Image capture management device, method of operating the image capture management device, and operating program of the image capture management device.

Abstract

To provide an imaging management device, an operation method of the imaging management device and an operation program of the imaging management device which can suppress such a situation that confusion of an operator is created when managing imaging by a plurality of medical image photographing systems installed at a plurality of imaging places.SOLUTION: A CPU of an imaging management device includes a state recognition unit, an entrance control unit, a speaker control unit and a monitor control unit. The state recognition unit acquires progress state information indicating the progress state of radiography of each of a plurality of radiographic rooms such as subject position information indicating the position of a subject in the radiographic room. The entrance control unit performs entrance control to the radiographic room of the subject on the basis of the progress state information. The speaker control unit and the monitor control unit perform output control of guide voice and guide information about imaging toward the subject. The entrance control by the entrance control unit and the output control by the speaker control unit and the monitor control unit are performed to shift timing of radiography in the plurality of radiographic rooms.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 26

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The technology of the present disclosure relates to a shooting management device, a method for operating the shooting management device, and an operating program for the shooting management device.

Background Art

[0002] In relatively large medical facilities such as university hospitals, a plurality of medical imaging systems (for example, radiographic imaging systems) are installed, one by one, in a plurality of imaging rooms. Paragraph

[0036] of Patent Document 1 suggests that shooting by a plurality of medical imaging systems installed in such a plurality of shooting locations is collectively managed.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] Here, consider managing shooting by a plurality of medical imaging systems installed in a plurality of shooting locations with a smaller number of operators than the number of shooting locations for efficiency. In this case, the shooting instruction needs to be given by an operator with the qualification, and the operator who manages the shooting at a plurality of shooting locations has to give a shooting instruction one by one to each of the plurality of shooting locations. Under such conditions, if the shooting timings at some shooting locations conflict, there is a risk that the operator will be confused.

[0005] One embodiment according to the technology of the present disclosure provides a shooting management device, a method for operating the shooting management device, and an operating program for the shooting management device that can suppress a situation that causes confusion among operators when managing shooting by a plurality of medical imaging systems installed in a plurality of shooting locations. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The imaging management device of this disclosure is an imaging management device that manages imaging by multiple medical imaging systems installed at multiple imaging locations, and comprises a processor, which acquires progress information indicating the progress of imaging at each of the multiple imaging locations, and based on the progress information performs at least one of the following: control of entry of the subject to be imaged into the imaging location, and control of output of guide information regarding imaging directed towards the subject, thereby staggering the timing of imaging at the multiple imaging locations.

[0007] The progress information includes shooting preparation complete information, indicating that the shooting preparation is complete and the time for shooting has arrived. When the processor receives the shooting preparation complete information, it is preferable to notify the operator that the time for shooting has arrived.

[0008] In a medical imaging system, which is a radiographic imaging system, it is preferable for the processor to acquire a position adjustment completion signal as imaging preparation completion information, indicating that the adjustment of the positions of the radiation source that emits radiation and the radiation image detector that receives the radiation and detects the radiographic image has been completed.

[0009] The processor preferably obtains the result of determining that the subject's condition is suitable for shooting as information indicating that shooting is ready.

[0010] The processor preferably obtains information indicating that the degree of contact between the subject and the shooting platform, where the subject is positioned for shooting, is suitable for shooting, as information indicating that the shooting preparation is complete.

[0011] In a medical image acquisition system, which is a radiography system, it is preferable for the processor to obtain, as information indicating that the imaging area, which is the area to be imaged by the radiography image, is contained within the radiation detection area of ​​the radiography image detector that receives radiation and detects a radiographic image, as information indicating that the system is ready for imaging.

[0012] The processor preferably obtains the determination that the degree of stillness of the subject is suitable for shooting as information indicating that shooting is ready.

[0013] Preferably, the processor acquires the detection results of body movement caused by the subject's breathing and controls the display to show an animation indicating the transition of the subject's breathing state based on the detection results as guide information on the display device.

[0014] The imaging location is preferably at least one of the following: an imaging room for a medical imaging system installed in a medical facility, or a mobile medical examination vehicle equipped with a medical imaging system.

[0015] The medical imaging system is preferably a radiography system.

[0016] The method for operating the imaging management device of this disclosure is a method for operating an imaging management device that manages imaging by multiple medical imaging systems installed at multiple imaging locations, and includes acquiring progress information indicating the progress of imaging at each of the multiple imaging locations, and staggering the timing of imaging at the multiple imaging locations by performing at least one of the following based on the progress information: controlling access of the subject to be imaged to the imaging location, and controlling the output of guide information regarding imaging directed towards the subject.

[0017] The operating program for the imaging management device of this disclosure is an operating program for an imaging management device that manages imaging by multiple medical imaging systems installed at multiple imaging locations, and causes a computer to perform a process that includes acquiring progress information indicating the progress of imaging at each of the multiple imaging locations, and, based on the progress information, controlling access of the subject to be imaged to the imaging location, and controlling the output of guide information regarding imaging directed towards the subject, thereby staggering the timing of imaging at the multiple imaging locations. [Effects of the Invention]

[0018] According to the technology of the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a shooting management device, an operation method of the shooting management device, and an operation program of the shooting management device that can suppress a situation that causes confusion among operators when managing shooting by a plurality of medical image shooting systems installed at a plurality of shooting locations.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0019] [Figure 1] It is an overhead view of the radiographic examination room, management room, and waiting room in the radiology department of a certain medical facility. [Figure 2] It is a diagram showing a radiographic imaging system. [Figure 3] It is a diagram showing a second optical image taken by a second camera and a third optical image taken by a third camera. [Figure 4] It is a block diagram showing the configuration of a shooting management device. [Figure 5] It is a block diagram showing the processing unit of the CPU of the shooting management device. [Figure 6] It is a diagram showing an admission guidance screen for a subject with reception number 001 and the processing of an admission control unit. [Figure 7] It is a diagram showing the case where the progress status of radiographic imaging is "admission". [Figure 8] It is a diagram showing the case where the progress status of radiographic imaging is "changing clothes (before imaging)". [Figure 9] It is a diagram showing the case where the progress status of radiographic imaging is "finished changing clothes (before imaging)". [Figure 10] It is a diagram showing the case where the progress status of radiographic imaging is "waiting". [Figure 11] It is a diagram showing the case where the progress status of radiographic imaging is "position adjustment completed". [Figure 12] It is a diagram showing a guidance screen displayed on a monitor in the imaging room. [Figure 13] It is a diagram showing the processing of a second image analysis unit. [Figure 14]Figure 14A shows the processing performed by the second image analysis unit, with Figure 14B showing the case where the degree of adhesion is equal to or greater than the first threshold, and Figure 14B showing the case where the degree of adhesion is less than the first threshold. [Figure 15] This diagram shows the processing performed by the third image analysis unit. [Figure 16] Figure 16A shows the processing of the third image analysis unit, with Figure 16B showing the case where the image area is contained within the detection area and Figure 16B showing the case where the image area is not contained within the detection area. [Figure 17] This diagram shows the stage where "subject positioning is complete" during radiography. [Figure 18] This diagram shows an information display screen that shows a "Ready for Radiation Imaging" mark indicating that the preparation for radiation imaging is complete and the time for radiation imaging has arrived, as well as a button to instruct the start of irradiation. [Figure 19] This diagram shows the case where the progress of radiography is "radiography". [Figure 20] This diagram shows the case where the progress of the radiography is "Radiography completed". [Figure 21] This diagram shows the situation when the patient is "changing clothes (after the scan)" during the radiography procedure. [Figure 22] This diagram shows the entry guidance screen and the processing of the entry control unit for the subject with reception number 002. [Figure 23] This diagram shows the progress of the radiography procedure, specifically the stages of "changing clothes (after the scan)" and "entering the room." [Figure 24] This diagram shows the progress of the radiography procedure, specifically the stages of "changing clothes completed (after imaging)" and "changing clothes in progress (before imaging)." [Figure 25] This diagram shows the progress of the radiography procedure, specifically the "leaving the room" and "changing clothes (before the scan)" stages. [Figure 26] This diagram shows how entry into the radiography room is controlled by an imaging management system. [Figure 27] This diagram shows the control of guide information output by the shooting management device. [Figure 28] This diagram shows guide information that informs the subject that the time is being adjusted. [Figure 29] This diagram shows a mechanism that notifies the operator that the timing for taking a photograph has arrived, once the position adjustment of the radiation source and other components has been completed. [Figure 30] This is a block diagram showing the CPU processing unit of the third embodiment of the imaging management device. [Figure 31] This diagram shows the processing performed by the fourth image analysis unit. [Figure 32] Figure 32A shows the processing of the fourth image analysis unit, with Figure 32B showing the case where the amount of motion is less than the second threshold, and Figure 32B showing the case where the amount of motion is greater than or equal to the second threshold. [Figure 33] This diagram shows a mechanism that notifies the operator that the time for shooting has come when the subject's stillness is deemed suitable for shooting, according to the third suitability judgment result. [Figure 34] This is a block diagram showing the CPU processing unit of the fourth embodiment of the shooting management device. [Figure 35] This is a diagram showing the guide screen of the fourth embodiment. [Figure 36] This figure shows the animation transitions according to the subject's breathing state. [Figure 37] This figure shows another example of the guide screen of the fourth embodiment. [Figure 38] This figure shows another example of animation transitions that correspond to the breathing state of the subject. [Figure 39] This diagram illustrates an example of managing radiography systems installed in radiography rooms across multiple medical facilities. [Figure 40] This diagram illustrates an example of managing imaging data from a radiography system installed in a radiography room, as well as a radiography system mounted on a mobile health checkup vehicle. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0020] [First Embodiment] Figure 1 is an overhead view of an example layout of radiology department 2 in a medical facility, seen from the ceiling 73 (see Figure 2). Radiology department 2 has two radiography rooms, radiography room 10A and 10B. Adjacent to radiography rooms 10A and 10B is a single control room 11 shared by both radiography rooms 10A and 10B. On the opposite side of the control room 11, with radiography rooms 10A and 10B in between, is a waiting room 12, also shared by radiography rooms 10A and 10B. Radiography rooms 10A and 10B are examples of "radiography locations" related to the technology of this disclosure.

[0021] Radiography rooms 10A and 10B have the same configuration. Therefore, the following description will only explain the configuration of radiography room 10A, and the parts related to radiography room 10B will be described in a separate section, using the same numbers as those for radiography room 10A plus a "B". In the following description, unless there is a particular need to distinguish between them, the radiography rooms 10A and 10B, and the parts related to each of these radiography rooms 10A and 10B, may be represented by numbers only, omitting the "A" and "B".

[0022] The radiography room 10A is rectangular in shape. A first door 15A is provided in one corner of the wall of the radiography room 10A facing the waiting room 12, which opens and closes an entrance leading to the waiting room 12. Through this first door 15A, the subject H to be radiographed can move between the radiography room 10A and the waiting room 12. An electric lock 16A is attached to the first door 15A. The first door 15A is unlocked or locked by the electric lock 16A.

[0023] On the wall of the radiography room 10A opposite to the side where the first door 15A is located, a second door 17A is provided, which opens and closes an entrance leading to the control room 11. Through this second door 17A, operators such as radiological technologists can move between the radiography room 10A and the control room 11.

[0024] A first camera 18A is mounted on the ceiling 73 of the corner where the first door 15A is located and the diagonally opposite corner of the radiography room 10A. The first camera 18A is a digital camera that captures a digital first optical image 106A (see Figure 4). The first camera 18A is an omnidirectional camera that captures the entire view of the radiography room 10A. The first camera 18A operates during the consultation hours of the radiology department 2 and sequentially outputs the first optical image 106A at a predetermined frame rate. The first camera 18A is connected to the imaging management device 42, which will be described later, via wired or wireless connection and transmits the first optical image 106A to the imaging management device 42 sequentially.

[0025] On the side of the first door 15A in the section obtained by dividing the radiography room 10A roughly in two with a line parallel to its long side, there are two changing rooms, the first changing room 19A and the second changing room 20A. The first changing room 19A and the second changing room 20A are where the subject H changes from their own clothes to an examination gown before radiography, and where the subject H changes from the examination gown back to their own clothes after radiography.

[0026] The first changing room 19A is provided with a third door 21A that opens and closes an entrance leading to the radiography room 10A. Through this third door 21A, the subject H can move between the radiography room 10A and the first changing room 19A. Similarly, the second changing room 20A is provided with a fourth door 22A that opens and closes an entrance leading to the radiography room 10A. Through this fourth door 22A, the subject H can move between the radiography room 10A and the second changing room 20A.

[0027] A first motion sensor 23A is installed in the first changing room 19A, and a second motion sensor 24A is installed in the second changing room 20A. The first motion sensor 23A turns on when subject H enters the first changing room 19A, and the second motion sensor 24A turns on when subject H enters the second changing room 20A. Although not shown in the diagram, lockers are installed in both the first changing room 19A and the second changing room 20A.

[0028] A radiography system 30A is installed on the side of the first camera 18A in a section obtained by dividing the radiography room 10A into approximately two sections by a line parallel to its long side. The radiography system 30A includes a standing radiography table 31A and a radiation source 32A. The standing radiography table 31A has a holder 33A. An electronic cassette 34A is housed inside the holder 33A. The standing radiography table 31A is an example of a "radiography table" according to the technology of this disclosure.

[0029] A first foot mark 35A is painted on the floor of the radiography room 10A between the standing radiography table 31A and the radiation source 32A. The first foot mark 35A clearly indicates the waiting position and serves as a marker for the subject H to place both feet. The waiting position is a predetermined position between the standing radiography table 31A and the radiation source 32A, and is a position where the subject H does not get in the way when adjusting the height of the radiation source 32A and the holder 33A (electronic cassette 34A).

[0030] Furthermore, a second foot mark 36A is painted on the floor of the radiography room 10A directly below the standing imaging table 31A. The second foot mark 36A clearly indicates the imaging position and serves as a marker for the subject H to place both feet. The imaging position is the recommended standing position for the subject H in the most frequently performed standing frontal chest radiography.

[0031] A radiography room monitor 37A is mounted on the wall of radiography room 10A in front of the standing radiography table 31A. The radiography room monitor 37A displays guide information 111 (see Figure 5, etc.) regarding radiography directed towards the subject H.

[0032] A speaker 38A is mounted on the upper part of the wall of the radiography room 10A on the side where the radiography system 30A is installed. Speaker 38A outputs guide voice 152 (see Figure 7, etc.), which is an audio announcement of guide information 111. Speaker 38A also outputs the voice of the operator OP in the control room 11. Note that there are several types of guide voice 152, such as guide voice 152B (see Figure 7) and guide voice 152C (see Figure 9), as will be described later, but in the following explanation, these multiple types of guide voice 152B, 152C, etc. may be collectively referred to as guide voice 152.

[0033] In the control room 11, a control console 40 is located in the center of the wall opposite the radiography room 10. The control console 40 is at a height that is just right for the operator OP to operate while sitting in a chair 41. An imaging management device 42 is installed on the control console 40. The imaging management device 42 is, for example, a desktop personal computer. The imaging management device 42 has displays 43A and 43B and input devices 44 such as a keyboard and mouse. Display 43A displays information about the radiography room 10A for the operator OP. Display 43B displays information about the radiography room 10B for the operator OP. The input devices 44 receive operation instructions from the operator OP. Alternatively, the screen of one display 43 may be split to display information about the radiography room 10A and information about the radiography room 10B.

[0034] Here, the number of operators (OPs) stationed in the control room 11 is less than the number of radiography systems 30. Figure 1 illustrates a case where one operator (OP) is stationed for two radiography systems 30.

[0035] A microphone 45 is connected to the shooting management device 42. The microphone 45 picks up the operator OP's speech. The operator OP's speech picked up by the microphone 45 is output from the speaker 38. The shooting management device 42 may be a notebook computer or a tablet terminal, etc.

[0036] In front of each radiography room 10A and 10B in the waiting room 12, benches 50A and 50B are provided for the subject H to sit and wait. A waiting room monitor 51A is mounted next to the first door 15A on the wall opposite bench 50A, which separates radiography room 10A from the waiting room 12. The waiting room monitor 51A displays information directed to the subject H in the waiting room 12. Similarly, a waiting room monitor 51B is mounted next to the first door 15B on the wall opposite bench 50B, which separates radiography room 10B from the waiting room 12. The waiting room monitor 51B displays information directed to the subject H in the waiting room 12. The waiting room monitors 51A and 51B are equipped with speakers (not shown), which can output guide voice 152 and operator OP's speech. The waiting room 12 may also serve as a passageway for the subject H and other medical facility personnel, including operator OP.

[0037] As an example, as shown in Figure 2, the radiography system 30 is a system that performs radiographic imaging of a subject H using radiation R such as X-rays and gamma rays. The radiography system 30 is an example of a "medical image acquisition system" related to the technology of this disclosure.

[0038] The standing radiography table 31 is a radiography table for radiographic imaging of a subject H in a standing position. The standing radiography table 31 has a base 60 installed on the floor of the radiography room 10, a support column 61 extending in the height direction from the base 60, and the aforementioned holder 33. The holder 33 is connected to the support column 61 via a connecting part 62. The connecting part 62, and thus the holder 33, are raised and lowered relative to the support column 61 by a motor or the like according to the size of the area to be photographed or the physique of the subject H. The raising and lowering of the holder 33 can be performed from the control room 11 via the radiography control device 42. The height position of the holder 33 is detected, for example, by a linear encoder.

[0039] A mounting bracket 63 is provided at the tip of the support column 61. The mounting bracket 63 protrudes diagonally upward from the tip of the support column 61 toward the holder 33. A second camera 64 is attached to the tip of this mounting bracket 63. The second camera 64 is a digital camera that captures a digital second optical image 90 (see Figure 3). The second camera 64 operates from the time the progress of the radiography reaches "position adjustment complete" (see Figure 11) until it reaches "radiography complete" (see Figure 20), and sequentially outputs the second optical image 90 at a predetermined frame rate. The second camera 64 is connected to the radiography management device 42 via wired or wireless connection and transmits the second optical image 90 to the radiography management device 42 sequentially.

[0040] The electronic cassette 34 is a portable radiation image detector that detects a radiation image 103 (see Figure 4) corresponding to the radiation R transmitted through the subject H. The electronic cassette 34 is connected to the imaging management device 42 via wired or wireless communication. The electronic cassette 34 is used while housed in the holder 33 of the standing imaging table 31, or it can be removed from the holder 33 and used by having the subject H hold it or by inserting it under the subject H lying supine on a hospital bed. The electronic cassette 34 is an example of a "radiation image detector" related to the technology of this disclosure.

[0041] The electronic cassette 34 has a detection panel in which multiple pixels that accumulate charge in response to radiation R are arranged in a two-dimensional matrix. The detection panel is also called an FPD (Flat Panel Detector). When radiation R is started, the detection panel starts an accumulation operation to accumulate charge in the pixels. When radiation R is stopped, the detection panel starts a readout operation to read out the charge accumulated in the pixels as an electrical signal.

[0042] The radiation source 32 is attached to the tip of the arm 71 of the radiation source suspension device 70. The radiation source suspension device 70 has a trolley 72 in addition to the arm 71. The base end of the arm 71 is attached to the trolley 72. The arm 71 can be extended and retracted vertically by a motor or the like. By extending and retracting the arm 71 vertically, the height position of the radiation source 32 can be changed to suit the imaging area or the size of the subject H. The extension and retraction position of the arm 71, and thus the height position of the radiation source 32, is detected by, for example, a linear encoder. In addition, the radiation source 32 is rotated by a motor or the like around an axis perpendicular to the plane of the paper relative to the arm 71 in order to adjust the angle of incidence of radiation R to the subject H. The rotation angle of the radiation source 32 is detected by, for example, a rotary encoder or a potentiometer. The raising and lowering and rotation of the radiation source 32, as well as the raising and lowering of the holder 33, can be controlled from the control room 11 via the imaging control device 42.

[0043] The trolley 72 is connected to a rail 74 laid on the ceiling 73 of the radiography room 10. The rail 74 is straight and parallel to the normal of the radiation detection surface R of the electronic cassette 34 housed in the holder 33. The trolley 72, and thus the radiation source 32, can be moved in parallel along the rail 74 by a motor or the like. As the radiation source 32 moves in parallel along the rail 74 in this way, the SID (Source to Image receptor Distance), which is the distance from the point of radiation R generation to the radiation detection surface R of the electronic cassette 34, is changed. The position of the trolley 72 relative to the rail 74 is detected, for example, by a linear encoder. Similar to the raising and lowering of the holder 33, the parallel movement of the radiation source 32 can also be controlled from the control room 11 via the imaging control device 42.

[0044] The radiation source 32 has a radiation tube 75 and an irradiation field limiter 76. The radiation tube 75 is equipped with a filament, a target, a grid electrode, etc. (all not shown in the figure). A voltage is applied between the filament, which is the cathode, and the target, which is the anode. This voltage applied between the filament and the target is called the tube voltage. The filament emits thermionic electrons toward the target in accordance with the applied tube voltage. The target emits radiation R through collisions with thermionic electrons from the filament. The grid electrode is positioned between the filament and the target. The grid electrode changes the flow rate of thermionic electrons from the filament toward the target in accordance with the applied voltage. This flow rate of thermionic electrons from the filament toward the target is called the tube current.

[0045] The irradiation field limiter 76, also called a collimator, limits the irradiation field of the radiation R emitted from the radiation tube 75. The irradiation field limiter 76 has a configuration in which, for example, four shielding plates made of lead or the like are placed on each side of a rectangle to shield the radiation R, and a rectangular exit aperture that allows the radiation R to pass through is formed in the center. The irradiation field limiter 76 changes the size of the exit aperture by changing the position of each shielding plate, thereby changing the irradiation field of the radiation R.

[0046] A tube voltage generator 77 is connected to the radiation source 32, and a radiation source control device 78 is connected to the tube voltage generator 77. A radiation imaging control device 42 is connected to the radiation source control device 78. The tube voltage generator 77 is located in the radiation imaging room 10, and the radiation source control device 78 is located in the control room 11.

[0047] The tube voltage generator 77 generates tube voltage by boosting the input voltage using a transformer. The tube voltage generated by the tube voltage generator 77 is supplied to the radiation tube 75 via a voltage cable (not shown).

[0048] The radiation source control device 78 controls the operation of the radiation source 32 in response to the radiation R irradiation start instruction signal 79 from the imaging management device 42. The irradiation start instruction signal 79 is a signal input by the operator OP through the input device 44 of the imaging management device 42 when instructing the radiation source 32 to start irradiation with radiation R. The irradiation start instruction signal 79 also serves as a warm-up instruction signal to cause the radiation tube 75 to perform a warm-up operation before irradiation with radiation R.

[0049] The radiation source control device 78 is configured with radiation irradiation conditions for radiation R. These conditions include the tube voltage applied to the radiation tube 75, the tube current, and the radiation irradiation time. When the radiation source control device 78 receives an irradiation start instruction signal 79 from the imaging management device 42, it operates the tube voltage generator 77 according to the configured irradiation conditions and irradiates radiation R from the radiation tube 75. After the irradiation of radiation R has started and the irradiation time set in the irradiation conditions has elapsed, the radiation source control device 78 stops the irradiation of radiation R from the radiation tube 75. The radiation source control device 78 transmits an irradiation end signal 80 to the imaging management device 42 indicating that the irradiation of radiation R has ended.

[0050] Alternatively, the irradiation of radiation R may be terminated using the Auto Exposure Control (AEC) function. The AEC function detects the dose of radiation R that reaches the electronic cassette 34 during radiation R irradiation, and stops the irradiation of radiation R from the radiation tube 75 when the cumulative dose, which is the sum of the detected doses, reaches a preset target dose. In this case, the detection panel of the electronic cassette 34 starts reading when the cumulative dose of radiation R reaches the target dose.

[0051] A third camera 81 is attached to the center of the tip of the irradiation field limiter 76 of the radiation source 32. The third camera 81 is a digital camera that captures a digital third optical image 91 (see Figure 3). The third camera 81 operates from the time the radiation imaging progress is in "standby" status (see Figure 10) until it is in "radiation imaging complete" status, and outputs the third optical image 91 sequentially at a predetermined frame rate. The third camera 81 is connected to the imaging management device 42 via wired or wireless communication and transmits the third optical image 91 to the imaging management device 42 sequentially. The third camera 81 may also be built into the irradiation field limiter 76.

[0052] Figure 3 shows an example of imaging a subject H standing in front of a standing imaging table 31 using a second camera 64 and a third camera 81. The second camera 64 has a field of view (FOV) 1 that allows it to capture the area between the holder 33 and the subject H standing in front of the standing imaging table 31. The second optical image 90 captured by the second camera 64 shows the holder 33 and the area between the holder 33 and the subject H standing in front of the standing imaging table 31. On the other hand, the third camera 81 has a field of view (FOV) 2 that allows it to capture the area from the top of the head to below the knees (the entire upper body and part of the lower body) of the subject H standing in front of the standing imaging table 31 in a standing frontal chest radiograph. The third optical image 91 captured by the third camera 81 shows part of the standing imaging table 31 and the area from the top of the head to below the knees of the subject H standing in front of the standing imaging table 31.

[0053] As an example, as shown in Figure 4, the image capture management device 42 includes, in addition to the aforementioned display 43 and input device 44, storage 95, memory 96, CPU (Central Processing Unit) 97, and communication I / F (Interface) 98. These display 43, input device 44, storage 95, memory 96, CPU 97, and communication I / F 98 are interconnected via a bus line (not shown). The storage 95, memory 96, CPU 97, and bus line are examples of a "computer" related to the technology of this disclosure.

[0054] Storage 95 is a hard disk drive built into the computer constituting the imaging management device 42, or connected via cable or network. Storage 95 stores control programs such as the operating system, various application programs, and various data associated with these programs. A solid-state drive may be used instead of a hard disk drive.

[0055] Memory 96 is work memory for the CPU 97 to execute processing. The CPU 97 loads the program stored in storage 95 into memory 96 and executes processing according to the program. In this way, the CPU 97 comprehensively controls each part of the computer. CPU 97 is an example of a "processor" related to the technology of this disclosure. Note that memory 96 may be built into the CPU 97. Communication I / F 98 controls the transmission of various types of information with external devices such as the electronic cassette 34.

[0056] The CPU 97 receives imaging orders from the Radiology Information System (RIS) via the communication interface 98. The imaging order contains information such as the subject ID (Identification Data) to identify the subject H, and instructions for the imaging procedure from the physician or other person in the department that issued the order. The CPU 97 displays the imaging order on the display 43 in response to the operator OP's operation via the input device 44. The operator OP confirms the contents of the imaging order through the display 43.

[0057] The CPU 97 displays multiple types of imaging menus 100 on the display 43 in a selectable format. Each imaging menu 100 defines an imaging procedure where the imaging area of ​​the subject H, the imaging posture of the subject H, and the imaging direction of the subject H are set together, such as "chest, standing, frontal view". Imaging areas include the chest, head, neck, abdomen, waist, shoulders, elbows, hands, knees, ankles, etc. Imaging postures include standing, lying down, sitting, etc. Imaging directions include the frontal view, back, side, etc. The operator OP operates the input device 44 to select one imaging menu 100 from the multiple types of imaging menus 100 that matches the imaging procedure specified in the imaging order. The CPU 97 then accepts the imaging menu 100. At this time, the operator OP also selects the radiography room 10 in which the radiography will be performed.

[0058] The CPU 97 reads the irradiation conditions corresponding to the received imaging menu 100 from the irradiation condition table 101 stored in the storage 95. The CPU 97 displays the read irradiation conditions on the display 43. The irradiation condition table 101 contains irradiation conditions corresponding to various imaging menus 100. As mentioned above, the irradiation conditions are the tube voltage and tube current applied to the radiation tube 75, and the irradiation time of radiation R. Instead of the tube current and irradiation time, the product of tube current and irradiation time may be used as the irradiation condition.

[0059] Although not shown in the diagram, the CPU 97 transmits the set irradiation conditions to the radiation source control device 78 via the communication I / F 98. The CPU 97 also receives an irradiation start instruction signal 79 input by the operator OP through the input device 44 and transmits the irradiation start instruction signal 79 to the radiation source control device 78. Upon receiving the irradiation start instruction signal 79, the CPU 97 transmits a synchronization signal 102 to the electronic cassette 34 indicating that irradiation with radiation R has started. Furthermore, the CPU 97 receives an irradiation end signal 80 from the radiation source control device 78 indicating that irradiation with radiation R has ended. Upon receiving the irradiation end signal 80, the CPU 97 transmits a synchronization signal 102 to the electronic cassette 34 indicating that irradiation with radiation R has ended.

[0060] When the electronic cassette 34 receives a synchronization signal 102 from the imaging control device 42 indicating that radiation R has been started, it starts storing data in the detection panel. Similarly, when the electronic cassette 34 receives a synchronization signal 102 from the imaging control device 42 indicating that radiation R has been finished, it starts reading data from the detection panel. Alternatively, the electronic cassette 34 may be equipped with a function to detect the start and end of radiation R irradiation. This function may cause the electronic cassette 34 to start storing data in the detection panel when it detects the start of radiation R irradiation, and to start reading data from the detection panel when it detects the end of radiation R irradiation.

[0061] The CPU 97 receives the radiation image 103 from the electronic cassette 34 via the communication interface 98. After performing various image processing on the radiation image 103, the CPU 97 displays the radiation image 103 on the display 43 for viewing by the operator OP.

[0062] Although not shown in the diagram, the CPU 97 transmits a position adjustment signal to the standing imaging table 31 via the communication I / F 98. The position adjustment signal is a drive signal given to the motor that raises and lowers the holder 33, and is a signal to set the holder 33, and by extension the electronic cassette 34, to a height position that matches the imaging area or the physique of the subject H.

[0063] Before receiving the position adjustment signal, the standing imaging table 31 positions the holder 33 in a preset home position. Upon receiving the position adjustment signal, the standing imaging table 31 raises or lowers the holder 33 using a motor or the like, adjusting the holder 33, and consequently the electronic cassette 34, to a height appropriate for the imaging area or the physique of the subject H. After the position adjustment, the standing imaging table 31 transmits a position adjustment completion signal to the imaging management device 42.

[0064] The CPU 97 receives a position adjustment completion signal from the standing imaging table 31 via the communication I / F 98. Upon receiving the position adjustment completion signal from the standing imaging table 31, the CPU 97 then transmits a position adjustment signal 104 to the radiation source suspension device 70. The position adjustment signal 104 is a drive signal given to the motor that extends and retracts the arm 71, and includes a signal to position the radiation source 32 at the same height as the holder 33, which is matched to the imaging site or the size of the subject H. The position adjustment signal 104 is also a drive signal given to the motor that moves the trolley 72 along the rail 74, and includes a signal to move the radiation source 32 to the SID position according to the imaging menu 100. Depending on the imaging menu 100, the position adjustment signal 104 may also include a drive signal given to the motor that rotates the radiation source 32.

[0065] Before receiving the position adjustment signal 104, the radiation source suspension device 70 positions the radiation source 32 at a preset home position. Upon receiving the position adjustment signal 104, the radiation source suspension device 70 raises and lowers the arm 71 using a motor or the like, adjusting the arm 71, and thus the radiation source 32, to the same height as the holder 33, which is matched to the size of the imaging area or subject H. The radiation source suspension device 70 also moves the trolley 72 along the rail 74 using a motor or the like, moving the radiation source 32 to the SID position according to the imaging menu 100. After position adjustment, the radiation source suspension device 70 transmits a position adjustment completion signal 105 to the imaging management device 42. The CPU 97 receives the position adjustment completion signal 105 from the radiation source suspension device 70 via the communication I / F 98.

[0066] This function, which automatically changes the height of the radiation source 32 in conjunction with a change in the height of the electronic cassette 34, is called the auto-tracking function. Alternatively, a reverse tracking function may be used, which automatically changes the height of the electronic cassette 34 in conjunction with a change in the height of the radiation source 32.

[0067] The CPU 97 receives the first optical image 106 from the first camera 18 via the communication interface 98. Similarly, the CPU 97 receives the second optical image 90 from the second camera 64 and the third optical image 91 from the third camera 81 via the communication interface 98.

[0068] As an example, as shown in Figure 5, the storage 95 stores an operation program 110. The operation program 110 is an application program that causes the computer to function as an image capture management device. In other words, the operation program 110 is an example of an "operation program for an image capture management device" related to the technology of this disclosure.

[0069] The storage 95 also stores guide information 111. Guide information 111 has several types, such as guide information 111A (see Figure 6) and guide information 111B (see Figure 7), as will be described later. However, in the following explanation, these multiple types of guide information 111A, 111B, etc., may be collectively referred to as guide information 111.

[0070] When the operating program 110 is started, the CPU 97 works in cooperation with the memory 96 and the like to function as the first image acquisition unit 120, the second image acquisition unit 121, the third image acquisition unit 122, the first image analysis unit 123, the second image analysis unit 124, the third image analysis unit 125, the position adjustment control unit 126, the situation recognition unit 127, the room entry control unit 128, the speaker control unit 129, the monitor control unit 130, and the display control unit 131.

[0071] The first image acquisition unit 120 sequentially acquires the first optical image 106 output from the first camera 18 at a predetermined frame rate. The first image acquisition unit 120 outputs the first optical image 106 to the first image analysis unit 123.

[0072] The second image acquisition unit 121 sequentially acquires the second optical image 90 output from the second camera 64 at a predetermined frame rate. The second image acquisition unit 121 outputs the second optical image 90 to the second image analysis unit 124 and the display control unit 131. Although not shown in the diagram to avoid complexity, the second image acquisition unit 121 also outputs the second optical image 90 to the monitor control unit 130.

[0073] The third image acquisition unit 122 sequentially acquires the third optical image 91 output from the third camera 81 at a predetermined frame rate. The third image acquisition unit 122 outputs the third optical image 91 to the third image analysis unit 125 and the display control unit 131. Although not shown in the diagram to avoid complexity, the third image acquisition unit 122 also outputs the third optical image 91 to the monitor control unit 130.

[0074] The first image analysis unit 123 analyzes the first optical image 106 and detects the position of subject H in the radiography room 10. More specifically, the first image analysis unit 123 recognizes subject H in the first optical image 106 using well-known image recognition techniques. Based on the known correspondence between the position of the first optical image 106 and the actual position of the radiography room 10, the first image analysis unit 123 detects where the recognized subject H is located in the first optical image 106 and determines the actual location of subject H in the radiography room 10. The first image analysis unit 123 outputs subject position information 135, indicating the position of subject H in the radiography room 10, to the situation recognition unit 127. Subject position information 135 is an example of "progress information" related to the technology of this disclosure.

[0075] The second image analysis unit 124 analyzes the second optical image 90 and determines whether the state of the subject H is suitable for radiography. The second image analysis unit 124 outputs a first suitability determination result 136, which is the result of determining whether the state of the subject H is suitable for radiography, to the situation recognition unit 127. The first suitability determination result 136 is an example of "progress information" relating to the technology of this disclosure, similar to the subject position information 135. Furthermore, the first suitability determination result 136 is an example of "imaging preparation completion information" and "determination result" relating to the technology of this disclosure.

[0076] The third image analysis unit 125 analyzes the third optical image 91 and determines, from a different perspective than the second image analysis unit 124, whether the state of the subject H is suitable for radiography. The third image analysis unit 125 outputs a second suitability determination result 137, which is the result of determining whether the state of the subject H is suitable for radiography, to the situation recognition unit 127. The second suitability determination result 137 is an example of "progress information" relating to the technology of this disclosure, similar to the subject position information 135, etc. Furthermore, the second suitability determination result 137, together with the first suitability determination result 136, is an example of "imaging preparation completion information" and "determination result" relating to the technology of this disclosure.

[0077] The third image analysis unit 125 estimates the height of subject H by analyzing the third optical image 91. The third image analysis unit 125 outputs the height estimation result 138 of subject H to the position adjustment control unit 126. Alternatively, a ruler representing height may be placed within the field of view (FOV2) of the third optical image 91, such as on the support column 61 of the standing imaging table 31 or on the wall of the radiography room 10 near the standing imaging table 31, and the height of subject H may be estimated by image recognition of the markings of the ruler that appear in the third optical image 91.

[0078] The position adjustment control unit 126 transmits a position adjustment signal 104 to the radiation source suspension device 70, corresponding to the height estimation result 138 from the third image analysis unit 125. Although not shown in the diagram, the position adjustment control unit 126 also transmits a position adjustment signal to the standing imaging table 31, corresponding to the height estimation result 138 from the third image analysis unit 125.

[0079] The situation recognition unit 127 acquires subject position information 135 from the first image analysis unit 123, a first suitability judgment result 136 from the second image analysis unit 124, and a second suitability judgment result 137 from the third image analysis unit 125. In addition, the situation recognition unit 127 acquires a position adjustment completion signal 105 from the radiation source suspension device 70. The situation recognition unit 127 also acquires an ON signal 139 and an OFF signal 140 (referred to as ON / OFF signals in Figure 5) from the first human presence sensor 23 and the second human presence sensor 24 (collectively referred to as human presence sensors in Figure 5). The position adjustment completion signal 105, the ON signal 139, and the OFF signal 140 are also examples of "progress information" related to the technology disclosed herein, similar to the subject position information 135. Although not shown in the figures, the situation recognition unit 127 also acquires an irradiation start instruction signal 79 to be transmitted to the radiation source control device 78, and an irradiation end signal 80 from the radiation source control device 78. The irradiation start instruction signal 79 and the irradiation end signal 80 are also examples of "progress information" relating to the technology of this disclosure.

[0080] The situation recognition unit 127 recognizes the progress of radiography from the irradiation start instruction signal 79, irradiation end signal 80, position adjustment end signal 105, subject position information 135, first suitability judgment result 136, second suitability judgment result 137, and the ON signal 139 and OFF signal 140. The situation recognition unit 127 outputs a signal representing the recognized progress to the room entry control unit 128. The situation recognition unit 127 also reads guide information 111 from the storage 95 according to the recognized progress. The situation recognition unit 127 outputs the read guide information 111 to the speaker control unit 129 and the monitor control unit 130.

[0081] When the situation recognition unit 127 obtains a first suitability judgment result 136 and a second suitability judgment result 137 indicating that the state of the subject H is suitable for radiography, it outputs a signal to the display control unit 131 indicating that the time for radiography has arrived.

[0082] The entry control unit 128 controls the unlocking or locking of the electric lock 16 by outputting an unlocking signal 141 or a locking signal 142 (indicated as unlocking / locking signals in Figure 5) to the electric lock 16. The entry control unit 128 controls the timing of unlocking the electric lock 16 to be staggered in radiography rooms 10A and 10B, thereby staggering the timing of the subject H's entry into radiography rooms 10A and 10B, and consequently staggering the timing of radiography in radiography rooms 10A and 10B (see Figure 26).

[0083] The speaker control unit 129 controls the operation of the speaker 38. The speaker control unit 129 controls the output of the guide voice 152, which is an audio announcement of the guide information 111, from the speaker 38. The speaker control unit 129 changes the speed of radiography by shifting the output timing of the guide voice 152, thereby shifting the timing of radiography in radiography rooms 10A and 10B (see Figure 27).

[0084] The monitor control unit 130 controls the operation of the imaging room monitor 37 and the waiting room monitor 51 (collectively referred to as "monitors" in Figure 5). The monitor control unit 130 generates a guide screen 155 (see Figure 12) based on the guide information 111 and controls the display of the generated guide screen 155 on the imaging room monitor 37. The monitor control unit 130 also generates an entry guidance screen 150 (see Figure 6, etc.) based on the guide information 111 and controls the display of the generated entry guidance screen 150 on the waiting room monitor 51. Furthermore, the monitor control unit 130 controls the output of the guide voice 152, which is an audio announcement of the guide information 111, from the speaker of the waiting room monitor 51. Similar to the speaker control unit 129, the monitor control unit 130 changes the progress speed of radiography by shifting the display timing of the guide screen 155 or the entry guidance screen 150 and the output timing of the guide voice 152, thereby shifting the timing of radiography in radiography rooms 10A and 10B.

[0085] The display control unit 131 controls the operation of the display 43. The display control unit 131 generates an information display screen 175 (see Figure 18) related to the radiography room 10 and controls the display of the generated information display screen 175 on the display 43. Although not shown in the diagram, in addition to these processing units 120 to 131, the CPU 97 also includes a reception unit that receives imaging orders from the RIS, an image processing unit that performs various image processing on the radiographic image 103, and a setting unit that sets irradiation conditions for the radiation source control device 78.

[0086] The following explanation describes the sequence of steps involved in performing consecutive standing frontal chest radiographs on subjects H with reception number 001 and subjects H with reception number 002 in radiography room 10A. To distinguish between subjects H with reception number 001 and subjects H with reception number 002, subject H with reception number 001 will be referred to as subject H1, and subject H with reception number 002 as subject H2.

[0087] First, as an example, as shown in Figure 6, the monitor control unit 130 controls the display of an entry guidance screen 150A on the waiting room monitor 51A. Guide information 111A is displayed on the entry guidance screen 150A. The guide information 111A prompts the subject H1 to enter the radiography room 10A (labeled as the first radiography room in Figure 6). The monitor control unit 130 also controls the output of a guide voice (not shown) with the same content as the guide information 111A from the speaker of the waiting room monitor 51A.

[0088] Simultaneously with the display control of the entry guidance screen 150A by the monitor control unit 130, the entry control unit 128 outputs an unlock signal 141 to the electric lock 16A. This unlocks the electric lock 16A, allowing subject H1 to open the first door 15A and enter the radiography room 10A.

[0089] Subject H1 enters the radiography room 10A by opening the first door 15A, following the guide information 111A and guide voice on the entry guidance screen 150A.

[0090] Figure 7 shows the case where the first door 15A is opened and subject H1 enters the radiography room 10A, and subject H1 is standing near the entrance / exit of the radiography room 10A. In this case, the subject position information 135 contains the content "entrance / exit of radiography room". Based on this subject position information 135, the situation recognition unit 127 recognizes that the progress of radiography in the radiography room 10A is "entry". The situation recognition unit 127 reads the guide information 111B from the storage 95 and outputs the guide information 111B to the speaker control unit 129. The speaker control unit 129 controls the output of the guide voice 152B, which is an audio announcement of the guide information 111B, from the speaker 38A. The guide voice 152B prompts subject H1 to change into the examination gown in the first changing room 19A and to remove any metal objects.

[0091] Furthermore, the situation recognition unit 127 outputs a signal to the entry control unit 128 indicating that it recognizes the progress status as "entering the room". Upon receiving the signal from the situation recognition unit 127 indicating that it recognizes the progress status as "entering the room", the entry control unit 128 outputs a locking signal 142 to the electric lock 16A. As a result, the electric lock 16A is locked, making it impossible for anyone other than the subject H1 to enter the radiography room 10A.

[0092] Subject H1 will open the third door 21A and enter the first changing room 19A, following the guide voice 152B, and change into an examination gown in the first changing room 19A. Subject H1 may remove any metal objects such as rings or watches if necessary.

[0093] As an example, as shown in Figure 8, when subject H1 enters the first changing room 19A, the first human presence sensor 23A detects subject H1 and outputs an ON signal 139. This ON signal 139 allows the situation recognition unit 127 to recognize that the progress of radiography in the radiography room 10A is "changing clothes at the first changing room (before radiography)".

[0094] After changing into the examination gown, subject H1 opens the third door 21A and returns to the radiography room 10A from the first changing room 19A.

[0095] Figure 9 shows the case where subject H1 has finished changing into the examination gown, returned from the first changing room 19A to the radiography room 10A, and is standing near the entrance of the first changing room 19A. In this case, the subject position information 135 contains the content "Entrance to the first changing room". Also, in this case, the first human presence sensor 23A no longer detects subject H1 and outputs an off signal 140. Based on this subject position information 135 and the off signal 140, the situation recognition unit 127 recognizes that the progress of radiography in the radiography room 10A is "Changing completed at the first changing room (before imaging)". The situation recognition unit 127 reads the guide information 111C from the storage 95 and outputs the guide information 111C to the speaker control unit 129. The speaker control unit 129 controls the output of the guide voice 152C, which is an audio announcement of the guide information 111C, from the speaker 38A. Guide voice 152C prompts subject H1 to move to the standby position where the first foot mold 35A is located and wait there, and also informs subject H1 that the standing imaging table 31A (holder 33A) and the radiation source 32A will be adjusted.

[0096] Subject H1 moves to the waiting position according to guide audio 152C and stands with both feet on the first foot mold 35A.

[0097] Figure 10 shows the case where subject H1 is standing in the standby position. In this case, subject position information 135 is "standby position". Based on this subject position information 135, the situation recognition unit 127 recognizes that the progress of radiography in the radiography room 10A is "standby". The situation recognition unit 127 reads guide information 111D from storage 95 and outputs guide information 111D to speaker control unit 129. The speaker control unit 129 controls the output of guide voice 152D, which is an audio announcement of guide information 111D, from speaker 38A. Guide voice 152D informs subject H1 that the standing radiography table 31A (holder 33A) and the radiation source 32A are being adjusted, and instructs subject H1 not to move in the standby position.

[0098] If the status is recognized as "standby," the status recognition unit 127 transmits an operation start instruction signal to the third camera 81. This causes the third camera 81 to start operation and output a third optical image 91. The third optical image 91 is acquired by the third image acquisition unit 122 and output from the third image acquisition unit 122 to the third image analysis unit 125. The third image analysis unit 125 then estimates the height of the subject H1, and the height estimation result 138 is output from the third image analysis unit 125 to the position adjustment control unit 126. A position adjustment signal corresponding to this height estimation result 138 is transmitted from the position adjustment control unit 126 to the standing imaging table 31A. This moves the holder 33 (electronic cassette 34) to a height position that matches the imaging area or the physique of the subject H1. Subsequently, a position adjustment signal 104 corresponding to the height estimation result 138 is transmitted from the position adjustment control unit 126 to the radiation source suspension device 70A. This moves the radiation source 32 to the same height as the holder 33, which is adjusted to the size of the area being photographed or the subject H1. Additionally, the radiation source 32 is moved to the SID position according to the imaging menu 100.

[0099] Figure 11 shows the case when the position adjustment control unit 126 has finished adjusting the position of the radiation source 32 and a position adjustment completion signal 105 has been transmitted from the radiation source suspension device 70A to the imaging management device 42. Upon receiving this position adjustment completion signal 105, the situation recognition unit 127 recognizes that the progress of radiography in the radiography room 10A is "position adjustment complete". The situation recognition unit 127 reads the guide information 111E from the storage 95 and outputs the guide information 111E to the speaker control unit 129. The speaker control unit 129 controls the output of the guide voice 152E, which is an audio announcement of the guide information 111E, from the speaker 38A. The guide voice 152E prompts the subject H1 to move to the imaging position where the second foot model 36A is located and to adjust its position and posture by referring to the guide screen 155 on the imaging room monitor 37A.

[0100] Subject H1 moves to the shooting position according to guide audio 152E and stands with both feet on the second foot mold 36A.

[0101] When the status recognition unit 127 recognizes that the progress status is "position adjustment complete," it sends an operation start instruction signal to the second camera 64. As a result, the second camera 64 starts operation and outputs the second optical image 90. The second optical image 90 is acquired by the second image acquisition unit 121 and output from the second image acquisition unit 121 to the second image analysis unit 124.

[0102] If the status is recognized as "position adjustment complete", the status recognition unit 127 reads guide information 111F_1 and 111F_2 (see Figure 12) from the storage 95 and outputs guide information 111F_1 and 111F_2 to the monitor control unit 130.

[0103] As an example, as shown in Figure 12, the monitor control unit 130 controls the display on the imaging room monitor 37A by switching between guide screens 155A_1 and 155A_2 alternately at predetermined display intervals, for example, every 5 seconds. The guide screen 155A_1 displays the second optical image 90 and guide information 111F_1. The monitor control unit 130 displays the second optical image 90, which is output from the second camera 64 at a predetermined frame rate, on the guide screen 155A_1 while continuously updating it. In other words, the second optical image 90 displayed on the guide screen 155A_1 is a live view image (moving image).

[0104] Guide information 111F_1 includes arrow 156 and message 157. Arrow 156 is superimposed on the outer parts of both shoulders of subject H1 in the second optical image 90. The direction of arrow 156 prompts subject H1 to move both shoulders so as to cover the standing imaging table 31A. Message 157 prompts subject H1 to press their entire chest against the standing imaging table 31A (holder 33A).

[0105] The guide screen 155A_2 displays the third optical image 91 and guide information 111F_2. Similar to the case of guide screen 155A_1, the monitor control unit 130 displays the third optical image 91, output from the third camera 81 at a predetermined frame rate, on the guide screen 155A_2 while continuously updating it. In other words, the third optical image 91 displayed on the guide screen 155A_2 is a live view image (moving image).

[0106] Guide information 111F_2 includes illustration 158 and message 159. Illustration 158 and message 159 instruct the subject H1 to open their shoulder blades so that they overlap the standing imaging table 31A (holder 33A) and to press their entire chest against the standing imaging table 31A (holder 33A). Illustration 158 may also be superimposed on the third optical image 91.

[0107] Subject H1 adjusts its position and orientation by referring to the second optical image 90 and the third optical image 91 on guide screens 155A_1 and 155A_2, as well as the guide information 111F_1 and 111F_2.

[0108] As an example, as shown in Figure 13, the second image analysis unit 124 performs a degree of adhesion calculation process 165 on the second optical image 90. The degree of adhesion calculation process 165 is performed, for example, as follows: The holder 33A and the shoulder of the subject H1 are extracted from the second optical image 90 by image recognition. Then, the degree of adhesion 166, which indicates the degree of adhesion of the subject H1 to the holder 33A, is calculated from the positional relationship between the extracted holder 33A and the shoulder of the subject H1. The degree of adhesion 166 is, for example, a numerical value on a scale of 1 to 10, where a higher value indicates a higher degree of adhesion of the subject H1 to the holder 33A.

[0109] Next, the second image analysis unit 124 performs a first suitability determination process 167. The first suitability determination process 167 compares the degree of contact 166 calculated in the degree of contact calculation process 165 with a preset first threshold TH1, determines whether the degree of contact of the subject H1 with the holder 33A is suitable for radiography, and outputs a first suitability determination result 136. The degree of contact of the subject H1 with the holder 33A is an example of the "state of the subject" related to the technology of this disclosure.

[0110] The first threshold TH1 is set to a value below which, for example, a radiographic image 103 of empirically recommended quality for diagnosis cannot be obtained. In Figure 13, the first threshold TH1 is set to 7.

[0111] As an example, as shown in Figure 14, the second image analysis unit 124 determines whether the degree of contact of the subject H1 with the holder 33A is suitable for radiography based on whether the degree of contact 166 is greater than or equal to the first threshold TH1. As shown in Figure 14A, if the degree of contact 166 is greater than or equal to the first threshold TH1, the second image analysis unit 124 determines that the degree of contact of the subject H1 with the holder 33A is suitable for radiography and outputs a first suitability determination result 136 to that effect. On the other hand, as shown in Figure 14B, if the degree of contact 166 is less than the first threshold TH1, the second image analysis unit 124 determines that the degree of contact of the subject H1 with the holder 33A is not suitable (inappropriate) for radiography and outputs a first suitability determination result 136 to that effect.

[0112] The first suitability judgment result 136, which indicates that the degree of contact between the subject H1 and the holder 33A is unsuitable for radiography, is communicated to the operator OP via the information display screen 175 shown on the display 43. In this case, the operator OP broadcasts an audio announcement to the speaker 38A via the microphone 45, instructing the subject H1 to press more firmly against the holder 33A.

[0113] As an example, as shown in Figure 15, the third image analysis unit 125 performs an imaging region delimitation process 170 on the third optical image 91. The imaging region delimitation process 170 is a process that defines the imaging region IR to be imaged in the radiographic image 103 within the third optical image 91. The imaging region IR is a region that is set in advance according to the shooting menu 100, and is a region of the human body that should be included in the radiographic image 103 according to the shooting menu 100.

[0114] The image region delimitation process 170 is performed, for example, as follows: First, feature points of the subject H1 captured in the third optical image 91 are extracted using a well-known image recognition technique or a machine learning model. In this case, the feature points are the left and right shoulder joint points and the left and right hip joint points. The shoulder joint points are the connection points between the scapula and the humerus. The hip joint points are the connection points between the pelvis and the femur.

[0115] Next, based on the feature points, we extract areas of interest related to the imaging region IR. In this case, the area of ​​interest is the center point of the vertebral prominence (hereinafter referred to as the vertebral prominence point). The vertebral prominence point is, for example, the point that is a coefficient multiple of the length of the line connecting the midpoint of the line connecting the left and right shoulder joint points and the midpoint of the line connecting the left and right hip joint points. The coefficient is statistically determined from past data of an unspecified number of subjects H.

[0116] Finally, the imaging region IR is defined based on the area of ​​interest. Here, for example, a rectangular region with the vertebral prominence as the center of its upper edge, and a size corresponding to the SID and the FOV2 of the third camera 81, is defined as the imaging region IR.

[0117] Furthermore, the third image analysis unit 125 defines the radiation detection area DR (see Figure 16) of the electronic cassette 34A within the third optical image 91 based on the SID and the FOV2 of the third camera 81. The detection area DR is substantially the entire surface area of ​​the detection panel of the electronic cassette 34A. Subsequently, the third image analysis unit 125 performs a second suitability determination process. The second suitability determination process determines whether the position and orientation of the subject H1 relative to the holder 33A (electronic cassette 34A) are suitable for radiography and outputs a second suitability determination result 137. The position and orientation of the subject H1 relative to the holder 33A (electronic cassette 34A) is an example of the "state of the subject" related to the technology of this disclosure.

[0118] As an example, as shown in Figure 16, the third image analysis unit 125 determines whether the position and orientation of the subject H1 relative to the holder 33A are suitable for radiography based on whether the imaging area IR is contained within the detection area DR. As shown in Figure 16A, if the imaging area IR is contained within the detection area DR, the third image analysis unit 125 determines that the position and orientation of the subject H1 relative to the holder 33A are suitable for radiography and outputs a second suitability determination result 137 to that effect. On the other hand, as shown in Figure 16B, if the imaging area IR is not contained within the detection area DR, the third image analysis unit 125 determines that the position and orientation of the subject H1 relative to the holder 33A are unsuitable (inappropriate) for radiography and outputs a second suitability determination result 137 to that effect.

[0119] The second suitability determination result 137, which indicates that the position and orientation of the subject H1 relative to the holder 33A are unsuitable for radiography, is communicated to the operator OP via the information display screen 175 on the display 43. In this case, the operator OP broadcasts an audio announcement to the speaker 38A via the microphone 45, instructing the subject H1 to adjust its position and orientation relative to the holder 33A so that the imaging area IR fits within the detection area DR.

[0120] Figure 17 shows the case where the subject H1 is standing at the shooting position. In this case, the subject position information 135 contains the content "shooting position". Figure 17 also shows the case where the degree of contact of the subject H1 with the holder 33A is suitable for radiography, and a first suitability judgment result 136 to that effect is output from the second image analysis unit 124. Furthermore, Figure 17 shows the case where the position and orientation of the subject H1 with respect to the holder 33A are suitable for radiography, and a second suitability judgment result 137 to that effect is output from the third image analysis unit 125.

[0121] Based on the subject position information 135, the first suitability judgment result 136, and the second suitability judgment result 137, the situation recognition unit 127 recognizes that the progress of radiography in the radiography room 10A is "subject positioning complete".

[0122] The situation recognition unit 127 outputs a signal to the display control unit 131 indicating that it has recognized the progress status as "subject positioning complete," which it interprets as a signal indicating that the timing for radiation imaging has arrived. Upon receiving the signal from the situation recognition unit 127 indicating that the timing for radiation imaging has arrived, the display control unit 131 performs control to display the information display screen 175A shown in Figure 18 as an example on the display 43A.

[0123] In Figure 18, the information display screen 175A has a display area 176 for the imaging menu 100 and a display area 177 for the irradiation conditions. The display area 176 displays the previously registered imaging menus 100 and pairs of subject IDs and the name of subject H side by side. The imaging menu 100 currently being used for radiography is displayed in a different color from the other imaging menus 100, as indicated by the hatching. The display area 177 displays the tube voltage, tube current, and irradiation time of the irradiation conditions in an adjustable state.

[0124] The information display screen 175A also has a display area 178 for the second optical image 90 or the third optical image 91, and a display area 179. A display switching button 180 is provided at the bottom of the display area 178. By selecting the display switching button 180, the second optical image 90 or the third optical image 91 is switched and displayed in the display area 178. The display control unit 131 displays the second optical image 90 or the third optical image 91, which is output from the second camera 64 or the third camera 81 at a predetermined frame rate, in the display area 178 while sequentially updating it. In other words, the second optical image 90 or the third optical image 91 displayed in the display area 178 is a live view image (moving image).

[0125] When the status recognition unit 127 recognizes that the progress status is "subject positioning complete" and receives a signal from the status recognition unit 127 indicating that the timing for radiography has arrived, the display control unit 131 displays a "ready to photograph" mark 181 and an "irradiation start" instruction button 182 in the display area 179, as shown in the figure. The "ready to photograph" mark 181 is a mark to inform the operator OP that preparation for radiography of subject H1 in the radiography room 10A is complete and that the timing for radiography has arrived. The "ready to photograph" mark 181 consists of a circle and the words "ready to photograph". The "irradiation start" instruction button 182 is a button for sending an irradiation start instruction signal 79 to the radiation source control device 78A. Alternatively, an audio message informing the operator OP that the timing for radiography has arrived may be output from the speaker of the display 43A.

[0126] The operator OP visually checks the second optical image 90 or third optical image 91 in the display area 178, makes a final confirmation of the positioning of the subject H1, and then selects the irradiation start instruction button 182. This sends an irradiation start instruction signal 79 from the imaging management device 42 to the radiation source control device 78A. After a set time has elapsed since the transmission of the irradiation start instruction signal 79, radiation R is irradiated from the radiation source 32A under the control of the radiation source control device 78A. In this case, the set time is set to a sufficient amount of time for the subject H1 to take a deep breath and hold it, for example, 5 seconds, as indicated by the guide voice 152G shown in Figure 19.

[0127] Furthermore, the progress of the radiography recognized by the situation recognition unit 127 may be displayed on the information display screen 175A. A color bar with fewer bars as the progress approaches the timing of radiography may be displayed on the information display screen 175A. In addition, the degree of contact 166 may be displayed on the second optical image 90 of the display area 178. A frame indicating the imaging area IR and a frame indicating the detection area DR may be displayed on the third optical image 91 of the display area 178. Furthermore, the first optical image 106 may be switched and displayed in the display area 178.

[0128] Figure 19 shows the case when an irradiation start instruction signal 79 is transmitted from the imaging management device 42 to the radiation source control device 78A. Upon receiving this irradiation start instruction signal 79, the situation recognition unit 127 recognizes that the progress of radiography in the radiography room 10A is "radiography". The situation recognition unit 127 reads guide information 111G from the storage 95 and outputs the guide information 111G to the speaker control unit 129. The speaker control unit 129 controls the output of guide voice 152G, which is an audio announcement of the guide information 111G, from the speaker 38A. The guide voice 152G prompts the subject H1 to take a deep breath, hold it, and remain still, and also informs the subject H1 of the timing of radiation R irradiation.

[0129] Subject H1 takes a deep breath and holds it, following the guidance voice 152G. After the radiation R is finished, subject H1 returns to a normal breathing state.

[0130] As an example, as shown in Figure 20, after the irradiation of radiation R is completed, the radiation source control device 78 transmits an irradiation completion signal 80 to the imaging management device 42. Upon receiving this irradiation completion signal 80, the status recognition unit 127 recognizes that the progress of radiography in the radiography room 10A is "radiography completed". The status recognition unit 127 reads guide information 111H from the storage 95 and outputs the guide information 111H to the speaker control unit 129. The speaker control unit 129 controls the output of guide voice 152H, which is an audio announcement of the guide information 111H, from the speaker 38A. The guide voice 152H informs the subject H1 that radiography has been completed and prompts the subject H1 to change into their clothes in the first changing room 19A.

[0131] When the status recognition unit 127 recognizes that the progress is "radiography completed," it sends a stop command signal to the second camera 64 and the third camera 81. As a result, the second camera 64 and the third camera 81 stop operating.

[0132] Subject H1, following the guide audio 152H, opens the third door 21A and enters the first changing room 19A, where they change into their own clothes.

[0133] As an example, as shown in Figure 21, when subject H1 enters the first changing room 19A, the first human presence sensor 23A detects subject H1 and outputs an ON signal 139. This ON signal 139 allows the situation recognition unit 127 to recognize that the progress of radiography in the radiography room 10A is "changing clothes at the first changing room (after imaging)". The situation recognition unit 127 then transmits a signal to the entry control unit 128 and the monitor control unit 130 indicating that it has recognized the progress as "changing clothes at the first changing room (after imaging)".

[0134] As an example, as shown in Figure 22, the monitor control unit 130 controls the display of an entry guidance screen 150A on the waiting room monitor 51A. The entry guidance screen 150A then displays guide information 111A prompting subject H2, reception number 002, to enter the radiography room 10A. The monitor control unit 130 also controls the output of a guide voice (not shown) with the same content as the guide information 111A from the speaker of the waiting room monitor 51A.

[0135] Simultaneously with the display control of the entry guidance screen 150A by the monitor control unit 130, the entry control unit 128 outputs an unlock signal 141 to the electric lock 16A again. This unlocks the electric lock 16A, allowing subject H2 to open the first door 15A and enter the radiography room 10A.

[0136] Subject H2 enters the radiography room 10A by opening the first door 15A, following the guide information 111A and guide voice on the entry guidance screen 150A.

[0137] Figure 23 shows the same scenario as in Figure 7, where the first door 15A is opened and subject H2 enters the radiography room 10A, and subject H2 is standing near the entrance to the radiography room 10A. In this case, the situation recognition unit 127 recognizes that the status of radiography in the radiography room 10A is "entry," as in Figure 7. The speaker control unit 129 controls the output of guide voice 152B from speaker 38A, as in Figure 7. The guide voice 152B now prompts subject H2 to change into examination clothes in the second changing room 20A and to remove any metal objects. The entry control unit 128 also outputs a lock signal 142 to the electric lock 16A, as in Figure 7. As a result, the electric lock 16A is locked, making it impossible for anyone other than subjects H1 and H2 to enter the radiography room 10A.

[0138] Subject H2 will open the fourth door 22A and enter the second changing room 20A, following the guide voice 152B, and change into an examination gown in the second changing room 20A. Subject H2 may remove any metal objects such as rings or watches if necessary.

[0139] As an example, as shown in Figure 24, when subject H2 enters the second changing room 20A, the second human presence sensor 24A detects subject H2 and outputs an ON signal 139. This ON signal 139 allows the situation recognition unit 127 to recognize that the progress of the radiography in the radiography room 10A is "changing clothes at the second changing room (before radiography)".

[0140] Figure 24 also shows the case where subject H1 has finished changing into his clothes, returned from the first changing room 19A to the radiography room 10A, and is standing near the entrance of the first changing room 19A. In this case, the subject position information 135 is "entrance to the first changing room". Also, in this case, the first human presence sensor 23A no longer detects subject H1 and outputs an off signal 140. Based on this subject position information 135 and the off signal 140, the situation recognition unit 127 recognizes that the progress of radiography in the radiography room 10A is "changing clothes completed at the first changing room (after imaging)". The situation recognition unit 127 reads the guide information 111J from the storage 95 and outputs the guide information 111J to the speaker control unit 129. The speaker control unit 129 controls the speaker 38A to output the guide voice 152J, which is an audio announcement of the guide information 111J. Guide audio 152J prompts subject H1 to leave radiography room 10A.

[0141] The situation recognition unit 127 outputs a signal to the entry control unit 128 indicating that it recognizes the progress status as "Changing completed at the first changing room (after imaging)". Upon receiving the signal from the situation recognition unit 127 indicating that it recognizes the progress status as "Changing completed at the first changing room (after imaging)", the entry control unit 128 outputs an unlock signal 141 to the electric lock 16A. As a result, the electric lock 16A is unlocked, and the subject H1 is able to open the first door 15A and leave the radiography room 10A.

[0142] Figure 25 shows the case where subject H1 leaves the radiography room 10A. In this case, the subject location information 135 changes from "entrance / exit to radiography room" to "none". Based on this change in subject location information 135, the situation recognition unit 127 recognizes that the radiography process in radiography room 10A is in the "exit" stage.

[0143] The status recognition unit 127 outputs a signal to the entry control unit 128 indicating that it recognizes the status as "exit". When the entry control unit 128 receives a signal from the status recognition unit 127 indicating that it recognizes the status as "exit", it outputs a lock signal 142 to the electric lock 16A. As a result, the electric lock 16A is locked, making it impossible for anyone other than subject H2 to enter the radiography room 10A.

[0144] Figure 26 shows an example of how the entry control unit 128 controls the timing of entry into radiography rooms 10A and 10B. In radiography room 10A, radiography is performed on subject H1 with reception number 001 and subject H2 with reception number 002. In radiography room 10B, radiography is performed on subject H3 with reception number 003 and subject H4 with reception number 004. In this case, at time T1, the entry control unit 128 first outputs an unlocking signal 141 to the electric lock 16A of the first door 15A of radiography room 10A, and unlocks the electric lock 16A. As a result, subject H1 enters radiography room 10A.

[0145] After subject H1 enters the room, the entry control unit 128 outputs a locking signal 142 to the electric lock 16A, locking the electric lock 16A. This prevents anyone other than subject H1 from entering the radiography room 10A. The entry control unit 128 maintains the locked state of the electric lock 16A until subject H1 enters the first changing room 19A to change into their clothes after the radiography.

[0146] At time T3, when subject H1 has finished changing into the examination gown and the progress of the radiography in radiography room 10A is "Changing completed at first changing room (before imaging)", the entry control unit 128 outputs an unlocking signal 141 to the electric lock 16B of the first door 15B of radiography room 10B, and unlocks the electric lock 16B. As a result, subject H3 enters radiography room 10B.

[0147] After subject H3 enters the room, the entry control unit 128 outputs a locking signal 142 to the electric lock 16B, locking the electric lock 16B. This prevents anyone other than subject H3 from entering the radiography room 10B. The entry control unit 128 maintains the locked state of the electric lock 16B until subject H3 enters the first changing room 19B to change into their clothes after the radiography.

[0148] When subject H1 enters the first changing room 19A to change into their clothes after the radiography, and at time T6 the status of the radiography in radiography room 10A is "Changing clothes at the first changing room (after radiography)", the entry control unit 128 outputs an unlocking signal 141 to the electric lock 16A, and unlocks the electric lock 16A. As a result, subject H2 enters radiography room 10A.

[0149] At time T7, when subject H1 has finished changing into their clothes and the progress of the radiography in radiography room 10A has reached "Changing completed at first changing room (after imaging)", the entry control unit 128 outputs an unlocking signal 141 to the electric lock 16A, and unlocks the electric lock 16A. As a result, subject H1 leaves radiography room 10A.

[0150] After subject H1 leaves the room, the entry control unit 128 outputs a locking signal 142 to the electric lock 16A, locking the electric lock 16A. This prevents anyone other than subject H2 from entering the radiography room 10A. The entry control unit 128 maintains the locked state of the electric lock 16A until subject H2 has finished changing back into their clothes after the radiography.

[0151] When subject H3 enters the first changing room 19B to change into her clothes after the radiography, and at time T8 the status of the radiography in radiography room 10B is "Changing clothes at the first changing room (after radiography)", the entry control unit 128 outputs an unlocking signal 141 to the electric lock 16B, unlocking the electric lock 16B. This allows subject H4 to enter radiography room 10B.

[0152] At time T9, when subject H3 has finished changing into their clothes and the progress of the radiography in radiography room 10B has reached "Changing completed at first changing room (after imaging)", the entry control unit 128 outputs an unlocking signal 141 to the electric lock 16B, unlocking the electric lock 16B. As a result, subject H3 leaves radiography room 10B.

[0153] After subject H3 leaves the room, the entry control unit 128 outputs a locking signal 142 to the electric lock 16B, locking the electric lock 16B. This prevents anyone other than subject H4 from entering the radiography room 10B. The entry control unit 128 maintains the locked state of the electric lock 16B until subject H4 has finished changing back into their clothes after the radiography.

[0154] At time T12, when subject H2 has finished changing into their own clothes and the progress of the radiography in radiography room 10A has reached "Changing completed at second changing room (after imaging)", the entry control unit 128 outputs an unlocking signal 141 to the electric lock 16A, and unlocks the electric lock 16A. As a result, subject H2 leaves radiography room 10A.

[0155] Furthermore, at time T14, when subject H4 has finished changing into their clothes and the progress of the radiography in radiography room 10B has reached "Changing completed at second changing room (after imaging)", the entry control unit 128 outputs an unlocking signal 141 to the electric lock 16B, unlocking the electric lock 16B. This allows subject H4 to leave radiography room 10B.

[0156] In radiography room 10A, radiography of subject H1 begins at time T5, and radiography of subject H2 begins at time T10. Meanwhile, in radiography room 10B, due to the staggered entry times, radiography of subject H3 begins at time T7, and radiography of subject H4 begins at time T12.

[0157] Furthermore, in radiography room 10A, subject H2 enters the room while subject H1 is changing into their own clothes, and subject H1 leaves the room while subject H2 is changing into their examination gown, so subject H1 and subject H2 do not come into contact with each other. Similarly, in radiography room 10B, subject H4 enters the room while subject H3 is changing into their own clothes, and subject H3 leaves the room while subject H4 is changing into their examination gown, so subject H3 and subject H4 do not come into contact with each other.

[0158] Figure 27 shows an example of how the speaker control unit 129 controls the output timing of the guide voice 152. Figure 27 illustrates a case where the subject positioning of subject H1 in radiography room 10A is prolonged, and despite the timing of entering the room being shifted, the start timing of subject positioning of subject H3 in radiography room 10B catches up. In this case, the speaker control unit 129 delays the output timing of the guide voice 152E. Specifically, the speaker control unit 129 delays the output timing of the guide voice 152E from time T6, which is the original output timing when the progress of radiography in radiography room 10B reaches "position adjustment complete," to time T7, when the progress of radiography in radiography room 10A reaches "subject positioning complete." The guide voice 152E, as shown in Figure 11, prompts subject H3 to move to the shooting position where the second foot model 36B is located and to adjust its position and posture by referring to the guide screen 155 on the shooting room monitor 37B.

[0159] As an example, as shown in Figure 28, while the output timing of the guide voice 152E is being delayed, the speaker control unit 129 controls the output of the guide voice 152K, which is an audio announcement of the guide information 111K, from the speaker 38B. The guide voice 152K informs the subject H3 that the time is being adjusted and instructs the subject H3 to remain in that state.

[0160] As described above, the CPU 97 of the imaging management device 42 has a situation recognition unit 127, an entry control unit 128, a speaker control unit 129, and a monitor control unit 130. The situation recognition unit 127 acquires progress information indicating the progress of radiography in each of the radiography rooms 10A and 10B, such as subject position information 135 indicating the position of subject H in the radiography room 10. The entry control unit 128 controls the entry of subject H into radiography rooms 10A and 10B based on the progress information. The speaker control unit 129 and the monitor control unit 130 control the output of guide voice 152 and guide information 111 related to imaging directed towards subject H. The CPU 97 staggers the timing of radiography in radiography rooms 10A and 10B by performing the entry control by the entry control unit 128 and the output control by the speaker control unit 129 and the monitor control unit 130. As a result, the timing of radiography in radiography rooms 10A and 10B does not overlap. Therefore, when managing radiography using radiography systems 30A and 30B installed in radiography rooms 10A and 10B, it becomes possible to suppress situations that may cause confusion for the operator OP.

[0161] In this example, the operator OP only needs to give minimal instructions, thus reducing the operator OP's workload. Furthermore, this example reduces the opportunities for contact between the subject H and the operator OP, making it effective as a measure against infectious diseases.

[0162] The progress information includes a first suitability judgment result 136 and a second suitability judgment result 137, which are information indicating that preparation for radiography is complete and the timing for radiography has arrived. When the display control unit 131 obtains the first suitability judgment result 136 and the second suitability judgment result 137, it displays a radiography preparation complete mark 181 in the display area 179 of the information display screen 175A to notify the operator OP that the timing for radiography has arrived. In this way, the operator OP can know that the timing for radiography has arrived. This reduces the risk of the operator OP missing the timing for radiography.

[0163] The situation recognition unit 127 acquires a determination result indicating that the state of the subject H is suitable for radiography as information indicating that the shooting preparation is complete. More specifically, the situation recognition unit 127 acquires a first suitability determination result 136 indicating that the degree of contact of the subject H with the standing radiography table 31, where the subject H is positioned for radiography, is suitable for radiography, as information indicating that the shooting preparation is complete. This prevents radiography from being performed when the degree of contact of the subject H with the standing radiography table 31 is not suitable for shooting, thus preventing the subject H from being exposed to unnecessary radiation due to a failed shoot. It also increases the likelihood of obtaining a radiographic image 103 suitable for diagnosis.

[0164] Furthermore, the situation recognition unit 127 acquires a second suitability judgment result 137 as information indicating that the imaging region IR, which is the region to be imaged in the radiographic image 103, is contained within the radiation detection region DR of the electronic cassette 34 that receives radiation R and detects the radiographic image 103. This prevents radiographic imaging from being performed when the imaging region IR is not contained within the detection region DR, resulting in a failed imaging and unnecessary exposure of the subject H to radiation. It also increases the likelihood of obtaining a radiographic image 103 suitable for diagnosis.

[0165] The radiography system 30 is installed in almost every medical facility, regardless of its size, and has a high penetration rate. Therefore, compared to other medical imaging systems, there is a high demand for managing radiography using the radiography system 30 with a small number of operators (OP) to improve efficiency. Accordingly, applying the technology disclosed herein to the radiography system 30 can meet such demands.

[0166] In the first embodiment described above, the timing for radiography is determined to have arrived when the situation recognition unit 127 obtains both the second suitability determination result 136, which indicates that the degree of contact of the subject H with the standing imaging table 31 is suitable for radiography, and the second suitability determination result 137, which indicates that the imaging area IR is contained within the detection area DR. However, the system is not limited to this. The timing for radiography may also be determined to have arrived when the situation recognition unit 127 obtains at least one of the first suitability determination result 136, which indicates that the degree of contact of the subject H with the standing imaging table 31 is suitable for radiography, and the second suitability determination result 137, which indicates that the imaging area IR is contained within the detection area DR.

[0167] Furthermore, in the first embodiment described above, an example was shown in which both entry control 128 controls entry to radiography rooms 10A and 10B and speaker control 129 and monitor control 130 control the output of guide voice 152 and guide information 111 as a method for shifting the timing of radiography in radiography rooms 10A and 10B, but the method is not limited to this. The timing of radiography in radiography rooms 10A and 10B may be shifted by performing at least one of the following: entry control by entry control 128 and output control by speaker control 129 and monitor control 130.

[0168] [Second Embodiment] As an example, as shown in Figure 29, in the second embodiment, the situation recognition unit 127 acquires the position adjustment completion signal 105 from the radiation source suspension device 70 as information indicating that the imaging preparation is complete. When the situation recognition unit 127 acquires the position adjustment completion signal 105, it outputs a signal to that effect to the display control unit 131. The display control unit 131 controls the display 43 to display the information display screen 175 shown in Figure 18, thereby notifying the operator OP that the timing for radiation imaging has arrived, and also permits the operator OP to input the radiation irradiation start instruction signal 79.

[0169] Thus, in the second embodiment, the situation recognition unit 127 acquires a position adjustment completion signal 105 as imaging preparation completion information, indicating that the adjustment of the positions of the radiation source 32 that irradiates with radiation R and the electronic cassette 34 that receives radiation R and detects the radiation image 103 has been completed. Therefore, the time it takes to notify the operator OP that the timing for radiation imaging has arrived can be shortened compared to the first embodiment. As a result, the operator OP can give the instruction to start irradiation of radiation R with ample time.

[0170] [Third Embodiment] As an example, as shown in Figure 30, the CPU 97 of the shooting management device 42 of the third embodiment functions as a fourth image analysis unit 190 in addition to the processing units 120 to 131 of the first embodiment (except for the third image acquisition unit 122, the second image analysis unit 124, the third image analysis unit 125, the situation recognition unit 127, and the display control unit 131, which are not shown).

[0171] The fourth image analysis unit 190 receives the third optical image 91 from the third image acquisition unit 122. Based on the second optical image 91, the fourth image analysis unit 190 determines whether the degree of stillness of the subject H is suitable for radiography. The fourth image analysis unit 190 outputs the third suitability determination result 191, which is the result of determining whether the degree of stillness of the subject H is suitable for radiography, to the situation recognition unit 127. The degree of stillness of the subject H is an example of the "state of the subject" related to the technology of this disclosure. The third suitability determination result 191 is also an example of the "progress information," "imaging preparation completion information," and "determination result" related to the technology of this disclosure.

[0172] As an example, as shown in Figure 31, the fourth image analysis unit 190 performs motion amount calculation processing 195 on two third optical images 91 taken at different times. Specifically, the two third optical images 91 taken at different times are the third optical image 91T taken at time T and the third optical image 91T+ΔT taken at time T+ΔT. ΔT is, for example, the frame interval of the third optical image 91. The motion amount calculation processing 195 calculates a representative value of the amount of movement (distance) of each pixel in the third optical image 91T+ΔT for each pixel in the third optical image 91T, as the motion amount 196 of the subject H. The representative value is, for example, the average value or the mode. The motion amount calculation processing 195 is based on the assumption that the brightness of an object in an image does not change between temporally consecutive images, and that the motion amount 196 of adjacent pixels will be approximately the same value. The fourth image analysis unit 190 performs motion amount calculation processing 195 each time the third optical image 91 is updated.

[0173] Next, the fourth image analysis unit 190 performs the third suitability determination process 197. The third suitability determination process 197 compares the amount of motion 196 calculated in the motion amount calculation process 195 with a preset second threshold TH2, determines whether the degree of stillness of the subject H is suitable for radiography, and outputs the third suitability determination result 191. The fourth image analysis unit 190 performs these motion amount calculation processes 195 and the third suitability determination process 197 when a voice announcement prompting the subject H to take a deep breath and hold it is output in the guide voice 152G. In this third embodiment, the speaker control unit 129 does not, as in the first embodiment, when an irradiation start instruction signal 79 is transmitted from the imaging management device 42 to the radiation source control device 78, but rather when both the first suitability determination result 136 and the second suitability determination result 137 indicate that the condition of the subject H is suitable for radiography, it performs control to output the instruction from the speaker 38 of the guide voice 152G to take a deep breath and hold it.

[0174] The second threshold TH2 is set to, for example, the average value of the amount of motion 196 when unacceptable body movement occurs in subject H during radiography. In Figure 31, the second threshold TH2 is set to 500.

[0175] As an example, as shown in Figure 32, the fourth image analysis unit 190 determines whether the degree of stillness of the subject H is suitable for radiography based on whether the amount of motion 196 is less than the second threshold TH2. As shown in Figure 32A, if the amount of motion 196 is less than the second threshold TH2, the fourth image analysis unit 190 determines that the degree of stillness of the subject H is suitable for radiography and outputs a third suitability determination result 191 to that effect. On the other hand, as shown in Figure 32B, if the amount of motion 196 is greater than or equal to the second threshold TH2, the fourth image analysis unit 190 determines that the degree of stillness of the subject H is not suitable for radiography and outputs a third suitability determination result 191 to that effect.

[0176] As an example, as shown in Figure 33, if a third suitability judgment result 191 is obtained indicating that the degree of stillness of the subject H is suitable for radiography, the situation recognition unit 127 outputs a signal to the display control unit 131 indicating that the degree of stillness of the subject H is suitable for radiography. The display control unit 131 controls the display 43 to display the information display screen 175 shown in Figure 18, thereby notifying the operator OP that the timing for radiography has arrived, and also permits the operator OP to input the radiation irradiation start instruction signal 79.

[0177] Thus, in the third embodiment, the situation recognition unit 127 acquires a third suitability judgment result 191, indicating that the degree of stillness of the subject H is suitable for radiography, as information indicating that the preparation for radiography is complete. Therefore, the operator OP can be notified that the timing for radiography has arrived just before the radiography is to be performed. Furthermore, it is possible to prevent radiography from being performed even if the subject H is experiencing unacceptable body movement during radiography, thus preventing the subject H from being exposed to unnecessary radiation due to a failed radiography. In addition, the likelihood of obtaining a radiographic image 103 suitable for diagnosis is increased.

[0178] Furthermore, motion calculation processing 195 may be applied only to the imaging region IR defined by the imaging region delimitation processing 170 shown in Figure 15, rather than to the entire third optical image 91. This prevents the detection of movements of other body parts unrelated to radiography, such as the head, arms, hands, waist, and legs when the imaging area is the chest, and allows for the detection of pure body movement within the imaging area. In addition, processing can be sped up compared to processing the entire third optical image 91.

[0179] [Fourth Embodiment] As an example, as shown in Figure 34, the CPU 97 of the shooting management device 42 of the fourth embodiment functions as a fourth image analysis unit 190, in addition to the processing units 120 to 131 of the first embodiment (except for the monitor control unit 130, which are not shown), just as in the third embodiment. The fourth image analysis unit 190 outputs the component of the motion amount 196 calculated in the motion amount calculation process 195 along the head-to-tail axis of the subject H as the detection result of body movement due to the subject H's respiration (hereinafter referred to as the respiration body movement detection result) 200 to the monitor control unit 130.

[0180] Here, the respiratory motion detection result 200 is defined as the component of the axis along the head-to-tail axis of subject H with a movement amount of 196 for the following reason: In the case of a standing frontal chest radiograph, the movement of subject H due to respiration as seen in the third optical image 91 is thought to be mainly due to the upward and downward movement of the diaphragm along the head-to-tail axis of subject H. In the case of a standing lateral chest radiograph, the movement of subject H due to respiration as seen in the third optical image 91 is thought to be mainly due to the expansion and contraction of the abdomen along the anterior-posterior axis of subject H. For this reason, in the case of a standing lateral chest radiograph, the respiratory motion detection result 200 should be defined as the component of the axis along the anterior-posterior axis of subject H with a movement amount of 196.

[0181] The monitor control unit 130 controls the display of an animation 201 showing the transition of the respiratory state of subject H based on the respiratory motion detection result 200 on the imaging room monitor 37 as part of the guide information 111L_1. The imaging room monitor 37 is an example of a "display" related to the technology of this disclosure.

[0182] More specifically, the monitor control unit 130 controls the display of the guide screen 155_3, shown in Figure 35 as an example, on the imaging room monitor 37, switching between it and the guide screens 155A_1 and 155A_2 shown in Figure 12. The guide screen 155_3 displays the third optical image 91 and guide information 111L_1. The guide information 111L_1 includes an animation 201 and a message 202. The animation 201 shows a person's profile with lines representing the amount of air the subject H inhales, colored accordingly. The message 202 prompts the subject H to take a deep breath and hold it.

[0183] As an example, as shown in Figure 36, the animation 201 transitions its display according to the respiratory motion detection result 200. That is, while subject H is inhaling and the respiratory motion detection result 200 is increasing, an airflow indicating inhalation is displayed around the mouth of the person's profile. Then, a line representing the amount of inhaled air and a colored area, for example, green, gradually move from the neck towards the top of the head. While subject H is holding their breath and the respiratory motion detection result 200 is approximately constant, no airflow is displayed around the mouth of the person's profile; instead, wrinkles indicating that breathing is being held are displayed. Then, the entire profile of the person is colored, for example, red. Furthermore, while subject H is exhaling and the respiratory motion detection result 200 is decreasing, an airflow indicating exhalation is displayed around the mouth of the person's profile. Then, a line representing the amount of inhaled air and a colored area, for example, green, gradually move from the top of the head towards the neck.

[0184] Figures 37 and 38 show another example of animation. In Figure 37, animation 205, which is displayed on guide screen 155_3 as part of guide information 111L_2, consists of up, down, left, and right arrows placed inside a double circle.

[0185] As an example, as shown in Figure 38, animation 205, like animation 201, transitions its display according to the respiratory motion detection result 200. That is, while subject H inhales and the respiratory motion detection result 200 increases, all the up, down, left, and right arrows within the double circle point outwards. Then, as the respiratory motion detection result 200 increases, i.e., as the amount of inhaled air increases, the double circle expands significantly. While subject H holds their breath and the respiratory motion detection result 200 remains approximately constant, the size of the double circle is at its maximum and does not change. Furthermore, while subject H exhales and the respiratory motion detection result 200 decreases, all the up, down, left, and right arrows within the double circle point inwards. Then, as the respiratory motion detection result 200 decreases, i.e., as the amount of inhaled air decreases, the double circle shrinks.

[0186] Thus, in the fourth embodiment, the monitor control unit 130 acquires the respiratory motion detection result 200 of the subject H and controls the display of an animation 201 or 205 showing the transition of the subject H's breathing state based on the respiratory motion detection result 200 on the imaging room monitor 37 as part of the guide information 111L_1 or 111L_2. Therefore, the subject H can be easily informed of the transition of the breathing state by animation 201 or 205. The subject H can easily know when to hold their breath.

[0187] Furthermore, animations 201 and 205 may both be displayed on the guide screen 155_3. Additionally, a graph showing the time-dependent changes in the respiratory motion detection result 200 may be displayed on the imaging room monitor 37 and / or display 43.

[0188] Initially, a guide voice 152 such as "Take a breath" may be played, and when the inspiratory volume indicated by the respiratory motion detection result 200 reaches a preset threshold, another guide voice 152 such as "Hold your breath" may be played. This may encourage the subject H to hold their breath at an inspiratory volume suitable for radiography.

[0189] In the embodiments described above, examples were shown of managing radiography systems 30A and 30B installed in radiography rooms 10A and 10B of the radiology department 2 of the same medical facility, but the invention is not limited to these examples. Also, in the embodiments described above, examples were shown in which a control room 11 is located next to radiography rooms 10A and 10B (examples in which radiography rooms 10 and a control room 11 are located in the same building), but the invention is not limited to these examples. For example, the configuration shown in Figure 39 may also be used.

[0190] In Figure 39, one management facility 211 is assigned to multiple medical facilities 210A, 210B, 210C, etc. Medical facility 210A has radiography rooms 10C and 10D, and radiography systems 30C and 30D are installed in radiography rooms 10C and 10D, respectively. Medical facility 210B has radiography rooms 10E and 10F, and radiography systems 30E and 30F are installed in radiography rooms 10E and 10F, respectively. Medical facility 210C has radiography room 10G, and radiography system 30G is installed in radiography room 10G. Management facility 211 has one management room 11, and one radiography management device 42 is installed in management room 11. Thus, the radiography system 30 that manages radiography with the radiography management device 42 may be installed in different medical facilities 210. Also, management room 11 may be in a different building from the radiography rooms 10, such as management facility 211.

[0191] The location for imaging is not limited to the radiography room 10. As an example, as shown in Figure 40, the imaging location may also be the mobile health checkup vehicles 220A and 220B. Mobile health checkup vehicle 220A is equipped with the radiography system 30H, and mobile health checkup vehicle 220B is equipped with the radiography system 30J. Radiography can be managed not only in the radiography room 10 but also in the mobile health checkup vehicles 220.

[0192] Furthermore, the mobile medical examination vehicle 220 may be an autonomous vehicle. In this case, in order to perform radiographic imaging on subject H who is receiving home care, the mobile medical examination vehicle 220 may be driven autonomously from the dispatch base to subject H's home.

[0193] Furthermore, the guide information 111, or the first foot shape 35, second foot shape 36, etc., may be projected by a projector onto the floor, walls, ceiling 73 of the radiography room 10, or the holder 33 of the standing radiography table 31. In this case, instead of projecting the first foot shape, which should originally be projected at the standby position, the foot shape may be projected in front of the third door 21 of the first changing room 19 or in front of the fourth door 22 of the second changing room 20. The timing of radiography at multiple imaging locations may then be staggered by instructing the operator OP to wait for a while at the location of the said foot shape. Changing the projection position of the foot shape is an example of "controlling the output of guide information" related to the technology of this disclosure.

[0194] Monitors may be installed in the first changing room 19 and the second changing room 20 to display guide information 111, including precautions regarding positioning for the upcoming radiography, to the subject H who is changing into an examination gown. In this case, the timing of starting the display of the guide information 111, the timing of stopping the display of the guide information 111, and / or the playback speed of the video displaying the guide information 111 may be shifted to change the time the subject H stays in the first changing room 19 or the second changing room 20, thereby shifting the timing of radiography at multiple shooting locations. Shifting the timing of starting the display of the guide information 111, the timing of stopping the display of the guide information 111, and / or the playback speed of the video displaying the guide information 111 is an example of "controlling the output of guide information" related to the technology of this disclosure.

[0195] Door 15, Door 3, and Door 4 may be equipped with open / close detection sensors, and the output of the open / close detection sensors may be input to the status recognition unit 127 as progress information. Doors 3 and 4 may be equipped with electric locks to control the return of the subject H from the first changing room 19 and the second changing room 20 to the radiography room 10.

[0196] In the first changing room 19 and the second changing room 20, buttons may be provided for the subject H to declare when they have finished changing, and the operation signals of these buttons may be acquired as progress information. In this case, priority may be given to performing radiography on subjects H who have finished changing into their examination gowns earlier.

[0197] A green lamp indicating that the electric lock 16 is unlocked and a red lamp indicating that the electric lock 16 is locked may be installed above the first door 15 so that the unlocked / locked status of the electric lock 16 can be easily seen by the subject H.

[0198] The layout of the radiography room 10 shown in Figure 1 is merely an example. Therefore, the radiography room 10 may be equipped with a supine radiography table as well as a standing radiography table 31. Furthermore, although the above embodiments describe an example in which a first changing room 19 and a second changing room 20 are provided within the radiography room 10, the invention is not limited to this. Changing rooms may be provided separately from the radiography room 10. Metal detection gates may be provided on the path from the changing room to the waiting position to detect whether the subject H is wearing any metal.

[0199] Alternatively, the guide audio 152 may be output from the speaker of the imaging room monitor 37, instead of, or in addition to, the speaker 38. A monitor displaying the guide screen 155 may be attached to the standing imaging table 31.

[0200] Whether the condition of the subject H is suitable for radiography may be determined by whether or not there are extraneous parts such as hands within the imaging region IR. Alternatively, whether or not the positional relationship between the radiation source 32 and the electronic cassette 34 is suitable for radiography may be determined by whether or not the amount of displacement between the center of the imaging region IR and the irradiation center of the radiation R is greater than or equal to a preset threshold.

[0201] The subject H may be photographed with a camera from the side of the standing imaging table 31, and the height of the subject H may be estimated or the degree of contact of the subject H with the holder 33 may be determined based on the optical image obtained. Alternatively, the body thickness of the subject H may be estimated from the optical image obtained by photographing the subject H with a camera from the side of the standing imaging table 31, and the irradiation conditions may be corrected based on the estimation result. The body thickness of the subject H may also be estimated based on the image captured by a TOF (Time-of-Flight) camera.

[0202] A mechanism for automatically sterilizing and disinfecting areas that come into contact with the subject H, such as the first changing room 19, the second changing room 20, and the standing imaging table 31, may be provided, for example, an ultraviolet irradiation mechanism. In this case, the mechanism may be operated to perform sterilization and disinfection each time the subject H is replaced.

[0203] The timing of the radiography may be shifted by changing the first threshold TH1 to a more stringent value (such as 8, greater than 7 as exemplified in Figure 13), thereby raising the threshold for determining that the degree of contact of the subject H with the holder 33 is suitable for radiography. Similarly, the timing of the radiography may be shifted by changing the second threshold TH2 to a more stringent value (such as 100, less than 500 as exemplified in Figure 31), thereby raising the threshold for determining that the degree of stillness of the subject H is suitable for radiography.

[0204] Although an electronic cassette 34 is given as an example of a radiation image detector, it is not limited to this. A radiation image detector mounted on a standing imaging table 31 may also be used. Furthermore, the radiation source 32 does not have to be a ceiling-suspended type suspended from the ceiling 73 of the radiography room 10 by a radiation source suspension device 70, but may be a type that is mounted on a support column installed on the floor of the radiography room 10 so as to be movable parallel to the surface.

[0205] The hardware configuration of the computer constituting the imaging management device of this disclosure can be modified in various ways. For example, the imaging management device can be configured with multiple computers separated as hardware, for the purpose of improving processing power and reliability. For example, the functions of the first image acquisition unit 120, the second image acquisition unit 121, the third image acquisition unit 122, the first image analysis unit 123, the second image analysis unit 124, and the third image analysis unit 125, and the functions of the position adjustment control unit 126, the situation recognition unit 127, the room entry control unit 128, the speaker control unit 129, the monitor control unit 130, and the display control unit 131 can be distributed among two computers. In this case, the imaging management device 42 is configured with two computers.

[0206] Thus, the hardware configuration of the computer in the image management device 42 can be appropriately changed according to the required performance, such as processing power, safety, and reliability. Furthermore, not only the hardware, but also application programs such as the operating program 110 can, of course, be duplicated or distributed and stored on multiple storage devices for the purpose of ensuring safety and reliability.

[0207] In each of the above embodiments, for example, the hardware structure of the Processing Unit that executes various processes such as the first image acquisition unit 120, the second image acquisition unit 121, the third image acquisition unit 122, the first image analysis unit 123, the second image analysis unit 124, the third image analysis unit 125, the position adjustment control unit 126, the situation recognition unit 127, the room entry control unit 128, the speaker control unit 129, the monitor control unit 130, the display control unit 131, and the fourth image analysis unit 190 can be any of the following types of processors. As mentioned above, the types of processors include a CPU 97, which is a general-purpose processor that executes software (operation program 110) and functions as various processing units, as well as programmable logic devices (PLDs), such as FPGAs (Field Programmable Gate Arrays), which are processors whose circuit configuration can be changed after manufacturing, and dedicated electrical circuits, such as ASICs (Application Specific Integrated Circuits), which are processors with circuit configurations specifically designed to execute specific processes.

[0208] A single processing unit may consist of one of these various processors, or it may consist of a combination of two or more processors of the same or different types (for example, a combination of multiple ASICs, and / or a combination of an ASIC and an FPGA). Alternatively, multiple processing units may be composed of a single processor.

[0209] Examples of configuring multiple processing units with a single processor include, firstly, a configuration where one or more CPUs and software combine to form a single processor, which then functions as multiple processing units, as exemplified by client and server computers. Secondly, a configuration using a processor that realizes the functions of the entire system, including multiple processing units, on a single IC (Integrated Circuit) chip, as exemplified by System-on-a-Chip (SoC). Thus, various processing units are configured, in terms of hardware structure, using one or more of the above-mentioned processors.

[0210] Furthermore, the hardware structure of these various processors can more specifically utilize electrical circuits, which are combinations of circuit elements such as semiconductor devices.

[0211] While the radiography system 30 is given as an example of a medical imaging system, the invention is not limited to this. The technology disclosed herein may be applied to CT imaging systems, MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) imaging systems, SPECT (Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography) imaging systems, or PET (Positron Emission Tomography) imaging systems, etc. Furthermore, the invention is not limited to the same type of medical imaging system; it may also involve managing imaging from different types of medical imaging systems, such as the radiography system 30 and a CT imaging system.

[0212] The technology of this disclosure can be appropriately combined with the various embodiments and / or variations described above. Furthermore, it is understood that various configurations can be adopted without departing from the spirit of the invention, and the invention is not limited to the embodiments described above. Moreover, the technology of this disclosure extends not only to programs but also to storage media for storing programs non-temporarily.

[0213] The descriptions and illustrations presented above are detailed explanations of the technical aspects of this disclosure and are merely examples of the technical aspects. For example, the above descriptions of the structure, function, operation, and effect are examples of the structure, function, operation, and effect of the technical aspects of this disclosure. Therefore, it goes without saying that you may delete unnecessary parts, add new elements, or replace elements in the descriptions and illustrations presented above, as long as you do not deviate from the essence of the technical aspects of this disclosure. Furthermore, in order to avoid confusion and facilitate understanding of the technical aspects of this disclosure, explanations of common technical knowledge and the like that do not require special explanation to enable the implementation of the technical aspects of this disclosure have been omitted from the descriptions and illustrations presented above.

[0214] In this specification, "A and / or B" is synonymous with "at least one of A and B." That is, "A and / or B" means that it may be A alone, or B alone, or a combination of A and B. Furthermore, in this specification, the same concept as "A and / or B" applies when expressing three or more things linked by "and / or."

[0215] All documents, patent applications, and technical standards described herein are incorporated by reference to the same extent as if each individual document, patent application, and technical standard were specifically and individually noted to be incorporated by reference. [Explanation of symbols]

[0216] 2. Department of Radiology 10, 10A, 10B, 10C, 10D, 10E, 10F, 10G Radiography Rooms 11 Management room 12 Waiting Room Doors 15, 15A, 15B (First Door) 16, 16A, 16B electric locks 17A, 17B Second Door 18, 18A, 18B First Camera 19, 19A, 19B 1st changing room 20, 20A, 20B 2nd changing room Doors 21, 21A, 21B (Third Door) Doors 22, 22A, 22B (4th door) 23, 23A, 23B First Human Presence Sensor 24, 24A, 24B Second Human Presence Sensor 30, 30A, 30B, 30C, 30D, 30E, 30F, 30G, 30H, 30J radiography systems 31, 31A, 31B Standing position X-ray table 32, 32A, 32B radiation source 33, 33A, 33B holder 34, 34A, 34B Electronic Cassettes 35, 35A, 35B First Footprint 36, 36A, 36B Second Foot Type 37, 37A, 37B Shooting Room Monitors 38, 38A, 38B speakers 40 Control console 41 chairs 42. Imaging control device 43, 43A, 43B displays 44 Input Devices 45 Microphones 50A, 50B Bench 51, 51A, 51B Waiting room monitors 60 base 61 Pillars 62 Connection part 63 Mounting hardware 64. Second camera 70, 70A source suspension system 71 Arm 72 bogies 73 Ceiling 74 rails 75 Radiation tubes 76 Irradiation field limiter 77 Tube Voltage Generator 78, 78A Source control device 79 Irradiation start instruction signal 80 Irradiation end signal 81 Third Camera 90 Second Optical Image 91 Third Optical Image 91T Third optical image taken at time T 91T+ΔT Third optical image taken at time T+ΔT 95 storage 96 memory 97 CPU 98 Communication I / F 100 Shooting Menus 101 Irradiation Condition Table 102 Synchronization signal 103 Radiation images 104 Position adjustment signal 105 Position adjustment completion signal 106, 106A First optical image 110 Operating Program Guide information for 111, 111A, 111B, 111C, 111D, 111F_1, 111F_2, 111G, 111H, 111J, 111K, 111L_1, 111L_2 120 First Image Acquisition Unit 121 Second Image Acquisition Unit 122 Third Image Acquisition Unit 123 First Image Analysis Unit 124 Second Image Analysis Unit 125 Third Image Analysis Unit 126 Position adjustment control unit 127 Situation Awareness Unit 128 Room Access Control Unit 129 Speaker Control Unit 130 Monitor Control Unit 131 Display Control Unit 135 Subject position information 136 First Approval / Rejection Determination Result 137 Second Suitability Determination Result 138 Height Estimation Results 139 ON signal 140 Off signal 141 Unlocking signal 142 Locking signal Room 150, 150A Entry Guidance Screen 152, 152B, 152C, 152D, 152E, 152G, 152H, 152J, 152K Guide audio 155A_1, 155A_2, 155_3 Guide Screen 156 Arrow Messages 157, 159, and 202 158 Illustrations 165. Adhesion Calculation Process 166 degree of contact 167 First Approval / Rejection Determination Process 170 Image area delimitation processing 175, 175A information display screen 176, 177, 178, 179 display area 180 Display Switching Button 181 Shooting preparation complete mark 182 Irradiation Start Command Button 190 Fourth Image Analysis Unit 191 Third Approval / Rejection Determination Result 195 Motion Amount Calculation Process 196 Movement 197 Third Approval / Rejection Determination Process 200 Respiratory movement detection results 201, 205 Animation 210, 210A, 210B, 210C Medical facilities 211 Management Facilities 220, 220A, 220B Mobile Medical Examination Unit DR detection area FOV1: Field of view of the second camera FOV2: Field of view of the third camera H, H1, H2, H3, H4 Subject IR imaging area OP Operator R radiation TH1 First threshold TH2 Second threshold

Claims

1. A shooting management device that manages shooting using multiple medical image acquisition systems installed at multiple shooting locations, Equipped with a processor, The aforementioned processor, Obtain progress information indicating the progress of the shooting at each of the aforementioned multiple shooting locations. Based on the progress information, the timing of the shooting at the multiple shooting locations is staggered by controlling access of the subject to be photographed to the shooting location, and controlling the output of guide information regarding the shooting directed towards the subject. Image capture management device.

2. The progress information includes information indicating that the preparation for the shooting has been completed and the timing for the shooting has arrived. The aforementioned processor, The shooting management device according to claim 1, which, upon obtaining the information that the shooting preparation is complete, notifies the operator that the timing for shooting has arrived.

3. The aforementioned medical imaging system is a radiography system, The aforementioned processor, The imaging management device according to claim 2, which acquires a position adjustment completion signal indicating that the adjustment of the positions of the radiation source that irradiates radiation and the radiation image detector that receives the radiation and detects a radiation image has been completed, as imaging preparation completion information.

4. The aforementioned processor, The shooting management device according to claim 2, wherein the determination result that the state of the subject is suitable for shooting is acquired as the shooting preparation completion information.

5. The aforementioned processor, The shooting management device according to claim 4, which acquires a determination result that the degree of contact of the subject with the shooting table on which the subject is positioned for the aforementioned shooting is suitable for the aforementioned shooting, as the information indicating that the shooting preparation is complete.

6. The aforementioned medical imaging system is a radiography system, The aforementioned processor, The imaging management device according to claim 4 or 5, wherein a determination result indicating that the imaging region, which is the region to be imaged by the radiation image, is contained within the radiation detection region of the radiation image detector that detects radiation and receives radiation images, is acquired as imaging preparation completion information.

7. The aforementioned processor, The shooting management device according to claim 4, which acquires a determination result that the degree of stillness of the subject is suitable for shooting as the information indicating that the shooting preparation is complete.

8. The aforementioned processor, The results of detecting body movement due to the subject's breathing are obtained. The shooting management device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, which controls the display of an animation showing the transition of the subject's respiratory state based on the detection result as guide information on the display device.

9. The imaging management device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the imaging location is at least one of the imaging room for the medical imaging system provided in a medical facility, and a mobile medical examination vehicle equipped with the medical imaging system.

10. The imaging management device according to any one of claims 1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 8, and 9, wherein the medical imaging system is a radiography system.

11. A method for operating an imaging management device that manages imaging by multiple medical imaging systems installed at multiple imaging locations, To acquire progress information indicating the progress of the shooting at each of the aforementioned multiple shooting locations, and, Based on the progress information, the timing of the shooting at the multiple shooting locations is shifted by controlling access of the subject to be photographed to the shooting location, and controlling the output of guide information regarding the shooting directed towards the subject. A method for operating a shooting management device, including the device itself.

12. An operating program for an imaging management device that manages imaging using multiple medical imaging systems installed at multiple imaging locations, To acquire progress information indicating the progress of the shooting at each of the aforementioned multiple shooting locations, and, Based on the progress information, the timing of the shooting at the multiple shooting locations is shifted by controlling access of the subject to be photographed to the shooting location, and controlling the output of guide information regarding the shooting directed towards the subject. An operating program for a shooting management device that causes a computer to perform a process including [specific details].

Images