Control device, medical support system, and medical support method

Abstract

The present invention provides a control device, a medical support system, and a medical support method capable of selecting and presenting an endoscope optimal for an operator or a patient. This control device sets a priority on the basis of examination information, patient information, endoscope information, usage history information, operator information, and priority information, selects, on the basis of the priority and the endoscope information, one or more endoscopes suitable for an operator in examining a patient from among a plurality of endoscopes, and outputs the selection result.

Description

Control Device, Medical Support System, and Medical Support Method

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a control device, a medical support system, and a medical support method.

[0002] Conventionally, in an endoscopy examination operation support system, a usable endoscope is specified from a plurality of endoscopes owned by a medical facility based on examination type information of the endoscopy examination. When there are a plurality of assignable endoscopes, a technique is known in which an endoscope with a relatively small past usage count or past usage time is preferentially assigned by referring to the usage status (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] International Publication No. 2016 / 199545

[0004] However, in the above-mentioned Patent Document 1, it merely refers to the usage status of the endoscope and preferentially assigns an endoscope with a relatively small past usage count or past usage time. Therefore, it does not consider the past examination content using the endoscope for the patient and the preferences of operators such as doctors, leaving room for improvement.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made in view of the above, and an object thereof is to provide a control device, a medical support system, and a medical support method that can select and present an optimal endoscope for an operator and a patient.

[0006] In order to solve the above-described problems and achieve the object, a control device according to the present disclosure is a medical support device including a processor. The processor acquires examination information regarding an examination of a patient, patient information representing physical patient-specific characteristics and examination history of the patient, endoscope information regarding each of a plurality of endoscopes in the facility, usage history information regarding the usage history of each of the plurality of endoscopes in the facility, operator information regarding an operator, and priority information regarding the priority for each item of the endoscope used for the patient. Based on the examination information, the patient information, the endoscope information, the usage history information, the operator information, and the priority information, the priority is set. Based on the priority and the endoscope information, one or more endoscopes suitable for the operator when performing an examination on the patient are selected from the plurality of endoscopes, and the selected selection result is output.

[0007] Furthermore, in the control device relating to this disclosure, the examination information includes, in the above disclosure, the purpose of the examination representing treatment or screening for the patient, the examination item representing an upper or lower examination, the patient's height, and the area of ​​the patient being observed.

[0008] Furthermore, in the control device relating to this disclosure, the patient information includes one or more of the patient's height, tracheal length, and tracheal diameter.

[0009] Furthermore, in the control device relating to this disclosure, the usage history information includes the model number of the endoscope, the number of uses, the cleaning history, and the repair history.

[0010] Furthermore, in the control device relating to the present disclosure, the processor determines whether the endoscope included in the selected selection result matches the endoscope selected by the operator in accordance with the selection result received from the outside, and if it determines that the endoscope included in the selected selection result does not match the endoscope selected by the operator in accordance with the selection result received from the outside, it calculates the degree of agreement for each item in the priority, and updates the priority of the priority information based on the degree of agreement for each item.

[0011] Furthermore, in the control device relating to the present disclosure, the processor outputs the selection result to at least one of the assistant terminal of the assistant assisting the surgeon and the surgeon terminal of the surgeon.

[0012] Furthermore, in the control device relating to this disclosure, the selection result includes the name of each of the multiple endoscopes that can be selected by the operator or assistant, and the reason for selection.

[0013] Furthermore, the medical support system relating to this disclosure comprises a medical support device equipped with a processor, an assistant terminal usable by an assistant assisting the surgeon, and a surgeon terminal usable by the surgeon. The processor acquires examination information relating to the patient's examination, patient information representing the patient's physical characteristics and examination history, endoscope information relating to each of the multiple endoscopes in the facility, usage history information relating to the usage history of each of the multiple endoscopes in the facility, surgeon information relating to the surgeon, and priority information relating to the priority of each item of endoscope to be used for the patient. Based on the examination information, patient information, endoscope information, usage history information, surgeon information, and priority information, the processor sets the priority, selects one or more endoscopes from the multiple endoscopes that are suitable for the surgeon when performing an examination on the patient, and outputs the selected result to the assistant terminal or the surgeon terminal.

[0014] Furthermore, the medical support system relating to this disclosure includes, in the above disclosure, the examination information including the purpose of the examination representing treatment or screening for the patient, the examination item representing an upper or lower examination, the patient's height, and the area of ​​observation of the patient.

[0015] Furthermore, in the medical support system related to this disclosure, the patient information includes one or more of the patient's height, tracheal length, and tracheal diameter.

[0016] Furthermore, the medical support system related to this disclosure includes, in the above disclosure, the usage history information, including the model number of the endoscope, the number of uses, the cleaning history, and the repair history.

[0017] Furthermore, in the medical support system relating to this disclosure, the processor determines whether the endoscope included in the selected selection result matches the endoscope selected by the operator in accordance with the selection result received from an external source. If it determines that the endoscope included in the selected selection result does not match the endoscope selected by the operator in accordance with the selection result received from an external source, the processor calculates the degree of agreement for each item in the priority and updates the priority of the priority information based on the degree of agreement for each item.

[0018] Furthermore, in the medical support system relating to this disclosure, the selection result includes the name of each of the multiple endoscopes that the operator or assistant can select, and the reason for selection.

[0019] Furthermore, the medical support method relating to this disclosure is a medical support method executed by a medical support device equipped with a processor, wherein the processor acquires examination information relating to a patient's examination, patient information representing the patient's physical characteristics and examination history, endoscope information relating to each of a plurality of endoscopes in the facility, usage history information relating to the usage history of each of the plurality of endoscopes in the facility, operator information relating to the operator, and priority information relating to the priority of each item of the endoscope to be used for the patient, sets the priority based on the examination information, the patient information, the endoscope information, the usage history information, the operator information, and the priority information, selects one or more endoscopes from the plurality of endoscopes that are suitable for the operator when performing an examination on the patient, and outputs the selected selection result.

[0020] Furthermore, the medical support method relating to this disclosure includes, in the above disclosure, the examination information including the purpose of the examination representing treatment or screening for the patient, the examination item representing an upper or lower examination, the patient's height, and the area of ​​observation of the patient.

[0021] Furthermore, the medical support method relating to this disclosure includes, in the above disclosure, one or more of the patient information, such as the patient's height, tracheal length, and tracheal diameter.

[0022] Furthermore, the medical support method related to this disclosure includes, in the above disclosure, the usage history information includes the model number of the endoscope, the number of uses, the cleaning history, and the repair history.

[0023] Furthermore, the medical support method relating to this disclosure includes the following: The processor determines whether the endoscope included in the selected selection results matches the endoscope selected by the operator in response to the selection results received from an external source. If it determines that the endoscope included in the selected selection results does not match the endoscope selected by the operator in response to the selection results received from an external source, it calculates the degree of agreement for each item in the priority and updates the priority of the priority information based on the degree of agreement for each item.

[0024] Furthermore, in the medical support method relating to this disclosure, the processor outputs the selection result to at least one of the assistant terminal of the assistant assisting the operator and the operator terminal of the operator.

[0025] Furthermore, the medical support method relating to this disclosure includes, in the above disclosure, the selection result, which includes the name of each of the multiple endoscopes that the operator or assistant can select, and the reason for selection.

[0026] According to this disclosure, the system offers the advantage of reducing search time with a simple configuration and enabling report input with simple operations.

[0027] Figure 1 is a diagram illustrating the schematic configuration of a medical support system according to one embodiment. Figure 2 is a block diagram illustrating the functional configuration of a medical support device according to one embodiment. Figure 3 is a timing chart showing an overview of the processes executed by the medical support system according to one embodiment. Figure 4 is a diagram illustrating an overview of the examination information recorded by the examination information database provided by the medical support device according to one embodiment. Figure 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of a surgeon information table recorded by the surgeon information database provided by the medical support device. Figure 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of priority information set by the setting unit provided by the medical support device according to one embodiment. Figure 7 is a diagram illustrating another example of priority information set by the setting unit provided by the medical support device according to one embodiment. Figure 8 is a diagram illustrating the selection method selected by the selection unit provided by the medical support device according to one embodiment. Figure 9 is a diagram illustrating the selection method selected by the selection unit provided by the medical support device according to one embodiment. Figure 10 is a diagram illustrating the selection method selected by the selection unit provided by the medical support device according to one embodiment. Figure 11 is a diagram illustrating the selection method selected by the selection unit provided by the medical support device according to one embodiment. Figure 12 is a diagram illustrating the selection method selected by the selection unit of a medical support device according to one embodiment. Figure 13 is a diagram illustrating the selection method selected by the selection unit of a medical support device according to one embodiment. Figure 14 is a diagram showing an example of the automatic endoscope selection result from the medical support device displayed on the assistant terminal and the operator terminal according to one embodiment. Figure 15 is a diagram showing another example of the automatic endoscope selection result from the medical support device displayed on the assistant terminal and the operator terminal according to one embodiment. Figure 16 is a diagram showing usage history information indicating the usage history between the selection result selected by the selection unit and the usage result used by the operator, recorded in the usage history information database of the medical support device according to one embodiment. Figure 17 is a diagram schematically showing an overview of the update method updated by the update unit of the medical support device according to one embodiment.

[0028] The embodiments for implementing this disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to drawings. However, this disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described below. Furthermore, the figures referenced in the following description only provide a general overview of the shape, size, and positional relationships to the extent that the content of this disclosure can be understood. In other words, this disclosure is not limited to the shapes, sizes, and positional relationships exemplified in the figures. In addition, while the following description assumes a personal computer or server as an example of a medical support device, other devices such as laptops, tablet terminals, and mobile phones can also be applied.

[0029] [Overall Configuration of the Medical Support System] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a medical support system according to one embodiment. The medical support system 1 shown in Figure 1 comprises a medical support device 10, an assistant terminal 100 used by an assistant U1 such as a nurse, and a surgeon terminal 200 used by a surgeon U2 such as a doctor. The medical support device 10, the assistant terminal 100, and the surgeon terminal 200 are connected to each other so as to be able to communicate bidirectionally through a network N100. This network N100 is composed of, for example, an internet network or a mobile phone network. The assistant U1 and the surgeon U2 access the medical support device 10 using the assistant terminal 100 or the surgeon terminal 200. In Figure 1, the assistant terminal 100 or the surgeon terminal 200 is described using a tablet terminal device or a mobile phone as an example, but it is not limited to these, and can also be applied to, for example, a personal computer or a laptop computer, and any device that can access the medical support device 10 to input desired information and display information from the medical support device 10 can be applied. Therefore, details of the assistant terminal 100 and the operator terminal 200 will be omitted below.

[0030] [Functional Configuration of Medical Support Device] Figure 2 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the medical support device 10. The medical support device 10 is configured using, for example, a server or a personal computer. The medical support device 10 includes a communication unit 11, an input unit 12, an output unit 13, a display unit 14, a recording unit 15, and a control unit 16. In one embodiment, the medical support device 10 functions as a control device.

[0031] The communication unit 11, under the control of the control unit 16, transmits various information to the assistant terminal 100 or the surgeon terminal 200 via the network N100, and receives various information from the assistant terminal 100 or the surgeon terminal 200. The communication unit 11 is configured using a communication module.

[0032] The input unit 12 receives various inputs in response to external operations and outputs them to the control unit 16. The input unit 12 is configured using input interfaces such as a keyboard, mouse, buttons, switches, and touch panel.

[0033] The output unit 13 outputs various types of information under the control of the control unit 16. The output unit 13 is configured using, for example, a printer, a speaker, etc.

[0034] The display unit 14 displays various information related to the medical support device 10 under the control of the control unit 16. The display unit 14 is configured using a liquid crystal display or an organic electroluminescent display (OLED display), etc.

[0035] The recording unit 15 is composed of volatile memory, non-volatile memory, memory cards, and HDDs (Hard Disk Drives), SSDs (Solid State Drives), etc. The recording unit 15 includes an examination information database 151 (hereinafter simply referred to as "examination information DB 151"), a patient information database 152 (hereinafter simply referred to as "patient information DB 152"), an endoscopy information database 153 (hereinafter simply referred to as "endoscopy information DB 153"), a selection history information database 154 (hereinafter simply referred to as "selection history information DB 154"), a usage history information database 155 (hereinafter simply referred to as "usage history information DB 155"), a surgeon information database 156 (hereinafter simply referred to as "surgeon information DB 156"), a priority information database 157 (hereinafter simply referred to as "priority information DB 157"), and a program database 158 (hereinafter simply referred to as "program DB 158").

[0036] The examination information database (DB151) records the purpose of the examination, the examination items, the patient's height, weight, name, and date of birth, associated with each patient's patient ID. Here, the purpose of the examination includes examinations, biopsies, screenings, and procedures. The examination items include upper endoscopy or lower endoscopy, etc. The outpatient history also includes the results of past endoscopic examinations.

[0037] The patient information database 152 records patient height, weight, name, and associated information for each patient ID, including patient visit history, medical history, and attending physician.

[0038] The endoscope information DB153 stores the endoscope serial number, model number, cleaning status, repair status, and number of uses associated with each endoscope No. used to identify an endoscope within the facility.

[0039] The selection history information DB 154 records the selection result of the endoscope selected by the control unit 16 (described later) for each operator ID.

[0040] The usage history information DB155 records, for each patient ID, the date of the examination and the model number or endoscope number of the endoscope used by the operator during the patient's examination.

[0041] The operator information DB 156 associates, for each operator ID, at least the name and tag information indicating the level of the operator.

[0042] The priority information DB 157 records, for each operator ID, priority information associating the priority for selecting an endoscope to be used for a patient from among a plurality of endoscopes in the facility and the information (content) of the priority.

[0043] The program DB 158 records various programs executed by the medical support device 10 and data during processing.

[0044] The control unit 16 is realized using a processor having hardware such as an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), or a CPU (Central Processing Unit), and a memory which is a temporary storage area used by the processor. The control unit 16 includes an acquisition unit 161, a setting unit 162, a selection unit 163, an output control unit 164, a determination unit 165, and an update unit 166. In one embodiment, the control unit 16 functions as a processor.

[0045] The acquisition unit 161 refers to the examination information DB 151, the patient information DB 152, and the operator information DB 156, and acquires examination information regarding the patient to be examined and operator information regarding the operator based on the patient ID and the operator ID received from the assistant terminal 100. Further, the acquisition unit 161 refers to the patient ID and acquires patient information from the patient information DB 152. The acquisition unit 161 also acquires endoscope information from the endoscope information DB 153, selection history information from the selection history information DB 154, and usage history information from the usage history information DB 155.

[0046] The setting unit 162 sets a priority for selecting an endoscope suitable for the patient and the operator U2 from among the plurality of endoscopes possessed by the medical facility based on the examination information and the operator information acquired by the acquisition unit 161.

[0047] The selection unit 163 selects one or more endoscopes suitable for the operator U2 when performing an examination or treatment on a patient from among a plurality of endoscopes in the facility, based on the endoscope information recorded in the endoscope information DB 153 and the priority set by the setting unit 162.

[0048] The output control unit 164 transmits the selection result selected by the selection unit 163 to at least one of the assistant terminal 100 and the operator terminal 200 via the communication unit 11.

[0049] The determination unit 165 determines whether or not the selection result selected by the selection unit 163 matches the endoscope used by the operator U2, based on any one of the selection result selected by the selection unit 163, the application result transmitted from the operator terminal 200, the manual selection result, the application result transmitted from the assistant terminal 100, and the usage result transmitted from the assistant terminal 100.

[0050] When the determination unit 165 determines that the selection result selected by the selection unit 163 does not match the endoscope used by the operator U2, the update unit 166 updates the priority information recorded in the priority information DB 157 based on the determination result of the determination unit 165.

[0051] [Processing of the Medical Support System] Next, the processing executed by the medical support system 1 will be described. FIG. 3 is a timing chart showing an outline of the processing executed by the medical support system 1.

[0052] As shown in FIG. 3, first, the assistant terminal 100 transmits the patient ID for identifying the patient to be examined by the endoscope input by the assistant U1 using the assistant terminal 100 and the operator ID regarding the operator in charge of the examination or treatment of the patient to the medical support device 10 (step S1).

[0053] Subsequently, the acquisition unit 161 refers to the examination information DB 151, the patient information DB 152, and the operator information DB 156, and acquires the examination information regarding the patient to be examined and the operator information regarding the operator based on the patient ID and the operator ID received from the assistant terminal 100 (step S2).

[0054] Figure 4 shows an overview of the examination information. The examination information table T1 shown in Figure 4 contains the examination information for which endoscopy is selected. Specifically, the examination information table T1 contains the following information: Examination purpose: Screening (examination), Examination item: Upper endoscopy, and Patient height: 185 cm. Note that in Figure 4, for the sake of simplicity, the patient ID, patient name associated with the patient ID, date of birth, and patient's medical history have been omitted from the examination information table T1.

[0055] Figure 5 shows an example of a surgeon information table recorded by the surgeon information DB 156. In the surgeon information table T2 shown in Figure 5, the surgeon ID is associated with at least the name and tag information indicating the surgeon's level. For example, surgeon ID "123" is associated with the name "AAA" and the tag "Experienced Physician". In addition to experienced physicians and trainee physicians, the tag may also be associated with years of experience, skill level, and license such as specialist certification.

[0056] Returning to Figure 3, we will continue the explanation from step S3 onward. In step S3, the setting unit 162 sets a priority for selecting an endoscope suitable for the patient and operator U2 from among multiple endoscopes owned by the medical facility, based on the examination information and operator information acquired by the acquisition unit 161.

[0057] Here, we will explain the settings for the priority set by the setting unit 162. Figure 6 is a diagram showing an example of priority information set by the setting unit 162. Figure 7 is a diagram showing another example of priority information set by the setting unit 162. Note that in the priority information table T3 shown in Figure 6, the setting unit 162 shows the contents when the operator information tag acquired by the acquisition unit 161 is a skilled physician, and in the priority information table T4 shown in Figure 7, the setting unit 162 shows the contents when the operator information tag acquired by the acquisition unit 161 is a resident physician.

[0058] The priority information table T3 shown in Figure 6 associates priority levels for selecting from multiple endoscopes with information related to those priorities. Specifically, in the priority information table T3, priority level "1" is associated with the information "endoscope cleaning history information" and "endoscope repair information." In addition, in the priority information table T3, priority level "2" is associated with the information "examination information."

[0059] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 7, the priority information table T4, similar to the priority information table T3 in Figure 6, associates priority levels for selecting from multiple endoscopes with information related to those priorities. Compared to the priority information table T3 in Figure 6, the priority information table T4 in Figure 7 has higher priority for endoscope usage count information and logged-in user endoscope selection history information, while patient information and past endoscope usage history information have lower priority. In other words, the setting unit 162 sets the priority according to the operator information tags acquired by the acquisition unit 161.

[0060] Returning to Figure 3, we will continue the explanation from step S5 onward. In step S5, the selection unit 163 selects an endoscope from among the multiple endoscopes owned by the medical facility that is suitable for use by operator U2 for the patient's examination or procedure, based on the endoscope information recorded by the endoscope information DB 153 and the priority set by the setting unit 162.

[0061] Here, the selection method used by the selection unit 163 will be explained in detail. Figure 8 is a diagram illustrating the selection method used by the selection unit 163.

[0062] As shown in Figure 8, first, the selection unit 163 excludes endoscopes from the selection candidates based on the information corresponding to priority "1" set by the setting unit 162 in the endoscope information table T5 recorded by the endoscope information DB 153. Specifically, the selection unit 163 excludes information corresponding to priority "1" set by the setting unit 162, namely "endoscope cleaning history information" and "endoscope repair information," from the endoscope information table T5. For example, as shown in Figure 8, the selection unit 163 excludes endoscopes No. "2" and "3" from the selection candidates because endoscope No. "2" is under repair and "3" is uncleaned.

[0063] Next, as shown in Figure 9, the selection unit 163 excludes endoscopes from the selection candidates based on the information corresponding to priority "2" set by the setting unit 162 in the endoscope information table T5. Specifically, the selection unit 163 refers to the endoscope model number information table T6 recorded by the endoscope information DB 153, according to the examination purpose "screening" and examination item "upper endoscopy" in the examination information table T1 corresponding to the information "examination information" with priority "2" set by the setting unit 162 in the endoscope information table T5, and excludes endoscopes with model numbers that are not for "upper endoscopy" from the selection candidates. For example, in the case shown in Figure 9, the selection unit 163 excludes endoscope No. "6" from the selection candidates because endoscope No. "6" corresponds to the model number "CF-H290L" for "lower endoscopy".

[0064] Next, as shown in Figure 10, the selection unit 163 excludes endoscopes from the selection candidates based on the information corresponding to priority "3" set by the setting unit 162 in the endoscope information table T5. Specifically, the selection unit 163 refers to the endoscope usage history information table T7, which is recorded in the usage history information 155DB corresponding to the information "endoscope usage history information in past examinations" with priority "3" set by the setting unit 162, and excludes endoscopes that have not been used in the past from the selection candidates. For example, in the case shown in Figure 10, the selection unit 163 excludes endoscope No. "8" from the selection candidates because the model number "GIF-HP290N" of endoscope No. "8" is not included in any of the model numbers of endoscopes used in the endoscope usage history information table T7.

[0065] Subsequently, as shown in Figure 11, the selection unit 163 excludes endoscopes from the selection candidates based on the information corresponding to the priority "4" set by the setting unit 162 in the endoscope information table T5. Specifically, the selection unit 163 refers to the endoscope usage history information table T7 recorded in the endoscope information DB 153, which corresponds to the information "patient information (information regarding the length and diameter of the patient's trachea, such as height)" with priority "4" set by the setting unit 162 in the endoscope information table T5, and excludes endoscopes that are shorter than the patient height in the examination information table T1. For example, in the case shown in Figure 11, the selection unit 163 excludes endoscope No. "5" with model number "GIF-1T240" from the selection candidates because the patient height in the examination information table T1 is "185 cm", and the length of model number "GIF-1T240" in the endoscope usage history information table T7 is "1030 mm", which is the shortest in length compared to the other endoscopes.

[0066] Next, as shown in Figure 12, the selection unit 163 excludes endoscopes from the selection candidates based on the information corresponding to priority "5" set by the setting unit 162 in the endoscope information table T5. Specifically, the selection unit 163 excludes endoscopes with a high number of uses corresponding to the information "endoscope usage count information" with priority "5" set by the setting unit 162 in the endoscope information table T5. In the case shown in Figure 12, the selection unit 163 excludes endoscope No. "1" from the selection candidates, whose usage count in the endoscope information table T5 exceeds a predetermined value, for example, 150 times.

[0067] Subsequently, as shown in Figure 13, the selection unit 163 excludes endoscopes corresponding to the priority "6" set by the setting unit 162 from the selection candidates in the endoscope information table T5. Specifically, the selection unit 163 refers to the login user's endoscope selection history information table T8, which is recorded in the selection history information DB 154 corresponding to the priority "6" information set by the setting unit 162, "login user's endoscope selection history information," and excludes No. "7," an endoscope that has been used infrequently by the login user (operator), from the selection candidates in the endoscope information table T5.

[0068] In this way, the selection unit 163 selects candidates from the endoscopy information table T5 recorded in the endoscopy information DB 153, based on the priority set by the setting unit 162 and the patient information DB 152, endoscopy information DB 153, selection history information DB 154, usage history information DB 155, and operator information DB 156.

[0069] Returning to Figure 3, we will continue the explanation from step S5 onward. In step S5, the output control unit 164 transmits the selection result selected by the selection unit 163 to the assistant terminal 100 and the operator terminal 200 via the communication unit 11.

[0070] Next, the assistant terminal 100 and the operator terminal 200 display the selection result of the endoscope transmitted from the medical support device 10 (step S6).

[0071] Figure 14 shows an example of the automatic endoscope selection result from the medical support device 10 displayed on the assistant terminal 100 and the operator terminal 200. Figure 15 shows another example of the automatic endoscope selection result from the medical support device 10 displayed on the assistant terminal 100 and the operator terminal 200. Note that Figure 14 shows the case where the operator's tag is that of a skilled physician, while Figure 15 shows the case where the operator's tag is that of a resident physician.

[0072] The endoscope automatic selection result screen P1 shown in Figure 14 includes multiple endoscopes selected by the selection unit 163, an application button B1 that accepts an input of an instruction signal to apply the selected endoscope, and a selection button B2 for manually inputting and selecting an endoscope other than the selected one. Furthermore, each of the multiple endoscopes is associated with the reason for selection by the selection unit 163 of the medical support device 10. As a result, the operator U2 or assistant U1 can intuitively grasp the endoscope suitable for the operator and the patient, understand the reason for the selection, and reduce the number of endoscope changes during the patient's procedure.

[0073] The endoscope automatic selection result screen P1 shown in Figure 15 includes, similar to the endoscope automatic selection result screen P1 in Figure 14, a plurality of endoscopes selected by the selection unit 163, an application button B1 that accepts input of an instruction signal to apply the selected endoscope, and a selection button B2 for manually inputting and selecting an endoscope other than the selected one. Furthermore, each of the plurality of endoscopes is associated with the reason for selection by the selection unit 163 of the medical support device 10. Note that in Figure 15, compared to the endoscope automatic selection result screen P1 in Figure 14, the endoscope name "CF-H290l" is displayed in the first row, the endoscope name "CF-H290l" is displayed in the second row, and the reason for selection is displayed as text indicating that it is for resident physicians.

[0074] Returning to Figure 3, we will continue the explanation from step S7 onwards. In step S7, if operator U2 presses the apply button B1 to apply one of the multiple endoscopes on the automatic endoscope selection result screen P1 using the operator terminal 200 (step S7: Yes), the application result applied by operator U2 is transmitted to the assistant terminal 100 and the medical support device 10 (step S8). On the other hand, if operator U2 does not press the apply button B1 to apply one of the multiple endoscopes on the automatic endoscope selection result screen P1 using the operator terminal 200 (step S7: No), the medical support system 1 proceeds to step S9.

[0075] Next, if there is an application result from the operator terminal 200 (step S9: Yes), the assistant terminal 100 displays the application result of the endoscope applied by operator U2 (step S10). This allows assistant U1 to smoothly prepare the endoscope displayed on the assistant terminal 100. After step S10, the medical support system 1 proceeds to step S11, which will be described later. Conversely, if there is no application result from the operator terminal 200 (step S9: No), the medical support system 1 proceeds to step S11, which will be described later.

[0076] In step S11, if operator U2 manually selects an endoscope by pressing the selection button B2 (step S11: Yes), the operator terminal 200 transmits the manual selection result, including the management name or endoscope name entered by operator U2, to the assistant terminal 100 and the medical support device 10 (step S12). After step S12, the medical support system 1 proceeds to step S13, which will be described later. On the other hand, if operator U2 does not manually select an endoscope by pressing the selection button B2 (step S11: No), the operator terminal 200 terminates this process.

[0077] Next, if the assistant terminal 100 receives a manual selection result from the operator terminal 200 (step S13: Yes), it displays the manual selection result of the endoscope manually selected by the operator U2 (step S14). This allows the assistant U1 to smoothly prepare the endoscope displayed on the assistant terminal 100. After step S14, the medical support system 1 proceeds to step S15, which will be described later. Conversely, if the assistant terminal 100 does not receive a manual selection result from the operator terminal 200 (step S13: No), the medical support system 1 proceeds to step S15, which will be described later.

[0078] In step S15, if assistant U1 uses the assistant terminal 100 to press the apply button B1 to apply one of the multiple endoscopes on the automatic endoscope selection result screen P1 (step S15: Yes), the application result applied by assistant U1 is transmitted to the medical support device 10 (step S16). After step S16, the medical support system 1 proceeds to step S17. Conversely, if assistant U1 does not use the assistant terminal 100 to press the apply button B1 to apply one of the multiple endoscopes on the automatic endoscope selection result screen P1 (step S15: No), the medical support system 1 proceeds to step S17.

[0079] In step S17, the assistant terminal 100 transmits to the medical support device 10 the results of the use of the endoscope used by operator U2 on the patient, which were entered by assistant U1 using the assistant terminal 100. Here, the results of use include the serial number and patient information of the endoscope for which the medical support device 10 applied the application results, and the serial number, model number, patient information, and operator ID of the endoscope used by operator U2.

[0080] Next, the determination unit 165 determines whether the selection result selected by the selection unit 163 matches the endoscope used by the operator U2, based on the selection result selected by the selection unit 163, one of the application results transmitted from the operator terminal 200, the manual selection result, and the application result transmitted from the assistant terminal 100, and the usage result transmitted from the assistant terminal 100 (step S18).

[0081] Figure 16 is a diagram showing usage history information that records the usage history between the selection result selected by the selection unit 163 and the usage result used by the operator U2, as recorded by the usage history information DB 155. In the usage history information table T9 shown in Figure 16, for each No., the selection result selected by the selection unit 163 is associated with one of the following: the application result transmitted from the operator terminal 200, the manual selection result, or the application result transmitted from the assistant terminal 100, the usage result transmitted from the assistant terminal 100, and the priority.

[0082] As shown in the usage history information table T9 in Figure 16, the determination unit 165 compares the endoscope selected by the selection unit 163 (hereinafter simply referred to as the "selected endoscope") with the endoscope used by the operator U2 (hereinafter simply referred to as the "used endoscope") for each No., and determines whether the selected endoscope and the used endoscope are different. Specifically, in the case of No. "1", the determination unit 165 determines that the selected endoscope and the used endoscope are the same because the serial number of the selected endoscope and the serial number of the used endoscope match. In contrast, in the cases of No. "2" and "3", the determination unit 165 determines that the selected endoscope and the used endoscope are not the same because the serial numbers of the selected endoscope and the used endoscope do not match.

[0083] In this way, the determination unit 165 refers to the usage history information recorded in the usage history information DB 155 and determines whether the selection result matches the endoscope used by the operator U2. Furthermore, the determination unit 165 calculates the sum of the degree of agreement for each priority. For example, in the case of the cleaning status priority, the determination unit 165 calculates "3" because all of Nos. "1" to "3" match; in the case of usage history, it calculates "1" because Nos. "2" and "3" do not match; and in the case of patient information, it calculates "2" because No. "3" does not match.

[0084] Returning to Figure 3, the explanation continues. In step S18, if the determination unit 165 determines that the selection result selected by the selection unit 163 matches the endoscope used by the operator U2 (step S18: Yes), the medical support system 1 terminates this process. On the other hand, if the determination unit 165 determines that the selection result selected by the selection unit 163 does not match the endoscope used by the operator U2 (step S18: No), the update unit 166 updates the priority information recorded in the priority information DB 157 based on the determination result of the determination unit 165 (step S19). After step S19, the medical support system 1 terminates this process.

[0085] Figure 17 is a schematic diagram illustrating the update method performed by the update unit 166. As shown in Figure 17, the update unit 166 updates the priority in the priority information based on the total degree of agreement included in the usage history information recorded by the usage history information DB 155 (Figure 17(a) → Figure 17(b)). Specifically, the update unit 166 increases the priority of the endoscope usage count information and the login user's endoscope selection history, while decreasing the priority of patient information and endoscope usage history information from past examinations. This improves the selection accuracy when selecting the optimal endoscope from among multiple endoscopes for each operator U2.

[0086] According to the embodiment described above, the output control unit 164 transmits the selection result selected by the selection unit 163 to the assistant terminal 100 and the operator terminal 200 via the communication unit 11, thereby enabling the selection and presentation of the optimal endoscope to the operator and the patient.

[0087] Furthermore, according to one embodiment, if the determination unit 165 determines that the selection result selected by the selection unit 163 does not match the endoscope used by the operator U2, the update unit 166 updates the priority information recorded in the priority information DB 157 based on the determination result of the determination unit 165. This improves the selection accuracy when selecting the optimal endoscope from among multiple endoscopes for each operator U2.

[0088] Various inventions can be formed by appropriately combining the multiple components disclosed in the medical support system according to one embodiment of the present disclosure described above. For example, some components may be removed from all the components described in the medical support system according to the embodiment of the present disclosure described above. Furthermore, the components described in the medical support system according to the embodiment of the present disclosure described above may be appropriately combined.

[0089] Furthermore, in the medical support system according to one embodiment of this disclosure, the "parts" described above can be replaced with "means" or "circuits," etc. For example, the control unit can be replaced with control means or control circuit.

[0090] Furthermore, the program to be executed by the medical support system according to one embodiment of this disclosure is provided as installable or executable file data recorded on a computer-readable recording medium such as a CD-ROM, flexible disk (FD), CD-R, DVD (Digital Versatile Disk), USB medium, or flash memory.

[0091] Furthermore, the program to be executed by the medical support system according to one embodiment of this disclosure may be stored on a computer connected to a network such as the Internet and provided by being downloaded via the network.

[0092] In this specification, while the flowchart descriptions use expressions such as "first," "then," and "followed by" to indicate the sequence of processes between steps, the order of processes necessary to carry out the present invention is not uniquely determined by these expressions. That is, the order of processes in the flowcharts described herein can be changed within a reasonable range. Furthermore, the program is not limited to simple branching processes; it may also branch by comprehensively evaluating a larger number of decision items.

[0093] Although some embodiments of this application have been described in detail above with reference to the drawings, these are illustrative examples, and the present invention can be implemented in various other forms with modifications and improvements based on the knowledge of those skilled in the art, starting with the embodiments described in the disclosure section of the present invention.

[0094] 1 Medical support system 10 Medical support device 11 Communication unit 12 Input unit 13 Output unit 14 Display unit 15 Recording unit 16 Control unit 100 Assistant terminal 151 Examination information database 152 Patient information database 153 Endoscopy information database 154 Selection history information database 155 Usage history information database 156 Operator information database 157 Priority information database 158 Program database 161 Acquisition unit 162 Setting unit 163 Selection unit 164 Output control unit 165 Judgment unit 166 Update unit 200 Operator terminal

Claims

1. A control device comprising a processor, wherein the processor acquires examination information relating to a patient's examination, patient information representing the patient's physical characteristics and examination history, endoscope information relating to each of a plurality of endoscopes in the facility, usage history information relating to the usage history of each of the plurality of endoscopes in the facility, operator information relating to the operator, and priority information relating to the priority of each item of endoscope to be used for the patient; sets the priority based on the examination information, the patient information, the endoscope information, the usage history information, the operator information, and the priority information; selects one or more endoscopes from the plurality of endoscopes that are suitable for the operator when performing an examination on the patient, based on the priority and the endoscope information; and outputs the selected result.

2. A control device according to claim 1, wherein the examination information includes, for the patient, an examination purpose representing treatment or screening, an examination item representing an upper or lower examination, the patient's height, and the patient's observation area.

3. A control device according to claim 2, wherein the patient information includes one or more of the patient's height, tracheal length, and tracheal diameter.

4. The control device according to claim 3, wherein the usage history information includes the model number of the endoscope, the number of uses, the cleaning history, and the repair history.

5. A control device according to claim 4, wherein the processor determines whether the endoscope included in the selected selection result matches the endoscope selected by the operator in accordance with the selection result received from the outside, and if it determines that the endoscope included in the selected selection result does not match the endoscope selected by the operator in accordance with the selection result received from the outside, it calculates the degree of match for each item in the priority, and updates the priority of the priority information based on the degree of match for each item.

6. A control device according to claim 5, wherein the processor outputs the selection result to at least one of the assistant terminal of an assistant assisting the surgeon and the surgeon terminal of the surgeon.

7. A control device according to claim 6, wherein the selection result includes the name of each of the plurality of endoscopes that can be selected by the operator or the assistant, and the reason for selection.

8. A medical support system comprising: a control device equipped with a processor; an assistant terminal usable by an assistant assisting the operator; and an operator terminal usable by the operator, wherein the processor acquires: examination information relating to the examination of a patient; patient information representing the patient's physical characteristics and examination history; endoscope information relating to each of a plurality of endoscopes in the facility; usage history information relating to the usage history of each of the plurality of endoscopes in the facility; operator information relating to the operator; and priority information relating to the priority of each item of endoscope to be used for the patient; sets the priority based on the examination information, the patient information, the endoscope information, the usage history information, the operator information, and the priority information; selects one or more endoscopes from the plurality of endoscopes that are suitable for the operator when performing an examination on the patient, based on the priority and the endoscope information; and outputs the selected result to the assistant terminal or the operator terminal.

9. A medical support system according to claim 8, wherein the examination information includes, for the patient, an examination purpose representing treatment or screening, an examination item representing an upper or lower examination, the patient's height, and the patient's observation area.

10. A medical support system according to claim 9, wherein the patient information includes one or more of the patient's height, tracheal length, and tracheal diameter.

11. A medical support system according to claim 10, wherein the usage history information includes the model number of the endoscope, the number of uses, the cleaning history, and the repair history.

12. A medical support system according to claim 11, wherein the processor determines whether the endoscope included in the selected selection result matches the endoscope selected by the operator in accordance with the selection result received from an external source, and if it determines that the endoscope included in the selected selection result does not match the endoscope selected by the operator in accordance with the selection result received from an external source, it calculates the degree of match for each item in the priority, and updates the priority of the priority information based on the degree of match for each item.

13. A medical support system according to claim 12, wherein the selection result includes the name of each of a plurality of endoscopes that can be selected by the operator or assistant, and the reason for selection.

14. A medical support method performed by a control device equipped with a processor, wherein the processor acquires: examination information relating to a patient's examination; patient information representing the patient's physical characteristics and examination history; endoscope information relating to each of a plurality of endoscopes in the facility; usage history information relating to the usage history of each of the plurality of endoscopes in the facility; operator information relating to the operator; and priority information relating to the priority of each item of endoscope to be used for the patient; sets the priority based on the examination information, the patient information, the endoscope information, the usage history information, the operator information, and the priority information; selects one or more endoscopes from the plurality of endoscopes that are suitable for the operator when performing an examination on the patient, based on the priority and the endoscope information; and outputs the selected result.

15. A medical support method according to claim 14, wherein the examination information includes the purpose of the examination representing treatment or screening for the patient, the examination items representing upper or lower examinations, the patient's height, and the area of ​​observation of the patient.

16. A medical support method according to claim 15, wherein the patient information includes one or more of the patient's height, tracheal length, and tracheal diameter.

17. A medical support method according to claim 16, wherein the usage history information includes the model number of the endoscope, the number of uses, the cleaning history, and the repair history.

18. A medical support method according to claim 17, wherein the processor determines whether the endoscope included in the selected selection result matches the endoscope selected by the operator in accordance with the selection result received from an external source, and if it determines that the endoscope included in the selected selection result does not match the endoscope selected by the operator in accordance with the selection result received from an external source, it calculates the degree of agreement for each item in the priority, and updates the priority of the priority information based on the degree of agreement for each item.

19. A medical support method according to claim 18, wherein the processor outputs the selection result to at least one of the assistant terminal of an assistant assisting the surgeon and the surgeon terminal of the surgeon.

20. A medical support method according to claim 19, wherein the selection result includes the name of each of a plurality of endoscopes that can be selected by the operator or assistant, and the reason for selection.

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