Display control device, display control method, and display control program

Abstract

This display control device comprises at least one processor, wherein the processor displays a designated image designated from among a plurality of medical tomographic images and displays an object indicating a position of the designated image in the plurality of tomographic images; a specific position of a specific image, which is the tomographic image to which at least one piece of multiple types of associated information is attached, is displayed to the object so that the type of the associated information can be distinguished; control is executed such that when selection of the type of the associated information is received, the display of the specific position is limited only to the specific position of the specific image to which the associated information of the selected type is attached.

Description

Display control device, display control method, and display control program

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a display control device, a display control method, and a display control program.

[0002] Medical three-dimensional images captured by imaging devices such as CT (Computed Tomography) devices and MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) devices are used for image diagnosis. These three-dimensional images include tomographic images at multiple different cross-sectional positions. In image diagnosis using three-dimensional images, doctors switch between and display the multiple tomographic images.

[0003] A known technique for switching between and displaying multiple tomographic images is described in, for example, International Publication No. 2021 / 182076. In the technique described in International Publication No. 2021 / 182076, a slider bar is displayed indicating the tomographic position of the displayed tomographic image. Furthermore, in the technique described in International Publication No. 2021 / 182076, a mark indicating that additional information has been added is displayed on the slider bar at a specific position, which is the position of a specific image that is a tomographic image to which additional information, such as the results of image analysis performed by a computer, such as abnormal shadow candidates, has been added.

[0004] When there are multiple types of attached information, the number of marks displayed on the slider bar indicating that the attached information has been attached increases. When the screen of the display control device that displays the tomographic image and the slider bar is relatively small, if the number of marks representing the attached information increases, it may become difficult to identify which type each mark represents, or marks of different types may overlap. In such cases, it may be difficult for the user to recognize a specific position of a specific image to which attached information has been attached.

[0005] The present disclosure provides a display control device, a display control method, and a display control program that can make it easier to recognize a specific position of a specific image that is a tomographic image to which additional information is added.

[0006] A first aspect of the present disclosure is a display control device comprising at least one processor, which displays a designated image selected from a plurality of medical tomographic images and an object indicating the position of the designated image in the plurality of tomographic images, and displays a specific position, which is the position of a specific image that is a tomographic image to which at least one of a plurality of types of attached information has been attached, on the object in a manner that allows the type of attached information to be distinguished, and when a selection of the type of attached information is accepted, controls the display of the specific position to only be the specific position of the specific image to which the selected type of attached information has been attached.

[0007] In a second aspect of the present disclosure, in the first aspect, when the processor receives a selection of a type of attachment information, the processor may designate a specific image to which the selected type of attachment information has been attached as the designated image.

[0008] A third aspect of the present disclosure is that, in the first aspect, the processor may accept a selection of a type of additional information in response to an operation of tracing in a specific direction on a screen on which a specified image and object are displayed.

[0009] A fourth aspect of the present disclosure is the third aspect, wherein the processor may accept a selection of a type of additional information in response to an operation of tracing the displayed designated image in a specific direction.

[0010] A fifth aspect of the present disclosure is that in the second aspect, the processor may accept a selection of a type of additional information in response to an operation of tracing a screen on which a designated image and an object are displayed in a first direction, and may accept a designation of a designated image in response to an operation of tracing the screen in a second direction different from the first direction.

[0011] According to a sixth aspect of the present disclosure, in the first aspect, the processor may accept a selection of a type of additional information depending on a type of contact operation on a display device that displays the designated image and the object.

[0012] A seventh aspect of the present disclosure is the first aspect, wherein the processor may display at least one of a character string and an image for prompting the user to select a type of additional information.

[0013] According to an eighth aspect of the present disclosure, in the first aspect, the processor may enlarge or reduce the designated image in response to a touch operation performed on the displayed designated image.

[0014] A ninth aspect of the present disclosure is a display control method that displays a designated image selected from a plurality of medical tomographic images and an object indicating the position of the designated image among the plurality of tomographic images, and displays a specific position, which is the position of a specific image that is a tomographic image to which at least one of a plurality of types of attached information has been attached, on the object in a manner that allows the type of attached information to be distinguished, and when a selection of the type of attached information is received, controls the display of the specific position to only be the specific position of the specific image to which the selected type of attached information has been attached.

[0015] A tenth aspect of the present disclosure is a display control program that causes a computer to execute a process to display a designated image selected from a plurality of medical tomographic images and an object indicating the position of the designated image in the plurality of tomographic images, display a specific position that is the position of a specific image that is a tomographic image to which at least one of a plurality of types of attached information has been attached on the object in a manner that allows the type of attached information to be distinguished, and, when a selection of the type of attached information has been received, control the display of the specific position to only the specific position of the specific image to which the selected type of attached information has been attached.

[0016] According to the above aspect, the display control device, the display control method, and the display control program of the present disclosure can make it easier to recognize a specific position of a specific image that is a tomographic image to which additional information is added.

[0017] 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a diagnostic support system. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of a display control device. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the display control device. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen. FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining enlargement and reduction of a designated image. FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining a slider bar. FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining selection of additional information. FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing an example of display control processing. FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining a modified example of the correspondence relationship between a contact operation and an instruction or selection content accepted by a receiving unit. FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining a modified example of the correspondence relationship between a contact operation and an instruction or selection content accepted by a receiving unit. FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining a modified example of the correspondence relationship between a contact operation and an instruction or selection content accepted by a receiving unit.

[0018] Hereinafter, examples of embodiments for carrying out the technology of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0019] First, the configuration of a diagnosis support system 10 according to this exemplary embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 1. As shown in Fig. 1, the diagnosis support system 10 includes a display control device 12, an imaging device 14, and an image storage device 16. The display control device 12, the imaging device 14, and the image storage device 16 are each connected to a network N and are capable of communicating with each other via the network N.

[0020] The imaging device 14 is a device that captures an image of a diagnostic region of a subject, thereby generating a three-dimensional medical image representing the region. The three-dimensional medical image captured by the imaging device 14 includes a plurality of tomographic images. In this exemplary embodiment, a CT device is described as the imaging device 14, but this is not limiting. For example, a device that generates three-dimensional medical images other than a CT device, such as an MRI device or a PET (Positron Emission Tomography) device, may also be used as the imaging device 14. Furthermore, in this exemplary embodiment, an example is described in which axial cross-sectional images are used as the cross-sectional images constituting the three-dimensional medical image, but this is not limiting. Tomographic images of cross-sections other than axial cross-sections, such as sagittal cross-sections and coronal cross-sections, may also be used as the cross-sectional images constituting the three-dimensional medical image.

[0021] The image storage device 16 is a computer that saves and manages medical images and includes a storage device for storing the medical images. The image storage device 16 transmits and receives medical images generated by the imaging device 14 between the display control device 12 and the imaging device 14 via the network N. The storage format of the medical images and communication between the devices via the network N are based on a predetermined protocol such as DICOM (Digital Imaging and Communication in Medicine).

[0022] Next, the hardware configuration of the display control device 12 of this exemplary embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 2. Examples of the display control device 12 include mobile terminal devices such as tablet terminals and smartphones. In this exemplary embodiment, the case where the display control device 12 is a smartphone will be described as an example.

[0023] 2 , the display control device 12 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 20, a memory 21 serving as a temporary storage area, and a non-volatile storage unit 22. The display control device 12 also includes a display 23 such as a liquid crystal display or an organic EL (Electro-Luminescence) display, and an input unit 24 such as a keyboard. In this exemplary embodiment, the display 23 and the input unit 24 are integrated into a touch panel display 25. The display control device 12 also includes a network I / F (Interface) 26 connected to a network N. The CPU 20, the memory 21, the storage unit 22, the touch panel display 25, and the network I / F 26 are connected to a bus 27.

[0024] The storage unit 22 is realized by a hard disk drive (HDD), a solid state drive (SSD), a flash memory, or the like. The storage unit 22 serves as a storage medium and stores a display control program 30. The CPU 20 reads the display control program 30 from the storage unit 22, loads it into the memory 21, and executes the loaded display control program 30.

[0025] Next, the functional configuration of the display control device 12 of this exemplary embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 3. As shown in Fig. 3, the display control device 12 includes a reception unit 40 and a display control unit 42. The CPU 20 executes the display control program 30, thereby functioning as the reception unit 40 and the display control unit 42.

[0026] The reception unit 40 includes an operation identification unit 41. The operation identification unit 41 has a function of identifying what operation the user has performed on the touch panel display 25. Specifically, the operation identification unit 41 identifies the content of the contact operation performed by the user on the touch panel display 25, such as tapping, double tapping, swiping, pinching out, and pinching in. The various instructions by the user will be described in detail later. The reception unit 40 receives various selections, instructions, etc. input by the user via the touch panel display 25 based on the identification result of the operation identification unit 41.

[0027] The display control unit 42 includes an image display control unit 43 and an object display control unit 44, and has the function of controlling various displays on the touch panel display 25. Fig. 4 shows an example of a screen displayed on the touch panel display 25. As shown in Fig. 4, the screen displayed on the touch panel display 25 includes a display area A1 displaying a specified image 50, a display area A2 displaying a forward button 52, a display area A3 displaying a select button 54, and a display area A4 displaying a slider bar SB.

[0028] 4, the image display control unit 43 controls the display of a designated image 50 designated from among a plurality of medical tomographic images obtained by imaging the subject in the display area A1 of the touch panel display 25. The plurality of medical tomographic images obtained by imaging the subject are a group of tomographic images constituting the three-dimensional medical image designated as the display target from among the three-dimensional medical images stored in the image storage device 16.

[0029] The image display control unit 43 also controls the display of forward buttons 52 in the display area A2 of the touch panel display 25, as shown in FIG. 4 . The forward buttons 52 include a forward button 52f for the user to instruct the user to forward the tomographic image to be displayed, i.e., the designated image 50, and a reverse button 52r for the user to instruct the user to reverse the tomographic image to be displayed. In this exemplary embodiment, "forward" refers to switching the tomographic image to be displayed in the order from the position closest to the subject's head to the position closest to the subject's feet. Conversely, "reverse" refers to switching the tomographic image to be displayed in the order from the position closest to the subject's feet to the position closest to the subject's head. Specifically, the user taps the forward button 52 to instruct the user to forward or reverse the tomographic image to be displayed. When the forward button 52 is tapped, the receiving unit 40 receives the designation of the tomographic image to be displayed. The image display control unit 43 displays the designated tomographic image as the designated image 50 in the display area A1 of the touch panel display 25.

[0030] 5, in response to a touch operation performed on designated image 50 displayed in display area A1 of touch panel display 25. When enlarged designated image 50 is displayed, the screen displayed on touch panel display 25 does not include display area A3 and display area A4, and the size of display area A1 is increased.

[0031] Specifically, a user double-tap on designated image 50 issues an instruction to enlarge or reduce designated image 50. When designated image 50 is double-tapped in the initial state, reception unit 40 receives an instruction to enlarge designated image 50. Image display control unit 43 displays the enlarged designated image 50 in display area A1 of touch panel display 25. Furthermore, when designated image 50 is double-tapped while this enlarged designated image 50 is being displayed, reception unit 40 receives an instruction to reduce designated image 50. Image display control unit 43 displays the reduced designated image 50 in display area A1 of touch panel display 25.

[0032] 4 and 6, the object display control unit 44 controls the display of a slider bar SB and a slider SD for indicating the position of a designated image 50 among a plurality of tomographic images in the display area A4 of the touch panel display 25. The slider bar SB and the slider SD in this exemplary embodiment are examples of objects of the present disclosure.

[0033] In this exemplary embodiment, the attached information is set to be attached to each tomographic image. Furthermore, multiple types of attached information can be attached to one tomographic image. Specifically, the multiple types of attached information can include user-attached information attached by a user and computer-attached information attached by a computer. Hereinafter, when the user-attached information and computer-attached information are collectively referred to without distinguishing between them, in other words, when collectively referred to without distinguishing between types, they are referred to as "attached information." When a tomographic image to which attached information is attached is distinguished from a tomographic image to which no attached information is attached, it is referred to as a "specific image." Furthermore, in this exemplary embodiment, the attached information is attached information unique to each specific image. The attached information attached to each specific image is associated one-to-one with a mark corresponding to the attached information, which will be described later. Examples of user-attached information include annotations, such as information regarding a region of interest (ROI) included in the tomographic image. Examples of computer-attached information include the results of image analysis by a computer. Specifically, examples of the computer-annotated information include information about a region of interest detected by computer-aided diagnosis (CAD) or information about a region of interest detected by AI (artificial intelligence) image diagnosis. The region of interest here refers to a region that a user focuses on, such as a lesion area such as a tumor. Examples of information about the region of interest include the contour, position, and area of ​​the region of interest. The computer that annotates the computer-annotated information is not particularly limited. For example, the number of computers that annotate the computer-annotated information may be one or more. For example, the computer that annotates the computer-annotated information may be the display control device 12, a control device included in the imaging device 14, or the image storage device 16. For example, the computer that annotates the computer-annotated information may be a computer such as an image processing device external to the diagnosis support system 10.

[0034] 6 shows the display area A4 shown in FIG. 4. The object display control unit 44 controls the display of a slider SD at a position along the longitudinal direction of the slider bar SB corresponding to the tomographic position, which is the position of a specified image 50 among the multiple tomographic images. In FIG. 6, "H" displayed on the left side of the slider bar SB represents the head side of the subject, and "F" displayed on the right side of the slider bar SB represents the foot side. That is, the position of the slider SD on the slider bar SB, of the tomographic positions of each tomographic image constituting the three-dimensional medical image, represents a tomographic position closer to the head as it approaches "H," and represents a tomographic position closer to the foot as it approaches "F."

[0035] In addition, for a specific image to which additional information has been added, the object display control unit 44 controls the display of a mark corresponding to the type of additional information, where one mark can identify one tomographic image, at the position of the slider bar SB corresponding to the tomographic position of the specific image (hereinafter referred to as the "specific position").

[0036] Specifically, for a tomographic image to which an annotation has been added, the object display control unit 44 controls to display a mark AN representing the annotation at the position of the slider bar SB corresponding to the tomographic position of the tomographic image to which the annotation has been added. Also, for a specific image to which an image analysis result has been added, the object display control unit 44 controls to display a mark CD representing the image analysis result at the position of the slider bar SB corresponding to the tomographic position of the tomographic image to which the annotation has been added.

[0037] The object display control unit 44 controls the display of each mark at the position of the slider bar SB corresponding to the cross-sectional position by shifting it in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the slider bar SB (i.e., the longitudinal direction of the slider SD). This prevents multiple marks from overlapping even if they are at the same cross-sectional position.

[0038] The object display control unit 44 also controls the display of selection buttons 54 in the display area A3 of the touch panel display 25 to accept the selection of attached information. The selection buttons 54 include an image analysis result button 54cd for selecting an image analysis result and an annotation button 54an for selecting an annotation. Each of the image analysis result button 54cd and the annotation button 54an displays a character string for selecting the type of attached information. When the selection button 54 is tapped, the reception unit 40 accepts the selection of the type of attached information, and the object display control unit 44 controls the display of only marks corresponding to the selected type of attached information in the display area A4, among the marks corresponding to the attached information. When the selection button 54 is tapped again while attached information is selected, the reception unit 40 accepts an instruction to switch from selected to unselected.

[0039] Specifically, if the selection button 54 is not tapped, the receiving unit 40 does not accept the selection of the attached information. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 7 , the object display control unit 44 controls the display of a mark AN representing an annotation and a mark CD representing an image analysis result in the display area A4 as marks corresponding to the attached information. When the receiving unit 40 does not accept the selection of the attached information, the image display control unit 43 displays a tomographic image or a predetermined tomographic image selected by the user from among all tomographic images as the designated image 50 in the display area A1. Furthermore, when the image analysis result button 54cd is selected, the receiving unit 40 accepts the selection of the image analysis result. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 7 , the object display control unit 44 controls the display of only the mark CD representing the image analysis result in the display area A4 as marks corresponding to the attached information. When the receiving unit 40 accepts the selection of the image analysis result, the image display control unit 43 displays a specific image or a predetermined specific image selected by the user from among the specific images to which the image analysis result is assigned as the designated image 50 in the display area A1. Furthermore, when the annotation button 54an is selected, the receiving unit 40 has received the selection of the annotation, and therefore the object display control unit 44 performs control to display only the mark AN representing the annotation as a mark corresponding to the added information in the display area A4, as shown in Fig. 7. When the receiving unit 40 has received the selection of the annotation, the image display control unit 43 displays, as the designated image 50, the specific image designated by the user or a predetermined specific image from among the specific images to which the annotation has been added in the display area A1.

[0040] Next, the operation of the display control device 12 of this exemplary embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 8. The CPU 20 executes the display control program 30 to execute the display control process shown in Fig. 8. The display control process is executed, for example, when a user inputs an execution instruction via the input unit 24 and identification information capable of identifying a group of tomographic images constituting the three-dimensional medical image to be displayed.

[0041] 8 , the display control unit 42 controls the display of an initial screen on the touch panel display 25. The initial screen includes a display area A1 in which a designated image 50, which is a tomographic image of a predetermined tomographic position, is displayed, a display area A2, a display area A3 including a selection button 54 in which no type of additional information is selected, and a display area A4 in which the position of the slider bar SB is set to a position corresponding to the designated image 50. Specifically, the image display control unit 43 of the display control unit 42 acquires from the image storage device 16 a group of tomographic images identified in accordance with the input identification information, and controls the display 23 to display an initial screen based on the acquired group of tomographic images. Both a mark CD representing the image analysis result and a mark AN representing an annotation are displayed in the display area A4 of the initial screen.

[0042] In the next step S102, the operation identification unit 41 of the reception unit 40 determines whether or not the user has performed a touch operation on the touch panel display 25. If a touch operation has not been performed, the determination in step S102 is negative, and the process proceeds to step S120. On the other hand, if a touch operation has been performed, the determination in step S102 is positive, and the process proceeds to step S104.

[0043] In step S104, the operation identification unit 41 identifies the content of the touch operation, such as the position of the touch operation and the type of the touch operation.

[0044] In the next step S106, the receiving unit 40 receives an instruction or selection from the user according to the content of the touch operation identified by the operation identifying unit 41. For example, when the operation identifying unit 41 identifies that the position of the touch operation is on the image analysis result button 54cd and that the type of the touch operation is a tap, the receiving unit 40 receives the selection of the image analysis result as the type of additional information.

[0045] In the next step S108, the image display control unit 43 of the display control unit 42 determines whether or not an instruction to enlarge or reduce the designated image 50 has been received. If the operation identification unit 41 identifies that the designated image 50 has been double-tapped, the receiving unit 40 accepts the instruction to enlarge or reduce the designated image 50. If an instruction to enlarge or reduce the designated image 50 has been accepted, the determination in step S108 is positive, and the process proceeds to step S110.

[0046] In step S110, the image display control unit 43 performs control to enlarge or reduce the designated image 50 in response to the contact operation, as described above with reference to FIG. 5. Specifically, the size of the designated image 50 on the initial screen is set to the normal size, and when the top of the designated image 50 is double-tapped while the designated image 50 of the normal size is displayed, the image display control unit 43 displays the enlarged designated image 50 in the display area A1 of the touch panel display 25. Furthermore, when the top of the designated image 50 is double-tapped while the enlarged designated image 50 is displayed, the image display control unit 43 displays the designated image 50 of the normal size in the display area A1 of the touch panel display 25. When the processing of step S110 is completed, the process proceeds to step S120.

[0047] On the other hand, if an instruction other than an instruction to enlarge or reduce the designated image 50 is received, the determination in step S108 is negative, and the process proceeds to step S112. In step S112, the object display control unit 44 of the display control unit 42 determines whether a selection of a type of additional information has been received. If the operation identification unit 41 identifies that the annotation button 54an or the image analysis result button 54cd of the selection buttons 54 has been tapped, the reception unit 40 accepts the selection of a type of additional information. If an instruction other than a selection of a type of additional information has been received, in other words, if the forward button 52 in the display area A2 of the touch panel display 25 has been tapped and the specification of a tomographic image to be used as the designated image 50 has been accepted, the determination in step S212 is negative, and the process proceeds to step S116.

[0048] On the other hand, if the selection of the type of additional information has been accepted, the determination in step S112 becomes positive, and the process proceeds to step S114.

[0049] In step S114, the object display control unit 44 controls the display of a mark of the attached information corresponding to the selection in the display area A4 of the touch panel display 25. Specifically, as described above with reference to FIG. 7 , when the image analysis result button 54cd is tapped and the reception unit 40 receives the image analysis result as the type of attached information, the object display control unit 44 controls the display of only the mark CD representing the image analysis result as the attached information mark in the display area A4. In this state, when the image analysis result button 54cd is tapped again, the object display control unit 44 controls the display of the mark representing the image analysis result and the mark AN representing the annotation as the attached information mark in the display area A4. Furthermore, when the annotation button 54an is tapped and the reception unit 40 receives the annotation as the type of attached information, the object display control unit 44 controls the display of only the mark AN representing the annotation as the attached information mark in the display area A4. In this state, if the annotation button 54an is tapped again, the object display control unit 44 performs control to display a mark representing the image analysis result and a mark AN representing the annotation as marks of the added information in the display area A4.

[0050] In the next step S116, the image display control unit 43 displays the designated image 50 in the display area A1 of the touch panel display 25. Specifically, when the receiving unit 40 receives the designation of a tomographic image to be the designated image 50, the image display control unit 43 displays the tomographic image designated by the user by tapping the forward button 52 as the designated image 50 in the display area A1 of the touch panel display 25. Furthermore, when the receiving unit 40 receives the selection of the type of attached information, the image display control unit 43 displays the specific image designated by the user or a predetermined specific image from among the specific images to which the received type of attached information is attached as the designated image 50 in the display area A1.

[0051] In the next step S118, the object display control unit 44 moves the slider SD in the display area A4 to a position corresponding to the cross-sectional position of the designated image 50 displayed in step S116.

[0052] In the next step S120, the reception unit 40 determines whether or not an instruction to end display has been received. If the end conditions for the process are not met, the determination in step S120 is negative, and the process returns to step S102, and the processes in steps S102 to S118 are repeated. On the other hand, if the predetermined end conditions are met, the determination in step S120 is positive, and the process routine shown in FIG. 8 ends.

[0053] As described above, the display control device 12 of this exemplary embodiment includes a CPU 20 as at least one processor. The CPU 20 displays a designated image 50 selected from a plurality of medical tomographic images, and a slider bar SB and a slider SD indicating the position of the designated image 50 among the plurality of tomographic images. The CPU 20 also displays a mark on the slider bar SB indicating a specific position, which is the position of a specific image that is a tomographic image to which at least one of a plurality of types of additional information has been added, so that the types of additional information can be distinguished. Furthermore, when the CPU 20 receives a selection of a type of additional information, it controls the display of the specific position to only display the specific position of the specific image to which the selected type of additional information has been added.

[0054] In this manner, the display control device 12 of this exemplary embodiment controls the slider bar SB to display only marks representing specific positions of specific images to which the selected type of additional information is added, in accordance with the user's selection, and to hide marks representing specific positions of specific images to which non-selected types of additional information are added. With this configuration, for example, it is possible to display only specific positions of specific images to which the additional information to be observed is added.

[0055] Therefore, according to the display control device 12 of this exemplary embodiment, it is possible to make it easier to recognize a specific position of a specific image, which is a tomographic image to which additional information is added.

[0056] Note that the type of touch operation and the type of instruction or selection that is accepted are not limited to the above-described form. That is, the correspondence between the touch operation and the instruction or selection accepted by the accepting unit 40 is not limited to the above-described form and method. For example, the following modified examples may be used.

[0057] As shown in FIG. 9A , the selection of the type of additional information may be accepted in response to a swipe operation, i.e., tracing the designated image 50 displayed in the display area A1 of the touch panel display 25 in a specific direction. Specific examples of this case will be described with reference to FIGS. 9A to 9C . In the example shown in FIG. 9A , when the designated image 50 is swiped left or right as indicated by the arrows ALR, the accepting unit 40 accepts that an image analysis result has been selected as the type of additional information. Furthermore, when the designated image 50 is swiped up or down as indicated by the arrows AUD, the accepting unit 40 accepts that an annotation has been selected as the type of additional information.

[0058] 9B , when the designated image 50 is swiped rightward as indicated by the arrow AL, the reception unit 40 receives that the image analysis result has been selected as the type of additional information. When the designated image 50 is swiped leftward as indicated by the arrow AL, the reception unit 40 receives that the annotation has been selected as the type of additional information.

[0059] 9C , when the designated image 50 is swiped rightward as indicated by the arrow AL, the receiving unit 40 receives that an image analysis result has been selected as the type of additional information. When the designated image 50 is swiped leftward as indicated by the arrow AL, the receiving unit 40 receives that an annotation has been selected as the type of additional information. When the designated image 50 is swiped upward as indicated by the arrow AU, the receiving unit 40 receives that an instruction to reverse the designated image 50 has been issued. When the designated image 50 is swiped downward as indicated by the arrow AD, the receiving unit 40 receives that an instruction to forward the designated image 50 has been issued. When a forward or backward instruction is issued by a swipe operation, the designated image 50 may be forwarded or reversed by a number of times corresponding to the distance of the swipe.

[0060] 9A to 9C, a configuration has been described in which the selection of the type of additional information and the instruction to move forward or backward are received in response to a touch operation performed on the designated image 50, but the present invention is not limited to this configuration. For example, a configuration may be adopted in which the selection of the type of additional information and the instruction to move forward or backward are received in response to a touch operation performed by the user on the touch panel display 25, i.e., on a screen on which the designated image 50, the slider bar SB, and the slider SD are displayed. Furthermore, for example, a touch operation on the side of the housing of the display control device 12 may also be included.

[0061] Alternatively, the type of additional information may be selected according to the type of touch operation. For example, the receiving unit 40 may receive a selection of an annotation when a swipe operation is performed, and the receiving unit 40 may receive a selection of an image analysis result when a double tap is performed. Alternatively, the receiving unit 40 may receive an enlargement of the designated image 50 when a pinch out is performed, and the receiving unit 40 may receive a reduction of the designated image 50 when a pinch in is performed.

[0062] Furthermore, the method by which the user instructs forward or reverse playback is not limited to the above-described method. For example, the user may instruct forward or reverse playback by operating a slider SD displayed in the display area A4 of the touch panel display 25.

[0063] Furthermore, in the above, we have described a form in which a character string is displayed on the selection button 54 to allow the user to select the type of attached information, but this is not limited to a character string, and any information that can identify the type of attached information may be displayed, and for example, an image may be displayed.

[0064] In the exemplary embodiment, the following various processors may be used as the hardware structure of the processing unit that executes various processes, such as the reception unit 40 and the display control unit 42. As described above, the various processors include a CPU, which is a general-purpose processor that executes software (programs) and functions as various processing units, as well as dedicated electrical circuits that are processors having a circuit configuration specifically designed to execute specific processes, such as a programmable logic device (PLD) that is a processor whose circuit configuration can be changed after manufacture, such as an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), and an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit).

[0065] A single processing unit may be configured with one of these various processors, or may be configured with a combination of two or more processors of the same or different types (for example, a combination of multiple FPGAs, or a combination of a CPU and an FPGA). Also, multiple processing units may be configured with a single processor.

[0066] Examples of configuring multiple processing units with a single processor include: first, a form in which one processor is configured with a combination of one or more CPUs and software, and this processor functions as multiple processing units, as typified by computers such as client and server; second, a form in which a processor is used to realize the functions of an entire system including multiple processing units with a single IC (Integrated Circuit) chip, as typified by systems on chips (SoCs); and thus, various processing units are configured using one or more of the above-mentioned various processors as a hardware structure.

[0067] Furthermore, more specifically, the hardware structure of these various processors can be an electric circuit that combines circuit elements such as semiconductor elements.

[0068] In the above exemplary embodiment, the display control program 30 is pre-stored (installed) in the storage unit 22, but the present invention is not limited to this. The display control program 30 may be provided in a form recorded on a recording medium such as a CD-ROM (Compact Disc Read Only Memory), a DVD-ROM (Digital Versatile Disc Read Only Memory), or a USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory. The display control program 30 may also be downloaded from an external device via a network.

[0069] Furthermore, the configurations and operations of the display control device 12 and the like described in the above exemplary embodiments are merely examples, and it goes without saying that they can be modified according to the circumstances without departing from the spirit of the present invention. It also goes without saying that the above exemplary embodiments and modified examples can be combined as appropriate.

[0070] The following additional notes are provided regarding the above exemplary embodiments.

[0071] (Supplementary Note 1) A display control device comprising at least one processor, wherein the processor displays a designated image designated from a plurality of medical tomographic images and an object indicating a position of the designated image in the plurality of tomographic images, displays a specific position that is a position of a specific image that is the tomographic image to which at least one of a plurality of types of attached information has been attached on the object in a manner that allows the type of attached information to be distinguished, and when a selection of a type of attached information is received, controls the display of the specific position to only the specific position of the specific image to which the selected type of attached information has been attached.

[0072] (Supplementary Note 2) The display control device according to Supplementary Note 1, wherein when the processor receives a selection of the type of the additional information, the processor sets the specific image to which the selected type of additional information is added as the designated image.

[0073] (Supplementary Note 3) The display control device according to Supplementary Note 1 or Supplementary Note 2, wherein the processor accepts a selection of a type of the additional information in response to an operation of tracing a screen on which the designated image and the object are displayed in a specific direction.

[0074] (Supplementary Note 4) The display control device according to Supplementary Note 3, wherein the processor accepts a selection of a type of the additional information in response to an operation of tracing the displayed designated image in a specific direction.

[0075] (Supplementary Note 5) The display control device described in Supplementary Note 2, wherein the processor: accepts a selection of the type of the additional information in response to an operation of tracing a screen on which the designated image and the object are displayed in a first direction; and accepts designation of the designated image in response to an operation of tracing the screen in a second direction different from the first direction.

[0076] (Supplementary Note 6) The display control device according to any one of Supplementary Note 1 to Supplementary Note 5, wherein the processor accepts a selection of a type of the additional information depending on a type of contact operation on a display device that displays the designated image and the object.

[0077] (Supplementary Note 7) The display control device according to any one of Supplementary Note 1 to Supplementary Note 6, wherein the processor displays at least one of a character string and an image for allowing the user to select a type of the additional information.

[0078] (Supplementary Note 8) The display control device according to any one of Supplementary Note 1 to Supplementary Note 7, wherein the processor enlarges or reduces the designated image in response to a touch operation performed on the displayed designated image.

[0079] (Supplementary Note 9) A display control method comprising: displaying a designated image designated from a plurality of medical tomographic images and an object indicating a position of the designated image in the plurality of tomographic images; displaying a specific position, which is a position of a specific image, which is the tomographic image to which at least one of a plurality of types of attached information has been attached, on the object in a manner that allows the type of attached information to be distinguished; and, when a selection of the type of attached information has been received, controlling the display of the specific position so that only the specific position of the specific image to which the selected type of attached information has been attached.

[0080] (Supplementary Note 10) A display control program for causing a computer to execute a process of displaying a designated image designated from a plurality of medical tomographic images and an object indicating the position of the designated image in the plurality of tomographic images, displaying a specific position that is the position of a specific image that is the tomographic image to which at least one of a plurality of types of attached information has been attached on the object in a manner that allows the type of attached information to be distinguished, and when a selection of the type of attached information has been received, controlling the display of the specific position to only the specific position of the specific image to which the selected type of attached information has been attached.

[0081] The disclosure of Japanese Patent Application No. 2024-064197, filed April 11, 2024, is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0082] All publications, patent applications, and technical standards mentioned in this specification are herein incorporated by reference to the same extent as if each individual publication, patent application, or technical standard was specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by reference.

Claims

1. A display control device comprising at least one processor, which displays a designated image selected from a plurality of medical tomographic images and an object indicating the position of the designated image in the plurality of tomographic images, displays a specific position that is the position of a specific image that is the tomographic image to which at least one of a plurality of types of attached information has been attached on the object in a manner that allows the type of attached information to be distinguished, and when a selection of the type of attached information is received, controls the display of the specific position to only the specific position of the specific image to which the selected type of attached information has been attached.

2. The display control device according to claim 1, wherein, when the processor receives a selection of the type of the attached information, the processor sets the specific image to which the selected type of attached information is attached as the designated image.

3. The display control device according to claim 1, wherein the processor accepts a selection of the type of the additional information in response to an operation of tracing in a specific direction on a screen on which the specified image and the object are displayed.

4. The display control device according to claim 3, wherein the processor accepts a selection of the type of the additional information in response to an operation of tracing the displayed designated image in a specific direction.

5. The display control device described in claim 2, wherein the processor accepts a selection of the type of the additional information in response to an operation of tracing the screen on which the specified image and the object are displayed in a first direction, and accepts designation of the specified image in response to an operation of tracing the screen in a second direction different from the first direction.

6. The display control device according to claim 1, wherein the processor accepts a selection of the type of the additional information depending on the type of contact operation on a display device that displays the specified image and the object.

7. The display control device according to claim 1, wherein the processor displays at least one of a character string and an image for allowing the user to select the type of additional information.

8. The display control device according to claim 1, wherein the processor enlarges or reduces the designated image in response to a touch operation performed on the displayed designated image.

9. A display control method which displays a designated image selected from a plurality of medical tomographic images and an object indicating the position of the designated image in the plurality of tomographic images, displays a specific position, which is the position of a specific image that is the tomographic image to which at least one of a plurality of types of attached information has been attached, on the object in a manner that makes it possible to distinguish the types of attached information, and when a selection of the type of attached information has been received, controls the display of the specific position so that only the specific position of the specific image to which the selected type of attached information has been attached.

10. A display control program for causing a computer to execute the following process: displaying a designated image selected from a plurality of medical tomographic images and an object indicating the position of the designated image in the plurality of tomographic images; displaying a specific position, which is the position of a specific image that is the tomographic image to which at least one of a plurality of types of attached information has been attached, on the object in a manner that makes it possible to distinguish the types of attached information; and, when a selection of the type of attached information has been received, controlling the display of the specific position to only the specific position of the specific image to which the selected type of attached information has been attached.

Images