the heart and a 3D body mark viewed from the back of the heart.

[0049] The following describes in detail the processing of various functions related to this modified example using the flowchart in Figure 6. The processing in step Sb3 in Figure 6 is related to the image processing function 371. The processing in step Sb4 in Figure 6 is related to the analysis function 373. The processing in steps Sb5 to Sb7 in Figure 6 is related to the body mark acquisition function 375. The processing in step Sb8 in Figure 6 is related to the display control function 377.

[0050] The operator inputs the name of the structure to be analyzed and rendering conditions (viewpoint, line of sight, etc.) via the input interface circuit 13 (step Sb1).

[0051] Volume data, including the cardiac chambers to be analyzed, is collected over time by scanning (step Sb2). Specifically, volume data is generated over time by transmitting and receiving ultrasound signals to each of multiple cardiac chambers for a period of one heartbeat or more. The volume data may be read from the memory circuit 33 or the medical image storage device.

[0052] A rendered image is generated using the volume data and rendering conditions (step Sb3). Note that the generation of the rendered image may also be performed in response to a change in the viewing direction of the analysis results, for example, a rotation operation of the rendered image that shows the analysis results.

[0053] Using volume data and rendered images, medical information of the cardiac chamber to be analyzed is obtained (Step Sb4).

[0054] Three-dimensional body mark data relating to the cardiac chamber to be analyzed is acquired (step Sb5). If multiple three-dimensional body marks representing the position of a single structure in the heart relative to the entire heart are stored in the memory circuit 33 as three-dimensional body mark data for each structure, the processing circuit 37 selects the three-dimensional body mark corresponding to the name of the cardiac chamber from among the multiple three-dimensional body marks. Following the processing in step Sb5, information regarding highlighting is mapped to the region corresponding to the name of the cardiac chamber in the acquired three-dimensional body mark. Alternatively, the information regarding highlighting may be mapped to the region of the target cardiac chamber in the three-dimensional body mark after the rendering process described later.

[0055] Based on the positions of the cardiac chambers in the volume data and the positions of the cardiac chambers in the 3D body mark data, the 3D body mark data is associated with the volume data (step Sb6). Specifically, the processing circuit 37 that implements the body mark acquisition function 375 reads out the 3D body mark data containing the cardiac chamber to be analyzed (hereinafter referred to as the target cardiac chamber) from the storage circuit 33. Next, the processing circuit 37 associates the target cardiac chamber in the 3D body mark data with the target cardiac chamber in the volume data. This association corresponds, for example, to the alignment of the target cardiac chamber in the 3D body mark data with the target cardiac chamber in the volume data. Specifically, the association by the processing circuit 37 involves, for example, associating multiple coordinates indicating the region of the target cardiac chamber in the 3D body mark data with multiple coordinates indicating the region of the target cardiac chamber in the volume data. As a result, the orientation of the target cardiac chamber in the 3D body mark data is associated with the orientation of the target cardiac chamber in the volume data.

[0056] 3D body marks are generated by rendering aligned 3D body mark data according to rendering conditions (step Sb7). Through this rendering process, the processing circuit 37, which realizes the body mark acquisition function 375, acquires the 3D body marks as body marks. For example, if the analysis result, in which a hue corresponding to the value of the analysis parameter is mapped to a 3D image of the left ventricle, is displayed as a video from a rear view, the viewpoint in the rendering conditions is set to the rear side of the heart. Figure 7 shows an example of body marks when the viewpoint is set to the rear side of the heart. In other words, the body marks in Figure 7 schematically show the positional relationship between the outer wall of the heart and the four chambers as viewed from the rear. The difference between Figure 7 and Figure 3 is that the orientation (posture) of the body marks is different on the front side and the rear side of the subject P. Alternatively, instead of the process in step Sb7, a 3D body mark corresponding to the rendering conditions may be selected from a plurality of 3D body marks pre-stored in the memory circuit 33.

[0057] Three-dimensional body marks and medical information are displayed on the display 15 (step Sb8). Figure 8 shows an example of the display of medical information and body marks placed in each of several divided regions. In divided region 8-1 shown in Figure 8, a three-dimensional image of the left ventricle (LV) (analysis result 8LV), with hues corresponding to the values ​​of the analysis parameters mapped, is displayed as a video from a posterior view of the subject P (3D display). In divided region 8-2 shown in Figure 8, analysis result 8PL, corresponding to analysis result 5PL in Figure 5, is displayed as a video (polar map display). In divided region 8-3 shown in Figure 8, graph 8GP, corresponding to graph 5GP in Figure 5, is displayed (time-changing curve display). In divided region 8-4 shown in Figure 8, the acquired body marks 8BM are displayed in the same orientation as the three-dimensional image in analysis result 8LV. That is, since analysis result 8LV in Figure 8 is a view of the subject P from a posterior view, body marks 8BM schematically show the positional relationship of the four chambers relative to the entire heart as viewed from the posterior view, as shown in Figure 8. Furthermore, since all the medical information in the example shown in Figure 8 is analysis results related to the left ventricle, the region corresponding to the left ventricle in body mark 8BM is highlighted, for example, with hatching.

[0058] The rotation input for the analysis result 8LV shown in Figure 8 corresponds to a change in the viewing direction and viewpoint in the rendering conditions. Therefore, the processing in steps Sb3, Sb4, Sb7, and Sb8 is repeated in response to the rotation input for the analysis result 8LV. As a result, the 3D body mark is also rotated and displayed in accordance with the rotation of the analysis result in the 3D display. In other words, the body mark 8BM is rotated and displayed in conjunction with the orientation of the 3D image in the medical information.

[0059] The configuration described above can be used to achieve the following effects. In this modified example, the ultrasound diagnostic device 1 and medical processing device 20 generate a rendered image by rendering the volume data obtained as an analysis result, and body marks can be obtained according to the rendering conditions in this rendering process. Specifically, the volume data obtained as an analysis result and the 3D body mark data are aligned, and the body marks can be obtained by rendering the aligned 3D body mark data under conditions corresponding to these rendering conditions. This makes it possible to display the orientation (posture) of the 3D-displayed analysis result in correspondence with the orientation (posture) of the body marks.

[0060] Based on the above, this modified version allows the operator to grasp the results of the functional analysis of structures more comprehensively and intuitively, depending on the viewing direction in the 3D display. Therefore, this modified version allows for a comprehensive view of cardiac function analysis, improving usability when simultaneously displaying medical information on multiple structures of the heart, and consequently improving diagnostic efficiency.

[0061] (Second variation) The difference from the above-described embodiment is that each of the multiple body marks, which highlights multiple structures, is displayed along with the medical information of the three-dimensional representation of each of the multiple structures.

[0062] The processing circuit 37, which implements the body mark acquisition function 375, acquires multiple body marks that highlight multiple structures based on body mark data and medical information. Specifically, the processing circuit 37 reads body mark data containing multiple structures from the storage circuit 33. Based on the read body mark data and medical information, the processing circuit 37 generates multiple body marks that represent multiple structures in different display modes. Different display modes include, for example, highlighting multiple structures in the body mark according to the medical information.

[0063] The processing circuit 37, which implements the display control function 377, displays the acquired body marks on the display 15 along with the medical information of each structure based on the scan results of the subject P.

[0064] The following describes in detail the processing of various functions related to this modified example using the flowchart in Figure 9. Steps Sc2 and Sc3 in Figure 9 are processes related to the analysis function 373. Step Sc4 in Figure 9 is a process related to the body mark acquisition function 375. Steps Sc5 to Sc6 in Figure 9 are processes related to the display control function 377.

[0065] A scan of subject P's heart collects time-series image data including multiple cardiac chambers in a single step (Step Sc1).

[0066] Next, the region of each of the multiple cardiac chambers is specified for the image data via the input interface circuit 13. This identifies the regions of the multiple cardiac chambers in the image data (step Sc2). Note that if the multiple cardiac chambers in the collected image data are automatically identified by automatic shape recognition or the like, specifying the region of each of the multiple cardiac chambers via the input interface circuit 13 becomes unnecessary.

[0067] By analyzing image data in a time-series manner, multiple analysis results corresponding to multiple cardiac chambers are acquired as medical information (step Sc3). Each of the multiple structures is, for example, a first structure and a second structure. For example, the processing circuit 37 that implements the analysis function 373 analyzes image data acquired by scanning subject P, with the first structure in subject P's heart as the analysis target. The processing circuit 37 also analyzes image data acquired by scanning subject P, with the second structure in subject P's heart as the analysis target. At this time, the acquired medical information is first medical information (first analysis result, etc.) relating to the first structure and second medical information (second analysis result, etc.) relating to the second structure. The first medical information and the second medical information have analysis results in a three-dimensional display. Steps Sc2 and Sc3 may be repeated for each structure to be analyzed, for example, for each cardiac chamber. Furthermore, if image data is collected for each structure in step Sc1, the processing in steps Sc1 to Sc3 is repeated for each structure.

[0068] A body mark containing multiple cardiac chambers is acquired (step Sc4). For example, the processing circuit 37 that implements the body mark acquisition function 375 schematically shows the positional relationship between a first structure and a second structure in the heart, and acquires a first body mark in which the display mode of the area corresponding to the first structure differs from the display mode of the area corresponding to the second structure. The processing circuit 37 also schematically shows the positional relationship between a first structure and a second structure in the heart, and acquires a second body mark in which the display mode of the area corresponding to the first structure differs from the display mode of the area corresponding to the second structure. Depending on the selection of medical information regarding the first structure in the heart displayed on the display 15, the processing circuit 37 may acquire a body mark in which the display mode of the area corresponding to the first structure differs from the display mode of the area corresponding to the second structure in the heart. Specifically, the processing circuit 37 that implements the body mark acquisition function 375 generates multiple body marks that highlight the structures in the medical information. Each of the multiple body marks has a display mode that highlights the area corresponding to the structure in the medical information. The processing circuit 37 associates the orientation of the body mark with the orientation of the medical information in the 3D display. The processing circuit 37 may also acquire a single body mark capable of displaying the regions of multiple structures. In this case, the body mark includes, for example, a first region corresponding to a first structure and a second region corresponding to a second structure.

[0069] Based on the type of structure (heart chamber name, valve name), etc., in the medical information, the layout of multiple analysis results in the display area of ​​the display is determined (Step Sc5). The layout of the analysis results is equivalent to a template that shows, for example, which analysis results should be placed where and how large in the display area. Specifically, the processing circuit 37 that realizes the display control function 377 determines the layout based on the analysis parameters in the medical information, the type of structure (or the anatomical positional relationship of the structures), the stress echo phase, the treatment progress, etc. For example, when displaying medical information for each of the four chambers in the display area of ​​the display 15, the layout will be such that the analysis results for the right atrium are placed in the upper left divided area of ​​the display area, the analysis results for the right ventricle are placed in the lower left divided area of ​​the display area, the analysis results for the left atrium are placed in the upper right divided area of ​​the display area, and the analysis results for the left ventricle are placed in the lower right divided area of ​​the display area. Furthermore, for example, when displaying medical information about stress echocardiography for the right and left ventricles in the display area of ​​display 15, the layout would be such that the resting analysis results for the right ventricle are placed in the upper left divided area of ​​the display area, the stress analysis results for the right ventricle are placed in the lower left divided area of ​​the display area, the resting analysis results for the left ventricle are placed in the upper right divided area of ​​the display area, and the stress analysis results for the left ventricle are placed in the lower right divided area of ​​the display area. The above explanation of the layout is merely an example and is not limited to this.

[0070] The analysis results and body marks are displayed according to the determined layout (step Sc6). The processing circuit 37, which implements the display control function 377, displays the first body marks on the display 15 along with the analysis results of the first structure. Specifically, the processing circuit 37 displays the first body marks in the display area of ​​the first medical information relating to the first structure, and displays the second body marks in the display area of ​​the second medical information relating to the second structure. If the body marks include a first area corresponding to the first structure and a second area corresponding to the second structure, the processing circuit 37 displays these body marks on the display 15 along with the first medical information relating to the first structure and the second medical information relating to the second structure. At this time, the relative positional relationship between the first area and the previous two areas in the body marks displayed on the display 15 corresponds to the arrangement (placement) of the first medical information and the second medical information displayed on the display 15. Specifically, the processing circuit 37 that implements the display control function 377 further displays body marks in the display area (divided area) of the medical information in the display area of ​​the display 15, and highlights the area of ​​the structure related to the medical information within the body marks. Furthermore, when medical information displayed on the display 15 is selected by the operator, the processing circuit 37 highlights the area of ​​the structure related to the selected medical information within the body marks. For example, in response to the selection of medical information related to a first structure in the heart displayed on the display 15, the processing circuit 37 displays a body mark on the display 15 in which the display mode of the area corresponding to the first structure is different from the display mode of the area corresponding to a second structure in the heart. The processing circuit 37 may also determine the display position of the body mark corresponding to the medical information based on the rendering direction in the rendering conditions. Various display examples in this modified example will be described below.

[0071] Figure 10 shows an example of the display of medical information (3D display) and body marks, each placed in a separate divided region. The medical information in Figure 10 has a single analysis result for one cardiac chamber. The multiple analysis results 10RA, 10LA, 10RV, and 10LV in Figure 10 are displayed in synchronous motion. In Figure 10, the multiple body marks 10RABM, 10LABM, 10RVBM, and 10LVBM are each placed at the lower left edge of the divided region, but are not limited to this. Other display examples of body mark placement will be described later.

[0072] In the divided region 10-1 shown in Figure 10, the analysis result 10RA and body mark 10RABM are displayed. Analysis result 10RA is a three-dimensional image of the right atrium (RA) with hues corresponding to the values ​​of the analysis parameters mapped. Body mark 10RABM schematically shows the positional relationship of the four chambers relative to the entire heart as viewed from the front, and the area corresponding to the right atrium is highlighted. In the divided region 10-2 shown in Figure 10, the analysis result 10LA and body mark 10LABM are displayed. Analysis result 10LA is a three-dimensional image of the left atrium (LA) with hues corresponding to the values ​​of the analysis parameters mapped. Body mark 10LABM schematically shows the positional relationship of the four chambers relative to the entire heart as viewed from the front, and the area corresponding to the left atrium is highlighted. In the divided region 10-3 shown in Figure 10, the analysis result 10RV and body mark 10RVBM are displayed. Analysis result 10RV is a three-dimensional image of the right ventricle (RV) with hues corresponding to the values ​​of the analysis parameters mapped. Body mark 10RVBM schematically shows the positional relationship of the four chambers relative to the entire heart as viewed from the front, and the region corresponding to the right ventricle is highlighted. In the divided region 10-4 shown in Figure 10, the analysis result 10LV and body mark 10LVBM are displayed. Analysis result 10LV is a three-dimensional image of the left ventricle (LV) with hues corresponding to the values ​​of the analysis parameters mapped. Body mark 10LVBM schematically shows the positional relationship of the four chambers relative to the entire heart as viewed from the front, and the region corresponding to the left ventricle is highlighted.

[0073] Figure 11 shows an example of the layout and placement of body markers for comparing the analysis results of stress echocardiography phases (before and after drug loading) in two cardiac chambers (right ventricular RV and left ventricular LV). The difference from Figure 10 is that multiple analysis results are displayed for a single cardiac chamber. The multiple analysis results in Figure 11 are of two types: analysis results at rest and analysis results under stress echocardiography.

[0074] In the divided region 11-1 shown in Figure 11, analysis results 11RVRe and 11RVSt and body mark 11RVBM are placed. Analysis result 11RVRe, placed in the upper part of divided region 11-1, shows the analysis result (RV: Rest) for the right ventricular RV at rest. Analysis result 11RVSt, placed in the lower part of divided region 11-1, shows the analysis result (RV: Stress) for the right ventricular RV under load. Body mark 11RVBM schematically shows the positional relationship of the four chambers relative to the entire heart as viewed from the front, and the region corresponding to the right ventricle is highlighted. In the divided region 11-2 shown in Figure 11, analysis results 11LVRe and 11LVSt and body mark 11LVBM are placed. Analysis result 11LVRe, placed in the upper part of divided region 11-2, shows the analysis result (LV: Rest) for the left ventricular LV at rest. The analysis result 11LVSt, located in the lower section of segmented region 11-2, shows the analysis result (LV: Stress) for the left ventricle (LV). The body mark 11LVBM schematically shows the positional relationship of the four chambers relative to the entire heart as viewed from the front, with the region corresponding to the left ventricle highlighted.

[0075] Figure 12 shows an example of displaying medical information (3D display) placed in each of multiple divided regions, and a body mark placed in the central part of the display area. The analysis results 12RA in divided region 12-1, 12LA in divided region 12-2, 12RV in divided region 12-3, and 12LV in divided region 12-4 in Figure 12 correspond to the multiple analysis results 10RA, 10LA, 10RV, and 10LV in Figure 10. The difference between Figure 12 and Figure 10 is the display position of the body mark. The body mark 12BM in Figure 12 is placed approximately in the center of the display area of ​​the display. As shown by the dotted line in Figure 12, the orientation (posture) of the body mark 12BM corresponds to the layout (arrangement) of the multiple analysis results. The display manner of the cardiac chamber region in the input analysis result may be changed in the body mark 12BM in response to input operations on the analysis results (such as rotation of the 3D image). A change in the display manner is, for example, the highlighting described above. In Figure 12, the right ventricular region of body mark 12BM is highlighted by the input operation on the analysis result 12RV.

[0076] Figure 13 shows an example of displaying medical information (3D display) placed in each of multiple divided regions, and a body mark placed in the edge region of the display area. The analysis result 13RA in divided region 13-1, analysis result 13LA in divided region 13-2, analysis result 13RV in divided region 13-3, and analysis result 13LV in divided region 13-4 in Figure 13 correspond to the multiple analysis results 10RA, 10LA, 10RV, and 10LV in Figure 10. The difference between Figure 13 and Figure 10 is the display position of the body mark. The body mark 13BM is placed in the edge region 13-5 of the display area of ​​the display. Note that the edge region is not limited to the vicinity of the corner of the display area of ​​the display 15, but can be set to any position in the display area. As shown by the dotted line in Figure 13, the orientation (posture) of the body mark 13BM corresponds to the layout (arrangement) of the multiple analysis results. The display manner of the cardiac chamber region in the input operation on the analysis result may be changed in the body mark 13BM in response to an input operation on the analysis result (such as rotation of the 3D image).

[0077] Figure 14 shows an example of the display of medical information (3D display) and body marks placed in each of the multiple divided regions. The analysis result 14RA in divided region 14-1, the analysis result 14LA in divided region 14-2, and the analysis result 14RV in divided region 14-3 in Figure 14 correspond to the multiple analysis results 10RA, 10LA, and 10RV in Figure 10. The analysis result 14LV in divided region 14-4 corresponds to the analysis result 8LV in Figure 8. In addition, the body mark 14RABM in divided region 14-1, the body mark 14LABM in divided region 14-2, and the body mark 14RVBM in divided region 14-3 in Figure 14 correspond to the multiple body marks 10RABM, 10LABM, and 10RVBM in Figure 10. The body mark 14LVBM in divided region 14-4 corresponds to the body mark 8BM in Figure 8. The difference between Figure 14 and Figure 10 is that the analysis result 14LV and the body mark 14LVBM are displayed as viewed from the posterior side of the heart. The display example in Figure 14 is achieved by executing the processes of steps Sb6 and Sb7 in the first modified example during the processing of step Sc4.

[0078] Figure 15 shows an example of the display of medical information (3D display) and body marks placed in each of multiple divided regions. The analysis results 15RA in divided region 15-1, 15LA in divided region 15-2, and 15LV in divided region 15-4 in Figure 15 correspond to the analysis results 14RA, 14LA, and 14LV in Figure 14. The analysis result 15RV in divided region 15-3 shows a 3D image of the right ventricle (RV) as seen from the back of subject P, with hues corresponding to the values ​​of the analysis parameters mapped. Also, the body marks 15RABM in divided region 15-1, 15LABM in divided region 15-2, and 15LVBM in divided region 15-4 in Figure 15 correspond to the multiple body marks 14RABM, 14LABM, and 14LVBM in Figure 14. The body mark 15RVBM in divided region 15-3 is displayed in the same orientation as the 3D image in analysis result 15RV. The difference between Figure 15 and Figure 14 is that the analysis result 15RV and body mark 15RVBM are displayed as viewed from the posterior side of the heart, and the display position of the body mark in each of the multiple divided regions differs depending on the orientation of the 3D image in the analysis result (front view or posterior view). The display example in Figure 15 is realized by executing the processes of steps Sb6 and Sb7 in the first modified example in the process of step Sc4. In addition, in the process of step Sc6, the display position of the body mark in the divided region is determined based on the rendering direction for the 3D body mark data. In the display example in Figure 15, the body mark viewed from the front of the heart is displayed on the right side of the divided region, and the body mark viewed from the posterior side of the heart is displayed on the left side of the divided region.

[0079] The configuration described above can be used to achieve the following effects. In this modified example, the ultrasound diagnostic device 1 and medical processing device 20 allow the region of a structure related to medical information to be displayed in a different display manner depending on the medical information in the body mark. Furthermore, in this modified example, the display position of the body mark corresponding to the medical information can be determined based on the rendering direction in the rendering conditions. In addition, in this modified example, when medical information displayed on the display 15 is selected by the operator, a body mark can be obtained in which the display manner of the region of the structure related to the selected medical information differs from the display manner of the regions of other structures. For example, if the structures are a first structure and a second structure, and the medical information is first medical information related to the first structure and second medical information related to the second structure, the first region corresponding to the first structure and the second region corresponding to the second structure can be included in the body mark, and the relative positional relationship between the first region and the second region in the body mark can be displayed in correspondence with the arrangement (layout) of the first medical information and the second medical information in the display area of ​​the display 15. In this case, depending on the selection of the first medical information, a body mark can be displayed on the display 15 in which the display mode of the area corresponding to the first structure differs from the display mode of the area corresponding to the second structure.

[0080] Based on these considerations, this modified method allows for the display of medical images of multiple structures, along with body marks that highlight the areas of the structures related to medical information. For example, for the analysis result of a single cardiac chamber, a single body mark highlighting the area corresponding to that cardiac chamber can be acquired and displayed. Furthermore, for multiple analysis results corresponding to multiple cardiac chambers, a single body mark representing these multiple cardiac chambers can be acquired and displayed. In this case, the body mark can be displayed in an orientation (posture) corresponding to the layout of the multiple analysis results. In addition, the position of the body mark in the divided region can be changed according to the orientation of the 3D images in the multiple analysis results, i.e., the rendering direction, and the acquired body mark can be displayed.

[0081] Based on the above, this modified version allows body marks that provide an overview of multiple structures in the heart to be displayed along with medical information for each of the multiple structures, corresponding to the orientation of the 3D image or the layout of the medical information in the medical image. This allows the operator to grasp the results of multiple analyses for multiple structures from an overview perspective. In addition, even if the heart of subject P is deformed due to a disease such as cardiac hypertrophy, the operator can easily grasp the positions of multiple structures related to the multiple analysis results for the entire heart. As a result, this embodiment allows for an overview of cardiac function analysis, improving usability when displaying medical information for multiple structures of the heart simultaneously, and consequently improving diagnostic efficiency.

[0082] (Third variation) The difference from the above-described embodiment is that, when the medical information includes a cross-sectional image showing a cross-section of the heart, a cross-sectional mark indicating the position of the cross-section is superimposed on a body mark (e.g., a 3D body mark) and displayed.

[0083] The processing circuit 37, which implements the image processing function 371, generates multiple cross-sectional images corresponding to multiple cross-sections of the heart by performing MPR processing on volume data. The multiple cross-sections are arbitrary cross-sections of the heart. For the sake of easier understanding, the multiple cross-sections will be described below as reference cross-sections of the heart. In this case, the multiple cross-sectional images may be, for example, an apical 4-chamber cross-sectional image (LV 2D 4chView), an apical left ventricular long-axis cross-sectional image (LV 2D 3chView), and an apical 2-chamber cross-sectional image (LV 2D 2chView). Note that each of the multiple cross-sectional images may be mapped with a hue corresponding to the value of the analysis parameter.

[0084] The processing circuit 37, which implements the display control function 377, superimposes a cross-sectional mark indicating the position of the reference cross-section onto the body mark based on the position of the reference cross-section relative to the volume data. The processing circuit 37 displays multiple cross-sectional images together with body marks on which at least one cross-sectional mark is superimposed.

[0085] Figure 16 shows an example of a display in which a body mark with superimposed cross-sectional marks is shown along with multiple cross-sectional images and a 3D image in a single cardiac chamber (left ventricle, LV). In Figure 16, the divided region 16-1 displays an apical 4-chamber cross-sectional image (LV:4Ch), the divided region 16-2 displays an apical 2-chamber cross-sectional image (LV:2Ch), the divided region 16-3 displays an apical left ventricle long-axis cross-sectional image (LV:3Ch), the divided region 16-4 displays a 3D image of the left ventricle (LV:3D display), and the divided region 16-5 displays the body mark 16BM. The body mark 16BM displays the cross-sectional mark 16-4ch corresponding to the apical 4-chamber cross-sectional image, the cross-sectional mark 16-2ch corresponding to the apical 2-chamber cross-sectional image, and the cross-sectional mark 16-3ch corresponding to the apical left ventricle long-axis cross-sectional image superimposed on it.

[0086] Furthermore, as an application example of this modified model, at least one cardiac chamber and at least one valve may be applied as multiple structures. In this case, the multiple structures may be, for example, the left ventricle, mitral valve, left atrium, etc. In addition, the images of these structures may be mapped with hues corresponding to the values ​​of the analysis parameters for each structure. These images may be cross-sectional images or three-dimensional images of the structures.

[0087] The configuration described above can be used to achieve the following effects. In this modified example, the ultrasound diagnostic device 1 and medical processing device 20 can display cross-sectional images of the heart when the medical information includes cross-sectional images of the heart. This allows the body mark to be superimposed on the cross-sectional mark. Therefore, in this modified example, a body mark that provides an overview of cross-sections of multiple structures and medical information in the heart can be displayed along with the medical information for each of the multiple or single structures. As a result, the operator can gain an overview of multiple analysis results for multiple structures and perform cardiac function analysis in an overview manner. This improves usability when simultaneously displaying medical information for multiple structures of the heart, and consequently improves diagnostic efficiency.

[0088] (Fourth variation) The difference between this embodiment and the various modifications described above is that body marks are displayed on the display 15 before the analysis of the image data, the image data is analyzed in response to selection instructions for structures in the body marks displayed before the analysis, and analysis results are generated for the structures selected by the selection instructions.

[0089] The processing circuit 37, which implements the body mark acquisition function 375, reads body mark data from the memory circuit 33 or image storage device before the analysis of image data by the analysis function 373 or before scanning the subject P. The body marks read are body marks on which selection instructions for the structure to be analyzed can be input, such as the body marks shown in Figure 3 or Figure 4. At this time, information about the names of each of the multiple structures in the body mark is attached to the body mark data.

[0090] The processing circuit 37, which implements the display control function 377, displays the read body marks on the display 15. When the operator inputs a selection instruction for the structure to be analyzed via the input interface circuit 13 using the body marks displayed before the analysis, the processing circuit 37 identifies the name corresponding to the selected structure as the target of analysis.

[0091] The processing circuit 37 that implements the analysis function 373 analyzes image data corresponding to the identified analysis target. Specifically, the processing circuit 37 analyzes image data in response to selection instructions for multiple structures in the body marks displayed before the analysis, and generates analysis results for the structures selected by the selection instructions.

[0092] The above-mentioned process in this modified example is performed, for example, in step Sa1 in Figure 2 and step Sb1 in Figure 6.

[0093] The configuration described above can be used to achieve the following effects. In this modified example, the ultrasound diagnostic device 1 and medical processing device 20 display body marks on the display 15 before analyzing image data. The image data is analyzed in response to selection instructions for structures on the body marks displayed before analysis, and analysis results are generated for the structures selected by the selection instructions. In other words, in this modified example, body marks can be used as a user interface for selecting structures to be analyzed before performing cardiac function analysis. This allows the input of the names of cardiac chambers to be analyzed, which previously required two separate inputs—for example, inputting to display a list of cardiac chamber names in a pull-down format and inputting an instruction to select the name of the cardiac chamber to be analyzed from the displayed list—to be consolidated into a single operation: selecting a structure on the body marks. This improves usability and diagnostic efficiency when inputting information about the analysis targets in cardiac function analysis.

[0094] (Fifth variation) The difference between this embodiment and the various modifications described above is that, if a structure different from the structure related to the analysis result is selected in the body mark displayed on the display 15 along with the analysis result, the analysis result for the different structure is displayed on the display 15 along with the body mark. The body mark in this modification is a body mark in which a selection instruction for the structure in the body mark can be input. In this case, the data of the body mark is accompanied by information about the name of each of the multiple structures.

[0095] The input interface circuit 13, based on the operator's instructions, selects a structure different from the structure related to the analysis results displayed on the display 15 from among multiple structures in the body mark displayed on the display 15 along with the analysis results.

[0096] The processing circuit 37, which implements the display control function 377, displays the analysis results for the selected different structures on the display 15 along with the body marks. Specifically, the processing circuit 37 identifies the name of the structure corresponding to the selected structure. The processing circuit 37 reads the analysis results for the selected structure from the storage circuit 33 using the identified name. The processing circuit 37 displays the read analysis results on the display 15 along with the body marks.

[0097] The above-mentioned process in this modified example can be performed, for example, after step Sa5 in Figure 2, after step Sb8 in Figure 6, and after step Sc8 in Figure 6. For example, when a selection instruction is input for the position of the right ventricle in the body marks shown in Figures 5, 8, 11, and 16, the analysis results for the right ventricle are displayed on the display 15 along with the body marks.

[0098] As an example of application of this modified example, if a structure related to the analysis results is specified in the body mark displayed on the display 15 along with the analysis results, the image data related to the specified structure may be re-analyzed, and the analysis results generated by the re-analysis of the image data may be displayed on the display 15 along with the body mark.

[0099] Specifically, the input interface circuit 13, based on the body marks displayed on the display 15 along with the analysis results, allows the operator to specify a structure related to the analysis results. The processing circuit 37, which implements the analysis function 373, re-analyzes the image data related to the specified structure. For example, the processing circuit 37 re-executes wall motion analysis for the volume data of each of the multiple heart chambers, such as by resetting the initial contour. The processing circuit 37, which implements the display control function 377, displays the analysis results generated by the re-analysis of the image data on the display 15 along with the body marks.

[0100] The configuration described above can be used to achieve the following effects. In this modified example, with the ultrasound diagnostic device 1 and medical processing device 20, if a different structure is selected in the body mark displayed on the display 15 along with the analysis results, the analysis results for the different structure can be displayed on the display 15 along with the body mark. In other words, with this modified example, the body mark displayed on the display 15 along with the analysis results can be used as a user interface for displaying the analysis results for a different structure.

[0101] Furthermore, according to this modified example, if a structure related to the analysis results is specified in the body mark displayed on the display 15 along with the analysis results, the image data related to the specified structure can be re-analyzed, and the analysis results generated by the re-analysis of the image data can be displayed on the display 15 along with the body mark. In other words, according to this modified example, the body mark displayed on the display 15 along with the analysis results can be used as a user interface for performing re-analysis.

[0102] Based on the above, this modified version allows for the selection of structures related to switching the display of analysis results and the specification of structures related to the execution of reanalysis by using body marks as the user interface, thereby improving usability and diagnostic efficiency.

[0103] Furthermore, as a modification of this embodiment, when the configuration of the ultrasound diagnostic device 1 is implemented in the medical processing device 20, the process of step Sa2 in the flowchart shown in Figure 2 becomes "reading out image data in chronological order from the memory circuit 33 or image storage device." Also, the process of step Sb2 in the flowchart shown in Figure 6 becomes "reading out volume data in chronological order, including the cardiac chamber to be analyzed, from the memory circuit 33 or image storage device." In addition, the process of step Sc1 in the flowchart shown in Figure 9 becomes "reading out image data in chronological order, including multiple cardiac chambers, from the memory circuit 33 or image storage device." Moreover, the image data, volume data, etc. mentioned above may be images collected by other modalities such as X-ray computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging. In addition, the analysis results may be analysis results performed by other modalities.

[0104] In addition, the image processing function 371, analysis function 373, body mark acquisition function 375, and display control function 377 in this embodiment can also be realized by installing a program (medical processing program) that executes these functions on a computer such as a workstation and deploying them in memory. In this case, the medical processing program enables the computer to acquire body marks that schematically show at least one of the positional relationships of multiple structures in the heart and the position of the structures relative to the whole heart, and to display the body marks on a display along with the medical information of each structure based on the results of the scan of the subject P. That is, by executing the medical processing program, a medical processing method is realized in which body marks that schematically show the positional relationships of multiple structures in the heart are acquired, image data acquired by scanning the subject P is analyzed with two or more structures in the heart of the subject P as the analysis targets, and the acquired body marks are displayed on a display along with the analysis results of the two or more structures. Furthermore, a program that can cause a computer to execute this method can also be stored and distributed on various portable storage media such as magnetic disks, optical disks, and semiconductor memory.

[0105] According to the embodiments and at least one modified example of the ultrasound diagnostic device 1 and medical processing device 20 described above, it is possible to display medical information of structures in the heart in an overview manner, and it is possible to improve usability when displaying medical information on multiple structures of the heart simultaneously.

[0106] While several embodiments of the present invention have been described, these embodiments are presented as examples only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments can be carried out in a variety of other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and their variations are included in the scope and spirit of the invention, as well as in the claims of the invention and its equivalents. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0107] 1... Ultrasound diagnostic device, 11... Ultrasound probe, 13... Input interface circuit, 15... Display, 17... Electrocardiograph, 19... Main unit, 20... Medical processing unit, 23... Transmitter / receiver circuit, 25... B-mode data generation circuit, 27... Doppler data generation circuit, 29... Image generation circuit, 31... Communication interface circuit, 33... Memory circuit, 35... Control circuit, 37... Processing circuit, 371... Image processing function, 373... Analysis function, 375... Body mark acquisition function, 377... Display control function.

Claims

1. The acquisition unit analyzes a series of medical images obtained by scanning a subject to acquire analysis results for two or more structures in the heart, including the left ventricle, left atrium, right ventricle, right atrium, mitral valve, tricuspid valve, aortic valve, and pulmonary valve. A body mark acquisition unit acquires body marks that schematically show the positional relationship of at least two of the two or more structures analyzed in relation to the heart, A display control unit that displays the body mark along with the analysis results on a display, A medical processing device equipped with the following.

2. A layout is predetermined for displaying the analysis results of each of the two or more structures on the display. The aforementioned layout has multiple divided regions, The display control unit displays each of the analysis results of the two or more structures that have been analyzed in the divided region corresponding to the position of the structure in the heart. The medical processing apparatus according to claim 1.

3. The body mark has a first region corresponding to the first structure among the at least two structures, and a second region corresponding to the second structure among the at least two structures. The display control unit displays the first region and the second region in different manners. The medical processing apparatus according to claim 1.

4. The acquisition unit acquires the analysis results of the wall motion related to the structure, The display control unit causes the wall motion analysis results to be displayed on the display. The medical processing apparatus according to claim 1.

5. The analysis results of the wall motion are at least one of a time-varying curve and a polar map based on the values ​​of the analysis parameters in the structure. The medical processing apparatus according to claim 4.

6. The acquisition unit acquires the analysis results of the valve motion related to the structure, The display control unit causes the analysis results of the valve's movement to be displayed on the display. The medical processing apparatus according to claim 1.

7. The acquisition unit acquires the analysis results by extracting the contours of the two or more structures included in the ultrasound image obtained by scanning the subject. The medical processing apparatus according to claim 1.

8. The display control unit displays the body mark smaller than the analysis result. The medical processing apparatus according to claim 1.

9. The system includes an operating unit that accepts the operation of setting two or more structures as the objects of analysis, The acquisition unit, upon receiving the operation, performs an analysis of the two or more structures set as the analysis targets. The display control unit causes the analysis results obtained from analyzing the structure to be displayed on the display. The medical processing apparatus according to claim 1.

10. The operation unit accepts an operation to set the structure to be analyzed in the body mark displayed on the display. The medical processing apparatus according to claim 9.

11. By analyzing a time-series set of medical images obtained from scans of the subject, we obtain analysis results for two or more structures in the heart, including the left ventricle, left atrium, right ventricle, right atrium, mitral valve, tricuspid valve, aortic valve, and pulmonary valve. Body marks are obtained that schematically represent the positional relationship between at least two of the two or more structures analyzed in relation to the heart. The body mark is displayed on the display along with the analysis results. Medical treatment methods.

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