Ultrasonic diagnostic system, ultrasonic diagnostic device, ultrasonic diagnostic method, and program

Abstract

An ultrasonic diagnostic system comprises an ultrasonic probe that transmits ultrasonic waves to a subject and generates a probe signal on the basis of reflected waves from the subject, and a first ultrasonic diagnostic device connected to the ultrasonic probe, wherein the first ultrasonic diagnostic device comprises: an ultrasonic image generation unit that generates an ultrasonic image on the basis of the probe signal received from the ultrasonic probe; a first storage unit that stores a plurality of trained models used for diagnostic processing for diagnosing the subject; and a first diagnostic processing unit that reads out, from the first storage unit, a trained model corresponding to a scan target site of the subject that is scanned by the ultrasonic probe, and executes diagnostic processing based on the ultrasonic image using the read-out trained model.

Description

Ultrasonic diagnostic system, ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, ultrasonic diagnostic method, and program

[0001] The present invention relates to an ultrasonic diagnostic system, an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, an ultrasonic diagnostic method, and a program.

[0002] Conventionally, a system for automating the diagnosis of patients using AI (Artificial Intelligence) is known. For example, in Patent Document 1, a medical information processing system that estimates the disease or symptoms of a diagnostic subject by inputting the medical examination data of the diagnostic subject into a learned model of AI has been proposed (Patent Document 1).

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2023-33182

[0004] However, when a conventional medical information processing system uses a plurality of learned models corresponding to a plurality of diagnostic processes, it cannot automatically determine which learned model among the plurality of learned models should be used. In this case, it is conceivable to execute a plurality of diagnostic processes using all of the plurality of learned models, but unnecessary diagnostic processes are also executed, so that the diagnostic process takes a long time and power may be wasted.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of such circumstances, and one of its objectives is to provide an ultrasonic diagnostic system, an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, an ultrasonic diagnostic method, and a program that can shorten the diagnostic process and achieve power saving.

[0006] One aspect of the present invention is an ultrasound diagnostic system comprising: an ultrasound probe that transmits ultrasound to a subject and generates a probe signal based on the reflected wave from the subject; and a first ultrasound diagnostic device connected to the ultrasound probe, wherein the first ultrasound diagnostic device comprises: an ultrasound image generation unit that generates an ultrasound image based on the probe signal received from the ultrasound probe; a first storage unit that stores a plurality of trained models used for diagnostic processing of the subject; and a first diagnostic processing unit that reads a trained model corresponding to a scanning target area scanned by the ultrasound probe on the subject from the first storage unit and executes the diagnostic processing based on the ultrasound image using the read-out trained model.

[0007] According to one aspect of the present invention, it is possible to provide an ultrasound diagnostic system, ultrasound diagnostic apparatus, ultrasound diagnostic method, and program that can shorten the diagnostic processing time and reduce power consumption.

[0008] This figure shows an example of an ultrasound diagnostic system 10. This is a block diagram showing the configuration of the first ultrasound diagnostic device 100. This is a block diagram showing the configuration of the second ultrasound diagnostic device 200. This figure shows an example of the flow of the diagnostic process by the first ultrasound diagnostic device 100. This figure shows an example of the flow of the diagnostic process by the second ultrasound diagnostic device 200. This figure shows a first example of a judgment table 192. This is a flowchart showing an example of the first judgment process performed by the judgment unit 140. This figure shows a second example of a judgment table 192. This is a flowchart showing an example of the second judgment process performed by the judgment unit 140. This figure shows a third example of a judgment table 192. This is a flowchart showing an example of the third judgment process performed by the judgment unit 140.

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments of the ultrasound diagnostic system, ultrasound diagnostic apparatus, ultrasound diagnostic method, and program of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0010] [Ultrasound Diagnostic System] Figure 1 shows an example of an ultrasound diagnostic system 10. The ultrasound diagnostic system 10 comprises an ultrasound probe 50, a first ultrasound diagnostic device 100, and a second ultrasound diagnostic device 200. The ultrasound probe 50 is connected to the first ultrasound diagnostic device 100 via wired or wireless communication. The first ultrasound diagnostic device 100 is connected to the second ultrasound diagnostic device 200 via a network NW. The network NW includes, for example, the Internet, a LAN (Local Area Network), a wireless base station, a provider device, etc.

[0011] The ultrasound probe 50 is a device used for ultrasound (echo) examinations. The ultrasound probe 50 is, for example, a one-dimensional array linear probe in which a plurality of ultrasound transducers are arranged along a predetermined direction. The ultrasound probe 50 performs an ultrasound scan on a scan area within the biological body P, which is the subject, according to control from the first ultrasound diagnostic device 100. During the ultrasound scan, the ultrasound probe 50 transmits ultrasound to the biological body P and generates a probe signal based on the reflected waves from the subject. The ultrasound probe 50 transmits the generated probe signal to the first ultrasound diagnostic device 100.

[0012] The first ultrasound diagnostic device 100 is, for example, a portable computer such as a smartphone or tablet, but it may also be a notebook computer or a desktop computer. The first ultrasound diagnostic device 100 is a computer located at the edge of the network. The first ultrasound diagnostic device 100 is used, for example, by a doctor in a hospital. The first ultrasound diagnostic device 100 generates an ultrasound image (echo image) based on the probe signal received from the ultrasound probe 50. The ultrasound image may be a still image or a video. The first ultrasound diagnostic device 100 also performs diagnostic processing using AI (Artificial Intelligence) based on the ultrasound image. The diagnostic processing is for diagnosing the state of the living body P and the presence or absence of disease.

[0013] The second ultrasound diagnostic device 200 is a server computer with higher specifications than the first ultrasound diagnostic device 100. The second ultrasound diagnostic device 200 performs AI-based diagnostic processing in response to requests from the first ultrasound diagnostic device 100. In the example shown in Figure 1, for the sake of simplicity, one first ultrasound diagnostic device 100 is shown connected to the second ultrasound diagnostic device 200, but multiple first ultrasound diagnostic devices 100 may be connected to the second ultrasound diagnostic device 200.

[0014] [First Ultrasound Diagnostic Apparatus] Figure 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the first ultrasound diagnostic apparatus 100. The first ultrasound diagnostic apparatus 100 includes, for example, a first communication unit 110, an ultrasound image generation unit 120, a first diagnostic processing unit 130, a determination unit 140, an imaging unit 150, a identification unit 160, an input unit 170, a display unit 180, and a first storage unit 190.

[0015] The first communication unit 110 includes a communication module for communicating with the second ultrasound diagnostic device 200 via a network NW. The first communication unit 110 also includes a communication interface for wired communication with the ultrasound probe 50. The first communication unit 110 may also include a communication module for wireless communication with the ultrasound probe 50.

[0016] The ultrasound image generation unit 120, the first diagnostic processing unit 130, the determination unit 140, and the identification unit 160 are realized, for example, by a hardware processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) executing a program (software). Some or all of these components may be realized by hardware such as an LSI (Large Scale Integration), ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), or GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), or by the cooperation of software and hardware. The program may be stored in advance in a storage device such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or flash memory (a storage device equipped with a non-transient storage medium), or it may be stored in a removable storage medium such as a DVD or CD-ROM (a non-transient storage medium) and installed in the storage device when the storage medium is mounted in a drive device.

[0017] The imaging unit 150 is a device that generates images by imaging the biological subject P and the ultrasound probe 50. The imaging unit 150 may be, for example, a LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) device, a compound eye camera, or a monocular camera. The images generated by the imaging unit 150 may be three-dimensional images or two-dimensional images.

[0018] The input unit 170 and the display unit 180 are implemented, for example, by a touch panel display. However, the configuration of the input unit 170 and the display unit 180 is not limited to this. For example, the input unit 170 may include a keyboard and a mouse, and the display unit 180 may be a display device such as a CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) display, a liquid crystal display, or an organic EL (Electro-Luminescence) display.

[0019] The first storage unit 190 can be an HDD, flash memory, RAM (Random Access Memory), etc. The first storage unit 190 may also be a NAS (Network Attached Storage) device that the first ultrasound diagnostic device 100 can access via a network NW. The first storage unit 190 stores information such as the judgment table 192 and the first trained models 194-1 to the Nth trained models 194-N. N is a natural number greater than or equal to 2. Each of the first trained models 194-1 to the Nth trained models 194-N is a model generated by machine learning using training data in advance, and is information used when the diagnostic process is executed.

[0020] [Second Ultrasound Diagnostic Device] Figure 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the second ultrasound diagnostic device 200. The second ultrasound diagnostic device 200 includes, for example, a second communication unit 210, a second diagnostic processing unit 230, and a second storage unit 290.

[0021] The second communication unit 210 is a communication interface for communicating with the first ultrasound diagnostic device 100 via a network NW. The second communication unit 210 is, for example, a network interface card.

[0022] The second diagnostic processing unit 230 is implemented, for example, by a hardware processor such as a CPU executing a program (software). The second diagnostic processing unit 230 may be implemented by hardware such as an LSI, ASIC, FPGA, or GPU, or by the cooperation of software and hardware. The program may be stored in advance in a storage device such as an HDD or flash memory (a storage device equipped with a non-transient storage medium), or it may be stored in a removable storage medium such as a DVD or CD-ROM (a non-transient storage medium) and installed in the storage device when the storage medium is mounted in a drive device.

[0023] The second storage unit 290 is an HDD, flash memory, RAM, etc. The second storage unit 290 may also be a NAS device accessible by the second ultrasound diagnostic device 200 via a network NW. The second storage unit 290 stores information such as the first trained model 294-1 to the Nth trained model 294-N. The first trained model 294-1 to the Nth trained model 294-N stored in the second storage unit 290 are the same models as the first trained model 194-1 to the Nth trained model 194-N stored in the first storage unit 190.

[0024] The first ultrasound diagnostic device 100 and the second ultrasound diagnostic device 200 each have the function of performing diagnostic processing based on ultrasound images (echo images). The diagnostic results obtained through the diagnostic processing include both less confidential information such as pulse rate and blood flow rate, and highly confidential information such as cancer diagnosis results. In particular, information concerning a person's life or death is highly confidential information that patients do not want others to know. Since the second ultrasound diagnostic device 200 is a server-side computer, its processing speed is faster than that of the first ultrasound diagnostic device 100, which is an edge-side computer. However, when performing diagnostic processing with the second ultrasound diagnostic device 200, it is necessary to exchange information via a network NW including the internet, which means there is a possibility of information leakage. For this reason, if the diagnostic results include highly confidential information, it is not desirable to perform the diagnostic processing on the second ultrasound diagnostic device 200. Therefore, the ultrasound diagnostic system of this embodiment appropriately determines whether to perform the diagnostic processing with the first ultrasound diagnostic device 100 or the second ultrasound diagnostic device 200. The following describes the diagnostic process using the first ultrasound diagnostic device and the diagnostic process using the second ultrasound diagnostic device, followed by a description of the determination process for determining whether to perform the diagnostic process using the first ultrasound diagnostic device 100 or the second ultrasound diagnostic device 200.

[0025] [Diagnostic Processing by the First Ultrasound Diagnostic Device] Figure 4 shows an example of the flow of diagnostic processing by the first ultrasound diagnostic device 100. The example shown in Figure 4 shows the flow of processing when the determination unit 140 determines that diagnostic processing should be performed with the first ultrasound diagnostic device 100.

[0026] First, the ultrasound probe 50 transmits ultrasound waves to the biological body P, which is the subject, and generates a probe signal based on the reflected waves from the biological body P. Then, the ultrasound probe 50 transmits the probe signal to the first ultrasound diagnostic device 100.

[0027] The ultrasound image generation unit 120 of the first ultrasound diagnostic device 100 generates an ultrasound image (echo image) based on the probe signal received from the ultrasound probe 50. For example, the ultrasound image generation unit 120 generates a two-dimensional ultrasound image composed of pixels by performing a coordinate transformation according to the ultrasound scanning pattern of the ultrasound probe 50. The ultrasound image generation unit 120 outputs the generated ultrasound image to the determination unit 140.

[0028] Meanwhile, the imaging unit 150 generates an image by capturing the state in which the ultrasound probe 50 is scanning the living body P (subject). For example, the imaging unit 150 captures an image of the state in which the ultrasound probe 50 is performing an ultrasound scan on the living body P in response to an operation by the user (such as a doctor). The imaging unit 150 also outputs the captured image to the identification unit 160.

[0029] The identification unit 160 identifies the area to be scanned based on the image captured by the imaging unit 150. The area to be scanned is the area of ​​the living body P (subject) that is scanned by the ultrasound probe 50. Specifically, the identification unit 160 detects the position and orientation of the ultrasound probe 50 relative to the living body P (subject) based on the image captured by the imaging unit 150, and identifies the area to be scanned based on the detected position and orientation of the ultrasound probe 50. For example, the position of the ultrasound probe 50 relative to the living body P may be the position where the ultrasound transmitting / receiving unit provided at the tip of the ultrasound probe 50 is in contact with the living body P. The orientation of the ultrasound probe 50 may be information indicating the direction in which the ultrasound transmitting / receiving unit is scanning the living body P. The identification unit 160 outputs the area to be scanned information for identifying the area to be scanned to the determination unit 140.

[0030] Next, the determination unit 140 determines whether to perform the diagnostic processing on the first ultrasound diagnostic device 100 or the second ultrasound diagnostic device 200. For example, the determination unit 140 may determine whether to perform the diagnostic processing on the first ultrasound diagnostic device 100 or the second ultrasound diagnostic device 200 based on the determination table 192 stored in the first storage unit 190. The determination unit 140 also obtains a diagnostic ID from the determination table 192 to identify the diagnostic processing to be performed, based on the scanning target area information output from the identification unit 160. For example, if the scanning target area is the center of the chest, a diagnostic ID to identify the diagnostic processing for heart-related diseases (e.g., valvular heart disease or cardiomyopathy) will be obtained from the determination table 192. The contents of the determination table 192 and the specific processing performed by the determination unit 140 will be described later. If the determination unit 140 determines that it will perform a diagnostic process with the first ultrasound diagnostic device 100, it outputs the ultrasound image (echo image) generated by the ultrasound image generation unit 120 and the diagnostic ID obtained from the determination table 192 to the first diagnostic processing unit 130.

[0031] Next, the first diagnostic processing unit 130 performs a diagnostic process based on the ultrasound image (echo image) using one of the first trained models 194-1 to the Nth trained model 194-N. For example, the first diagnostic processing unit 130 reads a trained model corresponding to the diagnostic ID output from the determination unit 140 from the first storage unit 190, and inputs the ultrasound image to the read trained model to obtain a diagnostic result. To give a specific example, if the ultrasound image is an image of the heart of living organism P, and the diagnostic ID obtained from the determination table 192 indicates a diagnostic process for valvular heart disease, the first diagnostic processing unit 130 reads a trained model corresponding to the diagnostic process for valvular heart disease from the first storage unit 190, and inputs the ultrasound image to the read trained model to obtain a diagnostic result of whether or not living organism P has developed valvular heart disease. After that, the first diagnostic processing unit 130 outputs the diagnostic result to the display unit 180.

[0032] The display unit 180 displays the diagnostic results output from the first diagnostic processing unit 130. By checking the diagnostic results displayed on the display unit 180, the physician can understand the state of the living organism P or the disease that the living organism P is suffering from.

[0033] As shown in the processing flow in Figure 4, the ultrasound diagnostic system 10 can automatically determine which of the multiple trained models to use. Therefore, compared to executing all of the multiple trained models, the ultrasound diagnostic system 10 can shorten the diagnostic processing time and reduce power consumption. Furthermore, as shown in the processing flow in Figure 4, information is not leaked to the outside via the network NW, thus protecting highly confidential information. However, since the first ultrasound diagnostic device 100 on the edge side takes longer to perform diagnostic processing than the second ultrasound diagnostic device 200 on the server side, it is not desirable to perform all diagnostic processing on the first ultrasound diagnostic device 100. Therefore, in cases where the confidentiality of the diagnostic results is low, the confidentiality of the area to be scanned is low, or the diagnostic processing takes a long time, it may be preferable to perform the diagnostic processing on the second ultrasound diagnostic device 200.

[0034] [Diagnostic Processing by the Second Ultrasound Diagnostic Device] Figure 5 shows an example of the flow of diagnostic processing by the second ultrasound diagnostic device 200. The example shown in Figure 5 shows the flow of processing when the determination unit 140 determines that diagnostic processing should be performed by the second ultrasound diagnostic device 200. Note that the operation of the ultrasound probe 50, ultrasound image generation unit 120, imaging unit 150, and identification unit 160 is the same as in Figure 4, so the explanation is omitted.

[0035] The determination unit 140 determines whether to perform the diagnostic process using the first ultrasound diagnostic device 100 or the second ultrasound diagnostic device 200. As described above, the determination unit 140 may determine whether to perform the diagnostic process using the first ultrasound diagnostic device 100 or the second ultrasound diagnostic device 200 based on the determination table 192 stored in the first storage unit 190. If the determination unit 140 determines to perform the diagnostic process using the second ultrasound diagnostic device 200, it outputs the ultrasound image (echo image) generated by the ultrasound image generation unit 120 and the diagnostic ID obtained from the determination table 192 to the first communication unit 110.

[0036] The first communication unit 110 transmits the ultrasound image (echo image) and diagnostic ID to the second ultrasound diagnostic device 200 via the network NW. When transmitting information via the network NW, there is a possibility that the information may be leaked to the outside. For this reason, the determination unit 140 may encrypt the information to be transmitted (ultrasound image and diagnostic ID) in a predetermined manner between the first ultrasound diagnostic device 100 and the second ultrasound diagnostic device 200, and the first communication unit 110 may transmit the encrypted information. This makes it possible to more reliably prevent information leakage.

[0037] Next, the second communication unit 210 of the second ultrasound diagnostic device 200 receives the ultrasound image (echo image) and diagnostic ID from the first ultrasound diagnostic device 100 via the network NW. Subsequently, the second communication unit 210 outputs the ultrasound image (echo image) and diagnostic ID to the second diagnostic processing unit 230.

[0038] Next, the second diagnostic processing unit 230 performs diagnostic processing using one of the first trained models 294-1 to the Nth trained model 294-N based on the ultrasound image (echo image). For example, the second diagnostic processing unit 230 reads the trained model corresponding to the diagnostic ID output from the second communication unit 210 from the second storage unit 290, and obtains a diagnostic result by inputting the ultrasound image to the read trained model. After that, the second diagnostic processing unit 230 outputs the diagnostic result to the second communication unit 210.

[0039] The second communication unit 210 transmits the diagnostic results to the first ultrasound diagnostic device 100 via the network NW. When transmitting information via the network NW, there is a possibility that the information may be leaked to the outside. For this reason, the second diagnostic processing unit 230 may encrypt the information to be transmitted (diagnostic results) in a predetermined manner between the first ultrasound diagnostic device 100 and the second ultrasound diagnostic device 200, and the second communication unit 210 may transmit the encrypted information. This makes it possible to more reliably prevent information leakage.

[0040] Next, the first communication unit 110 of the first ultrasound diagnostic device 100 receives the diagnostic results from the second ultrasound diagnostic device 200 via the network NW. After that, the first communication unit 110 outputs the diagnostic results to the display unit 180.

[0041] The display unit 180 displays the diagnostic results output from the first communication unit 110. By checking the diagnostic results displayed on the display unit 180, the doctor can understand the state of the living organism P or the disease that living organism P is suffering from.

[0042] The cases in which the first ultrasound diagnostic device 100 performs the diagnostic process (Figure 4) and the second ultrasound diagnostic device 200 performs the diagnostic process (Figure 5) have been described above. As previously mentioned, the determination unit 140 determines whether to perform the diagnostic process using the first ultrasound diagnostic device 100 or the second ultrasound diagnostic device 200 based on the determination table 192 stored in the first storage unit 190. Three examples (first determination process to third determination process) of the determination process performed by the determination unit 140 will be described below.

[0043] [First Judgment Process] Figure 6 is a diagram showing a first example of the judgment table 192. The first storage unit 190 stores a judgment table 192 in which, for each of a plurality of diagnostic processes corresponding to the first learned model 194-1 to the Nth learned model 194-N, a scanning target site and information indicating either the first ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 100 or the second ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 200 are associated. As shown in Figure 6, the judgment table 192 is a table in which a diagnostic ID, a diagnostic process, a scanning target site, a diagnostic target, and diagnostic apparatus information are associated. The diagnostic ID is identification information for identifying the diagnostic process. The diagnostic process is information indicating the content of the diagnostic process. The scanning target site is a site (such as the center of the chest, the upper right abdomen, etc.) scanned by the ultrasonic probe 50 in the living body P (subject). The diagnostic target is information indicating the diagnostic target (such as an organ) of the living body P. The diagnostic apparatus information is information for specifying the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus for executing the diagnostic process.

[0044] The judgment table 192 is a preset table according to the degree of confidentiality of the diagnostic result obtained by the diagnostic process. For example, when the first diagnostic process is a diagnostic process related to the heart rate, the diagnostic result of the first diagnostic process is information with low confidentiality, so it is recommended to execute the first diagnostic process with the second ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 200. Also, for example, when the second diagnostic process is a diagnostic process related to cancer, the diagnostic result of the second diagnostic process is information with high confidentiality, so it is recommended to execute the second diagnostic process with the first ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus 100. Thus, the judgment table 192 is set according to the degree of confidentiality of the diagnostic result obtained by the diagnostic process.

[0045] Figure 7 is a flowchart showing an example of the first judgment process executed by the judgment unit 140. First, the judgment unit 140 acquires an ultrasonic image (echo image) from the ultrasonic image generation unit 120 (S101). Next, the judgment unit 140 acquires scanning target site information from the specifying unit 160 (S102). The scanning target site information acquired here is, as described above, information for specifying the scanning target site.

[0046] Next, the determination unit 140 acquires the diagnosis ID and the diagnostic device information corresponding to the scanning target part indicated by the scanning target part information acquired in S102 from the determination table 192 (S103). For example, when the scanning target part indicated by the scanning target part information acquired in S102 is "the center of the chest", the determination unit 140 acquires the set of the diagnosis ID and the diagnostic device information corresponding to the scanning target part (the center of the chest) from the determination table 192 in FIG. 6. Specifically, the determination unit 140 acquires the set of the diagnosis ID (D001) and the diagnostic device information (information indicating the second ultrasonic diagnostic device 200) associated with the scanning target part (the center of the chest) from the determination table 192. Similarly, the determination unit 140 also acquires from the determination table 192 the set of the diagnosis ID (D002) and the diagnostic device information (information indicating the first ultrasonic diagnostic device 100), the set of the diagnosis ID (D003) and the diagnostic device information (information indicating the first ultrasonic diagnostic device 100), and the set of the diagnosis ID (D004) and the diagnostic device information (information indicating the second ultrasonic diagnostic device 200).

[0047] Next, the determination unit 140 determines whether the diagnostic device information acquired in S103 indicates the first ultrasonic diagnostic device 100 (S104). When the diagnostic device information acquired in S103 indicates the first ultrasonic diagnostic device 100, the determination unit 140 determines to cause the first ultrasonic diagnostic device 100 to execute the diagnostic process (S105). In this case, as shown in FIG. 4, the first diagnostic processing unit 130 performs the diagnostic process indicated by the diagnosis ID associated with the scanning target part, and the diagnostic result is displayed on the display unit 180.

[0048] On the other hand, when the diagnostic device information acquired in S103 indicates the second ultrasonic diagnostic device 200, the determination unit 140 determines to cause the second ultrasonic diagnostic device 200 to execute the diagnostic process (S106). In this case, as shown in FIG. 5, the second diagnostic processing unit 230 performs the diagnostic process indicated by the diagnosis ID associated with the scanning target part, and the diagnostic result is displayed on the display unit 180.

[0049] In S104, if there are multiple sets of diagnostic IDs and diagnostic device information associated with the scanning target area, the determination unit 140 may determine for each of the multiple sets whether the diagnostic device information indicates the first ultrasound diagnostic device 100. This allows the determination unit 140 to determine whether to perform each of the multiple diagnostic processes using the first ultrasound diagnostic device 100 or the second ultrasound diagnostic device 200.

[0050] As explained above, according to the first determination process, the determination unit 140 determines, based on the determination table 192, whether to perform the diagnostic process using the first ultrasound diagnostic device 100 or the second ultrasound diagnostic device 200. This allows the determination unit 140 to appropriately determine, according to the degree of confidentiality of the diagnostic results obtained by the diagnostic process, whether to perform the diagnostic process using the first ultrasound diagnostic device 100 or the second ultrasound diagnostic device 200.

[0051] For example, if multiple diagnostic processes are performed based on a single ultrasound image, the determination unit 140 distributes the multiple diagnostic processes to the first ultrasound diagnostic device 100 and the second ultrasound diagnostic device 200 according to the degree of confidentiality of the diagnostic results obtained by the diagnostic processes. For example, if the ultrasound image is an echocardiogram of the heart, and diagnostic processes for heart rate, blood flow rate, valvular heart disease, and cardiomyopathy are performed based on this echocardiogram of the heart, the determination unit 140 distributes less confidential diagnostic processes, such as heart rate and blood flow rate, to the second ultrasound diagnostic device 200, and more confidential diagnostic processes, such as valvular heart disease and cardiomyopathy, to the first ultrasound diagnostic device 100. In this way, the determination unit 140 can appropriately distribute the multiple diagnostic processes.

[0052] [Second Judgment Process] Figure 8 shows a second example of the judgment table 192. The first storage unit 190 stores a judgment table 192 in which, for each of the multiple diagnostic processes corresponding to the first learned model 194-1 to the Nth learned model 194-N, the scanning target area and information indicating the priority for executing the diagnostic process on the first ultrasound diagnostic device 100 (edge ​​priority) are associated. As shown in Figure 8, the judgment table 192 is a table in which the diagnosis ID, the diagnostic process, the scanning target area, the diagnostic target, and the edge priority are associated. The diagnosis ID is identification information for identifying the diagnostic process. The diagnostic process is information indicating the content of the diagnostic process. The scanning target area is the area (center of the chest, upper right abdomen, etc.) scanned by the ultrasound probe 50 on the living body P (subject). The diagnostic target is information indicating the diagnostic target (organ, etc.) of the living body P. The edge priority is information indicating the priority for executing the diagnostic process on the first ultrasound diagnostic device 100, which is the edge-side computer. A smaller edge priority value indicates a higher priority for performing diagnostic processing in the first ultrasound diagnostic device 100. For example, the edge priority value can be an integer from 1 to 9, and the closer the edge priority value is to "1", the higher the priority.

[0053] The judgment table 192 is a pre-configured table based on the degree of confidentiality of the diagnostic results obtained through the diagnostic process. For example, a low edge priority is set for diagnostic processes with low confidentiality that do not pose a problem even if seen by others (such as heart rate), while a high edge priority is set for diagnostic processes with high confidentiality that do not want others to see (such as cancer diagnosis). In this way, the judgment table 192 is configured according to the degree of confidentiality of the diagnostic results obtained through the diagnostic process.

[0054] Figure 9 is a flowchart showing an example of the second determination process performed by the determination unit 140. First, the determination unit 140 acquires an ultrasound image (echo image) from the ultrasound image generation unit 120 (S201). Next, the determination unit 140 acquires scanning target area information from the identification unit 160 (S202). The scanning target area information acquired here is, as mentioned above, information for identifying the scanning target area.

[0055] Next, the determination unit 140 obtains the diagnostic ID and edge priority corresponding to the scanning target area indicated by the scanning target area information acquired in S202 from the determination table 192 (S203). For example, if the scanning target area indicated by the scanning target area information acquired in S202 is "center of the chest", the determination unit 140 obtains the set of diagnostic ID and edge priority corresponding to the scanning target area (center of the chest) from the determination table 192 in Figure 8. Specifically, the determination unit 140 obtains the set of diagnostic ID (D001) and edge priority (9) associated with the scanning target area (center of the chest) from the determination table 192. Similarly, the determination unit 140 also obtains the set of diagnostic ID (D002) and edge priority (2), the set of diagnostic ID (D003) and edge priority (1), and the set of diagnostic ID (D004) and edge priority (7) from the determination table 192.

[0056] Next, the determination unit 140 determines whether the edge priority obtained in S203 is less than the first threshold (S204). The first threshold may be a preset value and may be changeable by input from the input unit 170. If the edge priority obtained in S203 is less than the first threshold, the determination unit 140 determines to have the first ultrasound diagnostic device 100 perform the diagnostic process (S205). In this case, as shown in Figure 4, the first diagnostic processing unit 130 performs the diagnostic process indicated by the diagnostic ID associated with the scanning target area, and the diagnostic result is displayed on the display unit 180.

[0057] On the other hand, the determination unit 140 determines that if the edge priority obtained in S203 is equal to or greater than the first threshold, it will cause the second ultrasound diagnostic device 200 to perform diagnostic processing (S206). In this case, as shown in Figure 5, the second diagnostic processing unit 230 performs diagnostic processing indicated by the diagnostic ID associated with the scanning target area, and the diagnostic result is displayed on the display unit 180.

[0058] In addition, if there are multiple sets of diagnostic IDs and diagnostic device information associated with the scanning target area in S204, the determination unit 140 may determine for each of the multiple sets whether the edge priority is less than the first threshold. This allows the determination unit 140 to determine whether to execute the diagnostic process on the first ultrasound diagnostic device 100 or the second ultrasound diagnostic device 200 for each of the multiple diagnostic processes.

[0059] As explained above, according to the second determination process, the determination unit 140 determines, based on the determination table 192, whether to perform the diagnostic process on the first ultrasound diagnostic device 100 or the second ultrasound diagnostic device 200. This allows the determination unit 140 to appropriately determine whether to perform the diagnostic process on the first ultrasound diagnostic device 100 or the second ultrasound diagnostic device 200, depending on the degree of confidentiality of the diagnostic results obtained by the diagnostic process. Furthermore, by making the first threshold changeable in response to input from the input unit 170, the distribution of the diagnostic process to the first ultrasound diagnostic device 100 and the second ultrasound diagnostic device 200 can be easily adjusted.

[0060] [Third Judgment Process] Figure 10 shows a third example of the judgment table 192. The first storage unit 190 stores a judgment table 192 for each of the multiple diagnostic processes corresponding to the first trained model 194-1 to the Nth trained model 194-N, in which the scanning target area, information indicating the degree of confidentiality of the diagnostic result, and information indicating the processing time required for the diagnostic process are associated. As shown in Figure 10, the judgment table 192 is a table in which the diagnostic ID, the diagnostic process, the scanning target area, the diagnostic target, confidentiality, and processing time are associated. The diagnostic ID is identification information for identifying the diagnostic process. The diagnostic process is information indicating the content of the diagnostic process. The scanning target area is the area (e.g., center of the chest, upper right abdomen) scanned by the ultrasound probe 50 in the living body P (subject). The diagnostic target is information indicating the diagnostic target (e.g., organ) of the living body P. Confidentiality is information indicating the degree of confidentiality of the diagnostic result. For example, confidentiality may be information indicating three levels (high, medium, low). Processing time is information indicating the time required to perform diagnostic processing with the first ultrasound diagnostic device 100.

[0061] The judgment table 192 is a table pre-configured according to the degree of confidentiality of the diagnostic results obtained through the diagnostic process. For example, for diagnostic processes with low confidentiality that do not pose a problem even if seen by others (such as heart rate), "Low" is set in the confidentiality column, while for diagnostic processes with high confidentiality that do not want others to see (such as cancer diagnosis), "High" is set in the confidentiality column. "Medium" is an intermediate level between "High" and "Low". In this way, the judgment table 192 is configured according to the degree of confidentiality of the diagnostic results obtained through the diagnostic process.

[0062] Figure 11 is a flowchart showing an example of a third determination process performed by the determination unit 140. First, the determination unit 140 acquires an ultrasound image (echo image) from the ultrasound image generation unit 120 (S301). Next, the determination unit 140 acquires scanning target area information from the identification unit 160 (S302). The scanning target area information acquired here is, as described above, information for identifying the scanning target area.

[0063] Next, the determination unit 140 obtains the confidentiality level and processing time associated with the diagnostic ID corresponding to the scan target area indicated by the scan target area information acquired in S302 from the determination table 192 (S303). For example, if the scan target area indicated by the scan target area information acquired in S302 is "center of the chest", the determination unit 140 obtains a set of diagnostic ID, confidentiality level, and processing time corresponding to the scan target area (center of the chest) from the determination table 192 in Figure 10. Specifically, the determination unit 140 obtains a set of diagnostic ID (D001), confidentiality level (high), and processing time (500 seconds) associated with the scan target area (center of the chest) from the determination table 192. Similarly, the determination unit 140 will also obtain from the determination table 192 the following sets of diagnostic ID (D002), confidentiality (low), and processing time (90 seconds), diagnostic ID (D003), confidentiality (low), and processing time (30 seconds), and diagnostic ID (D004), confidentiality (medium), and processing time (230 seconds).

[0064] Next, the determination unit 140 calculates a determination score indicating the degree to which it recommends having the first ultrasound diagnostic device 100 perform the diagnostic process, based on information indicating the degree of confidentiality of the diagnostic results and the processing time required for the diagnostic process (S304). As mentioned above, it is preferable to perform highly confidential diagnostic processes on the first ultrasound diagnostic device 100, and diagnostic processes with long processing times on the second ultrasound diagnostic device 200, which has a faster processing speed. For this reason, the determination unit 140 calculates a determination score such that the higher the confidentiality, the higher the determination score, and the shorter the processing time, the higher the determination score.

[0065] Next, the determination unit 140 determines whether the determination score calculated in S304 is greater than the second threshold (S305). The second threshold may be a preset value and may be changeable by input from the input unit 170. If the determination unit 140 determines that the determination score calculated in S304 is greater than the second threshold, it decides to have the first ultrasound diagnostic device 100 perform the diagnostic process (S306). In this case, as shown in Figure 4, the first diagnostic processing unit 130 performs the diagnostic process indicated by the diagnostic ID associated with the scanning target area, and the diagnostic result is displayed on the display unit 180.

[0066] On the other hand, the determination unit 140 determines that if the determination score calculated in S304 is less than or equal to the second threshold, it will cause the second ultrasound diagnostic device 200 to perform a diagnostic process (S307). In this case, as shown in Figure 5, the second diagnostic processing unit 230 performs a diagnostic process indicated by the diagnostic ID associated with the scanning target area, and the diagnostic result is displayed on the display unit 180.

[0067] As explained above, according to the third determination process, the determination unit 140 calculates a determination score based on the determination table 192 and determines whether to execute the diagnostic process on the first ultrasound diagnostic device 100 or the second ultrasound diagnostic device 200 based on the calculated determination score. This allows the determination unit 140 to appropriately determine whether to execute the diagnostic process on the first ultrasound diagnostic device 100 or the second ultrasound diagnostic device 200, depending on the degree of confidentiality of the diagnostic results obtained by the diagnostic process and the processing time. Furthermore, by making the second threshold changeable in response to input from the input unit 170, the distribution of the diagnostic process to the first ultrasound diagnostic device 100 and the second ultrasound diagnostic device 200 can be easily adjusted.

[0068] In the third determination process, the determination unit 140 determines whether to execute the diagnostic process using the first ultrasound diagnostic device 100 or the second ultrasound diagnostic device 200, depending on the degree of confidentiality of the diagnostic results obtained by the diagnostic process, but is not limited to this. For example, the determination unit 140 may determine whether to execute the diagnostic process using the first ultrasound diagnostic device 100 or the second ultrasound diagnostic device 200, depending on the degree of confidentiality of the scanning target area identified by the scanning target area information. For example, genitals are a highly confidential scanning target area that one would not want others to see. The determination unit 140 may determine that diagnostic processing for scanning target areas (such as genitals) with a confidentiality level above a predetermined threshold should be executed using the edge-side first ultrasound diagnostic device 100, and that diagnostic processing for areas with a confidentiality level below a predetermined threshold should be executed using the second ultrasound diagnostic device 200. In this way, the ultrasound diagnostic system 10 of this embodiment can prevent information regarding highly confidential scanning target areas from being leaked via the network NW.

[0069] As described above, the ultrasound diagnostic system 10 comprises an ultrasound probe 50 and a first ultrasound diagnostic device 100. The ultrasound probe 50 transmits ultrasound to a subject (living body P) and generates a probe signal based on the reflected wave from the subject. The first ultrasound diagnostic device 100 is connected to the ultrasound probe 50. The first ultrasound diagnostic device 100 comprises an ultrasound image generation unit 120, a first storage unit 190, and a first diagnostic processing unit 130. The ultrasound image generation unit 120 generates an ultrasound image based on the probe signal received from the ultrasound probe 50. The first storage unit 190 stores a plurality of trained models 194-1 to 194-N used for the diagnostic processing of the subject. The first diagnostic processing unit 130 reads a trained model corresponding to the scanning target area scanned by the ultrasound probe 50 on the subject from the first storage unit 190 and performs diagnostic processing based on the ultrasound image using the read trained model. As a result, the ultrasound diagnostic system 10 of this embodiment can shorten the diagnostic processing time and reduce power consumption.

[0070] The ultrasound diagnostic system 10 further includes a second ultrasound diagnostic device 200 that can communicate with the first ultrasound diagnostic device 100 via a network NW. The first ultrasound diagnostic device 100 further includes a first communication unit that transmits an ultrasound image and scanning target area information for identifying the scanning target area to the second ultrasound diagnostic device 200. The second ultrasound diagnostic device 200 includes a second communication unit 210, a second storage unit 290, and a second diagnostic processing unit 230. The second communication unit 210 receives the ultrasound image and scanning target area information from the first ultrasound diagnostic device 100. The second storage unit 290 stores a plurality of trained models 294-1 to 294-N used for the diagnostic processing of a subject (living body P). The second diagnostic processing unit 230 reads the trained model corresponding to the scanning target area identified by the scanning target area information from the second storage unit 290 and performs diagnostic processing based on the ultrasound image using the read trained model. As a result, the ultrasound diagnostic system 10 of this embodiment can distribute and execute multiple diagnostic processes to the first ultrasound diagnostic device 100 and the second ultrasound diagnostic device 200.

[0071] Although embodiments for carrying out the present invention have been described above using examples, the present invention is not limited in any way to these embodiments, and various modifications and substitutions can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0072] 50 Ultrasound probe 100 First ultrasound diagnostic device 110 First communication unit 120 Ultrasound image generation unit 130 First diagnostic processing unit 140 Judgment unit 150 Imaging unit 160 Identification unit 170 Input unit 180 Display unit 190 First storage unit 200 Second ultrasound diagnostic device 210 Second communication unit 230 Second diagnostic processing unit 290 Second storage unit

Claims

1. An ultrasound diagnostic system comprising: an ultrasound probe that transmits ultrasound waves to a subject and generates a probe signal based on the reflected waves from the subject; and a first ultrasound diagnostic device connected to the ultrasound probe, wherein the first ultrasound diagnostic device comprises: an ultrasound image generation unit that generates an ultrasound image based on the probe signal received from the ultrasound probe; a first storage unit that stores a plurality of trained models used for diagnostic processing of the subject; and a first diagnostic processing unit that reads a trained model corresponding to a scanning target area scanned by the ultrasound probe on the subject from the first storage unit and executes the diagnostic processing based on the ultrasound image using the read-out trained model.

2. The ultrasound diagnostic system according to claim 1, wherein the first ultrasound diagnostic apparatus further comprises: an imaging unit that generates an image by capturing the situation in which the ultrasound probe is scanning the subject; and an identification unit that identifies the scanning target area based on the captured image, and the first diagnostic processing unit reads a learned model corresponding to the identified scanning target area from the first storage unit and performs the diagnostic processing based on the ultrasound image using the read learned model.

3. The ultrasound diagnostic system according to claim 2, wherein the identifying unit detects the position and orientation of the ultrasound probe relative to the subject based on the captured image, and identifies the scanning target area based on the detected position and orientation of the ultrasound probe.

4. The ultrasound diagnostic system according to claim 1, further comprising a second ultrasound diagnostic device capable of communicating with the first ultrasound diagnostic device via a network, wherein the first ultrasound diagnostic device further comprises a first communication unit that transmits the ultrasound image and scanning target area information for identifying the scanning target area to the second ultrasound diagnostic device, the second ultrasound diagnostic device comprising a second communication unit that receives the ultrasound image and the scanning target area information from the first ultrasound diagnostic device, a second storage unit that stores a plurality of trained models used for the diagnostic processing of the subject, and a second diagnostic processing unit that reads a trained model corresponding to the scanning target area identified by the scanning target area information from the second storage unit and executes the diagnostic processing based on the ultrasound image using the read trained model.

5. The ultrasound diagnostic system according to claim 4, further comprising a determination unit that determines whether to perform the diagnostic process using the first ultrasound diagnostic device or the second ultrasound diagnostic device.

6. The ultrasound diagnostic system according to claim 5, wherein the first storage unit stores a determination table for each of the multiple diagnostic processes corresponding to the multiple trained models, in which the area to be scanned and information indicating either the first ultrasound diagnostic device or the second ultrasound diagnostic device are associated, and the determination unit determines, based on the determination table, whether to perform the diagnostic process with the first ultrasound diagnostic device or the second ultrasound diagnostic device.

7. The ultrasound diagnostic system according to claim 5, wherein the first storage unit stores a determination table for each of the multiple diagnostic processes corresponding to the multiple learned models, in which the scanning target area and information indicating the priority for executing the diagnostic process on the first ultrasound diagnostic device are associated, and the determination unit determines, based on the determination table, whether to execute the diagnostic process on the first ultrasound diagnostic device or the second ultrasound diagnostic device.

8. The ultrasound diagnostic system according to claim 5, wherein the first storage unit stores a determination table for each of the multiple diagnostic processes corresponding to the multiple trained models, the scanning target area, information indicating the degree of confidentiality of the diagnostic result, and information indicating the processing time required for the diagnostic process, and the determination unit determines, based on the determination table, whether to perform the diagnostic process with the first ultrasound diagnostic device or the second ultrasound diagnostic device.

9. The ultrasound diagnostic system according to claim 8, wherein the determination unit calculates a determination score indicating the degree to which it recommends having the first ultrasound diagnostic device perform the diagnostic process, based on information indicating the degree of confidentiality of the diagnostic results and the processing time required for the diagnostic process, and determines whether to perform the diagnostic process with the first ultrasound diagnostic device or the second ultrasound diagnostic device based on the determination score.

10. The ultrasound diagnostic system according to claim 5, wherein the determination unit determines whether to perform the diagnostic process using the first ultrasound diagnostic device or the second ultrasound diagnostic device, according to the degree of confidentiality of the area to be scanned, as identified by the area to be scanned information.

11. An ultrasound diagnostic apparatus connected to an ultrasound probe that transmits ultrasound waves to a subject and generates a probe signal based on the reflected waves from the subject, comprising: an ultrasound image generation unit that generates an ultrasound image based on the probe signal received from the ultrasound probe; a storage unit that stores a plurality of trained models used for diagnostic processing of the subject; and a diagnostic processing unit that reads a trained model corresponding to a scanning target area scanned by the ultrasound probe on the subject from the storage unit and performs the diagnostic processing based on the ultrasound image using the read-out trained model.

12. An ultrasound diagnostic method comprising: an ultrasound diagnostic device connected to an ultrasound probe that transmits ultrasound waves to a subject and generates a probe signal based on the reflected waves from the subject; an ultrasound diagnostic device that generates an ultrasound image based on the probe signal received from the ultrasound probe; a plurality of trained models used for the diagnostic processing of the subject stored in a storage unit; a trained model corresponding to a scanning target area scanned by the ultrasound probe on the subject read from the storage unit; and the diagnostic processing based on the ultrasound image using the read-out trained model.

13. A program for an ultrasound diagnostic device connected to an ultrasound probe that transmits ultrasound waves to a subject and generates a probe signal based on the reflected waves from the subject, which causes the device to generate an ultrasound image based on the probe signal received from the ultrasound probe, to store a plurality of trained models used for the diagnostic processing of the subject in a storage unit, to read a trained model from the storage unit that corresponds to the scanning target area scanned by the ultrasound probe on the subject, and to execute the diagnostic processing based on the ultrasound image using the read-out trained model.

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