Measurement results display system, measurement results analysis method, and measurement results analysis program

Abstract

Provided is a technology that facilitates the estimation of temporal changes in measurement values of a subject from measurement values of a comparable person.　The present invention constitutes a measurement results display system comprising: a measurement information acquisition unit that acquires measurement information indicating temporal changes in measurement values obtained by measuring respective subject eyes of a first subject and a second subject by using an ophthalmic device; a measurement information adjustment unit that shifts the measurement information of the second subject on a time axis by a shift amount corresponding to the age difference between the second subject and the first subject, in a direction that eliminates the age difference; and a display control unit that causes a display unit to display the measurement information of the second subject after the shift and the measurement information of the first subject in a manner that allows for comparison.

Description

Measurement result display system, measurement result analysis method, and measurement result analysis program

[0001] The present invention relates to a measurement result display system, a measurement result analysis method, and a measurement result analysis program.

[0002] Conventionally, devices that measure the body of a subject and compare the measurement results with those of others are known. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for acquiring medical data including inspection values registered in time series for a patient under medical treatment and a comparison target, and superimposing and displaying them on a display screen. Further, Patent Document 2 discloses a technique for showing the value of the axial length of an examined eye on a scale corresponding to a predetermined unit amount, and showing the value of the refractive power of the eyeball on a scale provided to match the change amount of the refractive power of the eyeball when the value of the axial length of the eyeball changes by the unit amount.

[0003] Japanese Patent No. 6360967, JP 2023-107640 A

[0004] In the conventional technique, it has been difficult to understand from which point in time the measurement values of the comparison target and the measurement values of the subject should be compared in order to evaluate the temporal change in the measurement values of the subject. For example, if the measurement values of a person older than the subject are used as the comparison target, it is expected that it is possible to evaluate whether there is an abnormality in the temporal change of the measurement values of the subject based on the temporal change of the measurement values of the subject. However, even if the measurement values of the subject and the measurement values of the comparison target are simply arranged on the time axis, the measurement values of the comparison target are unlikely to be a reference for evaluating the measurement values of the subject. The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object thereof is to provide a criterion for easily evaluating the temporal change in the measurement values of a subject.

[0005] To achieve the above object, a measurement result display system includes a measurement information acquisition unit that acquires measurement information indicating a temporal change in measurement values obtained by measuring each of the examined eyes of a first subject and a second subject by an ophthalmic device, a measurement information adjustment unit that shifts the measurement information of the second subject on the time axis in a direction in which the age difference is eliminated by a shift amount corresponding to the age difference between the second subject and the first subject, and a display control unit that causes a display unit to display the measurement information of the second subject after the shift and the measurement information of the first subject so as to be comparable.

[0006] In other words, the measurement results display system shifts the measurement information on the time axis so as to eliminate the age difference between the first and second subjects. Many measured values ​​of the eyes of subjects change with age, and for example, it is known that changes in axial length over time, which causes myopia, are similar among close relatives. Therefore, by shifting the measurement information of the second subject on the time axis so as to eliminate the age difference between the second and first subjects, the measured values ​​of the second subject become the reference, making it easy to evaluate the changes in the measured values ​​of the first subject over time.

[0007] This is a diagram of the measurement result display system. This is a flowchart of the measurement result display process. This is a diagram of an example of the measurement result display. This is a diagram of an example of the measurement result display. This is a diagram of an example of the measurement result display. This is a diagram of an example of the measurement result display. This is a diagram of an example of the measurement result display. This is a diagram of an example of the measurement result display.

[0008] Here, embodiments of the present invention will be described in the following order: (1) Configuration of the measurement result display system; (2) Measurement result display processing; (3) Other embodiments:

[0009] (1) Configuration of the measurement result display system: Figure 1 is a diagram showing a measurement result display system 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention. An optical coherence tomography (OCT) apparatus 1 is connected to the measurement result display system 10 according to this embodiment. The optical coherence tomography apparatus 1 is a device that splits light from a light source into a reference light and a measurement light, and performs optical coherence tomography by measuring the interference between the reference light returned by a mirror or the like and the measurement light returned by the eye under examination. Various optical coherence tomography methods may be used in the optical coherence tomography apparatus 1. In this embodiment, the optical coherence tomography apparatus 1 generates imaging data of the eye under examination and stores it in a storage medium (not shown).

[0010] Furthermore, the optical coherence tomography (OCT) apparatus 1 performs predetermined analysis processing based on the imaging data and obtains measurement values. Various measurement values ​​of the eye under examination can be obtained from the imaging data. For example, measurement values ​​such as axial length, corneal thickness, and pupil diameter can be obtained. Here, an example of obtaining axial length as a measurement value will be described. In this embodiment, since the measurement value is axial length, the OCT apparatus 1 obtains axial length as a measurement value, associates the measurement value with the examiner's identification information, date of birth, name, gender, and measurement date and time, generates measurement data, and stores it in a storage medium (not shown).

[0011] Furthermore, if measurement data already exists for a subject with the same identification information, the optical coherence tomography (OCT) system 1 associates the measurement date and time with the newly acquired measurement value and adds it to the existing measurement data. As described above, since the measurement data includes measurement values ​​associated with the measurement date and time, it can be said that it includes measurement information that shows the change in measurement values ​​over time. In addition, arbitrary information may be associated with the measurement data. In this embodiment, information indicating the period during which the subject's eye was being treated is associated with the measurement data. That is, if a subject whose measurement data was taken underwent treatment of their eye, information indicating the date and time of treatment or the duration of treatment is associated with the measurement data.

[0012] The measurement result display system 10 comprises a control unit 11, a communication unit 20, a storage medium 30, an input unit 40, and a display unit 50. The communication unit 20 is a device that communicates with the optical coherence tomography apparatus 1. The communication standard is arbitrary and may be wired communication or wireless communication.

[0013] The storage medium 30 is a non-volatile storage medium such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or an SSD (Solid State Disk). Various types of data can be stored in the storage medium 30, and the measurement result display system 10 can save data to the storage medium 30 at any time and read data stored in the storage medium 30. In this embodiment, the storage medium 30 stores measurement data transferred from the optical coherence tomography apparatus 1 via the communication unit 20. Of course, there are various ways in which the measurement data is transferred, and the measurement data may also be transferred to the measurement result display system 10 by a portable storage medium. Hereafter, the measurement data stored in the storage medium 30 will be referred to as measurement data 30a.

[0014] The input unit 40 is a device operated by a user, such as an examiner, and is used to input various information to the measurement result display system 10. The form of the input unit 40 is not particularly limited, but examples include a keyboard or mouse. Of course, a touch panel may also constitute the input unit 40. The display unit 50 is a display device that displays various information, and displays various images such as characters and images generated by the measurement result display system 10. The form of the display unit 50 is not particularly limited and may be a touch panel display. Note that the communication unit 20, storage medium 30, input unit 40, and display unit 50 are not included in the measurement result display system 10 and may be separate devices. The form of the measurement result display system 10 is not limited and may be a stationary computer or a portable computer.

[0015] The control unit 11 includes a CPU, RAM, and ROM (not shown), and can execute various programs stored in the storage medium 30, ROM, etc. The programs executed by the control unit 11 include various types of programs.

[0016] The axial length of the eye is measured, for example, when a user undergoes a myopia examination. However, to facilitate the user's examination and to communicate the examination results to the subject in an easily understandable way, it is preferable to have a reference point for comparison. Therefore, the measurement result display system 10 according to this embodiment is equipped with a function to display the time change of the measured value in a way that allows comparison with the reference point. In Figure 1, the program for realizing this function is shown as the measurement result display program 11a. The functions executed by the control unit 11 by the measurement result display program 11a include a measurement information acquisition unit 11a1, a measurement information adjustment unit 11b1, a display control unit 11c1, and an instruction reception unit 11d1.

[0017] The measurement information acquisition unit 11a1 has the function of acquiring measurement information showing the time change of measured values ​​of the eyes of the first and second subjects measured by the ophthalmic device. In other words, it is configured so that the measured values ​​of the first subject can be compared with those of the second subject, allowing for advice to be given based on the examination results of the first subject. In this embodiment, the first subject is the person who receives advice from the user based on the axial length of the eye. The second subject is the person whose measured values ​​are compared. The second subject is not limited, but a close relative, a person of a similar generation, or a person undergoing treatment whose time change in axial length is said to be similar may be the second subject.

[0018] The control unit 11 acquires the measurement data 30a of the first subject from the storage medium 30 based on identification information in order to display the measurement results of the first subject. In addition, in order to present a comparison target to be compared with the measurement results of the first subject, the control unit 11 acquires the measurement data 30a of the second subject from the storage medium 30 based on identification information. The second subject may be predetermined as a close relative, etc., or may be determined by selection by the user.

[0019] The measurement information adjustment unit 11b1 has the function of shifting the measurement information of the second subject on the time axis in a direction that eliminates the age difference between the second subject and the first subject by a shift amount corresponding to the age difference between the second subject and the first subject. In this embodiment, the comparison is performed with the measurement information of the second subject shifted on the time axis so that the age difference between the second subject and the first subject is eliminated. For this reason, the control unit 11 acquires the difference between the date of birth of the first subject and the date of birth of the second subject as the shift amount.

[0020] Furthermore, the control unit 11 compares the birth date of the first subject with the birth date of the second subject. If the birth date of the first subject is later, the shift direction is set to the direction of time advancement. If the birth date of the first subject is earlier, the shift direction is set to the opposite direction of time advancement. The control unit 11 then moves the measurement information of the second subject in the specified shift direction by a specified shift amount. As a result, the birth date of the second subject overlaps with the birth date of the first subject.

[0021] The display control unit 11c1 has the function of displaying the measurement information of the second subject after the shift and the measurement information of the first subject on the display unit in a comparable manner. The control unit 11 controls the display unit 50 using the function of the display control unit 11c1 to display a screen for displaying the measurement information of the first subject. Furthermore, the control unit 11 displays the measurement information of the first subject and the measurement information of the second subject after the shift on the screen. At this time, the control unit 11 displays a graph in which the horizontal axis is the time axis and the vertical axis is the axial length of the eye as a measured value, and displays the measured value on the graph. Note that the display mode of the graph is not limited and may be in various modes.

[0022] Furthermore, the control unit 11, using the function of the display control unit 11c1, displays the period during which the eyes of the first and second subjects are being treated or have been treated on the display unit. Specifically, the control unit 11 refers to the measurement data 30a of the first and second subjects, and if information indicating the date and time of treatment for the first and second subjects is associated with that data, it identifies that period and displays it on the graph described above. Note that the display method of the treatment period is not limited and may be in various forms.

[0023] With the above configuration, it is possible to compare the measurement information of the first subject with the measurement information of the second subject. Furthermore, since the measurement information of the second subject is shifted on the time axis to eliminate the age difference between the first and second subjects, the time change of the measurement values ​​of the first subject can be evaluated by comparing it with the time change of the measurement values ​​of the second subject, assuming that the second subject is the same age as the first subject. Therefore, the time change of the measurement values ​​of the second subject becomes a reference point, making it easy to evaluate whether the time change of the measurement values ​​of the first subject is abnormal or not.

[0024] For example, if the second subject is a close relative of the first subject, it becomes possible to estimate the time change of the first subject's measurement by assuming that the time change of the second subject's measurement is similar to the time change of the first subject's measurement. Also, if the second subject is undergoing or has been treated, it becomes possible to estimate how the measurement will change over time as a result of the first subject's treatment. Furthermore, if the second subject is not receiving treatment and the first subject is receiving treatment, it becomes possible to explain the effect of the treatment to the first subject based on the second subject's measurement. As described above, according to this embodiment, it is possible to easily evaluate whether the time change of the first subject's measurement is abnormal, whether attention or treatment is required, and whether the treatment is effective.

[0025] The instruction receiving unit 11d1 has the function of receiving instructions to move the measurement information of the second subject after the shift, which is displayed on the display unit 50. That is, the control unit 11 receives user input operations to the input unit 40 through the function of the instruction receiving unit 11d1. If the input operation is an instruction for the shift amount and shift direction, the control unit 11 receives it as an instruction to move the measurement information of the second subject after the shift. Instructions for movement may be given in various ways, and examples of instruction methods will be described later.

[0026] Upon receiving a movement instruction, the control unit 11, using the functions of the display control unit 11c1, moves the measurement information of the second subject on the display unit according to the received instruction. That is, the control unit 11 controls the display unit 50 and shifts the measurement information of the second subject displayed on the display unit 50 in the instructed shift direction by the instructed shift amount. With this configuration, the measurement information of the second subject can be shifted to a position that is easy to compare with the measurement information of the first subject. For this reason, for example, by overlapping the parts of the measurement information of the second subject and the measurement information of the first subject that change in a similar trend, it becomes easy to estimate and evaluate the time change of the measurement information of the first subject based on the measurement information of the second subject.

[0027] (2) Measurement Result Display Processing: Next, the measurement result display processing will be explained in detail. Figure 2 is a flowchart of the measurement result display processing. Of the flowchart shown in Figure 2, steps S100 to S115 are processes performed in the optical coherence tomography apparatus 1. Here, we will explain using as an example a scenario in which, after the optical coherence tomography apparatus 1 measures the eye of the first subject, advice based on the examination results is immediately given to the first subject. However, after the eye is measured, the advice may be given to the first subject on a different day, for example. When the first subject fixes their face to the optical coherence tomography apparatus 1, the optical coherence tomography apparatus 1 photographs the eye of the first subject (step S100). That is, the optical coherence tomography apparatus 1 photographs the eye, generates the photographic data, and stores it in a storage medium (not shown).

[0028] Next, the optical coherence tomography (OCT) apparatus 1 performs analysis (step S110). That is, the OCT apparatus 1 performs a predetermined analysis based on the imaging data and obtains the axial length of the eye being examined. Next, the OCT apparatus 1 stores the measurement information (step S115). That is, the OCT apparatus 1 generates measurement data by associating the measured axial length with the examiner's identification information, date of birth, name, gender, and measurement date and time, and stores it in a storage medium (not shown). If measurement data already exists for an examiner with the same identification information, the OCT apparatus 1 associates the measurement date and time with the newly acquired measurement value and adds it to the existing measurement data.

[0029] The optical coherence tomography (OCT) apparatus 1 transfers the measurement data of the first and second subjects to the measurement result display system 10 via the communication unit 20. The transferred measurement data is stored in the storage medium 30 as measurement data 30a.

[0030] Next, the control unit 11 acquires measurement information for the first and second subjects using the functions of the measurement information acquisition unit 11a1 (step S120). The measurement data for the first and second subjects has been previously transferred to the measurement result display system 10 and stored in the storage medium 30 as measurement data 30a. The control unit 11 refers to the storage medium 30 and extracts the measurement data 30a for the first and second subjects based on their identification information.

[0031] Next, the control unit 11, using the function of the measurement information adjustment unit 11b1, identifies the difference between the birth dates of the first subject and the second subject as the shift amount (step S125). That is, the control unit 11 considers the difference between the birth date associated with the measurement information of the first subject and the birth date associated with the measurement information of the second subject as the shift amount. Figure 3 shows an example of the screen displayed on the display unit 50. As in the example in Figure 3, if the birth date of the first subject is 2012 / 1 / 3 and the birth date of the second subject is 2009 / 1 / 1, then 1097 days, which is the number of days corresponding to the difference between 2012 / 1 / 3 and 2009 / 1 / 1, is considered as the shift amount.

[0032] Next, the control unit 11, using the function of the measurement information adjustment unit 11b1, shifts the measurement information of the second subject on the time axis in a direction that brings the second subject's date of birth closer to the first subject's date of birth (step S130). That is, the control unit 11 sets the direction in which the second subject's date of birth approaches the first subject's date of birth as the shift direction, and shifts the second subject's measurement information on the time axis by the shift amount specified in step S125. For example, in the example shown in Figure 3, the measurement information of the second subject is shifted by 1097 days in the direction that time progresses.

[0033] Next, the control unit 11, using the functions of the display control unit 11c1, displays the measurement information of the second subject after the shift and the measurement information of the first subject in separate graphs (step S135). Specifically, the control unit 11 controls the display unit 50 to display a screen for showing the measurement results. Furthermore, the control unit 11 displays on the screen a graph showing the time change of the measurement values ​​of the second subject after the shift, and a graph showing the time change of the measurement values ​​of the first subject.

[0034] As a result, a screen like the one shown in Figure 3 is displayed. In Figure 3, two graphs are displayed side by side, one above the other. The graph at the top of the screen shows the time change of the measurement values ​​of the first subject, and the graph at the bottom of the screen shows the time change of the measurement values ​​of the second subject after the shift. In both graphs, the horizontal axis represents time, and the vertical axis represents the axial length of the eye as a measurement value.

[0035] In the example shown in Figure 3, the vertical axis displays data within a range of 20 to 27 mm. The horizontal axis should include the measurement information of the first subject and the measurement information of the second subject after the shift. The numerical value of the horizontal axis, which is the time axis, can be represented by various values. In the example shown in Figure 3, the time axis is represented by the age (number of years elapsed since the date of birth) of each subject. The measurement values ​​of the first subject are displayed within a range from when the first subject was 7 to 12 years old, and the measurement values ​​of the second subject are displayed within a range from when the second subject was 7 to 11 years old. Note that the numerical value of the time axis is not limited to the age of the subject, but can also be the date and time of measurement. In this case, the horizontal axis of the graphs for the first subject and the second subject will be represented by different numerical values. Also, in the example shown in Figure 3, the measurement information of the first subject is displayed as a solid line, and the measurement information of the second subject after the shift is displayed as a dashed line.

[0036] In the example shown in Figure 3, the top of the graph displays the information of the first subject (identification information (ID), date of birth). The right side of the graph displays the information of the second subject (identification information (ID), date of birth). Also on the right side of the graph are buttons B1 to B4, which accept instructions to move the measurement information of the second subject. Furthermore, below buttons B1 to B4 are toggle switches T, which are used to give instructions (overlay instructions) to display a single graph containing the measurement information of both the first and second subjects.

[0037] With the above display, users viewing the display unit 50 can easily compare the measurement information of the first subject with the measurement information of the second subject. For example, if the measurement value of the first subject is larger than that of the second subject, it can be determined that the axial length of the eye is longer than that of others of the same age, and the first subject can be advised to consider inhibiting the elongation of the axial length. Furthermore, it can be seen that the measurement value of the first subject is on an increasing trend, and that the rate of increase is faster than that of the second subject, making the recommendation to inhibit the elongation of the axial length more persuasive.

[0038] When the screen shown in Figure 3 is displayed, the control unit 11 determines whether or not a single graph display instruction has been received, based on the function of the display control unit 11c1 (step S140). That is, the control unit 11 receives the user's input operation to the input unit 40 and determines whether or not the toggle switch T has been turned on. The toggle switch T is a switch that switches between on and off each time an operation is performed on the toggle switch T. The toggle switch T shown in Figure 3 is in the off state.

[0039] In step S140, if it is determined that a single graph display instruction has been given, the control unit 11 displays the measurement information of the second subject after the shift and the measurement information of the first subject on a single graph (step S145). Specifically, the control unit 11 controls the display unit 50 to display a single graph on the screen for showing the measurement results, and displays the time change of the measured value of the second subject after the shift and the time change of the measured value of the first subject on that graph.

[0040] Figure 4 shows an example of the screen displayed on the display unit 50. In Figure 4, the measured values ​​of the first and second subjects are displayed on a single graph. Also in Figure 4, the measurement information of the first subject is shown as a solid line, and the measurement information of the second subject after the shift is shown as a dashed line. The above processing makes it easier to compare the measurement information of the first subject and the measurement information of the second subject. For example, the measured values ​​of the first subject and the second subject can be directly compared, making it easier to advise that the axial length of the first subject is much longer than that of the second subject and to consider suppressing the elongation of the axial length. It also becomes easier to explain that the rate of increase in the axial length of the first subject is much faster than that of the second subject, indicating a higher risk.

[0041] If it is determined in step S140 that a single graph display instruction has been given, the control unit 11 skips step S145. If step S145 is executed, or if it is determined in step S140 that a single graph display instruction has been given, the control unit 11 determines whether or not a movement instruction has been given using the function of the instruction reception unit 11d1 (step S150). That is, the control unit 11 determines whether or not the user has operated one of the buttons B1 to B4 using the input unit 40.

[0042] In step S150, if it is determined that a movement instruction has been given, the control unit 11 moves the measurement information of the second subject by the function of the display control unit 11c1 by the amount and direction of the shift according to the instruction (step S155). In this embodiment, each of the buttons B1 to B4 corresponds to the up, right, down, and left shift directions, and the amount of shift when each of the buttons B1 to B4 is operated once is predetermined.

[0043] Therefore, the control unit 11 identifies which of the buttons B1 to B4 has been operated, and sets the direction corresponding to the operated button as the shift direction. Further, the control unit 11 identifies the shift amount based on the number of button operations. Then, the control unit 11 shifts the measurement information of the second subject by the shift amount in the shift direction. Furthermore, the control unit 11 controls the display unit 50 to display the measurement information of the second subject after the shift on the graph. This shift may be performed in either of FIGS. 3 and 4.

[0044] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example in which the measurement information of the second subject is shifted in a state where a single graph display as shown in FIG. 4 is performed. In this example, the measurement information of the second subject is moved upward so as to overlap the measurement information of the first subject. In this way, when the measurement information is overlapped, it becomes possible to easily compare the change tendencies of the measurement information of each subject. For example, it can be shown that the acceleration of increase in the axial length of the first subject is considerably larger than the acceleration of increase in the axial length of the second subject as a comparison target, and it is possible to make it persuasive when recommending suppression of the elongation of the axial length.

[0045] In the present embodiment, when the subject is undergoing treatment, it is shown on the graph that the subject is undergoing treatment. Specifically, in step S135, the control unit 11 causes the display unit to display the period during which the first subject and the second subject are treating the subject eye, when the first subject and the second subject are treating or have treated the subject eye, by the function of the display control unit 11c1. For this purpose, the control unit 11 refers to the measurement data 30a of the first subject and the second subject, and determines whether information indicating the date and time when the first subject and the second subject are treating is associated.

[0046] When the treatment date and time are associated, the control unit 11 specifies the period from the first date and time to the last date and time as the treatment period. Then, the control unit 11 controls the display unit 50 to display the treatment period of each subject. The mode for displaying the period may be various modes. In the example shown in FIG. 6, the period of treatment is indicated by coloring the portion corresponding to the treatment period gray on the graph. Therefore, in FIG. 6, an example is shown in which the first subject is being treated from the age of 10 to 12, while the second subject is not being treated.

[0047] Also, the display of the treatment period as described above is performed even when a single graph display or graph movement is performed. In FIG. 7, a single graph display is performed for the measurement values shown in FIG. 6, and an example is shown in which the measurement values of the second subject are moved so that the measurement values at the start time of treatment of the first subject and the second subject overlap.

[0048] If the treatment period is displayed as described above, it becomes possible to give advice to the first subject based on the influence of the presence or absence of treatment and the effect of treatment. For example, it can be shown to the first subject that the acceleration rate of increase in the axial length of the first subject is suppressed compared to the acceleration rate of increase in the axial length of the second subject, and that the acceleration rate of increase is suppressed because of the treatment, indicating that the treatment was effective. Also, advice such as it is better to continue the treatment to suppress the increase in the axial length can be given.

[0049] (3) Other embodiments: The above embodiments are an example for implementing the present invention, and various other embodiments can be adopted. For example, the device configuration of the measurement result display system is not limited to the configuration shown in FIG. 1. Each device shown in FIG. 1 may be a smaller number of devices sharing functions, or a larger number of devices. Specifically, the measurement result display system 10 may be a device integrated with the optical coherence tomography device 1. Also, at least a part of the measurement result display system 10 may be configured by a server and may be distributed among a larger number of devices.

[0050] Furthermore, the screen displayed on the display unit 50 may be of various types. For example, the screen shown in Figure 5 may be configured to distinguish between cases where the measurement information of the second subject has been moved according to the user's instructions and cases where it has not been moved. The display configuration for making this distinction may be of various types. For example, the color or shape of the icons may change depending on whether buttons B1 to B4 are being operated or not. Also, a button for resetting the movement may be displayed. Furthermore, the direction of movement according to the user's instructions is not limited to four directions; it may also be possible to move diagonally, or to move in any direction using a lever or the like. Also, it may be possible to distinguish between a state where a single graph is displayed and a state where graphs are displayed side by side by an overlay instruction.

[0051] Furthermore, there may be various methods for identifying the measurement data. For example, the configuration may involve the user inputting the measurement data using the input unit 40. In this case, for example, in the flowchart shown in Figure 2, steps S100 to S115 are omitted, and the user inputs the measurement data in step S120.

[0052] The measurement information acquisition unit only needs to be able to acquire measurement information showing the time change of measured values ​​for each of the first and second subjects' eyes measured by an ophthalmic device. In other words, the measurement information acquisition unit only needs to be able to measure the measured values ​​for each subject at multiple dates and times and acquire measurement information that associates the measured values ​​with the dates and times. The measurement information may be stored in any storage medium, and the storage medium may be installed in the measurement result display system or in a device separate from the measurement result display system.

[0053] The ophthalmic device can be any device capable of measuring any desired parameter of the eye being examined, and as mentioned above, it is not limited to an OCT for measuring axial length. For example, a device capable of measuring various parameters such as refractive power, corneal curvature, corneal thickness, pupil diameter, and visual acuity may be envisioned.

[0054] The first subject is any subject who receives advice regarding the measurement values. The second subject is a subject whose measurement values ​​have already been measured to serve as a baseline for the first subject's measurements. The measurement information for the second subject may be for a longer period than, the same period as, or a shorter period than, the measurement information for the first subject. The first and second subjects may be interchangeable. Furthermore, there may be multiple first and second subjects.

[0055] The measurement information only needs to show the time change of the measured value, and it is sufficient that the measured value and the measurement timing are associated. Furthermore, the measurement timing associated with the measured value is not limited to being expressed in terms of year, month, and day, but may also be expressed in terms of year, month, day, and time, or in terms of year and month.

[0056] The measurement information adjustment unit only needs to be able to shift the measurement information of the second subject on the time axis in a direction that eliminates the age difference between the second subject and the first subject by a shift amount corresponding to the age difference between the second subject and the first subject. In other words, the measurement information adjustment unit only needs to be able to shift the measurement information of the second subject on the time axis so as to eliminate the age difference between the second subject and the first subject. The shift amount corresponding to the age difference may be specified in various units. That is, it is not limited to a configuration in which the unit is the number of days and the shift amount is such that the birth dates overlap, as in the embodiment described above. For example, it may be a configuration in which the unit is the number of months and the shift amount is such that the month of the year of birth overlaps. Also, the unit for specifying the shift amount may be changed according to the scale of the horizontal axis when displaying the measurement information. The direction in which the age difference is eliminated is the direction in which time progresses or the opposite direction in which time progresses on the time axis, and is the direction in which the age difference becomes smaller due to the shift.

[0057] The display unit should be able to display the measurement information of the second subject after the shift and the measurement information of the first subject in a comparable manner. That is, the display unit should be able to compare the measurement information of the second subject after the shift and the measurement information of the first subject by displaying them simultaneously. Since the measurement information shows the change in measured values ​​over time, it is preferable to display it using a graph or the like that shows the change over time. It is also preferable to display it on a graph with the time axis of the same scale as the horizontal axis and the measured value as the vertical axis. The manner of display is not limited, and it may be displayed on multiple graphs or on a single graph.

[0058] Furthermore, the temporal shift of the measurement information of the second subject may be automatically performed by the measurement result display system 10. There may be various modes of automatic movement. For example, the control unit 11 may be configured, by the function of the display control unit 11c1, to move the measurement information of the second subject on the display unit so that a portion of the measurement information of the second subject after the shift overlaps with the measurement information of the first subject. With this configuration, for example, the measurement information shown in Figures 3 and 4 is automatically moved to the state shown in Figure 5. Also, the measurement information shown in Figure 6 is automatically moved to the state shown in Figure 7.

[0059] Various processes can be employed to automatically transfer the measurement information of the second subject. For example, the measurement information of the second subject may be transferred to match the measurement information at the target date and time. The target date and time may be automatically selected, such as the treatment start date, or it may be selected by the user.

[0060] Figure 8 shows an example of a configuration in which the target date and time are selected by the user. The screen configuration in Figure 8 is the same as in Figure 7. In Figure 8, a pointer P that can be operated by the input unit 40 is displayed on the display unit 50. When the user operates the input unit 40, the control unit 11 changes the display position of the pointer P in accordance with the operation.

[0061] Furthermore, when the user operates the input unit 40 to perform a selection operation using the pointer P, and an adjustment instruction is given using an automatic adjustment button (not shown), the control unit 11 acquires the date and time corresponding to the position where the pointer P is displayed as the target date and time. The control unit 11 then shifts the measurement information of the second subject vertically so that the measured values ​​at the target date and time match. In the example shown in Figure 8, the measurement information of the second subject, shown by the dashed line, is shifted upward so that the measured values ​​at the target date and time match. With this configuration, it becomes possible to easily compare the time changes of measurement information before and after the target date and time indicated by the user.

[0062] Furthermore, a movement target may be set based on the measurement information of the first subject and the measurement information of the second subject. For example, the input unit 40 can be used to operate the aforementioned pointer P, etc., and the system can be configured to select multiple measurement values ​​(values ​​obtained by interpolating points between discrete measurement values) from the measurement information of the first subject. After selection, if an adjustment instruction is given using an automatic adjustment button (not shown), the control unit 11 will determine the slope of the designated section, which is the section specified by the multiple selected measurement values.

[0063] Furthermore, the control unit 11 identifies the slope for each section of the same length as the designated section based on the measurement information of the second subject. The control unit 11 then identifies a comparison section from the second subject's measurement information that has the same slope as the designated section (or the difference is less than or equal to a threshold, or the difference is minimal). The control unit 11 then shifts the second subject's measurement information so that the comparison section overlaps with the designated section. This configuration allows for the superposition of the time periods when the second subject's measurement information and the first subject's measurement information had the same characteristics. Therefore, it becomes easy to estimate the time changes in the first subject's measurement values ​​from the second subject's measurement information. In this configuration and the configuration shown in Figure 8, it may be possible to shift (fine-tune) the second subject's measurement information after the shift using buttons B1 to B4.

[0064] Furthermore, the method of displaying measurement information in a comparable manner while eliminating age differences among subjects can also be applied as an invention of a method or program. In addition, such ophthalmic devices, methods, and programs can be implemented as standalone devices or as part of a device with multiple functions, and thus encompass various forms.

[0065] 1...Optical coherence tomography apparatus, 10...Measurement result display system, 11...Control unit, 11a...Measurement result display program, 11a1...Measurement information acquisition unit, 11b1...Measurement information adjustment unit, 11c1...Display control unit, 11d1...Instruction reception unit, 20...Communication unit, 30...Storage medium, 30a...Measurement data, 40...Input unit, 50...Display unit

Claims

1. A measurement result display system comprising: a measurement information acquisition unit that acquires measurement information showing the time change of measured values ​​of the respective eyes of a first subject and a second subject measured by an ophthalmic device; a measurement information adjustment unit that shifts the measurement information of the second subject on the time axis in a direction that eliminates the age difference by a shift amount corresponding to the age difference between the second subject and the first subject; and a display control unit that displays the shifted measurement information of the second subject and the measurement information of the first subject on a display unit in a comparable manner.

2. The measurement result display system according to claim 1, wherein the display control unit causes the display unit to perform at least one of the following: displaying different graphs showing the measurement information of the first subject and the measurement information of the second subject side by side; and displaying a single graph including the measurement information of the first subject and the measurement information of the second subject, respectively.

3. The measurement result display system according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising an instruction receiving unit that receives an instruction to move the measurement information of the second subject after the shift, which is displayed on the display unit, wherein the display control unit moves the measurement information of the second subject on the display unit in accordance with the received instruction.

4. The measurement result display system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the display control unit moves the measurement information of the second subject on the display unit such that a portion of the measurement information of the second subject after the shift overlaps with the measurement information of the first subject.

5. The measurement result display system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the display control unit displays on the display unit the period during which the eye under examination is being treated for at least one of the first subject and the second subject.

6. A measurement result analysis method comprising: a measurement information acquisition step of acquiring measurement information showing the time change of measured values ​​of the respective eyes of a first subject and a second subject measured by an ophthalmic device; a measurement information adjustment step of shifting the measurement information of the second subject on the time axis in a direction that eliminates the age difference by a shift amount corresponding to the age difference between the second subject and the first subject; and a display control step of displaying the shifted measurement information of the second subject and the measurement information of the first subject on a display unit in a comparable manner.

7. A measurement result analysis program that causes a computer to function as: a measurement information acquisition unit that acquires measurement information showing the time change of measured values ​​of the eyes of a first subject and a second subject, respectively, measured by an ophthalmic device; a measurement information adjustment unit that shifts the measurement information of the second subject on the time axis in a direction that eliminates the age difference, by a shift amount corresponding to the age difference between the second subject and the first subject; and a display control unit that displays the shifted measurement information of the second subject and the measurement information of the first subject on a display unit in a comparable manner.

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