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

Abstract

This display control device comprises at least one processor, wherein the processor performs control to display a designated image designated from among a plurality of medical tomographic images, an object indicating a position of the designated image in the plurality of tomographic images, and a reduced image of a specific image which is a tomographic image to which associated information is attached, and to display, to the object, a specific position of the specific image in the plurality of tomographic images.

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] In the technology described in WO 2021 / 182076, although the position of a specific image to which additional information is added can be recognized, it is difficult to recognize what kind of image the specific image is. Therefore, it may be difficult to find the tomographic image that you want to observe.

[0005] The present disclosure provides a display control device, a display control method, and a display control program that can make it easier to find a tomographic image that you want to observe from among a plurality of tomographic images.

[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, an object indicating the position of the designated image among the plurality of tomographic images, and a reduced image of a specific image which is a tomographic image to which additional information has been added, and controls the display of a specific position which is the position of the specific image among the plurality of tomographic images on the object.

[0007] In a second aspect of the present disclosure, in the first aspect, when there are a plurality of specific images, the processor may display reduced images of the specific images in an order according to the specific positions.

[0008] A third aspect of the present disclosure is that, in the second aspect, when one of the multiple displayed thumbnail images is selected, the processor may display a specific image corresponding to the selected thumbnail image as a designated image.

[0009] In a fourth aspect of the present disclosure, in the third aspect, the processor may display the selected thumbnail image larger than the other thumbnail images.

[0010] In a fifth aspect of the present disclosure, in the third aspect, the processor may display thumbnails adjacent to the selected thumbnail larger than the other thumbnails.

[0011] A sixth aspect of the present disclosure is that in the second aspect, if there are a predetermined number or more of thumbnail images, the processor may display some of the multiple thumbnail images side by side, and display information identifying the displayed thumbnail image among the multiple thumbnail images on the object.

[0012] A seventh aspect of the present disclosure is the second aspect, wherein the processor may change the size of the thumbnail images to be displayed in accordance with the number of thumbnail images.

[0013] According to an eighth aspect of the present disclosure, in the first aspect, when there are multiple types of additional information, the processor may display the reduced image in a manner according to the type of additional information.

[0014] According to a ninth aspect of the present disclosure, in the first aspect, when there are multiple types of additional information, the processor may perform control to hide the reduced image depending on the type of additional information.

[0015] In a tenth aspect of the present disclosure, in the first aspect, when there are multiple types of additional information, the processor may vary the size of the reduced image depending on the type of additional information.

[0016] An eleventh aspect of the present disclosure is that in the first aspect, when the processor receives an instruction to hide the display of an object, the processor may perform control to hide the object and display a reduced image that is larger than when the object is displayed.

[0017] A twelfth aspect of the present disclosure is that in the first aspect, the processor may display related medical images, which are medical images related to the specified image, alongside the specified image, and perform control to switch whether or not to display reduced images depending on how the specified image and the related medical images are arranged.

[0018] Furthermore, a thirteenth aspect of the present disclosure is a display control method that displays a designated image selected from a plurality of medical tomographic images, an object indicating the position of the designated image among the plurality of tomographic images, and a reduced image of a specific image that is a tomographic image to which additional information has been added, and controls the display of a specific position, which is the position of the specific image among the plurality of tomographic images, on the object.

[0019] Furthermore, a fourteenth aspect of the present disclosure is a display control program that causes a computer to execute a process of displaying a designated image designated from among a plurality of medical tomographic images, an object indicating the position of the designated image in the plurality of tomographic images, and a reduced image of a specific image that is a tomographic image to which additional information has been added, and controlling the display of a specific position, which is the position of the specific image in the plurality of tomographic images, on the object.

[0020] According to the above aspects, the display control device, the display control method, and the display control program of the present disclosure can make it easier to find a tomographic image that you want to observe from among a plurality of tomographic images.

[0021] 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a diagnosis 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 a display control device; FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen; FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining the display form of a reduced image; FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining the display form of a reduced image; FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining a slider bar; FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing an example of display control processing; FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining the display form of a reduced image; FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining the display form of a reduced image.

[0022] Hereinafter, examples of embodiments for carrying out the technology of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0023] 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.

[0024] 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.

[0025] 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).

[0026] 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.

[0027] 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.

[0028] 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.

[0029] 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.

[0030] The receiving unit 40 receives various instructions and the like input by the user via the touch panel display 25. Details of the various instructions input by the user will be described later.

[0031] The display control unit 42 includes an image display control unit 43, a thumbnail image display control unit 44, and an object display control unit 45, 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 designated image 50, a display area A2 displaying a thumbnail image 60 of a specific image, a display area A3 displaying a slider bar SB, and a display area A4 displaying a forward button 52.

[0032] 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.

[0033] 4, the reduced image display control unit 44 performs control to display a reduced image 60 of the specific image to which the attached information has been attached in the display area A2 of the touch panel display 25. Strictly speaking, the attached information is attached to the specific image corresponding to the reduced image 60, but for convenience, it may be expressed as "the attached information is attached to the reduced image 60."

[0034] 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.

[0035] 5 shows the display area A2 shown in FIG. 4. As shown in FIG. 5, when there are multiple specific images, the reduced image display control unit 44 displays reduced images 60 of the specific images in an order according to the specific positions. In the example shown in FIG. 5, the left side corresponds to the subject's head side, and the right side corresponds to the subject's feet side. Specifically, the specific position of the specific image corresponding to the reduced image 60_1 displayed on the far left is closest to the top of the subject's head, and the further to the right, the closer to the subject's feet side, and the specific position of the specific image corresponding to the reduced image 60_5 displayed on the far right is closest to the sole of the subject's foot.

[0036] Furthermore, when there are multiple types of attached information, the reduced image display control unit 44 displays the reduced images 60 in a manner corresponding to the type of attached information, as shown in FIG. 5 . In the example shown in FIG. 5 , image analysis results are attached to each of the reduced images 60_1, 60_2, and 60_4. Furthermore, annotations are attached to each of the reduced images 60_3 and 60_5. Therefore, the reduced image display control unit 44 displays the reduced images 60 in different manners for the reduced images 60_1, 60_2, and 60_4 and the reduced images 60_3 and 60_5. In FIG. 5 , as an example, the type of frame line surrounding the reduced image 60 is different. For convenience of illustration, solid lines and dotted lines are used as the types of frame lines surrounding the reduced image 60 in FIG. 5 , however, this is not limited to this, and the frame lines may be of different colors, for example. Furthermore, for example, the size of the reduced image 60 may be different depending on the type of attached information. In this way, by displaying the reduced image 60 in a manner that corresponds to the type of attached information, it is possible to make it easier to recognize the type of attached information attached to the reduced image 60, even if, for example, the image is small and it is difficult to recognize from the image whether an annotation or image analysis result has been attached.

[0037] The user selects a reduced image 60 that the user wants to display in the display area A1 by tapping on the reduced image 60. When the user taps on the reduced image 60, the accepting unit 40 accepts the specific image corresponding to the tapped reduced image 60 as a designation of the tomographic image to be displayed. The image display control unit 43 displays the designated tomographic image as a designated image 50 in the display area A1 of the touch panel display 25.

[0038] When a reduced image 60 is selected by the user in this manner, the reduced image display control unit 44 displays the selected reduced image 60 larger than the other reduced images 60. The example shown in Fig. 6 shows a case where reduced image 60_3 is selected by the user. Reduced image 60_3 is displayed larger than the other reduced images 60 (60_1, 60_2, 60_4, 60_5). By displaying the selected reduced image 60 larger than the other reduced images 60 in this manner, it is possible to easily identify which reduced image 60 is selected.

[0039] Furthermore, when the designated image 50 displayed in the display area A1 is a specific image, i.e., a tomographic image with attached information, the reduced image display control unit 44 displays the reduced image 60 corresponding to the designated image 50 larger than the other reduced images 60. For example, when a plurality of tomographic images are displayed in the display area A1 in a forward or reverse order as designated images 50, the reduced image display control unit 44 makes all the reduced images 60 the same size if the designated image 50 is not a specific image, and displays the reduced image 60 corresponding to the designated image 50 larger than the other reduced images 60 if the designated image 50 is a specific image. In this way, by displaying the reduced image 60 corresponding to the designated image 50 larger than the other reduced images 60, it is possible to easily recognize the correspondence between the designated image 50 and the reduced images 60.

[0040] The reduced image display control unit 44 may display a portion of the reduced image obtained by reducing the entire specific image, or a portion of the reduced image, as the reduced image 60, rather than a reduced image obtained by reducing the entire specific image. When the display control device 12 is a smartphone or a tablet terminal, the size of the display area A2 in which the reduced image 60 is displayed may be relatively small. In such cases, the size of the reduced image 60 may become small. In such cases, by using an image in which the portion of the specific image in which the subject is not shown has been deleted as the reduced image 60, it is possible to make it easier to distinguish the image displayed in the reduced image 60.

[0041] 4 and 7, the object display control unit 45 performs control to display 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 A3 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.

[0042] 7 shows the display area A3 shown in FIG. 4. The object display control unit 45 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. 7, "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."

[0043] In addition, for a specific image to which additional information has been added, the object display control unit 45 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").

[0044] Specifically, for a tomographic image to which an annotation has been added, the object display control unit 45 controls to display a mark AN (AN_1, AN_2 in FIG. 7) 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 45 controls to display a mark CD (CD_1 to CD_3 in FIG. 7) 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.

[0045] 7, the mark CD_1 representing the image analysis result corresponds to the reduced image 60_1, the mark CD_2 representing the image analysis result corresponds to the reduced image 60_2, and the mark CD_3 representing the image analysis result corresponds to the reduced image 60_4. The mark AN_1 representing the annotation corresponds to the reduced image 60_3, and the mark AN_2 representing the annotation corresponds to the reduced image 60_5.

[0046] The display control unit 42 also controls the display of forward buttons 52 in the display area A4 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 display control unit 42 displays the designated tomographic image as the designated image 50 in the display area A1 of the touch panel display 25.

[0047] 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.

[0048] In step S100 of Fig. 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 in which a reduced image 60 is displayed, a display area A3 in which the position of the slider bar SB is set to a position corresponding to the designated image 50, and a display area A4 in which a forward button 52 is displayed. 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 the initial screen based on the acquired group of tomographic images. In the display area A2 of the initial screen, a reduced image 60 of the specific image to which the image analysis result has been added and a reduced image 60 of the specific image to which the annotation has been added are displayed in different formats but at the same size.

[0049] In the next step S102, the receiving unit 40 determines whether or not the selection of a reduced image 60 has been accepted. As described above, when one of the reduced images 60 displayed in the display area A2 of the touch panel display 25 is tapped, the receiving unit 40 accepts the tapped reduced image 60 as the selected reduced image 60. When the selection of a reduced image 60 has not been accepted, the determination in step S102 is negative, and the process proceeds to step S104.

[0050] In step S104, the reception unit 40 determines whether an instruction to forward or reverse the designated image 50 has been given. As described above, when an instruction to forward or reverse the designated image 50 is given, the forward button 52 is operated. Therefore, if the forward button 52 has not been operated, the determination in step S104 is negative, and the process proceeds to step S112. On the other hand, if the forward button 52 has been operated, the determination in step S104 is positive, and the process proceeds to step S108.

[0051] On the other hand, if the selection of the reduced image 60 is accepted in step S102, the determination is affirmative, and the process proceeds to step S106. In step S106, the reduced image display control unit 44 changes the size of the reduced image 60 as described above. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 6 , the reduced image display control unit 44 displays the selected reduced image 60 (60_3) at a larger size than the other reduced images 60 (60_1, 60_2, 60_4, 60_5).

[0052] In the next step S108, 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 advance button 52 is operated and the reception unit 40 receives a designation of a tomographic image to be the designated image 50, the image display control unit 43 displays the tomographic image corresponding to the user's operation of the advance button 52 as the designated image 50 in the display area A1 of the touch panel display 25. Furthermore, when the reception unit 40 receives a selection of a reduced image 60, the image display control unit 43 displays a specific image corresponding to the selected reduced image 60 as the designated image 50 in the display area A1.

[0053] In the next step S110, the object display control unit 45 moves the slider SD in the display area A3 to a position corresponding to the cross-sectional position of the designated image 50 displayed in step S108.

[0054] In the next step S1120, the reception unit 40 determines whether or not an instruction to end display has been received. If the end conditions of the process are not met, the determination in step S112 is negative, and the process returns to step S102, and the processes of steps S102 to S110 are repeated. On the other hand, if the predetermined end conditions are met, the determination in step S112 is positive, and the process routine shown in FIG. 8 ends.

[0055] As described above, the display control device 12 of this exemplary embodiment includes at least one processor, the CPU 20. The CPU 20 displays a designated image 50 designated from among a plurality of medical tomographic images, a slider bar SB and a slider SD indicating the position of the designated image 50 among the plurality of tomographic images, and a reduced image 60 of a specific image, which is a tomographic image to which additional information has been added. The CPU 20 also controls the slider bar SB to display a specific position, which is the position of the specific image among the plurality of tomographic images.

[0056] As described above, the display control device 12 of this exemplary embodiment displays a reduced image 60 of the specific image to which the annotation information has been added, and a specific position, which is the position of the specific image among the multiple tomographic images. The specific image to which annotation information has been added is often an image that the user wants to observe. As described above, the display control device 12 of this exemplary embodiment displays on the touch panel display 25 what type of image the specific image is.

[0057] Therefore, the display control device 12 of this exemplary embodiment makes it easier to find a tomographic image that you want to observe from among a plurality of tomographic images.

[0058] The display method (display form) of the reduced image 60 is not limited to the above-described form. For example, the following modified examples may be used.

[0059] For example, the thumbnail image display control unit 44 may display thumbnail images 60 adjacent to the selected thumbnail image 60 larger than the other thumbnail images. Fig. 9A shows an example of the display when thumbnail image 60_3 is selected. In this case, as shown in Fig. A, the thumbnail image display control unit 44 displays thumbnail images 60_2 and 60_4 adjacent to thumbnail image 60_3 larger than thumbnail images 60_1, 60_3, and 60_5. This makes it easier to select a thumbnail image 60 adjacent to the selected thumbnail image 60 as the next specified image 50.

[0060] Furthermore, for example, the reduced image display control unit 44 may change the size of the reduced image 60 to be displayed depending on the type of attached information attached to the reduced image 60. In the example shown in Fig. 9B, the reduced image display control unit 44 displays reduced images 60_1, 60_2, and 60_4 to which image analysis results are attached, and reduced images 60_2 and 60_5 to which annotations are attached, at different sizes. In this way, by changing the size of the reduced image 60 depending on the type of attached attached information, it is possible to make it easier to recognize the type of attached information attached to the reduced image 60.

[0061] The reduced image display control unit 44 may change the size of the reduced images 60 to be displayed depending on the number of reduced images 60 to be displayed or the number of specific images. Also, depending on the number of reduced images 60 to be displayed, some of the reduced images 60 may be superimposed and displayed.

[0062] Furthermore, unlike the above exemplary embodiment, the display of the slider bar SB and the slider SD may be switched between on and off. That is, the screen displayed on the touch panel display 25 may be switched between including and excluding the display area A3. Specifically, when a user performs a predetermined operation, the reception unit 40 receives a request to display or hide the slider bar SB and the slider SD. When the reception unit 40 receives a request to hide the slider bar SB and the slider SD, the thumbnail image display control unit 44 may display the thumbnail image 60 larger than when the slider SD and the slider bar SB are displayed. That is, the size of the display area A2 may be increased. By displaying the thumbnail image 60 larger in this manner, the thumbnail image 60 can be made easier to see.

[0063] Furthermore, unlike the above exemplary embodiment, the reduced image display control unit 44 may be configured to hide the reduced image 60 depending on the type of attached information. Specifically, when a user performs a predetermined operation, the receiving unit 40 receives an instruction regarding the type of attached information to be hidden or the type of attached information to be displayed. When the receiving unit 40 receives the instruction, the reduced image display control unit 44 determines whether to display or hide the reduced image 60 based on the attached information attached to the reduced image 60 in accordance with the instruction. In this way, by hiding the reduced image 60 depending on the type of attached information, it is possible to display only the reduced image 60 for the specific image to which the attached information to be observed is attached. This makes it possible to make the reduced image 60 easier to view.

[0064] Furthermore, when there are a predetermined number or more of thumbnail images 60, i.e., when there are a predetermined number or more of specific images, the thumbnail image display control unit 44 may display some of the thumbnail images 60 side by side and not display the other thumbnail images 60. In this case, it is preferable that the object display control unit 45 display information for identifying the displayed thumbnail image 60 on the slider bar SB.

[0065] The image display control unit 43 may also display related medical images, which are medical images related to the designated image 50, such as past medical images of the same subject, alongside the designated image 50 in the display area A1 of the touch panel display 25. In this case, the thumbnail image display control unit 44 may switch whether or not to display the thumbnail images 60 depending on how the designated image 50 and the related medical images are arranged. Depending on how the designated image 50 and the related medical images are arranged, it may be better to enlarge the display area A2. In such cases, the range of the display area A1 can be enlarged by not displaying the thumbnail images 60, i.e., by deleting the display area A2.

[0066] 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.

[0067] 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).

[0068] 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.

[0069] 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.

[0070] Furthermore, more specifically, the hardware structure of these various processors can be an electric circuit that combines circuit elements such as semiconductor elements.

[0071] In the above exemplary embodiment, the display control program 30 is pre-stored (installed) in the storage unit 22, but this is not limiting. 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.

[0072] 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 disclosure. It also goes without saying that the above exemplary embodiments and modified examples can be combined as appropriate.

[0073] The following additional notes are provided regarding the above exemplary embodiments.

[0074] (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, an object indicating the position of the designated image in the plurality of tomographic images, and a reduced image of a specific image that is the tomographic image to which additional information has been added, and controls the display of a specific position that is the position of the specific image in the plurality of tomographic images on the object.

[0075] (Supplementary Note 2) The display control device according to Supplementary Note 1, wherein, when there are a plurality of the specific images, the processor displays the reduced images of the specific images in an order according to the specific positions.

[0076] (Supplementary Note 3) The display control device according to Supplementary Note 2, wherein when one of the plurality of displayed reduced images is selected, the processor displays a specific image corresponding to the selected reduced image as the designated image.

[0077] (Supplementary Note 4) The display control device according to Supplementary Note 3, wherein the processor displays the selected reduced image larger than the other reduced images.

[0078] (Supplementary Note 5) The display control device according to Supplementary Note 3, wherein the processor displays the reduced images adjacent to the selected reduced image larger than the other reduced images.

[0079] (Supplementary Note 6) The display control device described in any one of Supplementary Note 2 to Supplementary Note 5, wherein the processor, if there are a predetermined number or more of the reduced images, displays some of the reduced images side by side, and displays information identifying the reduced image being displayed among the plurality of reduced images on the object.

[0080] (Supplementary Note 7) The display control device according to any one of Supplementary Note 2 to Supplementary Note 5, wherein the processor changes a size of the reduced images to be displayed depending on the number of the reduced images.

[0081] (Supplementary Note 8) The display control device according to any one of Supplementary Note 1 to Supplementary Note 7, wherein, when there are multiple types of the attached information, the processor displays the reduced image in a manner according to the type of the attached information.

[0082] (Supplementary Note 9) The display control device according to any one of Supplementary Notes 1 to 8, wherein, when there are multiple types of the attached information, the processor performs control to hide the reduced image depending on the type of the attached information.

[0083] (Supplementary Note 10) The display control device according to any one of Supplementary Note 1 to Supplementary Note 8, wherein, when there are multiple types of the attached information, the processor varies the size of the reduced image depending on the type of the attached information.

[0084] (Supplementary Note 11) The display control device described in any one of Supplementary Note 1 to Supplementary Note 10, wherein when the processor receives an instruction to hide the display of the object, the processor controls to hide the object and display the reduced image larger than when the object is displayed.

[0085] (Appendix 12) A display control device described in any one of Appendices 1 to 11, wherein the processor displays related medical images, which are medical images related to the specified image, alongside the specified image, and controls switching between displaying and not displaying the reduced images depending on how the specified image and the related medical images are arranged.

[0086] (Supplementary Note 13) A display control method that displays a designated image designated from a plurality of medical tomographic images, an object indicating the position of the designated image in the plurality of tomographic images, and a reduced image of a specific image that is the tomographic image to which additional information has been added, and controls the display of a specific position that is the position of the specific image in the plurality of tomographic images on the object.

[0087] (Supplementary Note 14) 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, an object indicating the position of the designated image in the plurality of tomographic images, and a reduced image of a specific image that is the tomographic image to which additional information has been added, and controlling the display of a specific position that is the position of the specific image in the plurality of tomographic images on the object.

[0088] The disclosure of Japanese Patent Application No. 2024-064198, filed April 11, 2024, is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0089] 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 designated from a plurality of medical tomographic images, an object indicating the position of the designated image in the plurality of tomographic images, and a reduced image of a specific image which is the tomographic image to which additional information has been added, and controls the display of a specific position which is the position of the specific image in the plurality of tomographic images relative to the object.

2. The display control device according to claim 1, wherein, when there are a plurality of specific images, the processor displays the reduced images of the specific images in an order according to the specific positions.

3. A display control device as described in claim 2, wherein when one of the plurality of displayed thumbnail images is selected, the processor displays a specific image corresponding to the selected thumbnail image as the designated image.

4. The display control device according to claim 3, wherein the processor displays the selected reduced image larger than the other reduced images.

5. The display control device according to claim 3, wherein the processor displays the thumbnail images adjacent to the selected thumbnail image larger than the other thumbnail images.

6. The display control device according to claim 2, wherein the processor, if there are a predetermined number or more of the reduced images, displays some of the reduced images side by side, and displays information identifying the reduced image being displayed among the plurality of reduced images on the object.

7. The display control device according to claim 2, wherein the processor changes the size of the reduced images to be displayed in accordance with the number of reduced images.

8. A display control device according to claim 1, wherein, when there are multiple types of the attached information, the processor displays the reduced image in a manner according to the type of the attached information.

9. The display control device according to claim 1, wherein, when there are multiple types of the attached information, the processor controls to hide the reduced image depending on the type of the attached information.

10. A display control device according to claim 1, wherein, when there are multiple types of the attached information, the processor varies the size of the reduced image depending on the type of the attached information.

11. The display control device according to claim 1, wherein, when the processor receives an instruction to hide the display of the object, it controls to hide the object and display the reduced image larger than when the object is displayed.

12. A display control device as described in claim 1, wherein the processor displays related medical images, which are medical images related to the specified image, alongside the specified image, and controls switching between displaying and not displaying the reduced image depending on how the specified image and the related medical images are arranged.

13. A display control method that displays a designated image selected from a plurality of medical tomographic images, an object indicating the position of the designated image in the plurality of tomographic images, and a reduced image of a specific image that is the tomographic image to which additional information has been added, and controls the display of a specific position that is the position of the specific image in the plurality of tomographic images on the object.

14. 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, an object indicating the position of the designated image in the plurality of tomographic images, and a reduced image of a specific image, which is the tomographic image to which additional information has been added, and controlling the display of a specific position, which is the position of the specific image in the plurality of tomographic images, on the object.

Images